Australian stinging trees contain ’scorpion-like venom’：scientists

Australian stinging trees contain ’scorpion-like venom’：scientists

科學家：澳洲螫人樹含有「類似蠍子的毒物」

【摘要2020.11.4.自由】◎管淑平

Australia is notorious for its venomous spiders, snakes and sea creatures, but researchers have now identified "scorpion-like" toxins secreted by a tree that can cause excruciating pain for weeks.

澳洲的有毒蜘蛛、蛇和海洋生物惡名昭彰，但是研究人員現在辨識出一種樹木分泌的「類似蠍子」的毒物，能使人極度疼痛達數週。

Split-second contact with the dendrocnide tree, a rainforest nettle known by its indigenous name gympie-gympie, delivers a sting far more potent than similar plants found in the US or Europe.

與這種生長在熱帶雨林、當地名為「金皮金皮」的火麻樹屬樹木接觸瞬間，就能造成劇烈刺痛，疼痛程度遠比在美國或歐洲發現的類似樹種還嚴重。

Irina Vetter, an associate professor at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, said the research team discovered a new class of neurotoxin miniproteins, which they christened ’gympietides’.

昆士蘭大學分子生物科學研究所副教授維特說，研究團隊發現一類新的神經毒素微蛋白，他們將它命名為「金皮潮」。

Vetter said the long-lasting pain inflicted by the tree may be explained by the gympietides permanently altering the chemical makeup of the affected sensory neurons － not due to the fine hairs getting stuck in the skin. （AFP）

維特說，「金皮潮」會對受影響的感覺神經元化學組成，造成永久性的改變，而非細小絨毛卡在皮膚裡，這或許可解釋這種樹為何造成長時間的疼痛。（法新社）

新聞辭典

stinging ：形容詞，刺痛的，尖酸的；sting，動詞，另有「敲詐」意思。例句：We were stung for a $10 surcharge.（我們被敲詐了10美元的額外費用。）

split-second：形容詞或名詞，瞬間。例句：The car accident has changed his life forever in a split second.（這場車禍瞬間永遠改變了他的人生。）

inflict：動詞，使遭受，造成。例句：The suffering inflicted on children by war is immense.（孩童因戰爭受到龐大的痛苦。）