ArticleNature communications2018
The assassin bug Pristhesancus plagipennis produces two distinct venoms in separate gland lumens.
Article in Nature communications, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 52 papers.
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52 citing papers in PubMed, 94 citations in OpenAlex.
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- Multifunctional lysozymes from the assassin bug Sycanus bifidus: Insecticidal proteins with anticoagulant and melanization inhibition properties.Pest management science · 2026Article
- Morphological and Ultrastructural Characterization of the Venom Apparatus of the Predatory Stink Bug,Insects · 2026Article
- Genome of venomous caterpillarProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Comprehensive Analysis of Cathepsin Genes in Hemiptera: Functional Characterization of the Venomous Cathepsin B fromInsects · 2025Article
- Hemipteran insects experience recurrent and synergistic molecular evolution adapting to diet shift.BMC biology · 2025Article
- Exaptation of an evolutionary constraint enables behavioural control over the composition of secreted venom in a giant centipede.Nature ecology & evolution · 2025Article
- Venom exaptation and adaptation during the trophic switch to blood-feeding by kissing bugs.iScience · 2024Article
- Comparative genomic analyses on assassin bugiScience · 2024Article
- Divergent venom effectors correlate with ecological niche in neuropteran predators.Communications biology · 2024Article
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- Venom trade-off shapes interspecific interactions, physiology, and reproduction.Science advances · 2024Article
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- Behavioural Indicators of Pain and Suffering in Arthropods and Might Pain Bite Back?Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2023Review
- Two Novel Mosquitocidal Peptides Isolated from the Venom of the Bahia Scarlet Tarantula (Toxins · 2023Article
- Single-Cell Heterogeneity in Snake Venom Expression Is Hardwired by Co-Option of Regulators from Progressively Activated Pathways.Genome biology and evolution · 2023Article
- The Predatory Stink BugBiology · 2023Article
- An Assassin's Secret: Multifunctional Cytotoxic Compounds in the Predation Venom of the Assassin BugToxins · 2023Article
- You are what you eat-ecological niche and microhabitat influence venom activity and composition in aquatic bugs.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2023Article
- Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The assassin bug venom system plays diverse roles in prey capture, defence and extra-oral digestion, but it is poorly characterised, partly due to its anatomical complexity. Here we demonstrate that this complexity results from numerous adaptations that enable assassin bugs to modulate the composition of their venom in a context-dependent manner. Gland reconstructions from multimodal imaging reveal three distinct venom gland lumens: the anterior main gland (AMG); posterior main gland (PMG); and accessory gland (AG). Transcriptomic and proteomic experiments demonstrate that the AMG and PMG produce and accumulate distinct sets of venom proteins and peptides. PMG venom, which can be elicited by electrostimulation, potently paralyses and kills prey insects. In contrast, AMG venom elicited by harassment does not paralyse prey insects, suggesting a defensive role. Our data suggest that assassin bugs produce offensive and defensive venoms in anatomically distinct glands, an evolutionary adaptation that, to our knowledge, has not been described for any other venomous animal.
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