{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T01:35:31Z","timestamp":1760146531288,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,15]],"date-time":"2024-11-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1731628800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Project EEA","award":["MOD.PN.FRM.059.PT.V03"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MOD.PN.FRM.059.PT.V03"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Toxins"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Physalia physalis, commonly known as the Portuguese Man o\u2019 War, is one of the most venomous members of the Cnidaria yet is poorly understood. This article investigates the toxicity of P. physalis venom by assessing its behavioral and toxicological effects on Drosophila melanogaster. The venom administered orally revealed dose- and time-dependent mortality, with an LD50 of 67.4 \u03bcg per fly. At sublethal doses, the treated flies displayed uncoordinated movement and fell when attempting to climb. Real-time analysis of flies exposed to the venom revealed hyperexcitability followed by paralysis, with phenotypes similar to those observed in vertebrate models. The venom was shown to be non-thermolabile, as no significant differences in behavior and locomotion were observed between flies exposed to untreated or thermally treated venom. The circadian rhythm alterations, the enhanced light attraction, and the reduction in heat avoidance suggest altered neuronal function. This abnormal behavior indicates that the venom contains bioactive molecules, opening avenues for discovering new compounds with potential for pharmacological applications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/toxins16110491","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,15]],"date-time":"2024-11-15T04:47:17Z","timestamp":1731646037000},"page":"491","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Revealing the Bioactivities of Physalia physalis Venom Using Drosophila as a Model"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-9757-6306","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zuzanna","family":"Tomkielska","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Biotechnology of Azores (CBA), University of the Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal"},{"name":"Mesosystem Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o & Investimentos by Spinpark, Barco, 4805-017 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1373-6060","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jorge","family":"Frias","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Biotechnology of Azores (CBA), University of the Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Nelson","family":"Sim\u00f5es","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Biotechnology of Azores (CBA), University of the Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Bernardo P.","family":"de Bastos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mesosystem Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o & Investimentos by Spinpark, Barco, 4805-017 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Hospitality and Tourism, Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology, Universidade Europeia, 1500-210 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"CETRAD-UE\u2014Center for Transdisciplinary Development Studies, Research Group for Tourism & Sustainability, Quinta de Prados, Pole II, ECHS, Room 1.14, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Javier","family":"Fidalgo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mesosystem Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o & Investimentos by Spinpark, Barco, 4805-017 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Casas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mesosystem Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o & Investimentos by Spinpark, Barco, 4805-017 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0799-2335","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hugo","family":"Almeida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mesosystem Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o & Investimentos by Spinpark, Barco, 4805-017 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"Associate Laboratory i4HB Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"UCIBIO Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2025-9696","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Duarte","family":"Toubarro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Biotechnology of Azores (CBA), University of the Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"411","DOI":"10.1007\/s12601-022-00069-9","article-title":"The First Recorded Occurrences and the Distribution of Physalia physalis (Hydrozoa: Physaliidae) in Algerian Waters","volume":"57","author":"Bachouche","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ocean Sci. 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