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Pittalà MGG, Reina S, Cucina A, Cunsolo V, Guarino F, Di Francesco A, Foti S, De Pinto V, Saletti R. Intramolecular Disulfide Bridges in Voltage-Dependent Anion Channel 2 (VDAC2) Protein from Rattus norvegicus Revealed by High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2024; 35:1422-1433. [PMID: 38832804 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.4c00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Voltage-Dependent Anion Channel isoforms (VDAC1, VDAC2, and VDAC3) are relevant components of the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) and play a crucial role in regulation of metabolism and in survival pathways. As major players in the regulation of cellular metabolism and apoptosis, VDACs can be considered at the crossroads between two broad families of pathologies, namely, cancer and neurodegeneration, the former being associated with elevated glycolytic rate and suppression of apoptosis in cancer cells, the latter characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction and increased cell death. Recently, we reported the characterization of the oxidation pattern of methionine and cysteines in rat and human VDACs showing that each cysteine in these proteins is present with a preferred oxidation state, ranging from the reduced to the trioxidized form, and such an oxidation state is remarkably conserved between rat and human VDACs. However, the presence and localization of disulfide bonds in VDACs, a key point for their structural characterization, have so far remained undetermined. Herein we have investigated by nanoUHPLC/High-Resolution nanoESI-MS/MS the position of intramolecular disulfide bonds in rat VDAC2 (rVDAC2), a protein that contains 11 cysteines. To this purpose, extraction, purification, and enzymatic digestions were carried out at slightly acidic or neutral pH in order to minimize disulfide bond interchange. The presence of six disulfide bridges was unequivocally determined, including a disulfide bridge linking the two adjacent cysteines 4 and 5, a disulfide bridge linking cysteines 9 and 14, and the alternative disulfide bridges between cysteines 48, 77, and 104. A disulfide bond, which is very resistant to reduction, between cysteines 134 and 139 was also detected. In addition to the previous findings, these results significantly extend the characterization of the oxidation state of cysteines in rVDAC2 and show that it is highly complex and presents unusual features. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD044041.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gaetana Giovanna Pittalà
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Organic Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Simona Reina
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Catania, via S. Sofia, 97, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Annamaria Cucina
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Organic Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Cunsolo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Organic Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Francesca Guarino
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Catania, via S. Sofia, 97, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Antonella Di Francesco
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Organic Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Salvatore Foti
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Organic Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Vito De Pinto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Catania, via S. Sofia, 97, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Rosaria Saletti
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Organic Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
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Cheng Y, Hyodo T, Yamaguchi K, Ohwada T, Otani Y. Complete amide cis- trans switching synchronized with disulfide bond formation and cleavage in a proline-mimicking system. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:6158-6161. [PMID: 38804552 DOI: 10.1039/d4cc01096e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
A typical naturally occurring disulfide structure in proteins is an 8-membered disulfide ring formed between two adjacent cysteine (Cys-Cys) residues. Based on this structure, we designed 7- to 9-membered disulfide ring molecules, embedded in the 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane skeleton, that switch their conformation from exclusively trans-amide to exclusively cis-amide upon redox transformation from dithiol to disulfide, and vice versa. Constrained shape of disulfide rings is rare in nature, and the present molecular structure is expected to be a useful fundamental component for the construction of new conformation-switching systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhe Cheng
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Tadashi Hyodo
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kagawa Campus, Tokushima Bunri University, 1314-1 Shido, Sanuki, Kagawa 769-2193, Japan
| | - Kentaro Yamaguchi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kagawa Campus, Tokushima Bunri University, 1314-1 Shido, Sanuki, Kagawa 769-2193, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Ohwada
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Yuko Otani
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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Nishiduka ES, Lomazi RL, da Silva PI, Tashima AK. Identification of Peptides in Spider Venom Using Mass Spectrometry. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2758:331-340. [PMID: 38549023 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3646-6_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Spider venoms are composed of hundreds of proteins and peptides. Several of these venom toxins are cysteine-rich peptides in the mass range of 3-9 kDa. Small peptides (<3 kDa) can be fully characterized by mass spectrometry analysis, while proteins are generally identified by the bottom-up approach in which proteins are first digested with trypsin to generate shorter peptides for MS/MS characterization. In general, it is sufficient for protein identification to sequence two or more peptides, but for venom peptidomics it is desirable to completely elucidate peptide sequences and the number of disulfide bonds in the molecules. In this chapter, we describe a methodology to completely sequence and determine the number of disulfide bonds of spider venom peptides in the mass range of 3-9 kDa by multiple enzyme digestion, mass spectrometry of native and digested peptides, de novo analysis, and sequence overlap alignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika S Nishiduka
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael L Lomazi
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Pedro I da Silva
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alexandre K Tashima
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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Guo R, Guo G, Wang A, Xu G, Lai R, Jin H. Spider-Venom Peptides: Structure, Bioactivity, Strategy, and Research Applications. Molecules 2023; 29:35. [PMID: 38202621 PMCID: PMC10779620 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29010035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Spiders (Araneae), having thrived for over 300 million years, exhibit remarkable diversity, with 47,000 described species and an estimated 150,000 species in existence. Evolving with intricate venom, spiders are nature's skilled predators. While only a small fraction of spiders pose a threat to humans, their venoms contain complex compounds, holding promise as drug leads. Spider venoms primarily serve to immobilize prey, achieved through neurotoxins targeting ion channels. Peptides constitute a major part of these venoms, displaying diverse pharmacological activities, and making them appealing for drug development. Moreover, spider-venom peptides have emerged as valuable tools for exploring human disease mechanisms. This review focuses on the roles of spider-venom peptides in spider survival strategies and their dual significance as pharmaceutical research tools. By integrating recent discoveries, it provides a comprehensive overview of these peptides, their targets, bioactivities, and their relevance in spider survival and medical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyin Guo
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China; (R.G.)
| | - Gang Guo
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University (Yunnan Cancer Hospital), Kunming 650118, China;
| | - Aili Wang
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China; (R.G.)
| | - Gaochi Xu
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China; (R.G.)
| | - Ren Lai
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China; (R.G.)
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming-Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650107, China
| | - Hui Jin
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China; (R.G.)
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Ahmed J, Walker AA, Perdomo HD, Guo S, Nixon SA, Vetter I, Okoh HI, Shehu DM, Shuaibu MN, Ndams IS, King GF, Herzig V. Two Novel Mosquitocidal Peptides Isolated from the Venom of the Bahia Scarlet Tarantula ( Lasiodora klugi). Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:418. [PMID: 37505687 PMCID: PMC10467143 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15070418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective control of diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti is primarily achieved through vector control by chemical insecticides. However, the emergence of insecticide resistance in A. aegypti undermines current control efforts. Arachnid venoms are rich in toxins with activity against dipteran insects and we therefore employed a panel of 41 spider and 9 scorpion venoms to screen for mosquitocidal toxins. Using an assay-guided fractionation approach, we isolated two peptides from the venom of the tarantula Lasiodora klugi with activity against adult A. aegypti. The isolated peptides were named U-TRTX-Lk1a and U-TRTX-Lk2a and comprised 41 and 49 residues with monoisotopic masses of 4687.02 Da and 5718.88 Da, respectively. U-TRTX-Lk1a exhibited an LD50 of 38.3 pmol/g when injected into A. aegypti and its modeled structure conformed to the inhibitor cystine knot motif. U-TRTX-Lk2a has an LD50 of 45.4 pmol/g against adult A. aegypti and its predicted structure conforms to the disulfide-directed β-hairpin motif. These spider-venom peptides represent potential leads for the development of novel control agents for A. aegypti.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamila Ahmed
- Department of Zoology, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna 810107, Nigeria
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew A. Walker
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Hugo D. Perdomo
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Shaodong Guo
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Samantha A. Nixon
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Irina Vetter
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Hilary I. Okoh
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Oye 371104, Nigeria
| | - Dalhatu M. Shehu
- Department of Zoology, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna 810107, Nigeria
| | - Mohammed N. Shuaibu
- Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna 810107, Nigeria
- Centre for Biotechnology Research and Training, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna 810107, Nigeria
| | - Iliya S. Ndams
- Department of Zoology, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna 810107, Nigeria
| | - Glenn F. King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Volker Herzig
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
- School of Science, Technology, and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
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Regalado L, Sario S, Mendes RJ, Valle J, Harvey PJ, Teixeira C, Gomes P, Andreu D, Santos C. Towards a Sustainable Management of the Spotted-Wing Drosophila: Disclosing the Effects of Two Spider Venom Peptides on Drosophila suzukii. INSECTS 2023; 14:533. [PMID: 37367349 DOI: 10.3390/insects14060533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) is a polyphagous pest that causes severe damage and economic losses to soft-skinned fruit production. Current control methods are dominated by inefficient cultural practices and broad-spectrum insecticides that, in addition to having toxic effects on non-target organisms, are becoming less effective due to acquired resistance. The increasing awareness of the real impact of insecticides on health and the environment has promoted the exploration of new insecticidal compounds, addressing novel molecular targets. This study explores the efficacy of two orally delivered spider venom peptides (SVPs), J-atracotoxin-Hv1c (Hv1c) and µ-theraphotoxin-Hhn2b (TRTX), to manage D. suzukii, through survival assays and the evaluation of gene expression associated with detoxification pathways. Treatment with TRTX at 111.5 µM for 48 h enhanced fly longevity compared with the control group. Gene expression analysis suggests that detoxification and stress-related mechanisms, such as expression of P450 proteins and apoptotic stimuli signaling, are triggered in D. suzukii flies in response to these treatments. Our results highlight the potential interest of SVPs to control this pest, shedding light on how to ultimately develop improved target-specific formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Regalado
- iB2, Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4050-453 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sara Sario
- iB2, Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4050-453 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rafael J Mendes
- iB2, Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4050-453 Porto, Portugal
| | - Javier Valle
- Proteomics and Protein Chemistry Unit, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Peta J Harvey
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Cátia Teixeira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4050-453 Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4050-453 Porto, Portugal
| | - David Andreu
- Proteomics and Protein Chemistry Unit, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Conceição Santos
- iB2, Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4050-453 Porto, Portugal
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Ho TNT, Turner A, Pham SH, Nguyen HT, Nguyen LTT, Nguyen LT, Dang TT. Cysteine-rich peptides: From bioactivity to bioinsecticide applications. Toxicon 2023; 230:107173. [PMID: 37211058 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Greater levels of insect resistance and constraints on the use of current pesticides have recently led to increased crop losses in agricultural production. Further, the health and environmental impacts of pesticides now restrict their application. Biologics based on peptides are gaining popularity as efficient crop protection agents with low environmental toxicity. Cysteine-rich peptides (whether originated from venoms or plant defense substances) are chemically stable and effective as insecticides in agricultural applications. Cysteine-rich peptides fulfill the stability and efficacy requirements for commercial uses and provide an environmentally benign alternative to small-molecule insecticides. In this article, cysteine-rich insecticidal peptide classes identified from plants and venoms will be highlighted, focusing on their structural stability, bioactivity and production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thao N T Ho
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 1B TL29, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - A Turner
- Molecular Biology Department, University of Texas, 100 E 24th St. Austin, USA
| | - Son H Pham
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 1B TL29, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Ha T Nguyen
- National Key Laboratory of Polymer and Composite Materials, Department of Energy Materials, Faculty of Materials Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam; Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Linh T T Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, 280 an Duong Vuong Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Luan T Nguyen
- National Key Laboratory of Polymer and Composite Materials, Department of Energy Materials, Faculty of Materials Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam; Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Tien T Dang
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 1B TL29, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
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Gualandi N, Fracarossi D, Riommi D, Sollitto M, Greco S, Mardirossian M, Pacor S, Hori T, Pallavicini A, Gerdol M. Unveiling the Impact of Gene Presence/Absence Variation in Driving Inter-Individual Sequence Diversity within the CRP-I Gene Family in Mytilus spp. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14040787. [PMID: 37107545 PMCID: PMC10138031 DOI: 10.3390/genes14040787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mussels (Mytilus spp.) tolerate infections much better than other species living in the same marine coastal environment thanks to a highly efficient innate immune system, which exploits a remarkable diversification of effector molecules involved in mucosal and humoral responses. Among these, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are subjected to massive gene presence/absence variation (PAV), endowing each individual with a potentially unique repertoire of defense molecules. The unavailability of a chromosome-scale assembly has so far prevented a comprehensive evaluation of the genomic arrangement of AMP-encoding loci, preventing an accurate ascertainment of the orthology/paralogy relationships among sequence variants. Here, we characterized the CRP-I gene cluster in the blue mussel Mytilus edulis, which includes about 50 paralogous genes and pseudogenes, mostly packed in a small genomic region within chromosome 5. We further reported the occurrence of widespread PAV within this family in the Mytilus species complex and provided evidence that CRP-I peptides likely adopt a knottin fold. We functionally characterized the synthetic peptide sCRP-I H1, assessing the presence of biological activities consistent with other knottins, revealing that mussel CRP-I peptides are unlikely to act as antimicrobial agents or protease inhibitors, even though they may be used as defense molecules against infections from eukaryotic parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Gualandi
- Area of Neuroscience, International School for Advanced Studies, 34136 Trieste, Italy;
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Davide Fracarossi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Damiano Riommi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Marco Sollitto
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
| | - Samuele Greco
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Mario Mardirossian
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Sabrina Pacor
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Tiago Hori
- Atlantic Aqua Farms Ltd., Vernon Bridge, PE C0A 2E0, Canada;
| | - Alberto Pallavicini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
- Anton Dohrn Zoological Station, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Gerdol
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (D.F.); (D.R.); (M.S.); (S.G.); (M.M.); (S.P.); (A.P.)
- Correspondence:
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9
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Shaikh NY, Sunagar K. The deep-rooted origin of disulfide-rich spider venom toxins. eLife 2023; 12:83761. [PMID: 36757362 PMCID: PMC10017107 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Spider venoms are a complex concoction of enzymes, polyamines, inorganic salts, and disulfide-rich peptides (DRPs). Although DRPs are widely distributed and abundant, their bevolutionary origin has remained elusive. This knowledge gap stems from the extensive molecular divergence of DRPs and a lack of sequence and structural data from diverse lineages. By evaluating DRPs under a comprehensive phylogenetic, structural and evolutionary framework, we have not only identified 78 novel spider toxin superfamilies but also provided the first evidence for their common origin. We trace the origin of these toxin superfamilies to a primordial knot - which we name 'Adi Shakti', after the creator of the Universe according to Hindu mythology - 375 MYA in the common ancestor of Araneomorphae and Mygalomorphae. As the lineages under evaluation constitute nearly 60% of extant spiders, our findings provide fascinating insights into the early evolution and diversification of the spider venom arsenal. Reliance on a single molecular toxin scaffold by nearly all spiders is in complete contrast to most other venomous animals that have recruited into their venoms diverse toxins with independent origins. By comparatively evaluating the molecular evolutionary histories of araneomorph and mygalomorph spider venom toxins, we highlight their contrasting evolutionary diversification rates. Our results also suggest that venom deployment (e.g. prey capture or self-defense) influences evolutionary diversification of DRP toxin superfamilies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naeem Yusuf Shaikh
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science BangaloreBengaluruIndia
| | - Kartik Sunagar
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science BangaloreBengaluruIndia
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10
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Michálek O, Walker AA, Šedo O, Zdráhal Z, King GF, Pekár S. Composition and toxicity of venom produced by araneophagous white-tailed spiders (Lamponidae: Lampona sp.). Sci Rep 2022; 12:21597. [PMID: 36517485 PMCID: PMC9751281 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24694-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Prey-specialised spiders are adapted to capture specific prey items, including dangerous prey. The venoms of specialists are often prey-specific and less complex than those of generalists, but their venom composition has not been studied in detail. Here, we investigated the venom of the prey-specialised white-tailed spiders (Lamponidae: Lampona), which utilise specialised morphological and behavioural adaptations to capture spider prey. We analysed the venom composition using proteo-transcriptomics and taxon-specific toxicity using venom bioassays. Our analysis identified 208 putative toxin sequences, comprising 103 peptides < 10 kDa and 105 proteins > 10 kDa. Most peptides belonged to one of two families characterised by scaffolds containing eight or ten cysteine residues. Toxin-like proteins showed similarity to galectins, leucine-rich repeat proteins, trypsins and neprilysins. The venom of Lampona was shown to be more potent against the preferred spider prey than against alternative cricket prey. In contrast, the venom of a related generalist was similarly potent against both prey types. These data provide insights into the molecular adaptations of venoms produced by prey-specialised spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondřej Michálek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Andrew A Walker
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Ondrej Šedo
- Research Group Proteomics, Mendel Centre for Plant Genomics and Proteomics, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zbyněk Zdráhal
- Research Group Proteomics, Mendel Centre for Plant Genomics and Proteomics, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
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11
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Conformations of disulfides are conserved in inhibitory cystine knot (ICK) motif polypeptides. Toxicon 2022; 219:106926. [PMID: 36167143 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The inhibitory cystine knot (ICK) motif is an evolutionarily optimized disulfide-rich peptide motif widely present in diverse phyla with distinct biological functions. Cysteine disulfides are highly conserved in the ICK motif with C1-C4 (Disulfide-I), C2-C5(Disulfide-II), and C3-C6(Disulfide-III) connectivities in a sequence. Disulfide-I and disulfide-II form a loop and the disulfide-III tethers through the loop forming a knotted fold. The current report has analysed the conformation of disulfides in the ICK motif using the side-chain torsional angles of cysteine disulfide. In crystal structures: 88% of Disulfide-I have (+,-)SynRHHook, 92% of Disulfide-II have (+,-)RHSpiral, and 100% of Disulfide-III have (-,-)LHSpiral conformations. In NMR structures, conformational diversity has been observed for each of the cysteine disulfides of the ICK motif. The highest percentage occurrence in NMR structures: 27% of Disulfide-I have (+,-)SynRHHook, 36% of Disulfide-II have (+,-)RHSpiral, and 50% of Disulfide-III have (-,-)LHSpiral conformations. In the view of the method of identification of disulfides between cysteine residues using NMR spectroscopy, the NMR structure represents an ensemble of conformations of disulfides instead of specific disulfide conformation. The retention of the conformation in both X-ray and NMR structures supports the conservation of conformation of disulfides in the ICK motif. The tendency to exhibit specific conformation of disulfide even with variations in 3D structures supports the evolutionarily optimized nature of the ICK motif.
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12
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Wu Y, Fan S, Dong M, Li J, Kong C, Zhuang J, Meng X, Lu S, Zhao Y, Wu C. Structure-guided design of CPPC-paired disulfide-rich peptide libraries for ligand and drug discovery. Chem Sci 2022; 13:7780-7789. [PMID: 35865895 PMCID: PMC9258321 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc00924b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptides constrained through multiple disulfides (or disulfide-rich peptides, DRPs) have been an emerging frontier for ligand and drug discovery. Such peptides have the potential to combine the binding capability of biologics with the stability and bioavailability of smaller molecules. However, DRPs with stable three-dimensional (3D) structures are usually of natural origin or engineered from natural ones. Here, we report the discovery and identification of CPPC (cysteine-proline-proline-cysteine) motif-directed DRPs with stable 3D structures (i.e., CPPC-DRPs). A range of new CPPC-DRPs were designed or selected from either random or structure-convergent peptide libraries. Thus, for the first time we revealed that the CPPC-DRPs can maintain diverse 3D structures by taking advantage of constraints from unique dimeric CPPC mini-loops, including irregular structures and regular α-helix and β-sheet folds. New CPPC-DRPs that can specifically bind the receptors (CD28) on the cell surface were also successfully discovered and identified using our DRP-discovery platform. Overall, this study provides the basis for accessing an unconventional peptide structure space previously inaccessible by natural DRPs and computational designs, inspiring the development of new peptide ligands and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yapei Wu
- Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
| | - Shihui Fan
- Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
| | - Meng Dong
- Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
| | - Jinjing Li
- Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
| | - Chuilian Kong
- Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
| | - Jie Zhuang
- Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
| | - Xiaoting Meng
- Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
| | - Shuaimin Lu
- Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
| | - Yibing Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
| | - Chuanliu Wu
- Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
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13
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Trim CM, Byrne LJ, Trim SA. Utilisation of compounds from venoms in drug discovery. PROGRESS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2021; 60:1-66. [PMID: 34147202 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmch.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Difficult drug targets are becoming the normal course of business in drug discovery, sometimes due to large interacting surfaces or only small differences in selectivity regions. For these, a different approach is merited: compounds lying somewhere between the small molecule and the large antibody in terms of many properties including stability, biodistribution and pharmacokinetics. Venoms have evolved over millions of years to be complex mixtures of stable molecules derived from other somatic molecules, the stability comes from the pressure to be ready for delivery at a moment's notice. Snakes, spiders, scorpions, jellyfish, wasps, fish and even mammals have evolved independent venom systems with complex mixtures in their chemical arsenal. These venom-derived molecules have been proven to be useful tools, such as for the development of antihypotensive angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and have also made successful drugs such as Byetta® (Exenatide), Integrilin® (Eptifibatide) and Echistatin. Only a small percentage of the available chemical space from venoms has been investigated so far and this is growing. In a new era of biological therapeutics, venom peptides present opportunities for larger target engagement surface with greater stability than antibodies or human peptides. There are challenges for oral absorption and target engagement, but there are venom structures that overcome these and thus provide substrate for engineering novel molecules that combine all desired properties. Venom researchers are characterising new venoms, species, and functions all the time, these provide great substrate for solving the challenges presented by today's difficult targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol M Trim
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Social Sciences, Natural and Applied Sciences, School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Lee J Byrne
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Social Sciences, Natural and Applied Sciences, School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
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14
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Sarmiento-Pavía PD, Sosa-Torres ME. Bioinorganic insights of the PQQ-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases. J Biol Inorg Chem 2021; 26:177-203. [PMID: 33606117 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-021-01852-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Among the several alcohol dehydrogenases, PQQ-dependent enzymes are mainly found in the α, β, and γ-proteobacteria. These proteins are classified into three main groups. Type I ADHs are localized in the periplasm and contain one Ca2+-PQQ moiety, being the methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) the most representative. In recent years, several lanthanide-dependent MDHs have been discovered exploding the understanding of the natural role of lanthanide ions. Type II ADHs are localized in the periplasm and possess one Ca2+-PQQ moiety and one heme c group. Finally, type III ADHs are complexes of two or three subunits localized in the cytoplasmic membrane and possess one Ca2+-PQQ moiety and four heme c groups, and in one of these proteins, an additional [2Fe-2S] cluster has been discovered recently. From the bioinorganic point of view, PQQ-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases have been revived recently mainly due to the discovery of the lanthanide-dependent enzymes. Here, we review the three types of PQQ-dependent ADHs with special focus on their structural features and electron transfer processes. The PQQ-Alcohol dehydrogenases are classified into three main groups. Type I and type II ADHs are located in the periplasm, while type III ADHs are in the cytoplasmic membrane. ADH-I have a Ca-PQQ or a Ln-PQQ, ADH-II a Ca-PQQ and one heme-c and ADH-III a Ca-PQQ and four hemes-c. This review focuses on their structural features and electron transfer processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro D Sarmiento-Pavía
- Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cd. Universitaria, Coyoacán, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Martha E Sosa-Torres
- Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cd. Universitaria, Coyoacán, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
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15
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Walker AA, Robinson SD, Hamilton BF, Undheim EAB, King GF. Deadly Proteomes: A Practical Guide to Proteotranscriptomics of Animal Venoms. Proteomics 2020; 20:e1900324. [PMID: 32820606 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201900324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Animal venoms are renowned for their toxicity, biochemical complexity, and as a source of compounds with potential applications in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Polypeptides underlie much of the pharmacology of animal venoms, and elucidating these arsenals of polypeptide toxins-known as the venom proteome or venome-is an important step in venom research. Proteomics is used for the identification of venom toxins, determination of their primary structure including post-translational modifications, as well as investigations into the physiology underlying their production and delivery. Advances in proteomics and adjacent technologies has led to a recent upsurge in publications reporting venom proteomes. Improved mass spectrometers, better proteomic workflows, and the integration of next-generation sequencing of venom-gland transcriptomes and venomous animal genomes allow quicker and more accurate profiling of venom proteomes with greatly reduced starting material. Technologies such as imaging mass spectrometry are revealing additional insights into the mechanism, location, and kinetics of venom toxin production. However, these numerous new developments may be overwhelming for researchers designing venom proteome studies. Here, the field of venom proteomics is reviewed and some practical solutions for simplifying mass spectrometry workflows to study animal venoms are offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew A Walker
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Samuel D Robinson
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Brett F Hamilton
- Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.,Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.,Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, NTNU, Trondheim, 7491, Norway.,Department of Bioscience, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, 0316, Norway
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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16
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Montandon GG, Cassoli JS, Peigneur S, Verano-Braga T, Santos DMD, Paiva ALB, Moraes ÉRD, Kushmerick C, Borges MH, Richardson M, Pimenta AMDC, Kjeldsen F, Diniz MRV, Tytgat J, Lima MED. GiTx1(β/κ-theraphotoxin-Gi1a), a novel toxin from the venom of Brazilian tarantula Grammostola iheringi (Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae): Isolation, structural assessments and activity on voltage-gated ion channels. Biochimie 2020; 176:138-149. [PMID: 32717411 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Spider venoms, despite their toxicity, represent rich sources of pharmacologically active compounds with biotechnological potential. However, in view of the large diversity of the spider species, the full potential of their venom molecules is still far from being known. In this work, we report the purification and structural and functional characterization of GiTx1 (β/κ-TRTX-Gi1a), the first toxin purified from the venom of the Brazilian tarantula spider Grammostola iheringi. GiTx1 was purified by chromatography, completely sequenced through automated Edman degradation and tandem mass spectrometry and its structure was predicted by molecular modeling. GiTx1 has a MW of 3.585 Da, with the following amino acid sequence: SCQKWMWTCDQKRPCCEDMVCKLWCKIIK. Pharmacological activity of GiTx1 was characterized by electrophysiology using whole-cell patch clamp on dorsal root ganglia neurons (DRG) and two-electrode voltage-clamp on voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels subtypes expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. GiTx1, at 2 μM, caused a partial block of inward (∼40%) and outward (∼20%) currents in DRG cells, blocked rNav1.2, rNav1.4 and mNav1.6 and had a significant effect on VdNav, an arachnid sodium channel isoform. IC50 values of 156.39 ± 14.90 nM for Nav1.6 and 124.05 ± 12.99 nM for VdNav, were obtained. In addition, this toxin was active on rKv4.3 and hERG potassium channels, but not Shaker IR or rKv2.1 potassium channels. In summary, GiTx1 is a promiscuous toxin with multiple effects on different types of ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Gontijo Montandon
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Juliana Silva Cassoli
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Leuven (KULeuven) - Campus Gasthuisberg, PO Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Steve Peigneur
- Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Leuven (KULeuven) - Campus Gasthuisberg, PO Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thiago Verano-Braga
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Protein Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense M, Denmark
| | - Daniel Moreira Dos Santos
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ana Luiza Bittencourt Paiva
- Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, 30510-010, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Éder Ricardo de Moraes
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Christopher Kushmerick
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Márcia Helena Borges
- Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, 30510-010, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Michael Richardson
- Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, 30510-010, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Adriano Monteiro de Castro Pimenta
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Frank Kjeldsen
- Protein Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense M, Denmark
| | - Marcelo Ribeiro Vasconcelos Diniz
- Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, 30510-010, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Leuven (KULeuven) - Campus Gasthuisberg, PO Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maria Elena de Lima
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa, Rua Domingos Vieira, 590, 30150-240, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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17
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Chow CY, Absalom N, Biggs K, King GF, Ma L. Venom-derived modulators of epilepsy-related ion channels. Biochem Pharmacol 2020; 181:114043. [PMID: 32445870 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Epilepsy is characterised by spontaneous recurrent seizures that are caused by an imbalance between neuronal excitability and inhibition. Since ion channels play fundamental roles in the generation and propagation of action potentials as well as neurotransmitter release at a subset of excitatory and inhibitory synapses, their dysfunction has been linked to a wide variety of epilepsies. Indeed, these unique proteins are the major biological targets for antiepileptic drugs. Selective targeting of a specific ion channel subtype remains challenging for small molecules, due to the high level of homology among members of the same channel family. As a consequence, there is a growing trend to target ion channels with biologics. Venoms are the best known natural source of ion channel modulators, and venom peptides are increasingly recognised as potential therapeutics due to their high selectivity and potency gained through millions of years of evolutionary selection pressure. Here we describe the major ion channel families involved in the pathogenesis of various types of epilepsy, including voltage-gated Na+, K+, Ca2+ channels, Cys-loop receptors, ionotropic glutamate receptors and P2X receptors, and currently available venom-derived peptides that target these channel proteins. Although only a small number of venom peptides have successfully progressed to the clinic, there is reason to be optimistic about their development as antiepileptic drugs, notwithstanding the challenges associated with development of any class of peptide drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Yuen Chow
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Nathan Absalom
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Kimberley Biggs
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Linlin Ma
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia.
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18
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Structural venomics reveals evolution of a complex venom by duplication and diversification of an ancient peptide-encoding gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:11399-11408. [PMID: 32398368 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1914536117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Spiders are one of the most successful venomous animals, with more than 48,000 described species. Most spider venoms are dominated by cysteine-rich peptides with a diverse range of pharmacological activities. Some spider venoms contain thousands of unique peptides, but little is known about the mechanisms used to generate such complex chemical arsenals. We used an integrated transcriptomic, proteomic, and structural biology approach to demonstrate that the lethal Australian funnel-web spider produces 33 superfamilies of venom peptides and proteins. Twenty-six of the 33 superfamilies are disulfide-rich peptides, and we show that 15 of these are knottins that contribute >90% of the venom proteome. NMR analyses revealed that most of these disulfide-rich peptides are structurally related and range in complexity from simple to highly elaborated knottin domains, as well as double-knot toxins, that likely evolved from a single ancestral toxin gene.
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19
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McCarthy S, Robinson J, Thalassinos K, Tabor AB. A Chemical Biology Approach to Probing the Folding Pathways of the Inhibitory Cystine Knot (ICK) Peptide ProTx-II. Front Chem 2020; 8:228. [PMID: 32309273 PMCID: PMC7145985 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide toxins that adopt the inhibitory cystine knot (ICK) scaffold have very stable three-dimensional structures as a result of the conformational constraints imposed by the configuration of the three disulfide bonds that are the hallmark of this fold. Understanding the oxidative folding pathways of these complex peptides, many of which are important therapeutic leads, is important in order to devise reliable synthetic routes to correctly folded, biologically active peptides. Previous research on the ICK peptide ProTx-II has shown that in the absence of an equilibrating redox buffer, misfolded intermediates form that prevent the formation of the native disulfide bond configuration. In this paper, we used tandem mass spectrometry to examine these misfolded peptides, and identified two non-native singly bridged peptides, one with a Cys(III)-Cys(IV) linkage and one with a Cys(V)-Cys(VI) linkage. Based on these results, we propose that the C-terminus of ProTx-II has an important role in initiating the folding of this peptide. To test this hypothesis, we have also studied the folding pathways of analogs of ProTx-II containing the disulfide-bond directing group penicillamine (Pen) under the same conditions. We find that placing Pen residues at the C-terminus of the ProTx-II analogs directs the folding pathway away from the singly bridged misfolded intermediates that represent a kinetic trap for the native sequence, and allows a fully oxidized final product to be formed with three disulfide bridges. However, multiple two-disulfide peptides were also produced, indicating that further study is required to fully control the folding pathways of this modified scaffold.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Konstantinos Thalassinos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, United Kingdom.,Division of Biosciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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20
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Ste.Marie EJ, Hondal RJ. 2,2'-Dipyridyl diselenide: A chemoselective tool for cysteine deprotection and disulfide bond formation. J Pept Sci 2020; 26:e3236. [PMID: 31856422 PMCID: PMC7509986 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 10/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
There are many examples of bioactive, disulfide-rich peptides and proteins whose biological activity relies on proper disulfide connectivity. Regioselective disulfide bond formation is a strategy for the synthesis of these bioactive peptides, but many of these methods suffer from a lack of orthogonality between pairs of protected cysteine (Cys) residues, efficiency, and high yields. Here, we show the utilization of 2,2'-dipyridyl diselenide (PySeSePy) as a chemical tool for the removal of Cys-protecting groups and regioselective formation of disulfide bonds in peptides. We found that peptides containing either Cys(Mob) or Cys(Acm) groups treated with PySeSePy in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) (with or without triisopropylsilane (TIS) were converted to Cys-S-SePy adducts at 37 °C and various incubation times. This novel Cys-S-SePy adduct is able to be chemoselectively reduced by five-fold excess ascorbate at pH 4.5, a condition that should spare already installed peptide disulfide bonds from reduction. This chemoselective reduction by ascorbate will undoubtedly find utility in numerous biotechnological applications. We applied our new chemistry to the iodine-free synthesis of the human intestinal hormone guanylin, which contains two disulfide bonds. While we originally envisioned using ascorbate to chemoselectively reduce one of the formed Cys-S-SePy adducts to catalyze disulfide bond formation, we found that when pairs of Cys(Acm) residues were treated with PySeSePy in TFA, the second disulfide bond formed spontaneously. Spontaneous formation of the second disulfide is most likely driven by the formation of the thermodynamically favored diselenide (PySeSePy) from the two Cys-S-SePy adducts. Thus, we have developed a one-pot method for concomitant deprotection and disulfide bond formation of Cys(Acm) pairs in the presence of an existing disulfide bond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma J. Ste.Marie
- Department of Chemistry, Discovery Hall, University of Vermont, 82 University Place, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- ESM was supported by National Institutes of Health Training Grant T32 HL07594 administered by Dr. Kenneth G. Mann and Dr. Robert J. Kelm
| | - Robert J. Hondal
- Department of Chemistry, Discovery Hall, University of Vermont, 82 University Place, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- University of Vermont, Department of Biochemistry, 89 Beaumont Ave, Given Laboratory, Room B413, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
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21
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Spider Venom: Components, Modes of Action, and Novel Strategies in Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11100611. [PMID: 31652611 PMCID: PMC6832493 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11100611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This review gives an overview on the development of research on spider venoms with a focus on structure and function of venom components and techniques of analysis. Major venom component groups are small molecular mass compounds, antimicrobial (also called cytolytic, or cationic) peptides (only in some spider families), cysteine-rich (neurotoxic) peptides, and enzymes and proteins. Cysteine-rich peptides are reviewed with respect to various structural motifs, their targets (ion channels, membrane receptors), nomenclature, and molecular binding. We further describe the latest findings concerning the maturation of antimicrobial, and cysteine-rich peptides that are in most known cases expressed as propeptide-containing precursors. Today, venom research, increasingly employs transcriptomic and mass spectrometric techniques. Pros and cons of venom gland transcriptome analysis with Sanger, 454, and Illumina sequencing are discussed and an overview on so far published transcriptome studies is given. In this respect, we also discuss the only recently described cross contamination arising from multiplexing in Illumina sequencing and its possible impacts on venom studies. High throughput mass spectrometric analysis of venom proteomes (bottom-up, top-down) are reviewed.
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King GF. Tying pest insects in knots: the deployment of spider-venom-derived knottins as bioinsecticides. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2019; 75:2437-2445. [PMID: 31025461 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Spider venoms are complex chemical arsenals that contain a rich variety of insecticidal toxins. However, the major toxin class in many spider venoms is disulfide-rich peptides known as knottins. The knotted three-dimensional fold of these mini-proteins provides them with exceptional chemical and thermal stability as well as resistance to proteases. In contrast with other bioinsecticides, which are often slow-acting, spider knottins are fast-acting neurotoxins. In addition to being potently insecticidal, some knottins have exceptional taxonomic selectivity, being lethal to key agricultural pests but innocuous to vertebrates and beneficial insects such as bees. The intrinsic oral activity of these peptides, combined with the ability of aerosolized knottins to penetrate insect spiracles, has enabled them to be developed commercially as eco-friendly bioinsecticides. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that spider-knottin transgenes can be used to engineer faster-acting entomopathogens and insect-resistant crops. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Chambers C, Cutler P, Huang Y, Goodchild JA, Blythe J, Wang CK, Bigot A, Kaas Q, Craik DJ, Sabbadin D, Earley FG. Insecticidal spider toxins are high affinity positive allosteric modulators of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. FEBS Lett 2019; 593:1336-1350. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chris Chambers
- Syngenta Jealott's Hill Research Centre Bracknell Berkshire UK
| | - Penny Cutler
- Syngenta Jealott's Hill Research Centre Bracknell Berkshire UK
| | - Yen‐Hua Huang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience the University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | | | - Judith Blythe
- Syngenta Jealott's Hill Research Centre Bracknell Berkshire UK
| | - Conan K. Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience the University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | | | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience the University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience the University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
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The Dual Prey-Inactivation Strategy of Spiders-In-Depth Venomic Analysis of Cupiennius salei. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11030167. [PMID: 30893800 PMCID: PMC6468893 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11030167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Most knowledge of spider venom concerns neurotoxins acting on ion channels, whereas proteins and their significance for the envenomation process are neglected. The here presented comprehensive analysis of the venom gland transcriptome and proteome of Cupiennius salei focusses on proteins and cysteine-containing peptides and offers new insight into the structure and function of spider venom, here described as the dual prey-inactivation strategy. After venom injection, many enzymes and proteins, dominated by α-amylase, angiotensin-converting enzyme, and cysteine-rich secretory proteins, interact with main metabolic pathways, leading to a major disturbance of the cellular homeostasis. Hyaluronidase and cytolytic peptides destroy tissue and membranes, thus supporting the spread of other venom compounds. We detected 81 transcripts of neurotoxins from 13 peptide families, whereof two families comprise 93.7% of all cysteine-containing peptides. This raises the question of the importance of the other low-expressed peptide families. The identification of a venom gland-specific defensin-like peptide and an aga-toxin-like peptide in the hemocytes offers an important clue on the recruitment and neofunctionalization of body proteins and peptides as the origin of toxins.
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25
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Structural diversity of arthropod venom toxins. Toxicon 2018; 152:46-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Guo S, Herzig V, King GF. Dipteran toxicity assays for determining the oral insecticidal activity of venoms and toxins. Toxicon 2018; 150:297-303. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.06.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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27
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Titaux-Delgado G, Carrillo E, Mendoza A, Mayorga-Flores M, Escobedo-González FC, Cano-Sánchez P, López-Vera E, Corzo G, Del Rio-Portilla F. Successful refolding and NMR structure of rMagi3: A disulfide-rich insecticidal spider toxin. Protein Sci 2018; 27:692-701. [PMID: 29247580 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The need for molecules with high specificity against noxious insects leads the search towards spider venoms that have evolved highly selective toxins for insect preys. In this respect, spiders as a highly diversified group of almost exclusive insect predators appear to possess infinite potential for the discovery of novel insect-selective toxins. In 2003, a group of toxins was isolated from the spider Macrothele gigas and the amino acid sequence was reported. We obtained, by molecular biology techniques in a heterologous system, one of these toxins. Purification process was optimized by chromatographic methods to determine the three-dimensional structure by nuclear magnetic resonance in solution, and, finally, their biological activity was tested. rMagi3 resulted to be a specific insect toxin with no effect on mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Titaux-Delgado
- Departamento de Química de Biomacromoléculas, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CU, Ciudad de México, 04510, México
| | - Elisa Carrillo
- Laboratorio de Toxinología Marina, Unidad Académica de Ecología y Biodiversidad Acuática, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, 04510, México
| | - Angeles Mendoza
- División de Ciencias e Ingenierías, Campus León, Universidad de Guanajuato, Loma del Bosque 103, Col. Lomas del Campestre León, Gto, 37150, México
| | - Marlen Mayorga-Flores
- Departamento de Química de Biomacromoléculas, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CU, Ciudad de México, 04510, México
| | - Fátima C Escobedo-González
- Departamento de Química de Biomacromoléculas, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CU, Ciudad de México, 04510, México
| | - Patricia Cano-Sánchez
- Departamento de Química de Biomacromoléculas, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CU, Ciudad de México, 04510, México
| | - Estuardo López-Vera
- Laboratorio de Toxinología Marina, Unidad Académica de Ecología y Biodiversidad Acuática, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, 04510, México
| | - Gerardo Corzo
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 61500, México
| | - Federico Del Rio-Portilla
- Departamento de Química de Biomacromoléculas, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CU, Ciudad de México, 04510, México
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Lomazi RL, Nishiduka ES, Silva PI, Tashima AK. Identification of Peptides in Spider Venom Using Mass Spectrometry. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1719:359-367. [PMID: 29476524 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7537-2_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Spider venoms are composed of hundreds of proteins and peptides. Several of these venom toxins are cysteine-rich peptides in the mass range of 3-9 kDa. Small peptides (<3 kDa) can be fully characterized by mass spectrometry analysis, while proteins are generally identified by the bottom-up approach in which proteins are first digested with trypsin to generate shorter peptides for MS/MS characterization. In general, it is sufficient for protein identification to sequence two or more peptides, but for venom peptidomics it is desirable to completely elucidate peptide sequences and the number of disulfide bonds in the molecules. In this chapter we describe a methodology to completely sequence and determine the number of disulfide bonds of spider venom peptides in the mass range of 3-9 kDa by multiple enzyme digestion, mass spectrometry of native and digested peptides, de novo analysis, and sequence overlap alignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael L Lomazi
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Erika S Nishiduka
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Pedro I Silva
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alexandre K Tashima
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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29
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Minhas AP, Tuli R, Puri S. Pathway Editing Targets for Thiamine Biofortification in Rice Grains. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:975. [PMID: 30042775 PMCID: PMC6048418 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Thiamine deficiency is common in populations consuming polished rice as a major source of carbohydrates. Thiamine is required to synthesize thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), an essential cofactor of enzymes of central metabolism. Its biosynthesis pathway has been partially elucidated and the effect of overexpression of a few genes such as thi1 and thiC, on thiamine accumulation in rice has been reported. Based on current knowledge, this review focuses on the potential of gene editing in metabolic engineering of thiamine biosynthesis pathway to improve thiamine in rice grains. Candidate genes, suitable for modification of the structural part to evolve more efficient versions of enzymes in the pathway, are discussed. For example, adjacent cysteine residues may be introduced in the catalytic domain of thi4 to improve the turn over activity of thiamine thiazole synthase 2. Motif specific editing to modify promoter regulatory regions of genes is discussed to modulate gene expression. Editing cis acting regulatory elements in promoter region can shift the expression of transporters and thiamine binding proteins to endosperm. This can enhance dietary availability of thiamine from rice grains. Differential transcriptomics on rice varieties with contrasting grain thiamine and functional genomic studies will identify more strategic targets for editing in future. Developing functionally enhanced foods by biofortification is a sustainable approach to make diets wholesome.
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30
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Luan N, Zhou C, Li P, Ombati R, Yan X, Mo G, Rong M, Lai R, Duan Z, Zheng R. Joannsin, a novel Kunitz-type FXa inhibitor from the venom of Prospirobolus joannsi. Thromb Haemost 2017; 117:1031-1039. [PMID: 28276572 DOI: 10.1160/th16-11-0829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The repugnatorial glands of millipedes release various defensive chemical secretions. Although varieties of such defensive secretions have been studied, none of them is protein or peptide. Herein, a novel factor Xa (FXa) inhibitor named joannsin was identified and characterised from repugnatorial glands of Prospirobolus joannsi. Joannsin is composed of 72 amino acid residues including six cysteines, which form three intra-molecular disulfide bridges. It is a member of Kunitz-type protease inhibitor family, members of which are also found in the secretory glands of other arthropods. Recombinant joannsin exhibited remarkable inhibitory activity against trypsin and FXa with a Ki of 182.7 ± 14.6 and 29.5 ± 4.7 nM, respectively. Joannsin showed strong anti-thrombosis functions in vitro and in vivo. Joannsin is the first peptide component in millipede repugnatorial glands to be identified and is a potential candidate and/or template for the development of anti-thrombotic agents. These results also indicated that there is Kunitz-type protease inhibitor toxin in millipede repugnatorial glands as in other arthropods secretory glands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ren Lai
- Ren Lai, Zilei Duan, or Ruiqiang Zheng, Key Laboratory of Microbiological Engineering of Agricultural Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China, Tel./Fax: +86 25 843968, E-mail: (R. L.), (Z. D.) or (R. Z.)
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31
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Windley MJ, Vetter I, Lewis RJ, Nicholson GM. Lethal effects of an insecticidal spider venom peptide involve positive allosteric modulation of insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Neuropharmacology 2017; 127:224-242. [PMID: 28396143 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
κ-Hexatoxins (κ-HXTXs) are a family of excitotoxic insect-selective neurotoxins from Australian funnel-web spiders that are lethal to a wide range of insects, but display no toxicity towards vertebrates. The prototypic κ-HXTX-Hv1c selectively blocks native and expressed cockroach large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BKCa or KCa1.1) channels, but not their mammalian orthologs. Despite this potent and selective action on insect KCa1.1 channels, we found that the classical KCa1.1 blockers paxilline, charybdotoxin and iberiotoxin, which all block insect KCa1.1 channels, are not lethal in crickets. We therefore used whole-cell patch-clamp analysis of cockroach dorsal unpaired median (DUM) neurons to study the effects of κ-HXTX-Hv1c on sodium-activated (KNa), delayed-rectifier (KDR) and 'A-type' transient (KA) K+ channels. 1 μM κ-HXTX-Hv1c failed to significantly inhibit cockroach KNa and KDR channels, but did cause a 30 ± 7% saturating inhibition of KA channel currents, possibly via a Kv4 (Shal-like) action. However, this modest action at such a high concentration of κ-HXTX-Hv1c would indicate a different lethal target. Accordingly, we assessed the actions of κ-HXTX-Hv1c on neurotransmitter-gated ion channels in cockroach DUM neurons. We found that κ-HXTX-Hv1c failed to produce any major effects on GABAA or glutamate-Cl receptors but dramatically slowed nicotine-evoked ACh receptor (nAChR) current decay and reversed nAChR desensitization. These actions occurred without any alterations to nAChR current amplitude or the nicotine concentration-response curve, and are consistent with a positive allosteric modulation of nAChRs. κ-HXTX-Hv1c therefore represents the first venom peptide that selectively modulates insect nAChRs with a mode of action similar to the excitotoxic insecticide spinosyn A. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Venom-derived Peptides as Pharmacological Tools.'
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique J Windley
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Irina Vetter
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Brisbane St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Richard J Lewis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Graham M Nicholson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
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32
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Richardson JS, Videau LL, Williams CJ, Richardson DC. Broad Analysis of Vicinal Disulfides: Occurrences, Conformations with Cis or with Trans Peptides, and Functional Roles Including Sugar Binding. J Mol Biol 2017; 429:1321-1335. [PMID: 28336403 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Vicinal disulfides between sequence-adjacent cysteine residues are very rare and rather startling structural features which play a variety of functional roles. Typically discussed as an isolated curiosity, they have never received a general treatment covering both cis and trans forms. Enabled by the growing database of high-resolution structures, required deposition of diffraction data, and improved methods for discriminating reliable from dubious cases, we identify and describe distinct protein families with reliably genuine examples of cis or trans vicinal disulfides and discuss their conformations, conservation, and functions. No cis-trans interconversions and only one case of catalytic redox function are seen. Some vicinal disulfides are essential to large, functionally coupled motions, whereas most form the centers of tightly packed internal regions. Their most widespread biological role is providing a rigid hydrophobic contact surface under the undecorated side of a sugar or multiring ligand, contributing an important aspect of binding specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane S Richardson
- Department of Biochemistry, 3711 Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| | - Lizbeth L Videau
- Department of Biochemistry, 3711 Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | | | - David C Richardson
- Department of Biochemistry, 3711 Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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Kerkis I, de Brandão Prieto da Silva AR, Pompeia C, Tytgat J, de Sá Junior PL. Toxin bioportides: exploring toxin biological activity and multifunctionality. Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 74:647-661. [PMID: 27554773 PMCID: PMC11107510 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2343-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Toxins have been shown to have many biological functions and to constitute a rich source of drugs and biotechnological tools. We focus on toxins that not only have a specific activity, but also contain residues responsible for transmembrane penetration, which can be considered bioportides-a class of cell-penetrating peptides that are also intrinsically bioactive. Bioportides are potential tools in pharmacology and biotechnology as they help deliver substances and nanoparticles to intracellular targets. Bioportides characterized so far are peptides derived from human proteins, such as cytochrome c (CYCS), calcitonin receptor (camptide), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (nosangiotide). However, toxins are usually disregarded as potential bioportides. In this review, we discuss the inclusion of some toxins and molecules derived thereof as a new class of bioportides based on structure activity relationship, minimization, and biological activity studies. The comparative analysis of the amino acid residue composition of toxin-derived bioportides and their short molecular variants is an innovative analytical strategy which allows us to understand natural toxin multifunctionality in vivo and plan novel pharmacological and biotechnological products. Furthermore, we discuss how many bioportide toxins have a rigid structure with amphiphilic properties important for both cell penetration and bioactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Kerkis
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil.
| | | | - Celine Pompeia
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Louvain, Belgium
| | - Paulo L de Sá Junior
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil.
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34
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Meissner GO, de Resende Lara PT, Scott LPB, Braz ASK, Chaves-Moreira D, Matsubara FH, Soares EM, Trevisan-Silva D, Gremski LH, Veiga SS, Chaim OM. Molecular cloning and in silico characterization of knottin peptide, U2-SCRTX-Lit2, from brown spider (Loxosceles intermedia) venom glands. J Mol Model 2016; 22:196. [PMID: 27488102 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-016-3067-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitor cystine knots (ICKs) are a family of structural peptides with a large number of cysteine residues that form intramolecular disulfide bonds, resulting in a knot. These peptides are involved in a variety of biological functions including predation and defense, and are found in various species, such as spiders, scorpions, sea anemones, and plants. The Loxosceles intermedia venom gland transcriptome identified five groups of ICK peptides that represent more than 50 % of toxin-coding transcripts. Here, we describe the molecular cloning of U2-Sicaritoxin-Lit2 (U2-SCRTX-Lit2), bioinformatic characterization, structure prediction, and molecular dynamic analysis. The sequence of U2-SCRTX-Lit2 obtained from the transcriptome is similar to that of μ-Hexatoxin-Mg2, a peptide that inhibits the insect Nav channel. Bioinformatic analysis of sequences classified as ICK family members also showed a conservation of cysteine residues among ICKs from different spiders, with the three dimensional molecular model of U2-SCRTX-Lit2 similar in structure to the hexatoxin from μ-hexatoxin-Mg2a. Molecular docking experiments showed the interaction of U2-SCRTX-Lit2 to its predictable target-the Spodoptera litura voltage-gated sodium channel (SlNaVSC). After 200 ns of molecular dynamic simulation, the final structure of the complex showed stability in agreement with the experimental data. The above analysis corroborates the existence of a peptide toxin with insecticidal activity from a novel ICK family in L. intermedia venom and demonstrates that this peptide targets Nav channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Otto Meissner
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Jardim das Américas, 81531-990, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Pedro Túlio de Resende Lara
- Laboratory of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Federal University of ABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luis Paulo Barbour Scott
- Laboratory of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Federal University of ABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Antônio Sérgio Kimus Braz
- Laboratory of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Federal University of ABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniele Chaves-Moreira
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Jardim das Américas, 81531-990, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Fernando Hitomi Matsubara
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Jardim das Américas, 81531-990, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Mendonça Soares
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Jardim das Américas, 81531-990, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Dilza Trevisan-Silva
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Jardim das Américas, 81531-990, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Luiza Helena Gremski
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Jardim das Américas, 81531-990, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.,Laboratory of Molecular Immunopathology, Department of Clinical Pathology, Clinical Hospital of Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Silvio Sanches Veiga
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Jardim das Américas, 81531-990, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Olga Meiri Chaim
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Jardim das Américas, 81531-990, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
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35
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Abreu TF, Sumitomo BN, Nishiyama MY, Oliveira UC, Souza GHMF, Kitano ES, Zelanis A, Serrano SMT, Junqueira-de-Azevedo I, Silva PI, Tashima AK. Peptidomics of Acanthoscurria gomesiana spider venom reveals new toxins with potential antimicrobial activity. J Proteomics 2016; 151:232-242. [PMID: 27436114 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2016.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Revised: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Acanthoscurria gomesiana is a Brazilian spider from the Theraphosidae family inhabiting regions of Southeastern Brazil. Potent antimicrobial peptides as gomesin and acanthoscurrin have been discovered from the spider hemolymph in previous works. Spider venoms are also recognized as sources of biologically active peptides, however the venom peptidome of A. gomesiana remained unexplored to date. In this work, a MS-based workflow was applied to the investigation of the spider venom peptidome. Data-independent and data-dependent LC-MS/MS acquisitions of intact peptides and of peptides submitted to multiple enzyme digestions, followed by automated chromatographic alignment, de novo analysis, database and homology searches with manual validations showed that the venom is composed by <165 features, with masses ranging from 0.4-15.8kDa. From digestions, 135 peptides were identified from 17 proteins, including three new mature peptides: U1-TRTX-Agm1a, U1-TRTX-Agm2a and U1-TRTX-Agm3a, containing 3, 4 and 3 disulfide bonds, respectively. The toxins U1-TRTX-Agm1a differed by only one amino acid from U1-TRTX-Ap1a from A. paulensis and U1-TRTX-Agm2a was derived from the genicutoxin-D1 precursor from A. geniculata. These toxins have potential applications as antimicrobial agents, as the peptide fraction of A. gomesiana showed activity against Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae and Candida albicans strains. MS data are available via ProteomeXchange Consortium with identifier PXD003884. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE Biological fluids of the Acanthoscurria gomesiana spider are sources of active molecules, as is the case of antimicrobial peptides and acylpolyamines found in the hemolymphs. The venom is also a potential source of toxins with pharmacological and biotechnological applications. However, to our knowledge no A. gomesiana venom toxin structure has been determined to date. Using a combination of high resolution mass spectrometry, transcriptomics and bioinformatics, we employed a workflow to fully sequence, determine the number of disulfide bonds of mature peptides and we found new potential antimicrobial peptides. This workflow is suitable for complete peptide toxin sequencing when handling limited amount of venom samples and can accelerate the discovery of peptides with potential biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago F Abreu
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Bianca N Sumitomo
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Milton Y Nishiyama
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ursula C Oliveira
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gustavo H M F Souza
- Mass Spectrometry Applications Research & Development Laboratory, Waters Corporation, Sāo Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Eduardo S Kitano
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - André Zelanis
- Departamento de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, ICT-UNIFESP, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
| | - Solange M T Serrano
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Inácio Junqueira-de-Azevedo
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Pedro I Silva
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alexandre K Tashima
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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Rong M, Liu J, Zhang M, Wang G, Zhao G, Wang G, Zhang Y, Hu K, Lai R. A sodium channel inhibitor ISTX-I with a novel structure provides a new hint at the evolutionary link between two toxin folds. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29691. [PMID: 27407029 PMCID: PMC4942781 DOI: 10.1038/srep29691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of arachnida, such as spiders and scorpions, commonly produce venom with specialized venom glands, paralyzing their prey with neurotoxins that specifically target ion channels. Two well-studied motifs, the disulfide-directed hairpin (DDH) and the inhibitor cystine knot motif (ICK), are both found in scorpion and spider toxins. As arachnids, ticks inject a neurotoxin-containing cocktail from their salivary glands into the host to acquire a blood meal, but peptide toxins acting on ion channels have not been observed in ticks. Here, a new neurotoxin (ISTX-I) that acts on sodium channels was identified from the hard tick Ixodes scapularis and characterized. ISTX-I exhibits a potent inhibitory function with an IC50 of 1.6 μM for sodium channel Nav1.7 but not other sodium channel subtypes. ISTX-I adopts a novel structural fold and is distinct from the canonical ICK motif. Analysis of the ISTX-I, DDH and ICK motifs reveals that the new ISTX-I motif might be an intermediate scaffold between DDH and ICK, and ISTX-I is a clue to the evolutionary link between the DDH and ICK motifs. These results provide a glimpse into the convergent evolution of neurotoxins from predatory and blood-sucking arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingqiang Rong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences &Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Jiangxin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Meilin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences &Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Gan Wang
- Life Sciences College of Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Gang Zhao
- Yunnan Academy of Grassland and Animal Science, Xiaoshao, Kunming 650212, China
| | - Guodong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, and Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Yaping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, and Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Kaifeng Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Ren Lai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences &Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China.,Life Sciences College of Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
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Undheim EAB, Mobli M, King GF. Toxin structures as evolutionary tools: Using conserved 3D folds to study the evolution of rapidly evolving peptides. Bioessays 2016; 38:539-48. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201500165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eivind A. B. Undheim
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceUniversity of QueenslandSt LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Mehdi Mobli
- Centre for Advanced ImagingUniversity of QueenslandSt LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Glenn F. King
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceUniversity of QueenslandSt LuciaQueenslandAustralia
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38
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Brust A, Croker DE, Colless B, Ragnarsson L, Andersson Å, Jain K, Garcia-Caraballo S, Castro J, Brierley SM, Alewood PF, Lewis RJ. Conopeptide-Derived κ-Opioid Agonists (Conorphins): Potent, Selective, and Metabolic Stable Dynorphin A Mimetics with Antinociceptive Properties. J Med Chem 2016; 59:2381-95. [PMID: 26859603 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Opioid receptor screening of a conopeptide library led to a novel selective κ-opioid agonist peptide (conorphin T). Intensive medicinal chemistry, guided by potency, selectivity, and stability assays generated a pharmacophore model supporting rational design of highly potent and selective κ-opioid receptor (KOR) agonists (conorphins) with exceptional plasma stability. Conorphins are defined by a hydrophobic benzoprolyl moiety, a double arginine sequence, a spacer amino acid followed by a hydrophobic residue and a C-terminal vicinal disulfide moiety. The pharmacophore model was supported by computational docking studies, revealing receptor-ligand interactions similar to KOR agonist dynorphin A (1-8). A conorphin agonist inhibited colonic nociceptors in a mouse tissue model of chronic visceral hypersensitivity, suggesting the potential of KOR agonists for the treatment of chronic abdominal pain. This new conorphine KOR agonist class and pharmacophore model provide opportunities for future rational drug development and probes for exploring the role of the κ-opioid receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Brust
- Xenome Limited , Brisbane, Queensland 4068, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Daniel E Croker
- Xenome Limited , Brisbane, Queensland 4068, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Barbara Colless
- Xenome Limited , Brisbane, Queensland 4068, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Lotten Ragnarsson
- Xenome Limited , Brisbane, Queensland 4068, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Åsa Andersson
- Xenome Limited , Brisbane, Queensland 4068, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Kapil Jain
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Sonia Garcia-Caraballo
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Disease, Discipline of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, SAHMRI , Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Joel Castro
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Disease, Discipline of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, SAHMRI , Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Stuart M Brierley
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Disease, Discipline of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, SAHMRI , Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Paul F Alewood
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Richard J Lewis
- Xenome Limited , Brisbane, Queensland 4068, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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Robinson SD, Chhabra S, Belgi A, Chittoor B, Safavi-Hemami H, Robinson AJ, Papenfuss AT, Purcell AW, Norton RS. A Naturally Occurring Peptide with an Elementary Single Disulfide-Directed β-Hairpin Fold. Structure 2016; 24:293-9. [PMID: 26774129 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2015.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Revised: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Certain peptide folds, owing to a combination of intrinsic stability and resilience to amino acid substitutions, are particularly effective for the display of diverse functional groups. Such "privileged scaffolds" are valuable as starting points for the engineering of new bioactive molecules. We have identified a precursor peptide expressed in the venom gland of the marine snail Conus victoriae, which appears to belong to a hitherto undescribed class of molluscan neuropeptides. Mass spectrometry matching with the venom confirmed the complete mature peptide sequence as a 31-residue peptide with a single disulfide bond. Solution structure determination revealed a unique peptide fold that we have designated the single disulfide-directed β hairpin (SDH). The SDH fold is highly resistant to thermal denaturation and forms the core of several other multiple disulfide-containing peptide folds, including the inhibitor cystine knot. This elementary fold may offer a valuable starting point for the design and engineering of new bioactive peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel D Robinson
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Sandeep Chhabra
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Alessia Belgi
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Balasubramanyam Chittoor
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | | | - Andrea J Robinson
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Anthony T Papenfuss
- Bioinformatics Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Anthony W Purcell
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Raymond S Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
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40
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Kuzmenkov AI, Grishin EV, Vassilevski AA. Diversity of Potassium Channel Ligands: Focus on Scorpion Toxins. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2016; 80:1764-99. [DOI: 10.1134/s0006297915130118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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41
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Laitaoja M, Tossavainen H, Pihlajamaa T, Valjakka J, Viiri K, Lohi O, Permi P, Jänis J. Redox-dependent disulfide bond formation in SAP30L corepressor protein: Implications for structure and function. Protein Sci 2015; 25:572-86. [PMID: 26609676 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Sin3A-associated protein 30-like (SAP30L) is one of the key proteins in a multi-subunit protein complex involved in transcriptional regulation via histone deacetylation. SAP30L, together with a highly homologous SAP30 as well as other SAP proteins (i.e., SAP25, SAP45, SAP130, and SAP180), is an essential component of the Sin3A corepressor complex, although its actual role has remained elusive. SAP30L is thought to function as an important stabilizing and bridging molecule in the complex and to mediate its interactions with other corepressors. SAP30L has been previously shown to contain an N-terminal Cys3 His type zinc finger (ZnF) motif, which is responsible for the key protein-protein, protein-DNA, and protein-lipid interactions. By using high-resolution mass spectrometry, we studied a redox-dependent disulfide bond formation in SAP30L ZnF as a regulatory mechanism for its structure and function. We showed that upon oxidative stress SAP30L undergoes the formation of two specific disulfide bonds, a vicinal Cys29-Cys30 and Cys38-Cys74, with a concomitant release of the coordinated zinc ion. The oxidized protein was shown to remain folded in solution and to bind signaling phospholipids. We also determined a solution NMR structure for SAP30L ZnF that showed an overall fold similar to that of SAP30, determined earlier. The NMR titration experiments with lipids and DNA showed that the binding is mediated by the C-terminal tail as well as both α-helices of SAP30L ZnF. The implications of these results for the structure and function of SAP30L are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikko Laitaoja
- Department of Chemistry, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | | | - Tero Pihlajamaa
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Keijo Viiri
- Center for Child Health Research and Tampere University Hospital, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Olli Lohi
- Center for Child Health Research and Tampere University Hospital, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Perttu Permi
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Janne Jänis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
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42
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Xu X, Wang H, Zhang F, Hu Z, Liang S, Liu Z. A Comparative Analysis of the Venom Gland Transcriptomes of the Fishing Spiders Dolomedes mizhoanus and Dolomedes sulfurous. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139908. [PMID: 26445494 PMCID: PMC4596850 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dolomedes sulfurous and Dolomedes mizhoanus are predaceous arthropods catching and feeding on small fish. They live in the same area and have similar habits. Their venoms exhibit some similarities and differences in biochemical and electrophysiological properties. In the present work, we first performed a transcriptomic analysis by constructing the venom gland cDNA library of D. sulfurous and 127 novel putative toxin sequences were consequently identified, which were classified into eight families. This venom gland transcriptome was then compared with that of D. mizhoanus, which revealed that the putative toxins from both spider venoms might have originated from the same gene ancestors although novel toxins were evolved independently in the two spiders. The putative toxins from both spiders contain 6-12 cysteine residues forming seven cysteine patterns. As revealed by blast search, the two venoms are rich in neurotoxins targeting ion channels with pharmacological and therapeutic significance. This study provides insight into the venoms of two closely related species of spider, which will be of use for future investigations into the structure and function of their toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xunxun Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Hengyun Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Fang Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Zhaotun Hu
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Songping Liang
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
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43
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Undheim EAB, Grimm LL, Low CF, Morgenstern D, Herzig V, Zobel-Thropp P, Pineda SS, Habib R, Dziemborowicz S, Fry BG, Nicholson GM, Binford GJ, Mobli M, King GF. Weaponization of a Hormone: Convergent Recruitment of Hyperglycemic Hormone into the Venom of Arthropod Predators. Structure 2015; 23:1283-92. [PMID: 26073605 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2015] [Revised: 04/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Arthropod venoms consist primarily of peptide toxins that are injected into their prey with devastating consequences. Venom proteins are thought to be recruited from endogenous body proteins and mutated to yield neofunctionalized toxins with remarkable affinity for specific subtypes of ion channels and receptors. However, the evolutionary history of venom peptides remains poorly understood. Here we show that a neuropeptide hormone has been convergently recruited into the venom of spiders and centipedes and evolved into a highly stable toxin through divergent modification of the ancestral gene. High-resolution structures of representative hormone-derived toxins revealed they possess a unique structure and disulfide framework and that the key structural adaptation in weaponization of the ancestral hormone was loss of a C-terminal α helix, an adaptation that occurred independently in spiders and centipedes. Our results raise a new paradigm for toxin evolution and highlight the value of structural information in providing insight into protein evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eivind A B Undheim
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Lena L Grimm
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Chek-Fong Low
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David Morgenstern
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Volker Herzig
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | | | - Sandy Steffany Pineda
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Rosaline Habib
- School of Medical & Molecular Biosciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Slawomir Dziemborowicz
- School of Medical & Molecular Biosciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Bryan G Fry
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Graham M Nicholson
- School of Medical & Molecular Biosciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Greta J Binford
- Department of Biology, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR 97219, USA
| | - Mehdi Mobli
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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44
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Cardoso FC, Dekan Z, Rosengren KJ, Erickson A, Vetter I, Deuis JR, Herzig V, Alewood PF, King GF, Lewis RJ. Identification and Characterization of ProTx-III [μ-TRTX-Tp1a], a New Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Inhibitor from Venom of the Tarantula Thrixopelma pruriens. Mol Pharmacol 2015; 88:291-303. [PMID: 25979003 DOI: 10.1124/mol.115.098178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Spider venoms are a rich source of ion channel modulators with therapeutic potential. Given the analgesic potential of subtype-selective inhibitors of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels, we screened spider venoms for inhibitors of human NaV1.7 (hNaV1.7) using a high-throughput fluorescent assay. Here, we describe the discovery of a novel NaV1.7 inhibitor, μ-TRTX-Tp1a (Tp1a), isolated from the venom of the Peruvian green-velvet tarantula Thrixopelma pruriens. Recombinant and synthetic forms of this 33-residue peptide preferentially inhibited hNaV1.7 > hNaV1.6 > hNaV1.2 > hNaV1.1 > hNaV1.3 channels in fluorescent assays. NaV1.7 inhibition was diminished (IC50 11.5 nM) and the association rate decreased for the C-terminal acid form of Tp1a compared with the native amidated form (IC50 2.1 nM), suggesting that the peptide C terminus contributes to its interaction with hNaV1.7. Tp1a had no effect on human voltage-gated calcium channels or nicotinic acetylcholine receptors at 5 μM. Unlike most spider toxins that modulate NaV channels, Tp1a inhibited hNaV1.7 without significantly altering the voltage dependence of activation or inactivation. Tp1a proved to be analgesic by reversing spontaneous pain induced in mice by intraplantar injection in OD1, a scorpion toxin that potentiates hNaV1.7. The structure of Tp1a as determined using NMR spectroscopy revealed a classic inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) motif. The molecular surface of Tp1a presents a hydrophobic patch surrounded by positively charged residues, with subtle differences from other ICK spider toxins that might contribute to its different pharmacological profile. Tp1a may help guide the development of more selective and potent hNaV1.7 inhibitors for treatment of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda C Cardoso
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (F.C.C., Z.D., I.V., J.R.D., V.H., P.F.A., G.F.K., R.J.L.), School of Biomedical Sciences (K.J.R.), and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (A.E.), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Zoltan Dekan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (F.C.C., Z.D., I.V., J.R.D., V.H., P.F.A., G.F.K., R.J.L.), School of Biomedical Sciences (K.J.R.), and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (A.E.), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - K Johan Rosengren
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (F.C.C., Z.D., I.V., J.R.D., V.H., P.F.A., G.F.K., R.J.L.), School of Biomedical Sciences (K.J.R.), and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (A.E.), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andelain Erickson
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (F.C.C., Z.D., I.V., J.R.D., V.H., P.F.A., G.F.K., R.J.L.), School of Biomedical Sciences (K.J.R.), and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (A.E.), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Irina Vetter
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (F.C.C., Z.D., I.V., J.R.D., V.H., P.F.A., G.F.K., R.J.L.), School of Biomedical Sciences (K.J.R.), and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (A.E.), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jennifer R Deuis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (F.C.C., Z.D., I.V., J.R.D., V.H., P.F.A., G.F.K., R.J.L.), School of Biomedical Sciences (K.J.R.), and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (A.E.), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Volker Herzig
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (F.C.C., Z.D., I.V., J.R.D., V.H., P.F.A., G.F.K., R.J.L.), School of Biomedical Sciences (K.J.R.), and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (A.E.), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Paul F Alewood
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (F.C.C., Z.D., I.V., J.R.D., V.H., P.F.A., G.F.K., R.J.L.), School of Biomedical Sciences (K.J.R.), and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (A.E.), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (F.C.C., Z.D., I.V., J.R.D., V.H., P.F.A., G.F.K., R.J.L.), School of Biomedical Sciences (K.J.R.), and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (A.E.), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Richard J Lewis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (F.C.C., Z.D., I.V., J.R.D., V.H., P.F.A., G.F.K., R.J.L.), School of Biomedical Sciences (K.J.R.), and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (A.E.), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Chen J, Xu Y, San M, Cao Z, Li W, Wu Y, Chen Z. Cloning and Genomic Characterization of a Natural Insecticidal Peptide LaIT1 with Unique DDH Structural Fold. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2015; 29:207-12. [DOI: 10.1002/jbt.21686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Revised: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences; Hubei University of Medicine; Hubei People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology; College of Life Sciences; Wuhan University; Hubei People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences; Hubei University of Medicine; Hubei People's Republic of China
| | - Mingkui San
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences; Hubei University of Medicine; Hubei People's Republic of China
| | - Zhijian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology; College of Life Sciences; Wuhan University; Hubei People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology; College of Life Sciences; Wuhan University; Hubei People's Republic of China
| | - Yingliang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology; College of Life Sciences; Wuhan University; Hubei People's Republic of China
| | - Zongyun Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences; Hubei University of Medicine; Hubei People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology; College of Life Sciences; Wuhan University; Hubei People's Republic of China
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Bende NS, Dziemborowicz S, Herzig V, Ramanujam V, Brown GW, Bosmans F, Nicholson GM, King GF, Mobli M. The insecticidal spider toxin SFI1 is a knottin peptide that blocks the pore of insect voltage-gated sodium channels via a large β-hairpin loop. FEBS J 2015; 282:904-20. [PMID: 25559770 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2014] [Revised: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Spider venoms contain a plethora of insecticidal peptides that act on neuronal ion channels and receptors. Because of their high specificity, potency and stability, these peptides have attracted much attention as potential environmentally friendly insecticides. Although many insecticidal spider venom peptides have been isolated, the molecular target, mode of action and structure of only a small minority have been explored. Sf1a, a 46-residue peptide isolated from the venom of the tube-web spider Segesteria florentina, is insecticidal to a wide range of insects, but nontoxic to vertebrates. In order to investigate its structure and mode of action, we developed an efficient bacterial expression system for the production of Sf1a. We determined a high-resolution solution structure of Sf1a using multidimensional 3D/4D NMR spectroscopy. This revealed that Sf1a is a knottin peptide with an unusually large β-hairpin loop that accounts for a third of the peptide length. This loop is delimited by a fourth disulfide bond that is not commonly found in knottin peptides. We showed, through mutagenesis, that this large loop is functionally critical for insecticidal activity. Sf1a was further shown to be a selective inhibitor of insect voltage-gated sodium channels, consistent with its 'depressant' paralytic phenotype in insects. However, in contrast to the majority of spider-derived sodium channel toxins that function as gating modifiers via interaction with one or more of the voltage-sensor domains, Sf1a appears to act as a pore blocker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niraj S Bende
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld, Australia
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Aili SR, Touchard A, Escoubas P, Padula MP, Orivel J, Dejean A, Nicholson GM. Diversity of peptide toxins from stinging ant venoms. Toxicon 2014; 92:166-78. [PMID: 25448389 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) represent a taxonomically diverse group of arthropods comprising nearly 13,000 extant species. Sixteen ant subfamilies have individuals that possess a stinger and use their venom for purposes such as a defence against predators, competitors and microbial pathogens, for predation, as well as for social communication. They exhibit a range of activities including antimicrobial, haemolytic, cytolytic, paralytic, insecticidal and pain-producing pharmacologies. While ant venoms are known to be rich in alkaloids and hydrocarbons, ant venoms rich in peptides are becoming more common, yet remain understudied. Recent advances in mass spectrometry techniques have begun to reveal the true complexity of ant venom peptide composition. In the few venoms explored thus far, most peptide toxins appear to occur as small polycationic linear toxins, with antibacterial properties and insecticidal activity. Unlike other venomous animals, a number of ant venoms also contain a range of homodimeric and heterodimeric peptides with one or two interchain disulfide bonds possessing pore-forming, allergenic and paralytic actions. However, ant venoms seem to have only a small number of monomeric disulfide-linked peptides. The present review details the structure and pharmacology of known ant venom peptide toxins and their potential as a source of novel bioinsecticides and therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira R Aili
- Neurotoxin Research Group, School of Medical & Molecular Biosciences, University of Technology Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Axel Touchard
- CNRS, UMR Écologie des Forêts de Guyane (EcoFoG), Campus Agronomique, BP 316, 97379 Kourou Cedex, France
| | - Pierre Escoubas
- VenomeTech, 473 Route des Dolines - Villa 3, 06560 Valbonne, France
| | - Matthew P Padula
- Neurotoxin Research Group, School of Medical & Molecular Biosciences, University of Technology Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Jérôme Orivel
- CNRS, UMR Écologie des Forêts de Guyane (EcoFoG), Campus Agronomique, BP 316, 97379 Kourou Cedex, France
| | - Alain Dejean
- CNRS, UMR Écologie des Forêts de Guyane (EcoFoG), Campus Agronomique, BP 316, 97379 Kourou Cedex, France; Laboratoire Écologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France.
| | - Graham M Nicholson
- Neurotoxin Research Group, School of Medical & Molecular Biosciences, University of Technology Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
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Pineda SS, Sollod BL, Wilson D, Darling A, Sunagar K, Undheim EAB, Kely L, Antunes A, Fry BG, King GF. Diversification of a single ancestral gene into a successful toxin superfamily in highly venomous Australian funnel-web spiders. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:177. [PMID: 24593665 PMCID: PMC4029134 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 02/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spiders have evolved pharmacologically complex venoms that serve to rapidly subdue prey and deter predators. The major toxic factors in most spider venoms are small, disulfide-rich peptides. While there is abundant evidence that snake venoms evolved by recruitment of genes encoding normal body proteins followed by extensive gene duplication accompanied by explosive structural and functional diversification, the evolutionary trajectory of spider-venom peptides is less clear. RESULTS Here we present evidence of a spider-toxin superfamily encoding a high degree of sequence and functional diversity that has evolved via accelerated duplication and diversification of a single ancestral gene. The peptides within this toxin superfamily are translated as prepropeptides that are posttranslationally processed to yield the mature toxin. The N-terminal signal sequence, as well as the protease recognition site at the junction of the propeptide and mature toxin are conserved, whereas the remainder of the propeptide and mature toxin sequences are variable. All toxin transcripts within this superfamily exhibit a striking cysteine codon bias. We show that different pharmacological classes of toxins within this peptide superfamily evolved under different evolutionary selection pressures. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study reinforces the hypothesis that spiders use a combinatorial peptide library strategy to evolve a complex cocktail of peptide toxins that target neuronal receptors and ion channels in prey and predators. We show that the ω-hexatoxins that target insect voltage-gated calcium channels evolved under the influence of positive Darwinian selection in an episodic fashion, whereas the κ-hexatoxins that target insect calcium-activated potassium channels appear to be under negative selection. A majority of the diversifying sites in the ω-hexatoxins are concentrated on the molecular surface of the toxins, thereby facilitating neofunctionalisation leading to new toxin pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Bryan G Fry
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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Rodríguez AA, Salceda E, Garateix AG, Zaharenko AJ, Peigneur S, López O, Pons T, Richardson M, Díaz M, Hernández Y, Ständker L, Tytgat J, Soto E. A novel sea anemone peptide that inhibits acid-sensing ion channels. Peptides 2014; 53:3-12. [PMID: 23764262 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2013.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Revised: 06/01/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Sea anemones produce ion channels peptide toxins of pharmacological and biomedical interest. However, peptides acting on ligand-gated ion channels, including acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) toxins, remain poorly explored. PhcrTx1 is the first compound characterized from the sea anemone Phymanthus crucifer, and it constitutes a novel ASIC inhibitor. This peptide was purified by gel filtration, ion-exchange and reversed-phase chromatography followed by biological evaluation on ion channels of isolated rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons using patch clamp techniques. PhcrTx1 partially inhibited ASIC currents (IC50∼100 nM), and also voltage-gated K(+) currents but the effects on the peak and on the steady state currents were lower than 20% in DRG neurons, at concentrations in the micromolar range. No significant effect was observed on Na(+) voltage-gated currents in DRG neurons. The N-terminal sequencing yielded 32 amino acid residues, with a molecular mass of 3477 Da by mass spectrometry. No sequence identity to other sea anemone peptides was found. Interestingly, the bioinformatic analysis of Cys-pattern and secondary structure arrangement suggested that this peptide presents an Inhibitor Cystine Knot (ICK) scaffold, which has been found in other venomous organisms such as spider, scorpions and cone snails. Our results show that PhcrTx1 represents the first member of a new structural group of sea anemones toxins acting on ASIC and, with much lower potency, on Kv channels. Moreover, this is the first report of an ICK peptide in cnidarians, suggesting that the occurrence of this motif in venomous animals is more ancient than expected.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emilio Salceda
- Instituto de Fisiología, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, 14 sur 6301, CU, San Manuel, Puebla, Puebla CP 72750, Mexico.
| | | | | | - Steve Peigneur
- Laboratory of Toxicology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Campus Gasthuisberg O&N2, Herestraat 49, P.O. Box 922, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Omar López
- Instituto de Fisiología, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, 14 sur 6301, CU, San Manuel, Puebla, Puebla CP 72750, Mexico.
| | - Tirso Pons
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), C/ Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Michael Richardson
- Fundação Ezequiel Dias-FUNED, Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, CEP 30510-010 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - Maylín Díaz
- Centro de Bioproductos Marinos (CEBIMAR), Loma y 37, Alturas del Vedado, CP 10400 Habana, Cuba.
| | - Yasnay Hernández
- Centro de Bioproductos Marinos (CEBIMAR), Loma y 37, Alturas del Vedado, CP 10400 Habana, Cuba.
| | - Ludger Ständker
- Kompetenzzentrum Ulm Peptide Pharmaceuticals (U-PEP), Universität Ulm (West), Albert-Einstein Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Laboratory of Toxicology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Campus Gasthuisberg O&N2, Herestraat 49, P.O. Box 922, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Enrique Soto
- Instituto de Fisiología, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, 14 sur 6301, CU, San Manuel, Puebla, Puebla CP 72750, Mexico.
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50
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Gui J, Liu B, Cao G, Lipchik AM, Perez M, Dekan Z, Mobli M, Daly NL, Alewood PF, Parker LL, King GF, Zhou Y, Jordt SE, Nitabach MN. A tarantula-venom peptide antagonizes the TRPA1 nociceptor ion channel by binding to the S1-S4 gating domain. Curr Biol 2014; 24:473-83. [PMID: 24530065 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 11/22/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The venoms of predators have been an excellent source of diverse highly specific peptides targeting ion channels. Here we describe the first known peptide antagonist of the nociceptor ion channel transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1). RESULTS We constructed a recombinant cDNA library encoding ∼100 diverse GPI-anchored peptide toxins (t-toxins) derived from spider venoms and screened this library by coexpression in Xenopus oocytes with TRPA1. This screen resulted in identification of protoxin-I (ProTx-I), a 35-residue peptide from the venom of the Peruvian green-velvet tarantula, Thrixopelma pruriens, as the first known high-affinity peptide TRPA1 antagonist. ProTx-I was previously identified as an antagonist of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels. We constructed a t-toxin library of ProTx-I alanine-scanning mutants and screened this library against NaV1.2 and TRPA1. This revealed distinct partially overlapping surfaces of ProTx-I by which it binds to these two ion channels. Importantly, this mutagenesis yielded two novel ProTx-I variants that are only active against either TRPA1or NaV1.2. By testing its activity against chimeric channels, we identified the extracellular loops of the TRPA1 S1-S4 gating domain as the ProTx-I binding site. CONCLUSIONS These studies establish our approach, which we term "toxineering," as a generally applicable method for isolation of novel ion channel modifiers and design of ion channel modifiers with altered specificity. They also suggest that ProTx-I will be a valuable pharmacological reagent for addressing biophysical mechanisms of TRPA1 gating and the physiology of TRPA1 function in nociceptors, as well as for potential clinical application in the context of pain and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhong Gui
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Boyi Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Guan Cao
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Andrew M Lipchik
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Minervo Perez
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Zoltan Dekan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mobli
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Norelle L Daly
- Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, Queensland Tropical Health Alliance, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia
| | - Paul F Alewood
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Laurie L Parker
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Yufeng Zhou
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Sven-Eric Jordt
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Michael N Nitabach
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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