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Acanthoscurria musculosa | Aphonopelma chalcodes | Aphonopelma seemanni | Avicularia avicularia | Citharischius crawshayi | Haplopelma lividum | Heteroscodra maculata | Grammostola rosea | Ornithoctonus huwena | Ornithoctonus hainana | Plesiophrictus guangxiensis | Psalmopoeus cambridgei | Thrixopelma pruriens

Grammostola rosea

Family: Theraphosidae

Order: Araneae

Grammostola rosea venom was formerly sold under the name Grammostola spatulata (common Chilean brown tarantula) and erroneously Phrixotrichus auratus (Chilean fire or rosehair tarantula). These have been lumped into one species, though they appear to come from different populations and there may be some differences in the venom, so we are separating them brown (106) and red (107) morphs.

These are moderately large burrowing tarantula from Chile, which is popular in the pet trade because of availability, hardiness and behavior. It tends to be very docile and rarely bites. It relies on urticating hairs for defense, like many other tarantulas from the Western Hemisphere.

Toxins

Omega Grammotoxin SIA is relatively non-selective voltage sensitive calcium channel antagonist, blocking mammalian N- and P-type calcium channels, but not the L-type.

GsMTx-2 and GsMTx-4 block cationic stretch-activated ion channels in rat astrocytes. According to Suchyna et al. (2000) [PubMed] these is the "first [of many] reagent for mechanosensitive ion channels".

Hanatoxins (HaTx1 & HaTx1) are the first known peptide inhibitors of Kv2.1 voltage-activated potassium channels. However, the selectivity for this type is not absolute. They are also active against at least one shal-type.

Voltage sensor toxins (VsTx1, 2, 3) affect archaeobacterial voltage sensitive potassium channels.

Selected References

Lampe, R. A., P. A. Defeo, et al. (1993). Isolation and pharmacological characterization of omega-grammotoxin SIA, a novel peptide inhibitor of neuronal voltage-sensitive calcium channel responses. Mol Pharmacol 44(2): 451-60. PubMed

Gottlieb, P. A., T. M. Suchyna, et al. (2004). Mechanosensitive ion channels as drug targets. Curr Drug Targets CNS Neurol Disord 3(4): 287-95. PubMed

Ruta, V. and R. MacKinnon (2004). Localization of the voltage-sensor toxin receptor on KvAP. Biochemistry 43(31): 10071-9. PubMed

Swartz, K. J. (2006). Tarantula toxins interacting with voltage sensors in potassium channels. Toxicon. PubMed

Swartz, K. J. and R. MacKinnon (1995). An inhibitor of the Kv2.1 potassium channel isolated from the venom of a Chilean tarantula. Neuron 15(4): 941-9. PubMed