Australia’s major skink (Bellatoras Frerei) has evolved the same change in resistance to venom as the marsh (mellivora capensis) which is across Africa, Southwest Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Credit: Scott EIPPER
A study led by the University of Queensland revealed that the Australian scintry has evolved molecular armor to prevent snake from the venom from closing their muscles. Research was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Professor Bryan Fry of the UQ Environment School said that exactly revealing how the death of shit could shed light on biomedical approaches to treat snake bites in people.
“What we have seen in the scint is the evolution to his most ingenious,” said Professor Fry.
“The Australian scint has evolved tiny changes in a critical muscle receiver, called nicotinic receiver of acetylcholine.
“This receiver is normally the target of the neurotoxins which bind it and block nervous communication, causing rapid paralysis and death.
“But in an astonishing example of a natural counterpunch, we found that at 25 times, sparkle it independently of the changes to this liaison site to prevent the venom of attachment.
“It is a testimony to the massive evolutionary pressure that the poisonous snakes exercised after their arrival and spread through the Australian continent, while they will have enjoyed the defenseless lizards of the day.
“Incredibly, the same mutations have evolved in other animals such as mangoue who feed on cobras.
“We have confirmed with our functional tests that the main scint of Australia (Bellatoras Frerei) has evolved exactly the same change in resistance which gives the badger to honey its famous resistance to the venom of Cobra.
“To see this same type of resistance evolve in a lizard and a mammal is quite remarkable – the continuous evolution of hitting the same molecular bullseye.”
Muscular receptor mutations in scints included a mechanism to add sugar molecules to physically block toxins and the substitution of a protein construction block (amino acid arginine in position 187).
The laboratory work validating the changes were carried out at the adaptive biotoxicology laboratory of UQ by Dr. Uthpala Chandrasekara who said that it was incredible to testify.
“We used synthetic peptides and receptor models to imitate what is happening when the venom between an animal in the molecular level and the data was crystalline, some of the modified receptors simply did not respond at all,” said Dr. Chandrasekara.
“It is fascinating to think that a small change in a protein can make the difference between life and death in the face of a highly poisonous predator.”
The results could one day inform the development of new anti -noms or therapeutic agents to counter neurotoxic venoms.
“Understanding how nature neutralizes venom can offer indices for biomedical innovation,” said Dr. Chandrasekara.
“The more we learn about the functioning of the resistance to venom in nature, the more we have tools for the design of new anti -noms.”
The project included collaborations with museums across Australia.
More information:
Uthpala Chandrasekara, et al. Make acetylcholine again! The Australian scin has evolved several nicotinic receivers to the test of neurotoxin to the test of neurotoxin to the test of neurotoxin to the venom of snake International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.3390 / ijms26157510
Provided by the University of Queensland
Quote: The Australian scinque evolves the molecular shield to resist the deadly snake venom (2025, August 5) recovered on August 5, 2025 from
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