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Α-Latrotoxin Genes Are Highly Divergent Between Species Of Widow Spiders (Genus Latrodectus), Kacy M. Bennett
Α-Latrotoxin Genes Are Highly Divergent Between Species Of Widow Spiders (Genus Latrodectus), Kacy M. Bennett
Honors College Theses
Widow spiders (genus Latrodectus) possess neurotoxic venom that varies in potency among species. α-latrotoxin is the main protein in widow venom that affects vertebrates, including humans. The European black widow, Latrodectus tredecimguttatus, is currently the only species in this genus where the gene for α-latrotoxin has been characterized. The study presented here characterizes the genetic composition of α-latrotoxin from two additional species, the brown widow (L. geometricus) and the southern black widow (L. mactans). Genetic differences among the three species were quantified for α-latrotoxin. Between species genetic divergence in α-latrotoxin was also compared to …