Abstract
Venoms are extremely diverse, both on a molecular and pharmacological level, but also at a functional level, i.e. how and why they are deployed. Several studies in recent years have highlighted that there is a relationship between how the venoms are stored and produced and their intended biological function. Spatial information on the distribution of toxins throughout venom-producing tissues, therefore, provides important insight into the biological roles of venoms and on the functions and potential targets of toxins, which again improves our understanding of their evolutionary histories and provides a guide for biodiscovery efforts. MALDI Imaging is ideal for investigating the spatial distribution of venom toxins, and the timsTOF fleX offers a unique combination of sensitivity, mass accuracy, mass resolving power, and speed for analysis of these compounds.
Published at www.bruker.com.
Brett R. Hamilton, Vanessa Schendel, Eivind A.B. Undheim1, Janina Oetjen, Alice Ly, and Roger
1 Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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