Soricidin is a paralytic oligopeptide found in the venomous

saliva Saliva (commonly referred to as spit) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which DNA can be ...

of the northern short-tailed shrew (''Blarina brevicauda'');Soricidin - Blarina brevicauda (Northern short-tailed shrew)
at UniProt; version 15; published October 31, 2012; retrieved December 13, 2013 in the wild, shrews use it to paralyze their prey (typically insects). Its name is a reference to "Soricidae", the family to which shrews belong.The Stunning Saliva Of Shrews: Researchers are trying to unravel the mystery of the shrew's venomous brew
by Rachel Sheremeta Pepling; in '' Chemical & Engineering News''; published October 13, 2004; retrieved December 13, 2013 In addition to blocking transmission of nerve impulses by inhibiting sodium channels, soricidin also inhibits the TRPV6

calcium channel A calcium channel is an ion channel which shows selective permeability to calcium ions. It is sometimes synonymous with voltage-gated calcium channel, although there are also ligand-gated calcium channels. Comparison tables The following tables e ...

, which is over-expressed in many epithelial-cell cancers; as a result, soricidin is able to selectively induce

apoptosis Apoptosis (from grc, ἀπόπτωσις, apóptōsis, 'falling off') is a form of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes (morphology) and death. These changes incl ...

breast The breast is one of two prominences located on the upper ventral region of a primate's torso. Both females and males develop breasts from the same embryological tissues. In females, it serves as the mammary gland, which produces and s ...

ovarian The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

, and

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that su ...

. It is 54 amino acids long. It was first extracted and identified in 2000, as a result of

basic research Basic research, also called pure research or fundamental research, is a type of scientific research with the aim of improving scientific theory, theories for better understanding and prediction of natural or other phenomena. In contrast, applied ...

by Jack Stewart of

Mount Allison University Mount Allison University (also Mount A or MtA) is a Canadian primarily undergraduate liberal arts university located in Sackville, New Brunswick, founded in 1839. Like other liberal arts colleges in North America, Mount Allison does not par ...

.Open up and say 'aah'
by Tom Henheffer; at ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian persp ...

''; published July 1, 2010; retrieved December 13, 2013

References

{{reflist Vertebrate toxins Ion channel toxins Peptides Shrews