Target switch of centipede toxins for antagonistic switch

Abstract

Animal venoms are powerful, highly evolved chemical weapons for defense and predation. While venoms are used mainly to lethally antagonize heterospecifics (individuals of a different species), nonlethal envenomation of conspecifics (individuals of the same species) is occasionally observed. Both the venom and target specifications underlying these two forms of envenomation are still poorly understood. Here, we show a target-switching mechanism in centipede (Scolopendra subspinipes) venom. On the basis of this mechanism, a major toxin component [Ssm Spooky Toxin (SsTx)] in centipede venom inhibits the Shal channel in conspecifics but not in heterospecifics to cause short-term, recoverable, and nonlethal envenomation. This same toxin causes fatal heterospecific envenomation, for example, by switching its target to the Shaker channels in heterospecifics without inhibiting the Shaker channel of conspecific S. subspinipes individuals. These findings suggest that venom components exhibit intricate coevolution with their targets in both heterospecifics and conspecifics, which enables a single toxin to develop graded intraspecific and interspecific antagonistic interactions.