Plugging into ache: ant toxin causes electrical sting: College of Queensland researchers have uncovered the workings of ant venom by measuring electrical currents by way of particular person channels in cells to know the way it causes ache.
Dr Angelo Keramidas from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience led a workforce which studied the potent sting of the West African ant (Tetramorium africanum), discovering a toxin throughout the venom precipitated hyperstimulation of sodium channels throughout the sufferer’s cells which led to excessive ache.
The ache from a West African ant chunk is just like the Australian green-head ant (pictured).
“This ant chunk causes a cacophony of ache signs, not solely extreme and long-lasting ache with reddening and irritation on the sting web site but additionally extreme sweating and goosebumps,” Dr Keramidas mentioned.
“We recognized the traits of this toxin utilizing electrophysiology and pharmacology, with tools so delicate it could actually file electrical currents passing by way of single sodium channels.”
The African ant species is confined to tropical western and central African international locations – from Guinea to Zaire – with the ache signs like that of the Australian green-head ant.
“We’re additionally eager to search out out if this mechanism is discovered within the venom of different ants, in addition to bugs like wasps and bees,” Dr Keramidas mentioned.
“This analysis is an element of a bigger challenge to know how the venom causes ache on a molecular stage.
“It will possibly assist us to develop new methods to deal with acute and continual ache.”
The workforce has beforehand proven that ant toxins bind to sodium channels – proteins embedded within the cell membrane of the nerve cells.
“Utilizing electrophysiology, we had been capable of see that the toxin binds to the sodium channel and hijacks the channel’s built-in activation mechanism, inflicting hyperactivity,” Dr Keramidas mentioned.
“There was a rush of unfavorable ions drawn to the channel and a repelling of optimistic ions which precipitated the hyperactivity of the sodium channel to amplify – a phenomenon we’d by no means seen earlier than.
“This hyperactivity causes steady firing of the ache sign, explaining the ferocity of the ant sting.
“The venom prompts a number of channels within the nerve cell membrane, and so they stay lively for a really very long time and may’t be reset.
“We consider this overstimulation finally causes numbness on the sting web site.”
The analysis was revealed within the Journal of Organic Chemistry.
 logo final copy.png)
