Neurotoxic and cytotoxic peptides underlie the painful stings of the tree nettle Urtica ferox

Stinging tree delivers a double punch of toxins

30 November 2022

A cocktail of two kinds of toxins is behind the painful stings of the New Zealand tree nettle.

Touching the hairs on the leaves and stems of the New Zealand tree nettle can cause itching, pain and numbness in humans and animals. In the worst cases, symptoms such as weakness, difficulty breathing and disturbed vision can last for days or even weeks. But it wasn’t known which toxins give rise to these stings.

Now, a team of researchers, all from The University of Queensland in Australia, has found that the stings are caused by two classes of toxins: cytotoxins and neurotoxins.

Cytotoxins inflict pain by disrupting the membranes of cells, while neurotoxins mess with sodium channels on nerve cells, giving rise to pain and other symptoms.

Discovering how plant toxins activate pain pathways could help scientists find new ways for treating chronic pain, the researchers say.

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References

1. Journal of Biological Chemistry 298, 102218 (2022). doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102218