Baldomero “Toto” Olivera (U. Utah, HHMI) 1: Cone Snail Venom Peptides: Venom complexity

Talk Overview: Although snails are not the first animals that come to mind when venoms are mentioned, there are, in fact, thousands of species of venomous predatory marine snails. The most intensively studied of these are the ~700 species of cone snails (Conus). Each snail species has ~100 different peptide neurotoxins present in its venom. Thus, conus venoms are a source of over 100,000 pharmacologically active peptides. In Part 1 of his lecture, Olivera tells us how he first became interested in studying conus venom. His lab found that conus venom peptides are organized into groups or “cabals” each of which act on a group of related molecular targets such as ion channels or receptors. This venom complexity gives snails an advantage in capturing prey, resisting predators or repelling competitors. As each species of snail evolved to fit a specific ecological niche, its venom also evolved to include different peptides.