Publication in Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology on the properties and composition of the toxins from parotoid glands of the the common toad Bufo bufo

In the journal Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part C (Q1 in Zoology), Krzysztof Kowalski, Leszek Rychlik (Department of Systematic Zoology), and co-authors from the Institute of Experimental Biology, Paweł Marciniak and Grzegorz Rosiński (Department of Animal Physiology and Development) recently published a paper with the new results demonstrating strong cardio- and myotropic properties, and low neuroactivity, of selected proteins from Bufo parotoids. Authors also, for the first time, identified a series of peptides with cardio-, myo- and neurotropic activity. The results supports the thesis that parotoid toxins (especially those with a strong cardiotoxic activity) can be an effective toads’ defence against some predators.
Full paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2018.01.004