Honors Theses
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Completion
4-2024
Academic Year
2023-2024
Department
Biology
Academic Major
Biology
Second Academic Major
Spanish
Faculty Advisor
Ryan Stork, Ph.D.
Abstract
Venom has been observed in thousands of species across different taxa. It can be adapted for different purposes, including prey capture or predator defense. Venom is found almost universally in spiders, but there has been little exploration of spiders that are not medically significant. Rabidosa rabida, the rabid wolf spider, is a common species whose venom has not been adequately investigated. Previous studies indicate that they do not require venom to apprehend easy prey in a laboratory setting, raising a question as to what their venom is adapted to do. To evaluate its effect on mammalian cells, L929 murine fibroblasts were cultured and seeded in a 96-well plate, then incubated with varying concentrations of R. rabida venom. A crystal violet assay was performed to assess cell viability. There was not a decrease in cell viability at the concentrations tested. Attempts to determine effects on Drosophila melanogaster cells were unsuccessful. If there is found to be a cytotoxic effect of R. rabida venom on invertebrate cultures, a venom adaption for prey capture may be indicated. If no effect is observed in invertebrate and vertebrate cell lines, there could be other biological roles for venom to be explored.
Recommended Citation
Gooden, Martina, "Exploration of Cytotoxicity of _Rabidosa rabida_ Venom on Invertebrate and Vertebrate Cell Cultures" (2024). Honors Theses. 27.
https://scholarworks.harding.edu/honors-theses/27
