Unlocking the mystery of the duck-billed platypus' venom (Australia)

American Chemical Society ^ | Jan 13, 2010 | Unknown

[printhead]

The fever, the extended periods of unconsciousness. You’re the only person I know who has read the series. The language really takes you back. FReegards,

[Blood of Tyrants]

I guess it could, but proteins and peptides are very complex substances.

[Safetgiver]

First I ever heard that those cute and odd little creatures are such badasses... If it moves, breathes and lives in Australia it is a bad ass. Science has not figured out why everything there, venomous, is at least four times MORE venomous than anywhere else.

[poindexters brother]

So cute. I can’t resist. I have to go pat it...

Nice Kitty...

[allmendream]

Yes, but figuring out what receptors or proteins those venomous peptides and/or proteins bind to will give one a good indication of what “players” are involved.

A slight change in molecular structure can make a substance that would otherwise bind and ACTIVATE a pain transducing receptor, instead bind to and INHIBIT activation of the pain tranducing receptor.

Thus a small difference in molecular structure of the “venom” would make something that causes severe pain instead inhibit severe pain.

But yes, it is very complex; that is why anything that sheds light upon these biological processes can yield a wealth of information and (hopefully, eventually) usable products.

[TheThirdRuffian]

I could venture a guess: escallation.

Things that make venom tend to be resitant to venoms in general, so when you end up with a closed environment with more than average venomous creatures venoms get nastier, and nastier and nastier with each generation.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

My Labs may not be venomous, but they can clear out a room with their intestinal gas.

When I was growing up, we had a cat that was like that. Squeeze her a little to hard, and it was like the elevator an hour after the beans-and-curd smorgasbord at a fat men's convention.

Trust me, teenagers can figure out ways to use such things strategically.

[sima_yi]

I spent a few years in peptide research - the structure of Heptapeptide 1 is not very complex, and it looks like it could be easily synthesized, I’d guess that one could turn out several gram quantities in a week, given an automatic synthesizer.

[decimon]

Things that make venom tend to be resitant to venoms in general, so when you end up with a closed environment with more than average venomous creatures venoms get nastier, and nastier and nastier with each generation.

Like Congress.

[1raider1]

Can you give us a source for your assertion?

[hellbender]

I read the whole series. It’s hugh.

[PapaBear3625]

Sounds like a good drug to use for use in interrogating terrorists.

I was just thinking the same thing. It would probably leave no permanent damage, and no marks or bruises.

[Aracelis]

Trust me, teenagers can figure out ways to use such things strategically.

Young adults too. My son-in-law and the dog have f*rting contests. I guess it's a male-bonding thing.

[RikaStrom]

Who knew? Platipy are poisonous!

[allmendream]

For real mass production of proteins usually mass fermentation bioreactors are used, assuming the gene that codes for the protein can be cloned into a suitable vector, and that vector folds the protein correctly.

But first we need to find out if having lots of Heptapeptide 1 on hand is a good thing. Using it as an “enhanced interrogation” method seems like you wouldn't need much of it.

But the real utility of this compound would be in a modified Heptapeptide 1 protein that BLOCKED pain instead of causing it. A lot more use (and profit) in preventing pain than in causing it.

[Neidermeyer]

Have you experienced Boxers?

[SunkenCiv]

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	Gods Graves Glyphs	Thanks decimon. Even worse is the venom of the plat-billed duckapus. Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution, mostly because I'm ashamed of that joke. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
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[sima_yi]

For something as simple as this heptapeptide, you would probably use a Merrifield sysnthesis. Gram or kilogram quantities would suffice to do research into modifications to the molecule to convert it to a pain inhibitor.

Once the initial investigations are finished, if a New Molecular Entity is found, scale-up would be pretty straightforward.

[decimon]

Even worse is the venom of the plat-billed duckapus.

Worst of all is the health bill sourpuss. Venomous by all means.