The venom of Australian spiders

Australia is home to an estimated 10,000 species of spider, including species from the Latrodectus genera and Atracinae family, two of the four widely recognized medically significant spider groups. It is predicted in excess of 5,000 spider bite cases occurring annually in Australia, predominantly by spiders that have not shown any medical relevance. Bites by medically relevant spiders are rare, and of those treatment with antivenom is rarer. Despite extensive publicity and rumor, there is no conclusive evidence that the venom of any Australian spiders is responsible for necrotic arachnidism. The complexity and diversity of spider venoms, combined with potent activity on a range of targets in mammalian and insect systems, have attracted interest in the potential of spider venoms as a source of insecticidal and therapeutic leads. The venom of species of Australian funnel-web spider has received the most attention for study, with more than 75 venom peptides identified from nine toxin families. Recent work has identified venom peptides from the venom of Australian tarantulas with potential as insecticidal and therapeutic leads. This chapter provides an overview of spiders in Australia and their medical and clinical importance and provides a current comprehensive review of the published toxins from Australian spider venoms