ArticleeLife2023
Binding and sequestration of poison frog alkaloids by a plasma globulin.
Article in eLife, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Serpin-driven green camouflage and NIR fluorescence in frogs.Science advances · 2026Article
- Integrated Toxicokinetics Underlie Selective Sequestration of Cardiotonic Steroids in an Asian Snake Rhabdophis tigrinus.Journal of chemical ecology · 2026Article
- Batrachotoxin-sensitive sodium channels in toxic birds challenge "target mutation" strategy of toxin autoresistance.iScience · 2026Article
- Saxiphilin functions as a toxin sponge protein that counteracts the effects of saxitoxin poisoning.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Ingestion of the potent neurotoxin epibatidine does not compromise locomotion or behavior in the poison frogbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Saxiphilin functions as a 'toxin sponge' protein that counteracts the effects of saxitoxin poisoning.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Tandem Duplication of Serpin Genes Yields Functional Variation and Snake Venom Inhibitors.Molecular biology and evolution · 2025Article
- Structural basis for saxitoxin congener binding and neutralization by anuran saxiphilins.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Article
- The Amphibian Genomics Consortium: advancing genomic and genetic resources for amphibian research and conservation.BMC genomics · 2024Review
- Passive accumulation of alkaloids in inconspicuously colored frogs refines the evolutionary paradigm of acquired chemical defenses.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- The Amphibian Genomics Consortium: advancing genomic and genetic resources for amphibian research and conservation.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- A toxic environment selects for specialist microbiome in poison frogs.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- Article
- Eco-Metabolomics Applied to the Chemical Ecology of Poison Frogs (Dendrobatoidea).Journal of chemical ecology · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Alkaloids are important bioactive molecules throughout the natural world, and in many animals they serve as a source of chemical defense against predation. Dendrobatid poison frogs bioaccumulate alkaloids from their diet to make themselves toxic or unpalatable to predators. Despite the proposed roles of plasma proteins as mediators of alkaloid trafficking and bioavailability, the responsible proteins have not been identified. We use chemical approaches to show that a ~50 kDa plasma protein is the principal alkaloid-binding molecule in blood of poison frogs. Proteomic and biochemical studies establish this plasma protein to be a liver-derived alkaloid-binding globulin (ABG) that is a member of the serine-protease inhibitor (serpin) family. In addition to alkaloid-binding activity, ABG sequesters and regulates the bioavailability of 'free' plasma alkaloids in vitro. Unexpectedly, ABG is not related to saxiphilin, albumin, or other known vitamin carriers, but instead exhibits sequence and structural homology to mammalian hormone carriers and amphibian biliverdin-binding proteins. ABG represents a new small molecule binding functionality in serpin proteins, a novel mechanism of plasma alkaloid transport in poison frogs, and more broadly points toward serpins acting as tunable scaffolds for small molecule binding and transport across different organisms.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.