A Structure‐Informed Atlas of Venom‐Derived Peptides Reveals the Organization of Chemical Space

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Authors: Thaís Caroline Gonçalves, Eduardo Henrique Toral Cortez, Danilo T. Amaral
Cited by: 1
References: 25

Abstract

Venom-derived peptides are structurally diverse bioactive scaffolds with growing relevance for computational discovery and molecular design. However, their organization within chemical space remains poorly characterized in integrated frameworks. Here, we present a curated, structure-informed venom peptide atlas supported by an integrated descriptor-based framework combining sequence- and structure-derived features across 3,423 peptides. High-confidence AlphaFold models were integrated with physicochemical and structural descriptors to generate a unified molecular representation. Multivariate analyses reveal that venom peptides occupy constrained and interpretable regions of chemical space shaped by disulfide-mediated stabilization, structural compactness, and electrostatic-hydrophobic balance. Functional classes show clear separation, whereas taxonomic origin explains less variance, supporting convergent design principles. This atlas provides a reference resource for comparative analyses, scaffold prioritization, and hypothesis generation in peptide science.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study

Publication details

Journal / source
Molecular Informatics
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
45
Issue
5
Pages
e70039–e70039
Publication date
1 May 2026
Language
EN