Octopus adapt venom to sub zero temperatures
5 Aug 2010 by Evoluted New Media
Scientists have discovered that all octopuses are venomous, with species living in the Antarctic adapting to sub zero temperatures.
Scientists have discovered that all octopuses are venomous, with species living in the Antarctic adapting to sub zero temperatures.
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Octopus in the Antarctic have adapted their venom to the harsh temperatures Credit Albert Kok |
Venom is considered a potentially valuable resource for drug development and scientists studying octopus in the Antarctic have discovered it harbours a range of toxins – two of which had not previously been described – as well as four new species of octopus.
“We have discovered new small proteins in the venom with very intriguing activities – these are potentially useful in drug design, but more will be revealed as the study continues,” said Dr Bryan Fry from the Bio21 Institute at the University of Melbourne,
Dr Fry and a team of researchers from Melbourne, the Norwegian University of Technology and Science and the University of Hamburg captured 203 octopuses from Antarctic water and genetically profiled each specimen to identify the species. They also collected venom to analyse in the lab in order to gain a greater understanding of how they work.
“This is the first study that has collected Antarctic octopus venom and confirmed that these creatures have adapted it to work in sub zero temperatures,” Fry said, “The next step is to work out what biochemical tricks they have used.
“An understanding of the structure and mode of action of venom found in all octopuses may help design drugs for conditions like pain management, allergies and cancer,” he concluded.
