The Institute of Biological Chemistry cordially invites you the following lecutre as part of the Institute's Seminar Series:

Dr. Samuel D. Robinson, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia

Molecular Mimicry by Venom Peptides"

Natural selection can drive the evolution of similar traits through convergent evolution. Peptides identical to certain vertebrate hormones are present as toxins in the venoms of species of ants and wasps (hymenopterans) and the skin secretions of frogs. The genes encoding the hymenopteran and frog peptide toxins do not share common ancestry with those of the vertebrate hormones but instead independently evolved, sometimes multiple times, from other peptide toxin genes. These peptides serve a defensive function against vertebrate predators and their resemblance to vertebrate hormones was driven by selection for efficacy at the predators’ receptors. These studies highlight how with a suitable genetic substrate and shared environmental pressure, natural selection can result in repeated convergent evolution of identical peptides even across distantly related species.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the NHMRC under grant #2017461

Short Bio:

Dr. Samuel Robinson is an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow and National Geographic Society Explorer based at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia. He is an expert on plants and animals that sting, and the biology, chemistry, pharmacology and pathophysiology underlying those stings. His research focuses on the discovery of new plant and animal toxins and investigation of their structure, function and potential for biomedical applications.

Email: sam.robinson@uq.edu.au