It’s All in the Name How Do Black

Jennie Rose Komala The Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus mactans) Widow Spiders Inject
12A6/16 is the most poisonous spider in North America,
with round body shape and a red hourglass mark their Venom ?
on its abdomen. Although only the females are
able to produce enough venom to be deadly,
most bites cause latrodectism or painful muscle
spasms that last for 3 to 6 days until it reaches
paralysis. Victims can be both animals Unlike other spiders, Black Widow Spiders have
and humans. stronger fangs that can penetrate our skin. They
can also control the amount of venom they
Description ctus mactans inject using striated muscle, which squeezes
Species: Latrode
the venom glands and injects a certain amount
Geographical spread: warm regions, temperate
of venom into the victim.
rainforests, and grasslands in Eastern Asia and
North America

s, underocks, wo odpiles
Habitat: barns, shed
ment areas
or undisturbed base
Diet: arthropods
(ants,
beetles, cockro
aches, etc.)
WATCH OUT FOR
A Western Black Widow Spider
(Mickens, 2014)

SPIDER BITES! CASE

The reconstruction of alpha-latrotoxin tetramer
structure (Orlova, Elena V. et al.,2000)

“This 1 inch-sized arachnid produces venom
15 times stronger than rattlesnakes,
containing a dangerous toxin!”
A 3 year old boy was bitten by a female black
widow spider on his right foot, causing a 2 by
2 cm area of mild inflammation. He experienced
moderate foot, abdominal pain, increased heart
rate to 103 beats/min. He was not given anti-
venom of Latrodectus mactans due to hyper-
sensitivity reaction. Another case reported a
56 year old female died after being bitten by a
black widow spider the day before. She has
similar symptoms like nausea and lethargy.
Latrotoxin has the ability to make channel
proteins. They work by binding to protein
receptors Neurexin 1a (calcium dependent
receptor) or latrophilin (calcium independent
receptor) When the Black Widow Spider bites
an individual, the alpha-latrotoxin monomers
will aggregate with other molecules and form
a tetramer which results in degeneration of
the motor end plates.
 Latrophilin Receptor Pathway Treatments
Mechanism Latrotoxin tetramers interact with glycoprotein called 1. Cleaning the wound
2. Injection of Latrodectus mactans Antivenom
Nervous System In Normal Condition latrophilin that are responsible for keeping the axon
close to muscle neurons. The tetramer uses latrophilin 3. Morphine, sedative drugs, Muscle relaxants
to create a hole on the membrane, large enough for
ve at the presynaptic
When nerve impulses arri
lity increases and calcium ions to bypass the voltage gated calcium Prevention
me abi
knob, membrane per
urs , cau sing the Voltage Gated channel and enter the terminal. Therefore, the axon Black Widow Spiders are good at hiding, so you
depolarization occ
n and receptors in the terminal will always be in an active state, releasing might not see them even if they're close by.
Calcium Channel to ope
to activate.
postsynaptic membrane acetylcholine even though there are no signals from
the brain. Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter ur Wear gloves
Calcium ions diffuse across out yo and hat to
the membrane and responsible for muscle movement. So this may Shake s oes
h protect your
signal the synaptic vesicle g and skin area whe
carrying Acetylcholine cause the constant muscle spasms. clothin moving wood, n
g
to perform fusion by moving gettin reaching into
towards the before wood piles, gr
However, after some time, the rapid release may d!
dresse
synaptic cleft. abbing
cause depletion of acetylcholine within the axon flower pots.
on the terminal. More and more calcium ions are going into
l bind to the receptor
The Acetylcholine wil g a cha nge
membrane, causin the presynaptic membrane, but there is no acetyl-
muscle postsynaptic tion .
in membrane potential
and create dep ola riza
choline to be released. This leads to muscle paralysis
that will last as long as the latrotoxin tetramer
CONCLUSION
Sodium ions w Black Widow Spiders produce latrotoxin that
ill enter the op attaches to the latrophilin.
channel and ge ening of sodium has the ability to bind with protein receptors in
nerate the ac
the muscle. Th tion potential
is causes mus
cle contractio
to the neuromuscular junction, causing excessive
n. Release of Other Neurotransmitters release and later on, depletion of acetylcholine.
Alpha latrotoxin may also cause the release of Gamma- This causes muscle spasms and paralysis. If the
aminobutyrate (GABA), noradrenaline, and dopamine. symptom doesn’t stop, muscle relaxants and
How does Dopamine gives an excitatory effect on the nervous antivenom is recommended. To prevent Black
latrotoxin cause system while GABA has an inhibitory effect which Widow Spider bites, remember to protect your
antagonizes dopamine. Now these neurotransmitters
muscle spasm? skin area using gloves, hat, or clothing when
are fighting themselves to regain body control!
working outdoors!

Interaction of Latrotoxin
Latrotoxin mechanism
and Latrophilin Receptor
of action (Biberhaus, 2010)
Protein (Saibil, 2000)
Symptoms
The bite may slightly sting, but becomes more intense
as the pain spreads among the leg, arm and chest. REFERENCE
Other symptoms include difficulty breathing, Henkel, A. W., & Sankaranarayanan, S. (1999). Mechanisms of α-latrotoxin action.
Cell and Tissue Research, 296(2), 229–233. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004410051284
lethargy, generalized muscle pain or
Ryan, N., Buckley, N., & Graudins, A. (2017). Treatments for Latrodectism - A
cramping, nausea and vomiting, Systematic Review on Their Clinical Effectiveness. Toxins, 9(4), 148.
excessive sweating, rash and https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins9040148
Sugita, S. (2009). CIRL/Latrophilins. Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. 1007-1011.
itching, swollen eyelids, and
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-008045046-9.01373-5
abnormal vital signs.
Offerman, S. (2011). The Treatment of Black Widow Spider Envenomation with
Antivenin Latrodectus Mactans: A Case Series. The Permanente Journal, 15(3).
Rash Caused by Black Widow
https://doi.org/10.7812/tpp/10-136
Spider Bite (Perez, 2019)