Contents

### **Preface XIII**


Chapter 8 **Molecular Pharmacology and Toxinology of Venom from Ants 207**

A.F.C. Torres, Y.P. Quinet, A. Havt, G. Rádis-Baptista and A.M.C. Martins

Chapter 16 **Similarities Between the Binding Sites of Monoamine Oxidase**

**for the Discovery of Novel MAO Inhibitors? 405**

Chapter 17 **Single-Molecule Imaging Measurements of Protein-Protein**

Chapter 18 **Molecular Recognition of Glycopolymer Interface 455**

Chapter 20 **Potentiometry for Study of Supramolecular Recognition Processes Between Uncharged Molecules 495**

Chapter 21 **Molecular Recognition of Trans-Chiral Schiff Base Metal**

Yoshiko Miura, Hirokazu Seto and Tomohiro Fukuda

**Interactions in Living Cells 433**

Chapter 19 **Cyclodextrin Based Spectral Changes 471** Lida Khalafi and Mohammad Rafiee

Jerzy Radecki and Hanna Radecka

**Complexes for Induced CD 515** Takashiro Akitsu and Chigusa Kominato

Reyes-Parada

**(MAO) from Different Species — Is Zebrafish a Useful Model**

Contents **VII**

Angelica Fierro, Alejandro Montecinos, Cristobal Gómez-Molina, Gabriel Núñez, Milagros Aldeco, Dale E. Edmondson, Marcelo Vilches-Herrera, Susan Lühr, Patricio Iturriaga-Vásquez and Miguel

Kayo Hibino, Michio Hiroshima, Yuki Nakamura and Yasushi Sako

Chapter 9 **Discovering the Role of MicroRNAs in Microcystin-Induced Toxicity in Fish 223**

Paweł Brzuzan, Maciej Woźny, Lidia Wolińska and Michał K. Łuczyński


Chapter 8 **Molecular Pharmacology and Toxinology of Venom**

Chapter 9 **Discovering the Role of MicroRNAs in Microcystin-Induced**

Chapter 10 **Identification of Key Molecules Involved in the Protection of Vultures Against Pathogens and Toxins 241**

Yasser Shahein, Amira Abouelella and Ragaa Hamed

Chapter 12 **From Molecular Cloning to Vaccine Development for Allergic**

A.F.C. Torres, Y.P. Quinet, A. Havt, G. Rádis-Baptista and A.M.C.

Paweł Brzuzan, Maciej Woźny, Lidia Wolińska and Michał K.

Lourdes Mateos-Hernández, Elena Crespo, José de la Fuente and

**from Ants 207**

**Toxicity in Fish 223**

**Section 2 Molecular Cloning and Genetics 239**

José M. Pérez de la Lastra

**Diseases 291**

Koji Mikami

**Section 3 Molecular Recognition 375**

Chapter 11 **Glutathione S-Transferase Genes from Ticks 267**

José Cantillo and Leonardo Puerta

Chapter 13 **Current Advances in Seaweed Transformation 323**

Kazuya Nishida and Takeshi Takemura

Chapter 15 **The HIV-1 Integrase: Modeling and Beyond 377** Rohit Arora and Luba Tchertanov

Chapter 14 **Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of the Hotoke**

**Loach, Lefua echigonia, a Japanese Endangered Loach 349** Noriyuki Koizumi, Masakazu Mizutani, Keiji Watabe, Atsushi Mori,

Martins

**VI** Contents

Łuczyński


Preface

ical actions.

cal medicine.

works on molecular recognition.

Molecular Toxinology has been consolidated as a scientific field focused on the intertwined description of ecological, biochemical, clinical, pharmacological and structural aspects of an‐ imal toxins. In an inquiring biological world, where the practical scientific responses are giv‐ en ultimately to improve the human health, animal toxins have arisen as an invaluable source for the discovery of therapeutic peptides and proteins. Both basic and applied re‐ search in academy and pharmaceutical industries are granted and benefited from million of years of natural history by which families of toxins in animal venoms have evolved and were improved in terms of selectivity and target specificity. Another advantage is that na‐ ture has selected several toxin structures and scaffolds to act effectively as poison but indeed have similar counterparts in the human body. No matter if organic or polypeptide, animal toxins rely on specific chemical interactions with their partner molecule to exert their biolog‐

Obviously, better the comprehension of how molecules interact and discriminate (recognize) their target, better the benefits we can achieve for rational exploration of the bioactive pepti‐ des and polypeptides as therapeutics. In this respect, a deep investigation of the molecular mechanism of interaction and recognition by which a given polypeptide acts as ligand or target molecule offers a window of opportunities for the pharmaceutical industry and clini‐

This book is dedicated to present to the reader selected elegant examples of two intercon‐ nected themes - molecular recognition and toxinology–concerning to the integration be‐ tween analytical procedures and biomedical applications. With this aim, the book is divided in three sections, where the first combines chapters on molecular toxinology, the second deals on molecular cloning and genetics, and the third brings into focus basic and applied

Thus, by means of proteomic and pharmacological concepts, Cunha's group (Chapter 1) and Fernandes-Pedrosa (Chapter 2) describe several examples of venom toxins from the main poisonous animal groups and illustrate the potential application of isolated venom compo‐ nents to modulate physiological and pathological processes, particularly, in mammals. In Chapter 3, Mortari and Siqueira Cunha present a comprehensive review concerning to the arthropod neurotoxic polypeptides useful for target-driven drug discovery, and in Chapter 4 Giuliatti shows in detail how to apply distinct computational methods to elaborate threedimensional protein models and search for binders and ligands. Lameu and collaborators, in Chapter 5, review the multiple biological roles of venom bradikinin potetiating peptides–a component of kallikrein-kinin system–and the importance of these molecules in programs of drug development for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In Chapter 6, Yanomine and
