1
|
Yeung HY, Ramiro IBL, Andersen DB, Koch TL, Hamilton A, Bjørn-Yoshimoto WE, Espino S, Vakhrushev SY, Pedersen KB, de Haan N, Hipgrave Ederveen AL, Olivera BM, Knudsen JG, Bräuner-Osborne H, Schjoldager KT, Holst JJ, Safavi-Hemami H. Fish-hunting cone snail disrupts prey's glucose homeostasis with weaponized mimetics of somatostatin and insulin. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6408. [PMID: 39164229 PMCID: PMC11336141 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50470-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Venomous animals have evolved diverse molecular mechanisms to incapacitate prey and defend against predators. Most venom components disrupt nervous, locomotor, and cardiovascular systems or cause tissue damage. The discovery that certain fish-hunting cone snails use weaponized insulins to induce hypoglycemic shock in prey highlights a unique example of toxins targeting glucose homeostasis. Here, we show that, in addition to insulins, the deadly fish hunter, Conus geographus, uses a selective somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) agonist that blocks the release of the insulin-counteracting hormone glucagon, thereby exacerbating insulin-induced hypoglycemia in prey. The native toxin, Consomatin nG1, exists in several proteoforms with a minimized vertebrate somatostatin-like core motif connected to a heavily glycosylated N-terminal region. We demonstrate that the toxin's N-terminal tail closely mimics a glycosylated somatostatin from fish pancreas and is crucial for activating the fish SSTR2. Collectively, these findings provide a stunning example of chemical mimicry, highlight the combinatorial nature of venom components, and establish glucose homeostasis as an effective target for prey capture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ho Yan Yeung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, 15 N Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Iris Bea L Ramiro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Daniel B Andersen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Basic Metabolic Research, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Thomas Lund Koch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, 15 N Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Alexander Hamilton
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Islet Cell Exocytosis, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Walden E Bjørn-Yoshimoto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Samuel Espino
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Sergey Y Vakhrushev
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Kasper B Pedersen
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Noortje de Haan
- Leiden University Medical Center, Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, 2333, ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Agnes L Hipgrave Ederveen
- Leiden University Medical Center, Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, 2333, ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Baldomero M Olivera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Jakob G Knudsen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Hans Bräuner-Osborne
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 160, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katrine T Schjoldager
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Jens Juul Holst
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Basic Metabolic Research, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, 15 N Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Barassé V, Jouvensal L, Boy G, Billet A, Ascoët S, Lefranc B, Leprince J, Dejean A, Lacotte V, Rahioui I, Sivignon C, Gaget K, Ribeiro Lopes M, Calevro F, Da Silva P, Loth K, Paquet F, Treilhou M, Bonnafé E, Touchard A. Discovery of an Insect Neuroactive Helix Ring Peptide from Ant Venom. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:600. [PMID: 37888631 PMCID: PMC10610885 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15100600] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Ants are among the most abundant terrestrial invertebrate predators on Earth. To overwhelm their prey, they employ several remarkable behavioral, physiological, and biochemical innovations, including an effective paralytic venom. Ant venoms are thus cocktails of toxins finely tuned to disrupt the physiological systems of insect prey. They have received little attention yet hold great promise for the discovery of novel insecticidal molecules. To identify insect-neurotoxins from ant venoms, we screened the paralytic activity on blowflies of nine synthetic peptides previously characterized in the venom of Tetramorium bicarinatum. We selected peptide U11, a 34-amino acid peptide, for further insecticidal, structural, and pharmacological experiments. Insecticidal assays revealed that U11 is one of the most paralytic peptides ever reported from ant venoms against blowflies and is also capable of paralyzing honeybees. An NMR spectroscopy of U11 uncovered a unique scaffold, featuring a compact triangular ring helix structure stabilized by a single disulfide bond. Pharmacological assays using Drosophila S2 cells demonstrated that U11 is not cytotoxic, but suggest that it may modulate potassium conductance, which structural data seem to corroborate and will be confirmed in a future extended pharmacological investigation. The results described in this paper demonstrate that ant venom is a promising reservoir for the discovery of neuroactive insecticidal peptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentine Barassé
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
| | - Laurence Jouvensal
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Unité Propre de Recherche (UPR) 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
- Unité de Formation et de Recherche (UFR) Sciences et Techniques, Université d’Orléans, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Guillaume Boy
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
| | - Arnaud Billet
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
| | - Steven Ascoët
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
| | - Benjamin Lefranc
- Inserm, Univ Rouen Normandie, NorDiC Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1239, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - Jérôme Leprince
- Inserm, Univ Rouen Normandie, NorDiC Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1239, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - Alain Dejean
- Laboratoire Écologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31062 Toulouse, France
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) Écologie des Forêts de Guyane (EcoFoG), AgroParisTech, Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, 97379 Kourou, France
| | - Virginie Lacotte
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Isabelle Rahioui
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Catherine Sivignon
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Karen Gaget
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Mélanie Ribeiro Lopes
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Federica Calevro
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Pedro Da Silva
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Biologie Fonctionnelle, Insectes et Interactions (BF2i), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 203, Université de Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Karine Loth
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Unité Propre de Recherche (UPR) 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
- Unité de Formation et de Recherche (UFR) Sciences et Techniques, Université d’Orléans, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Françoise Paquet
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Unité Propre de Recherche (UPR) 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Michel Treilhou
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
| | - Elsa Bonnafé
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
| | - Axel Touchard
- EA-7417, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yano Y, Fukuoka R, Maturana AD, Ohdachi SD, Kita M. Mammalian neurotoxins, Blarina paralytic peptides, cause hyperpolarization of human T-type Ca channel hCa v3.2 activation. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105066. [PMID: 37468103 PMCID: PMC10493266 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105066] [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: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the rare venomous mammals, the short-tailed shrew Blarina brevicauda has been suggested to produce potent neurotoxins in its saliva to effectively capture prey. Several kallikrein-like lethal proteases have been identified, but the active substances of B. brevicauda remained unclear. Here, we report Blarina paralytic peptides (BPPs) 1 and 2 isolated from its submaxillary glands. Synthetic BPP2 showed mealworm paralysis and a hyperpolarization shift (-11 mV) of a human T-type Ca2+ channel (hCav3.2) activation. The amino acid sequences of BPPs were similar to those of synenkephalins, which are precursors of brain opioid peptide hormones that are highly conserved among mammals. However, BPPs rather resembled centipede neurotoxic peptides SLPTXs in terms of disulfide bond connectivity and stereostructure. Our results suggested that the neurotoxin BPPs were the result of convergent evolution as homologs of nontoxic endogenous peptides that are widely conserved in mammals. This finding is of great interest from the viewpoint of the chemical evolution of vertebrate venoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Yano
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ryo Fukuoka
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Andres D Maturana
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Satoshi D Ohdachi
- Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Masaki Kita
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Koch TL, Torres JP, Baskin RP, Salcedo PF, Chase K, Olivera BM, Safavi-Hemami H. A toxin-based approach to neuropeptide and peptide hormone discovery. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1176662. [PMID: 37720554 PMCID: PMC10501145 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1176662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptide hormones and neuropeptides form a diverse class of bioactive secreted molecules that control essential processes in animals. Despite breakthroughs in peptide discovery, many signaling peptides remain undiscovered. Recently, we demonstrated the use of somatostatin-mimicking toxins from cone snails to identify the invertebrate ortholog of somatostatin. Here, we show that this toxin-based approach can be systematically applied to discover other unknown secretory peptides that are likely to have signaling function. Using large sequencing datasets, we searched for homologies between cone snail toxins and secreted proteins from the snails' prey. We identified and confirmed expression of five toxin families that share strong similarities with unknown secretory peptides from mollusks and annelids and in one case also from ecdysozoans. Based on several lines of evidence we propose that these peptides likely act as signaling peptides that serve important physiological functions. Indeed, we confirmed that one of the identified peptides belongs to the family of crustacean hyperglycemic hormone, a peptide not previously observed in Spiralia. We propose that this discovery pipeline can be broadly applied to other systems in which one organism has evolved molecules to manipulate the physiology of another.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Lund Koch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Joshua P. Torres
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Robert P. Baskin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Paula Flórez Salcedo
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Kevin Chase
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Baldomero M. Olivera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Goudarzi MH, Eagles DA, Lim J, Biggs KA, Kotze AC, Ruffell AP, Fairlie DP, King GF, Walker AA. Venom composition and bioactive RF-amide peptide toxins of the saddleback caterpillar, Acharia stimulea (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae). Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 213:115598. [PMID: 37201876 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115598] [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: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Limacodidae is a family of lepidopteran insects comprising >1500 species. More than half of these species produce pain-inducing defensive venoms in the larval stage, but little is known about their venom toxins. Recently, we characterised proteinaceous toxins from the Australian limacodid caterpillar Doratifera vulnerans, but it is unknown if the venom of this species is typical of other Limacodidae. Here, we use single animal transcriptomics and venom proteomics to investigate the venom of an iconic limacodid, the North American saddleback caterpillar Acharia stimulea. We identified 65 venom polypeptides, grouped into 31 different families. Neurohormones, knottins, and homologues of the immune signaller Diedel make up the majority of A.stimulea venom, indicating strong similarities to D. vulnerans venom, despite the large geographic separation of these caterpillars. One notable difference is the presence of RF-amide peptide toxins in A. stimulea venom. Synthetic versions of one of these RF-amide toxins potently activated the human neuropeptide FF1 receptor, displayed insecticidal activity when injected into Drosophila melanogaster, and moderately inhibited larval development of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus. This study provides insights into the evolution and activity of venom toxins in Limacodidae, and provides a platform for future structure-function characterisation of A.stimulea peptide toxins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohaddeseh H Goudarzi
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - David A Eagles
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Junxian Lim
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Centre for Inflammation and Disease Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Kimberley A Biggs
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew C Kotze
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Angela P Ruffell
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - David P Fairlie
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Centre for Inflammation and Disease Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Andrew A Walker
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Han Y, Kamau PM, Lai R, Luo L. Bioactive Peptides and Proteins from Centipede Venoms. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27144423. [PMID: 35889297 PMCID: PMC9325314 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27144423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Venoms are a complex cocktail of biologically active molecules, including peptides, proteins, polyamide, and enzymes widely produced by venomous organisms. Through long-term evolution, venomous animals have evolved highly specific and diversified peptides and proteins targeting key physiological elements, including the nervous, blood, and muscular systems. Centipedes are typical venomous arthropods that rely on their toxins primarily for predation and defense. Although centipede bites are frequently reported, the composition and effect of centipede venoms are far from known. With the development of molecular biology and structural biology, the research on centipede venoms, especially peptides and proteins, has been deepened. Therefore, we summarize partial progress on the exploration of the bioactive peptides and proteins in centipede venoms and their potential value in pharmacological research and new drug development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yalan Han
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/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; (Y.H.); (P.M.K.)
| | - Peter Muiruri Kamau
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/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; (Y.H.); (P.M.K.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ren Lai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/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; (Y.H.); (P.M.K.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China
- Correspondence: (R.L.); (L.L.)
| | - Lei Luo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/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; (Y.H.); (P.M.K.)
- Correspondence: (R.L.); (L.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Laugesen SH, Chou DHC, Safavi-Hemami H. Unconventional insulins from predators and pathogens. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:688-697. [PMID: 35761080 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01068-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Insulin and its related peptides are found throughout the animal kingdom, in which they serve diverse functions. This includes regulation of glucose homeostasis, neuronal development and cognition. The surprising recent discovery that venomous snails evolved specialized insulins to capture fish demonstrated the nefarious use of this hormone in nature. Because of their streamlined role in predation, these repurposed insulins exhibit unique characteristics that have unraveled new aspects of the chemical ecology and structural biology of this important hormone. Recently, insulins were also reported in other venomous predators and pathogenic viruses, demonstrating the broader use of insulin by one organism to manipulate the physiology of another. In this Review, we provide an overview of the discovery and biomedical application of repurposed insulins and other hormones found in nature and highlight several unique insights gained from these unusual compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Danny Hung-Chieh Chou
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. .,Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. .,School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Venomics of the Central European Myrmicine Ants Myrmica rubra and Myrmica ruginodis. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14050358. [PMID: 35622604 PMCID: PMC9147725 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14050358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal venoms are a rich source of novel biomolecules with potential applications in medicine and agriculture. Ants are one of the most species-rich lineages of venomous animals. However, only a fraction of their biodiversity has been studied so far. Here, we investigated the venom components of two myrmicine (subfamily Myrmicinae) ants: Myrmica rubra and Myrmica ruginodis. We applied a venomics workflow based on proteotranscriptomics and found that the venoms of both species are composed of several protein classes, including venom serine proteases, cysteine-rich secretory protein, antigen 5 and pathogenesis-related 1 (CAP) superfamily proteins, Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitors and venom acid phosphatases. Several of these protein classes are known venom allergens, and for the first time we detected phospholipase A1 in the venom of M. ruginodis. We also identified two novel epidermal growth factor (EGF) family toxins in the M. ruginodis venom proteome and an array of additional EGF-like toxins in the venom gland transcriptomes of both species. These are similar to known toxins from the related myrmicine ant, Manica rubida, and the myrmecine (subfamily Myrmeciinae) Australian red bulldog ant Myrmecia gullosa, and are possibly deployed as weapons in defensive scenarios or to subdue prey. Our work suggests that M.rubra and M. ruginodis venoms contain many enzymes and other high-molecular-weight proteins that cause cell damage. Nevertheless, the presence of EGF-like toxins suggests that myrmicine ants have also recruited smaller peptide components into their venom arsenal. Although little is known about the bioactivity and function of EGF-like toxins, their presence in myrmicine and myrmecine ants suggests they play a key role in the venom systems of the superfamily Formicoidea. Our work adds to the emerging picture of ant venoms as a source of novel bioactive molecules and highlights the need to incorporate such taxa in future venom bioprospecting programs.
Collapse
|
9
|
Verdes A, Taboada S, Hamilton BR, Undheim EAB, Sonoda GG, Andrade SCS, Morato E, Isabel Marina A, Cárdenas CA, Riesgo A. Evolution, expression patterns and distribution of novel ribbon worm predatory and defensive toxins. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6580756. [PMID: 35512366 PMCID: PMC9132205 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribbon worms are active predators that use an eversible proboscis to inject venom into their prey and defend themselves with toxic epidermal secretions. Previous work on nemertean venom has largely focused on just a few species and has not investigated the different predatory and defensive secretions in detail. Consequently, our understanding of the composition and evolution of ribbon worm venoms is still very limited. Here, we present a comparative study of nemertean venom combining RNA-seq differential gene expression analyses of venom-producing tissues, tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomics of toxic secretions, and mass spectrometry imaging of proboscis sections, to shed light onto the composition and evolution of predatory and defensive toxic secretions in Antarctonemertes valida. Our analyses reveal a wide diversity of putative defensive and predatory toxins with tissue-specific gene expression patterns and restricted distributions to the mucus and proboscis proteomes respectively, suggesting that ribbon worms produce distinct toxin cocktails for predation and defense. Our results also highlight the presence of numerous lineage-specific toxins, indicating that venom evolution is highly divergent across nemerteans, producing toxin cocktails that might be finely tuned to subdue different prey. Our data also suggest that the hoplonemertean proboscis is a highly specialized predatory organ that seems to be involved in a variety of biological functions besides predation, including secretion and sensory perception. Overall, our results advance our knowledge into the diversity and evolution of nemertean venoms and highlight the importance of combining different types of data to characterize toxin composition in understudied venomous organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aida Verdes
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN), CSIC, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Sergi Taboada
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK.,Departament of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Brett R Hamilton
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Gabriel G Sonoda
- Departmento de Genética e Biología Evolutiva, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sonia C S Andrade
- Departmento de Genética e Biología Evolutiva, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Esperanza Morato
- CBMSO Protein Chemistry Facility, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel Marina
- CBMSO Protein Chemistry Facility, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - César A Cárdenas
- Departamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno, Punta Arenas, Chile.,Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Santiago, Chile
| | - Ana Riesgo
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN), CSIC, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Van Baelen AC, Robin P, Kessler P, Maïga A, Gilles N, Servent D. Structural and Functional Diversity of Animal Toxins Interacting With GPCRs. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:811365. [PMID: 35198603 PMCID: PMC8859281 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.811365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide toxins from venoms have undergone a long evolutionary process allowing host defense or prey capture and making them highly selective and potent for their target. This has resulted in the emergence of a large panel of toxins from a wide diversity of species, with varied structures and multiple associated biological functions. In this way, animal toxins constitute an inexhaustible reservoir of druggable molecules due to their interesting pharmacological properties. One of the most interesting classes of therapeutic targets is the G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRs represent the largest family of membrane receptors in mammals with approximately 800 different members. They are involved in almost all biological functions and are the target of almost 30% of drugs currently on the market. Given the interest of GPCRs in the therapeutic field, the study of toxins that can interact with and modulate their activity with the purpose of drug development is of particular importance. The present review focuses on toxins targeting GPCRs, including peptide-interacting receptors or aminergic receptors, with a particular focus on structural aspects and, when relevant, on potential medical applications. The toxins described here exhibit a great diversity in size, from 10 to 80 amino acids long, in disulfide bridges, from none to five, and belong to a large panel of structural scaffolds. Particular toxin structures developed here include inhibitory cystine knot (ICK), three-finger fold, and Kunitz-type toxins. We summarize current knowledge on the structural and functional diversity of toxins interacting with GPCRs, concerning first the agonist-mimicking toxins that act as endogenous agonists targeting the corresponding receptor, and second the toxins that differ structurally from natural agonists and which display agonist, antagonist, or allosteric properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Cécile Van Baelen
- CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour La Santé (DMTS), SIMoS, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Philippe Robin
- CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour La Santé (DMTS), SIMoS, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pascal Kessler
- CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour La Santé (DMTS), SIMoS, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Arhamatoulaye Maïga
- CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour La Santé (DMTS), SIMoS, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- CHU Sainte Justine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nicolas Gilles
- CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour La Santé (DMTS), SIMoS, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Denis Servent
- CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour La Santé (DMTS), SIMoS, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- *Correspondence: Denis Servent,
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
De Lucca Caetano LH, Nishiyama-Jr MY, de Carvalho Lins Fernandes Távora B, de Oliveira UC, de Loiola Meirelles Junqueira-de-Azevedo I, Faquim-Mauro EL, Magalhães GS. Recombinant Production and Characterization of a New Toxin from Cryptops iheringi Centipede Venom Revealed by Proteome and Transcriptome Analysis. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:858. [PMID: 34941696 PMCID: PMC8704451 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13120858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the Chilopoda class of centipede, the Cryptops genus is one of the most associated with envenomation in humans in the metropolitan region of the state of São Paulo. To date, there is no study in the literature about the toxins present in its venom. Thus, in this work, a transcriptomic characterization of the Cryptops iheringi venom gland, as well as a proteomic analysis of its venom, were performed to obtain a toxin profile of this species. These methods indicated that 57.9% of the sequences showed to be putative toxins unknown in public databases; among them, we pointed out a novel putative toxin named Cryptoxin-1. The recombinant form of this new toxin was able to promote edema in mice footpads with massive neutrophils infiltration, linking this toxin to envenomation symptoms observed in accidents with humans. Our findings may elucidate the role of this toxin in the venom, as well as the possibility to explore other proteins found in this work.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lhiri Hanna De Lucca Caetano
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (L.H.D.L.C.); (B.d.C.L.F.T.); (E.L.F.-M.)
| | - Milton Yutaka Nishiyama-Jr
- Laboratório de Toxinologia Aplicada, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (M.Y.N.-J.); (U.C.d.O.); (I.d.L.M.J.-d.-A.)
| | | | - Ursula Castro de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Toxinologia Aplicada, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (M.Y.N.-J.); (U.C.d.O.); (I.d.L.M.J.-d.-A.)
| | | | - Eliana L. Faquim-Mauro
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (L.H.D.L.C.); (B.d.C.L.F.T.); (E.L.F.-M.)
| | - Geraldo Santana Magalhães
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (L.H.D.L.C.); (B.d.C.L.F.T.); (E.L.F.-M.)
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Structure-Based Functional Analysis of a Hormone Belonging to an Ecdysozoan Peptide Superfamily: Revelation of a Common Molecular Architecture and Residues Possibly for Receptor Interaction. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222011142. [PMID: 34681803 PMCID: PMC8541221 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A neuropeptide (Sco-CHH-L), belonging to the crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) superfamily and preferentially expressed in the pericardial organs (POs) of the mud crab Scylla olivacea, was functionally and structurally studied. Its expression levels were significantly higher than the alternative splice form (Sco-CHH) in the POs, and increased significantly after the animals were subjected to a hypo-osmotic stress. Sco-CHH-L, but not Sco-CHH, significantly stimulated in vitro the Na+, K+-ATPase activity in the posterior (6th) gills. Furthermore, the solution structure of Sco-CHH-L was resolved using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, revealing that it has an N-terminal tail, three α-helices (α2, Gly9-Asn28; α3, His34-Gly38; and α5, Glu62-Arg72), and a π-helix (π4, Cys43-Tyr54), and is structurally constrained by a pattern of disulfide bonds (Cys7-Cys43, Cys23-Cys39, and Cys26-Cys52), which is characteristic of the CHH superfamily-peptides. Sco-CHH-L is topologically most similar to the molt-inhibiting hormone from the Kuruma prawn Marsupenaeus japonicus with a backbone root-mean-square-deviation of 3.12 Å. Ten residues of Sco-CHH-L were chosen for alanine-substitution, and the resulting mutants were functionally tested using the gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity assay, showing that the functionally important residues (I2, F3, E45, D69, I71, and G73) are located at either end of the sequence, which are sterically close to each other and presumably constitute the receptor binding sites. Sco-CHH-L was compared with other members of the superfamily, revealing a folding pattern, which is suggested to be common for the crustacean members of the superfamily, with the properties of the residues constituting the presumed receptor binding sites being the major factors dictating the ligand-receptor binding specificity.
Collapse
|
13
|
Obergrussberger A, Rinke-Weiß I, Goetze TA, Rapedius M, Brinkwirth N, Becker N, Rotordam MG, Hutchison L, Madau P, Pau D, Dalrymple D, Braun N, Friis S, Pless SA, Fertig N. The suitability of high throughput automated patch clamp for physiological applications. J Physiol 2021; 600:277-297. [PMID: 34555195 DOI: 10.1113/jp282107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Although automated patch clamp (APC) devices have been around for many years and have become an integral part of many aspects of drug discovery, high throughput instruments with gigaohm seal data quality are relatively new. Experiments where a large number of compounds are screened against ion channels are ideally suited to high throughput APC, particularly when the amount of compound available is low. Here we evaluate different APC approaches using a variety of ion channels and screening settings. We have performed a screen of 1920 compounds on GluN1/GluN2A NMDA receptors for negative allosteric modulation using both the SyncroPatch 384 and FLIPR. Additionally, we tested the effect of 36 arthropod venoms on NaV 1.9 using a single 384-well plate on the SyncroPatch 384. As an example for mutant screening, a range of acid-sensing ion channel variants were tested and the success rate increased through fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) prior to APC experiments. Gigaohm seal data quality makes the 384-format accessible to recording of primary and stem cell-derived cells on the SyncroPatch 384. We show recordings in voltage and current clamp modes of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. In addition, the option of intracellular solution exchange enabled investigations into the effects of intracellular Ca2+ and cAMP on TRPC5 and HCN2 currents, respectively. Together, these data highlight the broad applicability and versatility of APC platforms and also outlines some limitations of the approach. KEY POINTS: High throughput automated patch clamp (APC) can be used for a variety of applications involving ion channels. Lower false positive rates were achieved using automated patch clamp versus a fluorometric imaging plate reader (FLIPR) in a high throughput compound screen against NMDA receptors. Genetic variants and mutations can be screened on a single 384-well plate to reduce variability of experimental parameters. Intracellular solution can be perfused to investigate effects of ions and second messenger systems without the need for excised patches. Primary cells and stem cell-derived cells can be used on high throughput APC with reasonable success rates for cell capture, voltage clamp measurements and action potential recordings in current clamp mode.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Nina Braun
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Stephan A Pless
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Lüddecke T, Herzig V, von Reumont BM, Vilcinskas A. The biology and evolution of spider venoms. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:163-178. [PMID: 34453398 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Spiders are diverse, predatory arthropods that have inhabited Earth for around 400 million years. They are well known for their complex venom systems that are used to overpower their prey. Spider venoms contain many proteins and peptides with highly specific and potent activities suitable for biomedical or agrochemical applications, but the key role of venoms as an evolutionary innovation is often overlooked, even though this has enabled spiders to emerge as one of the most successful animal lineages. In this review, we discuss these neglected biological aspects of spider venoms. We focus on the morphology of spider venom systems, their major components, biochemical and chemical plasticity, as well as ecological and evolutionary trends. We argue that the effectiveness of spider venoms is due to their unprecedented complexity, with diverse components working synergistically to increase the overall potency. The analysis of spider venoms is difficult to standardize because they are dynamic systems, fine-tuned and modified by factors such as sex, life-history stage and biological role. Finally, we summarize the mechanisms that drive spider venom evolution and highlight the need for genome-based studies to reconstruct the evolutionary history and physiological networks of spider venom compounds with more certainty.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tim Lüddecke
- Department for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, Gießen, 35392, Germany.,LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
| | - Volker Herzig
- GeneCology Research Centre, 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
| | - Björn M von Reumont
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany.,Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, Gießen, 35392, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, Gießen, 35392, Germany.,LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany.,Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, Gießen, 35392, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Kuhn-Nentwig L, Lischer HEL, Pekár S, Langenegger N, Albo MJ, Isaia M, Nentwig W. Linear Peptides-A Combinatorial Innovation in the Venom of Some Modern Spiders. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:705141. [PMID: 34295924 PMCID: PMC8290080 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.705141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the venom of spiders, linear peptides (LPs), also called cytolytical or antimicrobial peptides, represent a largely neglected group of mostly membrane active substances that contribute in some spider species considerably to the killing power of spider venom. By next-generation sequencing venom gland transcriptome analysis, we investigated 48 spider species from 23 spider families and detected LPs in 20 species, belonging to five spider families (Ctenidae, Lycosidae, Oxyopidae, Pisauridae, and Zodariidae). The structural diversity is extraordinary high in some species: the lynx spider Oxyopes heterophthalmus contains 62 and the lycosid Pardosa palustris 60 different LPs. In total, we identified 524 linear peptide structures and some of them are in lycosids identical on amino acid level. LPs are mainly encoded in complex precursor structures in which, after the signal peptide and propeptide, 13 or more LPs (Hogna radiata) are connected by linkers. Besides Cupiennius species, also in Oxyopidae, posttranslational modifications of some precursor structures result in the formation of two-chain peptides. It is obvious that complex precursor structures represent a very suitable and fast method to produce a high number and a high diversity of bioactive LPs as economically as possible. At least in Lycosidae, Oxyopidae, and in the genus Cupiennius, LPs reach very high Transcripts Per Kilobase Million values, indicating functional importance within the envenomation process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Kuhn-Nentwig
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Heidi E. L. Lischer
- Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Maria J. Albo
- Departamento de Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, UdelaR, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Investigaciones Biologicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Marco Isaia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Wolfgang Nentwig
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Production, composition, and mode of action of the painful defensive venom produced by a limacodid caterpillar, Doratifera vulnerans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2023815118. [PMID: 33893140 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023815118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Venoms have evolved independently several times in Lepidoptera. Limacodidae is a family with worldwide distribution, many of which are venomous in the larval stage, but the composition and mode of action of their venom is unknown. Here, we use imaging technologies, transcriptomics, proteomics, and functional assays to provide a holistic picture of the venom system of a limacodid caterpillar, Doratifera vulnerans Contrary to dogma that defensive venoms are simple in composition, D. vulnerans produces a complex venom containing 151 proteinaceous toxins spanning 59 families, most of which are peptides <10 kDa. Three of the most abundant families of venom peptides (vulnericins) are 1) analogs of the adipokinetic hormone/corazonin-related neuropeptide, some of which are picomolar agonists of the endogenous insect receptor; 2) linear cationic peptides derived from cecropin, an insect innate immune peptide that kills bacteria and parasites by disrupting cell membranes; and 3) disulfide-rich knottins similar to those that dominate spider venoms. Using venom fractionation and a suite of synthetic venom peptides, we demonstrate that the cecropin-like peptides are responsible for the dominant pain effect observed in mammalian in vitro and in vivo nociception assays and therefore are likely to cause pain after natural envenomations by D. vulnerans Our data reveal convergent molecular evolution between limacodids, hymenopterans, and arachnids and demonstrate that lepidopteran venoms are an untapped source of novel bioactive peptides.
Collapse
|
17
|
Hernández Duran L, Wilson DT, Briffa M, Rymer TL. Beyond spider personality: The relationships between behavioral, physiological, and environmental factors. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2974-2989. [PMID: 33841759 PMCID: PMC8019048 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Spiders are useful models for testing different hypotheses and methodologies relating to animal personality and behavioral syndromes because they show a range of behavioral types and unique physiological traits (e.g., silk and venom) that are not observed in many other animals. These characteristics allow for a unique understanding of how physiology, behavioral plasticity, and personality interact across different contexts to affect spider's individual fitness and survival. However, the relative effect of extrinsic factors on physiological traits (silk, venom, and neurohormones) that play an important role in spider survival, and which may impact personality, has received less attention. The goal of this review is to explore how the environment, experience, ontogeny, and physiology interact to affect spider personality types across different contexts. We highlight physiological traits, such as neurohormones, and unique spider biochemical weapons, namely silks and venoms, to explore how the use of these traits might, or might not, be constrained or limited by particular behavioral types. We argue that, to develop a comprehensive understanding of the flexibility and persistence of specific behavioral types in spiders, it is necessary to incorporate these underlying mechanisms into a synthesized whole, alongside other extrinsic and intrinsic factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Hernández Duran
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityCairnsQldAustralia
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability SciencesJames Cook UniversityCairnsQldAustralia
| | - David Thomas Wilson
- Centre for Molecular TherapeuticsAustralian Institute for Tropical Health and MedicineJames Cook UniversityCairnsQldAustralia
| | - Mark Briffa
- School of Biological and Marine SciencesPlymouth UniversityPlymouthUK
| | - Tasmin Lee Rymer
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityCairnsQldAustralia
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability SciencesJames Cook UniversityCairnsQldAustralia
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Luo J, Ding Y, Peng Z, Chen K, Zhang X, Xiao T, Chen J. Molecular diversity and evolutionary trends of cysteine-rich peptides from the venom glands of Chinese spider Heteropoda venatoria. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3211. [PMID: 33547373 PMCID: PMC7865051 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82668-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Heteropoda venatoria in the family Sparassidae is highly valued in pantropical countries because the species feed on domestic insect pests. Unlike most other species of Araneomorphae, H. venatoria uses the great speed and strong chelicerae (mouthparts) with toxin glands to capture the insects instead of its web. Therefore, H. venatoria provides unique opportunities for venom evolution research. The venom of H. venatoria was explored by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight and analyzing expressed sequence tags. The 154 sequences coding cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) revealed 24 families based on the phylogenetic analyses of precursors and cysteine frameworks in the putative mature regions. Intriguingly, four kinds of motifs are first described in spider venom. Furthermore, combining the diverse CRPs of H. venatoria with previous spider venom peptidomics data, the structures of precursors and the patterns of cysteine frameworks were analyzed. This work revealed the dynamic evolutionary trends of venom CRPs in H. venatoria: the precursor has evolved an extended mature peptide with more cysteines, and a diminished or even vanished propeptides between the signal and mature peptides; and the CRPs evolved by multiple duplications of an ancestral ICK gene as well as recruitments of non-toxin genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Luo
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiying Ding
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhihao Peng
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, People's Republic of China
| | - Kezhi Chen
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuewen Zhang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, People's Republic of China
| | - Tiaoyi Xiao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinjun Chen
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, People's Republic of China. .,Hunan Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Cell Mechanics and Function Analysis, Changsha, 410128, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Toxin-like neuropeptides in the sea anemone Nematostella unravel recruitment from the nervous system to venom. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:27481-27492. [PMID: 33060291 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2011120117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The sea anemone Nematostella vectensis (Anthozoa, Cnidaria) is a powerful model for characterizing the evolution of genes functioning in venom and nervous systems. Although venom has evolved independently numerous times in animals, the evolutionary origin of many toxins remains unknown. In this work, we pinpoint an ancestral gene giving rise to a new toxin and functionally characterize both genes in the same species. Thus, we report a case of protein recruitment from the cnidarian nervous to venom system. The ShK-like1 peptide has a ShKT cysteine motif, is lethal for fish larvae and packaged into nematocysts, the cnidarian venom-producing stinging capsules. Thus, ShK-like1 is a toxic venom component. Its paralog, ShK-like2, is a neuropeptide localized to neurons and is involved in development. Both peptides exhibit similarities in their functional activities: They provoke contraction in Nematostella polyps and are toxic to fish. Because ShK-like2 but not ShK-like1 is conserved throughout sea anemone phylogeny, we conclude that the two paralogs originated due to a Nematostella-specific duplication of a ShK-like2 ancestor, a neuropeptide-encoding gene, followed by diversification and partial functional specialization. ShK-like2 is represented by two gene isoforms controlled by alternative promoters conferring regulatory flexibility throughout development. Additionally, we characterized the expression patterns of four other peptides with structural similarities to studied venom components and revealed their unexpected neuronal localization. Thus, we employed genomics, transcriptomics, and functional approaches to reveal one venom component, five neuropeptides with two different cysteine motifs, and an evolutionary pathway from nervous to venom system in Cnidaria.
Collapse
|
20
|
Touchard A, Mendel HC, Boulogne I, Herzig V, Braga Emidio N, King GF, Triquigneaux M, Jaquillard L, Beroud R, De Waard M, Delalande O, Dejean A, Muttenthaler M, Duplais C. Heterodimeric Insecticidal Peptide Provides New Insights into the Molecular and Functional Diversity of Ant Venoms. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2020; 3:1211-1224. [PMID: 33344898 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ants use venom for predation, defense, and communication; however, the molecular diversity, function, and potential applications of ant venom remains understudied compared to other venomous lineages such as arachnids, snakes and cone snails. In this work, we used a multidisciplinary approach that encompassed field work, proteomics, sequencing, chemical synthesis, structural analysis, molecular modeling, stability studies, and in vitro and in vivo bioassays to investigate the molecular diversity of the venom of the Amazonian Pseudomyrmex penetrator ants. We isolated a potent insecticidal heterodimeric peptide Δ-pseudomyrmecitoxin-Pp1a (Δ-PSDTX-Pp1a) composed of a 27-residue long A-chain and a 33-residue long B-chain cross-linked by two disulfide bonds in an antiparallel orientation. We chemically synthesized Δ-PSDTX-Pp1a, its corresponding parallel AA and BB homodimers, and its monomeric chains and demonstrated that Δ-PSDTX-Pp1a had the most potent insecticidal effects in blowfly assays (LD50 = 3 nmol/g). Molecular modeling and circular dichroism studies revealed strong α-helical features, indicating its cytotoxic effects could derive from cell membrane pore formation or disruption. The native heterodimer was substantially more stable against proteolytic degradation (t 1/2 = 13 h) than its homodimers or monomers (t 1/2 < 20 min), indicating an evolutionary advantage of the more complex structure. The proteomic analysis of Pseudomyrmex penetrator venom and in-depth characterization of Δ-PSDTX-Pp1a provide novel insights in the structural complexity of ant venom and further exemplifies how nature exploits disulfide-bond formation and dimerization to gain an evolutionary advantage via improved stability, a concept that is highly relevant for the design and development of peptide therapeutics, molecular probes, and bioinsecticides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Axel Touchard
- CNRS, UMR Ecofog, AgroParisTech, Cirad, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou 97310, France
| | - Helen C Mendel
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Isabelle Boulogne
- Université de ROUEN, UFR des Sciences et Techniques, Laboratoire Glycobiologie et Matrice Extracellulaire Végétale, UPRES-EA 4358, Fédération de Recherche Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Mont-Saint-Aignan 76821, France
| | - Volker Herzig
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.,GeneCology Research Centre, School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland 4556, Australia
| | - Nayara Braga Emidio
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | | | - Lucie Jaquillard
- Smartox Biotechnology, 6 rue des Platanes, Saint Egrève 38120, France
| | - Rémy Beroud
- Smartox Biotechnology, 6 rue des Platanes, Saint Egrève 38120, France
| | - Michel De Waard
- Smartox Biotechnology, 6 rue des Platanes, Saint Egrève 38120, France.,Université de Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, L'institut du thorax, Nantes 44000, France.,LabEx, Ion Channels, Science & Therapeutics, Valbonne 06560, France
| | - Olivier Delalande
- Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes (IGDR), CNRS UMR 6290, Université de Rennes Faculté de Pharmacie, 2 avenue du Professeur Léon Bernard, Rennes 35043, France
| | - Alain Dejean
- CNRS, UMR Ecofog, AgroParisTech, Cirad, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou 97310, France.,Ecolab, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse 31058, France
| | - Markus Muttenthaler
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.,Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Christophe Duplais
- CNRS, UMR Ecofog, AgroParisTech, Cirad, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou 97310, France
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Chen HY, Toullec JY, Lee CY. The Crustacean Hyperglycemic Hormone Superfamily: Progress Made in the Past Decade. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:578958. [PMID: 33117290 PMCID: PMC7560641 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.578958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Early studies recognizing the importance of the decapod eyestalk in the endocrine regulation of crustacean physiology-molting, metabolism, reproduction, osmotic balance, etc.-helped found the field of crustacean endocrinology. Characterization of putative factors in the eyestalk using distinct functional bioassays ultimately led to the discovery of a group of structurally related and functionally diverse neuropeptides, crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH), molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH), gonad-inhibiting hormone (GIH) or vitellogenesis-inhibiting hormone (VIH), and mandibular organ-inhibiting hormone (MOIH). These peptides, along with the first insect member (ion transport peptide, ITP), constitute the original arthropod members of the crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) superfamily. The presence of genes encoding the CHH-superfamily peptides across representative ecdysozoan taxa has been established. The objective of this review is to, aside from providing a general framework, highlight the progress made during the past decade or so. The progress includes the widespread identification of the CHH-superfamily peptides, in particular in non-crustaceans, which has reshaped the phylogenetic profile of the superfamily. Novel functions have been attributed to some of the newly identified members, providing exceptional opportunities for understanding the structure-function relationships of these peptides. Functional studies are challenging, especially for the peptides of crustacean and insect species, where they are widely expressed in various tissues and usually pleiotropic. Progress has been made in deciphering the roles of CHH, ITP, and their alternatively spliced counterparts (CHH-L, ITP-L) in the regulation of metabolism and ionic/osmotic hemostasis under (eco)physiological, developmental, or pathological contexts, and of MIH in the stimulation of ovarian maturation, which implicates it as a regulator for coordinating growth (molt) and reproduction. In addition, experimental elucidation of the steric structure and structure-function relationships have given better understanding of the structural basis of the functional diversification and overlapping among these peptides. Finally, an important finding was the first-ever identification of the receptors for this superfamily of peptides, specifically the receptors for ITPs of the silkworm, which will surely give great impetus to the functional study of these peptides for years to come. Studies regarding recent progress are presented and synthesized, and prospective developments remarked upon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hsiang-Yin Chen
- Department of Aquaculture, National Penghu University of Science and Technology, Magong, Taiwan
| | - Jean-Yves Toullec
- Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences, CNRS, UMR 7144, Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France
| | - Chi-Ying Lee
- Graduate Program of Biotechnology and Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Câmara GA, Nishiyama-Jr MY, Kitano ES, Oliveira UC, da Silva PI, Junqueira-de-Azevedo IL, Tashima AK. A Multiomics Approach Unravels New Toxins With Possible In Silico Antimicrobial, Antiviral, and Antitumoral Activities in the Venom of Acanthoscurria rondoniae. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:1075. [PMID: 32774304 PMCID: PMC7388414 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Araneae order is considered one of the most successful groups among venomous animals in the world. An important factor for this success is the production of venoms, a refined biological fluid rich in proteins, short peptides and cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs). These toxins may present pharmacologically relevant biological actions, as antimicrobial, antiviral and anticancer activities, for instance. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in the exploration of venom toxins for therapeutic reasons, such as drug development. However, the process of peptide sequencing and mainly the evaluation of potential biological activities of these peptides are laborious, considering the low yield of venom extraction and the high variability of toxins present in spider venoms. Here we show a robust methodology for identification, sequencing, and initial screening of potential bioactive peptides found in the venom of Acanthoscurria rondoniae. This methodology consists in a multiomics approach involving proteomics, peptidomics and transcriptomics analyses allied to in silico predictions of antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anticancer activities. Through the application of this strategy, a total of 92,889 venom gland transcripts were assembled and 84 novel toxins were identified at the protein level, including seven short peptides and 10 fully sequenced CRPs (belonging to seven toxin families). In silico analysis suggests that seven CRPs families may have potential antimicrobial or antiviral activities, while two CRPs and four short peptides are potentially anticancer. Taken together, our results demonstrate an effective multiomics strategy for the discovery of new toxins and in silico screening of potential bioactivities. This strategy may be useful in toxin discovery, as well as in the screening of possible activities for the vast diversity of molecules produced by venomous animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme A Câmara
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Milton Y Nishiyama-Jr
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo S Kitano
- Laboratory of Immunology, Heart Institute (InCor), Faculty of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ursula C Oliveira
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro I da Silva
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Inácio L Junqueira-de-Azevedo
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandre K Tashima
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Lüddecke T, von Reumont BM, Förster F, Billion A, Timm T, Lochnit G, Vilcinskas A, Lemke S. An Economic Dilemma Between Molecular Weapon Systems May Explain an Arachno-atypical Venom in Wasp Spiders ( Argiope bruennichi). Biomolecules 2020; 10:E978. [PMID: 32630016 PMCID: PMC7407881 DOI: 10.3390/biom10070978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Spiders use venom to subdue their prey, but little is known about the diversity of venoms in different spider families. Given the limited data available for orb-weaver spiders (Araneidae), we selected the wasp spider Argiope bruennichi for detailed analysis. Our strategy combined a transcriptomics pipeline based on multiple assemblies with a dual proteomics workflow involving parallel mass spectrometry techniques and electrophoretic profiling. We found that the remarkably simple venom of A. bruennichi has an atypical composition compared to other spider venoms, prominently featuring members of the cysteine-rich secretory protein, antigen 5 and pathogenesis-related protein 1 (CAP) superfamily and other, mostly high-molecular-weight proteins. We also detected a subset of potentially novel toxins similar to neuropeptides. We discuss the potential function of these proteins in the context of the unique hunting behavior of wasp spiders, which rely mostly on silk to trap their prey. We propose that the simplicity of the venom evolved to solve an economic dilemma between two competing yet metabolically expensive weapon systems. This study emphasizes the importance of cutting-edge methods to encompass the lineages of smaller venomous species that have yet to be characterized in detail, allowing us to understand the biology of their venom systems and to mine this prolific resource for translational research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (A.B.); (A.V.)
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; (B.M.v.R.); (S.L.)
| | - Björn M. von Reumont
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; (B.M.v.R.); (S.L.)
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Frank Förster
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, 35392 Gießen, Germany;
| | - André Billion
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (A.B.); (A.V.)
| | - Thomas Timm
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Friedrichstr. 24, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (T.T.); (G.L.)
| | - Günter Lochnit
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Friedrichstr. 24, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (T.T.); (G.L.)
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (A.B.); (A.V.)
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; (B.M.v.R.); (S.L.)
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Sarah Lemke
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; (B.M.v.R.); (S.L.)
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Chu Y, Qiu P, Yu R. Centipede Venom Peptides Acting on Ion Channels. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12040230. [PMID: 32260499 PMCID: PMC7232367 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12040230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Centipedes are among the oldest venomous arthropods that use their venom to subdue the prey. The major components of centipede venom are a variety of low-molecular-weight peptide toxins that have evolved to target voltage-gated ion channels to interfere with the central system of prey and produce pain or paralysis for efficient hunting. Peptide toxins usually contain several intramolecular disulfide bonds, which confer chemical, thermal and biological stability. In addition, centipede peptides generally have novel structures and high potency and specificity and therefore hold great promise both as diagnostic tools and in the treatment of human disease. Here, we review the centipede peptide toxins with reported effects on ion channels, including Nav, Kv, Cav and the nonselective cation channel polymodal transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- YanYan Chu
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China;
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266003, China
- Innovation Center for Marine Drug Screening & Evaluation, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266003, China
- Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Qingdao, Qingdao 266071, China
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (R.Y.)
| | - PeiJu Qiu
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China;
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266003, China
- Innovation Center for Marine Drug Screening & Evaluation, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266003, China
- Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Qingdao, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - RiLei Yu
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China;
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266003, China
- Innovation Center for Marine Drug Screening & Evaluation, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266003, China
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (R.Y.)
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Jin J, Agwa AJ, Szanto TG, Csóti A, Panyi G, Schroeder CI, Walker AA, King GF. Weaponisation 'on the fly': Convergent recruitment of knottin and defensin peptide scaffolds into the venom of predatory assassin flies. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 118:103310. [PMID: 31870846 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2019.103310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Many arthropod venom peptides have potential as bioinsecticides, drug leads, and pharmacological tools due to their specific neuromodulatory functions. Assassin flies (Asilidae) are a family of predaceous dipterans that produce a unique and complex peptide-rich venom for killing insect prey and deterring predators. However, very little is known about the structure and function of their venom peptides. We therefore used an E. coli periplasmic expression system to express four disulfide-rich peptides that we previously reported to exist in venom of the giant assassin fly Dolopus genitalis. After purification, each recombinant peptide eluted from a C18 column at a position closely matching its natural counterpart, strongly suggesting adoption of the native tertiary fold. Injection of purified recombinant peptides into blowflies (Lucilia cuprina) and crickets (Acheta domestica) revealed that two of the four recombinant peptides, named rDg3b and rDg12, inhibited escape behaviour in a manner that was rapid in onset (<1 min) and reversible. Homonuclear NMR solution structures revealed that rDg3b and rDg12 adopt cystine-stabilised α/ß defensin and inhibitor cystine knot folds, respectively. Although the closest known homologues of rDg3b at the level of primary structure are dipteran antimicrobial peptides such as sapecin and lucifensin, a DALI search showed that the tertiary structure of rDg3b most closely resembles the KV11.1-specific α-potassium channel toxin CnErg1 from venom of the scorpion Centruroides noxius. This is mainly due to the deletion of a large, unstructured loop between the first and second cysteine residues present in Dg3b homologues from non-asiloid, but not existing in asiloid, species. Patch-clamp electrophysiology experiments revealed that rDg3b shifts the voltage-dependence of KV11.1 channel activation to more depolarised potentials, but has no effect on KV1.3, KV2.1, KV10.1, KCa1.1, or the Drosophila Shaker channel. Although rDg12 shares the inhibitor cystine knot structure of many gating modifier toxins, rDg12 did not affect any of these KV channel subtypes. Our results demonstrate that multiple disulfide-rich peptide scaffolds have been convergently recruited into asilid and other animal venoms, and they provide insight into the molecular evolution accompanying their weaponisation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Jin
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Akello J Agwa
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Tibor G Szanto
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4032, Hungary
| | - Agota Csóti
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4032, Hungary
| | - Gyorgy Panyi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4032, Hungary
| | - Christina I Schroeder
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew A Walker
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, 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.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Ramanujam V, Shen Y, Ying J, Mobli M. Residual Dipolar Couplings for Resolving Cysteine Bridges in Disulfide-Rich Peptides. Front Chem 2020; 7:889. [PMID: 32039137 PMCID: PMC6987419 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Disulfide bridges in proteins are formed by the oxidation of pairs of cysteine residues. These cross-links play a critical role in stabilizing the 3D-structure of small disulfide rich polypeptides such as hormones and venom toxins. The arrangement of the multiple disulfide bonds directs the peptide fold into distinct structural motifs that have evolved for resistance against biochemical and physical insults. These structural scaffolds have, therefore, proven to be very attractive in bioengineering efforts to develop novel biologics with applications in health and agriculture. Structural characterization of small disulfide rich peptides (DRPs) presents unique challenges when using commonly applied biophysical methods. NMR is the most commonly used method for studying such molecules, where the relatively small size of these molecules results in highly precise structural ensembles defined by a large number of distance and dihedral angle restraints per amino acid. However, in NMR the sulfur atoms that are involved in three of the five dihedral angles in a disulfide bond cannot be readily measured. Given the central role of disulfide bonds in the structure of these molecules, it is unclear what the inherent resolution of such NMR structures is when using traditional NMR methods. Here, we use an extensive set of long-range residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) to assess the resolution of the NMR structure of a disulfide-rich peptide. We find that structures based primarily on NOEs, yield ensembles that are equivalent to a crystallographic resolution of 2-3 Å in resolution, and that incorporation of RDCs reduces this to ~1-1.5 Å resolution. At this resolution the sidechain of ordered amino acids can be defined accurately, allowing the geometry of the cysteine bridges to be better defined, and allowing for disulfide-bond connectivities to be determined with high confidence. The observed improvements in resolution when using RDCs is remarkable considering the small size of these peptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Venkatraman Ramanujam
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yang Shen
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jinfa Ying
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mehdi Mobli
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Tsutsui N, Kobayashi Y, Izumikawa K, Sakamoto T. Transcriptomic Analysis of the Kuruma Prawn Marsupenaeus japonicus Reveals Possible Peripheral Regulation of the Ovary. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:541. [PMID: 32973675 PMCID: PMC7466434 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Crustacean reproduction has been hypothesized to be under complex endocrinological regulation by peptide hormones. To further improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying this complex regulation, knowledge is needed regarding the hormones not only of the central nervous system (CNS) such as the X-organ/sinus gland (XOSG), brain, and thoracic ganglia, but also the peripheral gonadal tissues. For example, in vertebrates, some gonadal peptide hormones including activin, inhibin, follistatin, and relaxin are known to be involved in the reproductive physiology. Therefore, it is highly likely that some peptide factors from the ovary are serving as the signals among peripheral tissues and central nervous tissues in crustaceans. In this work, we sought to find gonadal peptide hormones and peptide hormone receptors by analyzing the transcriptome of the ovary of the kuruma prawn Marsupenaeus japonicus. The generated ovarian transcriptome data led to the identification of five possible peptide hormones, including bursicon-α and -β, the crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH)-like peptide, insulin-like peptide (ILP), and neuroparsin-like peptide (NPLP). Dominant gene expressions for the bursicons were observed in the thoracic ganglia and the ovary, in the CNS for the CHH-like peptide, in the heart for NPLP, and in the ovary for ILP. Since the gene expressions of CHH-like peptide and NPLP were affected by a CHH (Penaeus japonicus sinus gland peptide-I) from XOSG, we produced recombinant peptides for CHH-like peptide and NPLP using Escherichia coli expression system to examine their possible peripheral regulation. As a result, we found that the recombinant NPLP increased vitellogenin gene expression in incubated ovarian tissue fragments. Moreover, contigs encoding putative receptors for insulin-like androgenic gland factor, insulin, neuroparsin, and neuropeptide Y/F, as well as several contigs encoding orphan G-protein coupled receptors and receptor-type guanylyl cyclases were also identified in the ovarian transcriptome. These results suggest that reproductive physiology in crustaceans is regulated by various gonadal peptide hormones, akin to vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naoaki Tsutsui
- Department of Marine Bioresources, Faculty of Bioresources, Mie University, Tsu, Japan
- Faculty of Science, Ushimado Marine Institute, Okayama University, Setouchi, Japan
- *Correspondence: Naoaki Tsutsui
| | - Yasuhisa Kobayashi
- Faculty of Science, Ushimado Marine Institute, Okayama University, Setouchi, Japan
- Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nara, Japan
| | - Kouichi Izumikawa
- Research Institute for Fisheries Science, Okayama Prefectural Technology Center for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Setouchi, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Sakamoto
- Faculty of Science, Ushimado Marine Institute, Okayama University, Setouchi, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Jenner RA, von Reumont BM, Campbell LI, Undheim EAB. Parallel Evolution of Complex Centipede Venoms Revealed by Comparative Proteotranscriptomic Analyses. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 36:2748-2763. [PMID: 31396628 PMCID: PMC6878950 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Centipedes are among the most ancient groups of venomous predatory arthropods. Extant species belong to five orders, but our understanding of the composition and evolution of centipede venoms is based almost exclusively on one order, Scolopendromorpha. To gain a broader and less biased understanding we performed a comparative proteotranscriptomic analysis of centipede venoms from all five orders, including the first venom profiles for the orders Lithobiomorpha, Craterostigmomorpha, and Geophilomorpha. Our results reveal an astonishing structural diversity of venom components, with 93 phylogenetically distinct protein and peptide families. Proteomically-annotated gene trees of these putative toxin families show that centipede venom composition is highly dynamic across macroevolutionary timescales, with numerous gene duplications as well as functional recruitments and losses of toxin gene families. Strikingly, not a single family is found in the venoms of representatives of all five orders, with 67 families being unique for single orders. Ancestral state reconstructions reveal that centipede venom originated as a simple cocktail comprising just four toxin families, with very little compositional evolution happening during the approximately 50 My before the living orders had diverged. Venom complexity then increased in parallel within the orders, with scolopendromorphs evolving particularly complex venoms. Our results show that even venoms composed of toxins evolving under the strong constraint of negative selection can have striking evolutionary plasticity on the compositional level. We show that the functional recruitments and losses of toxin families that shape centipede venom arsenals are not concentrated early in their evolutionary history, but happen frequently throughout.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ronald A Jenner
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bjoern M von Reumont
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Animal Venomics, Giessen, Germany
| | - Lahcen I Campbell
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, The European Bioinformatics Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
- Centre for Ecology and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Bioscience, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
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.
Collapse
|
30
|
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.
Collapse
|
31
|
Abstract
The rate of discovery of new spider species greatly exceeds the rate of spider venom characterisation, leading to an increasing number of species with unstudied venoms. However, recent advances in proteomics and genomics that enable the study of venoms from smaller species has expanded the accessible taxonomic range. Thus, although the number of unstudied spider venoms is likely to further increase, future research should focus on the characterisation of venoms and toxins from previously unstudied spider families. The rate of discovery of new spider species by far exceeds the rate of spider venom characterisation. Advances in proteomics and genomics techniques now allow the study of venoms from a much wider taxonomic range. Closing the taxonomic gap at the family level should be the main focus for toxinologists over the next decade.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Volker Herzig
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, 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
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Arthropod venoms: Biochemistry, ecology and evolution. Toxicon 2018; 158:84-103. [PMID: 30529476 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.11.433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Comprising of over a million described species of highly diverse invertebrates, Arthropoda is amongst the most successful animal lineages to have colonized aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic domains. Venom, one of the many fascinating traits to have evolved in various members of this phylum, has underpinned their adaptation to diverse habitats. Over millions of years of evolution, arthropods have evolved ingenious ways of delivering venom in their targets for self-defence and predation. The morphological diversity of venom delivery apparatus in arthropods is astounding, and includes extensively modified pedipalps, tail (telson), mouth parts (hypostome), fangs, appendages (maxillulae), proboscis, ovipositor (stinger), and hair (urticating bristles). Recent investigations have also unravelled an astonishing venom biocomplexity with molecular scaffolds being recruited from a multitude of protein families. Venoms are a remarkable bioresource for discovering lead compounds in targeted therapeutics. Several components with prospective applications in the development of advanced lifesaving drugs and environment friendly bio-insecticides have been discovered from arthropod venoms. Despite these fascinating features, the composition, bioactivity, and molecular evolution of venom in several arthropod lineages remains largely understudied. This review highlights the prevalence of venom, its mode of toxic action, and the evolutionary dynamics of venom in Arthropoda, the most speciose phylum in the animal kingdom.
Collapse
|
33
|
Santibáñez-López CE, Kriebel R, Ballesteros JA, Rush N, Witter Z, Williams J, Janies DA, Sharma PP. Integration of phylogenomics and molecular modeling reveals lineage-specific diversification of toxins in scorpions. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5902. [PMID: 30479892 PMCID: PMC6240337 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Scorpions have evolved a variety of toxins with a plethora of biological targets, but characterizing their evolution has been limited by the lack of a comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis of scorpion relationships grounded in modern, genome-scale datasets. Disagreements over scorpion higher-level systematics have also incurred challenges to previous interpretations of venom families as ancestral or derived. To redress these gaps, we assessed the phylogenomic relationships of scorpions using the most comprehensive taxonomic sampling to date. We surveyed genomic resources for the incidence of calcins (a type of calcium channel toxin), which were previously known only from 16 scorpion species. Here, we show that calcins are diverse, but phylogenetically restricted only to parvorder Iurida, one of the two basal branches of scorpions. The other branch of scorpions, Buthida, bear the related LKTx toxins (absent in Iurida), but lack calcins entirely. Analysis of sequences and molecular models demonstrates remarkable phylogenetic inertia within both calcins and LKTx genes. These results provide the first synapomorphies (shared derived traits) for the recently redefined clades Buthida and Iurida, constituting the only known case of such traits defined from the morphology of molecules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ricardo Kriebel
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jesús A. Ballesteros
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nathaniel Rush
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Zachary Witter
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - John Williams
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Daniel A. Janies
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Prashant P. Sharma
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Evaluation of Chemical Strategies for Improving the Stability and Oral Toxicity of Insecticidal Peptides. Biomedicines 2018; 6:biomedicines6030090. [PMID: 30154370 PMCID: PMC6164231 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines6030090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider venoms are a rich source of insecticidal peptide toxins. Their development as bioinsecticides has, however, been hampered due to concerns about potential lack of stability and oral bioactivity. We therefore systematically evaluated several synthetic strategies to increase the stability and oral potency of the potent insecticidal spider-venom peptide ω-HXTX-Hv1a (Hv1a). Selective chemical replacement of disulfide bridges with diselenide bonds and N- to C-terminal cyclization were anticipated to improve Hv1a resistance to proteolytic digestion, and thereby its activity when delivered orally. We found that native Hv1a is orally active in blowflies, but 91-fold less potent than when administered by injection. Introduction of a single diselenide bond had no effect on the susceptibility to scrambling or the oral activity of Hv1a. N- to C-terminal cyclization of the peptide backbone did not significantly improve the potency of Hv1a when injected into blowflies and it led to a significant decrease in oral activity. We show that this is likely due to a dramatically reduced rate of translocation of cyclic Hv1a across the insect midgut, highlighting the importance of testing bioavailability in addition to toxin stability.
Collapse
|
35
|
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]
|
36
|
Pluskal T, Weng JK. Natural product modulators of human sensations and mood: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 47:1592-1637. [PMID: 28933478 DOI: 10.1039/c7cs00411g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Humans perceive physical information about the surrounding environment through their senses. This physical information is registered by a collection of highly evolved and finely tuned molecular sensory receptors. A multitude of bioactive, structurally diverse ligands have evolved in nature that bind these molecular receptors. The complex, dynamic interactions between the ligands and the receptors lead to changes in our sensory perception or mood. Here, we review our current knowledge of natural products and their derived analogues that interact specifically with human G protein-coupled receptors, ion channels, and nuclear hormone receptors to modulate the sensations of taste, smell, temperature, pain, and itch, as well as mood and its associated behaviour. We discuss the molecular and structural mechanisms underlying such interactions and highlight cases where subtle differences in natural product chemistry produce drastic changes in functional outcome. We also discuss cases where a single compound triggers complex sensory or behavioural changes in humans through multiple mechanistic targets. Finally, we comment on the therapeutic potential of the reviewed area of research and draw attention to recent technological developments in genomics, metabolomics, and metabolic engineering that allow us to tap the medicinal properties of natural product chemistry without taxing nature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Pluskal
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
True Lies: Using Proteomics to Assess the Accuracy of Transcriptome-Based Venomics in Centipedes Uncovers False Positives and Reveals Startling Intraspecific Variation in Scolopendra Subspinipes. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10030096. [PMID: 29495554 PMCID: PMC5869384 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10030096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Centipede venoms have emerged as a rich source of novel bioactive compounds. However, most centipede species are commonly considered too small for venom extraction and transcriptomics is likely to be an attractive way of probing the molecular diversity of these venoms. Examining the venom composition of Scolopendra subspinipes, we test the accuracy of this approach. We compared the proteomically determined venom profile with four common toxin transcriptomic toxin annotation approaches: BLAST search against toxins in UniProt, lineage-specific toxins, or species-specific toxins and comparative expression analyses of venom and non-venom producing tissues. This demonstrated that even toxin annotation based on lineage-specific homology searches is prone to substantial errors compared to a proteomic approach. However, combined comparative transcriptomics and phylogenetic analysis of putative toxin families substantially improves annotation accuracy. Furthermore, comparison of the venom composition of S. subspinipes with the closely related S. subspinipes mutilans revealed a surprising lack of overlap. This first insight into the intraspecific venom variability of centipedes contrasts the sequence conservation expected from previous findings that centipede toxins evolve under strong negative selection. Our results highlight the importance of proteomic data in studies of even comparably well-characterized venoms and warrants caution when sourcing venom from centipedes of unknown origin.
Collapse
|
38
|
Verdes A, Simpson D, Holford M. Are Fireworms Venomous? Evidence for the Convergent Evolution of Toxin Homologs in Three Species of Fireworms (Annelida, Amphinomidae). Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:249-268. [PMID: 29293976 PMCID: PMC5778601 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphinomids, more commonly known as fireworms, are a basal lineage of marine annelids characterized by the presence of defensive dorsal calcareous chaetae, which break off upon contact. It has long been hypothesized that amphinomids are venomous and use the chaetae to inject a toxic substance. However, studies investigating fireworm venom from a morphological or molecular perspective are scarce and no venom gland has been identified to date, nor any toxin characterized at the molecular level. To investigate this question, we analyzed the transcriptomes of three species of fireworms-Eurythoe complanata, Hermodice carunculata, and Paramphinome jeffreysii-following a venomics approach to identify putative venom compounds. Our venomics pipeline involved de novo transcriptome assembly, open reading frame, and signal sequence prediction, followed by three different homology search strategies: BLAST, HMMER sequence, and HMMER domain. Following this pipeline, we identified 34 clusters of orthologous genes, representing 13 known toxin classes that have been repeatedly recruited into animal venoms. Specifically, the three species share a similar toxin profile with C-type lectins, peptidases, metalloproteinases, spider toxins, and CAP proteins found among the most highly expressed toxin homologs. Despite their great diversity, the putative toxins identified are predominantly involved in three major biological processes: hemostasis, inflammatory response, and allergic reactions, all of which are commonly disrupted after fireworm stings. Although the putative fireworm toxins identified here need to be further validated, our results strongly suggest that fireworms are venomous animals that use a complex mixture of toxins for defense against predators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aida Verdes
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College Belfer Research Center, and The Graduate Center, Program in Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, City University of New York
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York
- Departamento de Biología (Zoología), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
| | - Danny Simpson
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine
| | - Mandë Holford
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College Belfer Research Center, and The Graduate Center, Program in Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, City University of New York
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Liu NY, Xu ZW, Yan W, Ren XM, Zhang ZQ, Zhu JY. Venomics reveals novel ion transport peptide-likes (ITPLs) from the parasitoid wasp Tetrastichus brontispae. Toxicon 2017; 141:88-93. [PMID: 29197474 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Despite substantial advances in uncovering constituents of parasitoid venoms due to their potential applications as insecticides and pharmaceuticals, most of these studies are primarily restricted to braconid and ichneumonid wasps. Little information is available regarding virulent factors from venom of Eulophidae. In order to provide insight into the venom components of this family and parasitoid venom evolution, a venom protein repertoire (venomics) of the endoparasitoid wasp, Tetrastichus brontispae was deciphered using a proteomic approach. A large number of diverse venom proteins/peptides were identified, including novel proteins and those proteins commonly found in the venoms of other parasitoids such as serine protease, esterase, dipeptidyl peptidase IV, acid phosphatase, major royal jelly protein, superoxide dismutase, and venom allergen 3/5. Three ion transport peptide-likes (ITPLs) were abundantly detected in T. brontispae venom. Of these, two of them are reported as a novel form for the first time, with the characteristics of lengthened amino acid sequences and additional cysteine residues. These venom ITPLs are obviously apart from other general members within the crustacean hyperglycemic hormone/ion transport peptide (CHH/ITP) family. It implies that they would evolve unique functions essential for parasitism success.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nai-Yong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Zhi-Wen Xu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Wei Yan
- Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Science, Wenchang 571339, China.
| | - Xue-Min Ren
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Zhi-Quan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Jia-Ying Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Venomics of Remipede Crustaceans Reveals Novel Peptide Diversity and Illuminates the Venom's Biological Role. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:toxins9080234. [PMID: 28933727 PMCID: PMC5577568 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9080234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the first integrated proteomic and transcriptomic investigation of a crustacean venom. Remipede crustaceans are the venomous sister group of hexapods, and the venom glands of the remipede Xibalbanus tulumensis express a considerably more complex cocktail of proteins and peptides than previously thought. We identified 32 venom protein families, including 13 novel peptide families that we name xibalbins, four of which lack similarities to any known structural class. Our proteomic data confirm the presence in the venom of 19 of the 32 families. The most highly expressed venom components are serine peptidases, chitinase and six of the xibalbins. The xibalbins represent Inhibitory Cystine Knot peptides (ICK), a double ICK peptide, peptides with a putative Cystine-stabilized α-helix/β-sheet motif, a peptide similar to hairpin-like β-sheet forming antimicrobial peptides, two peptides related to different hormone families, and four peptides with unique structural motifs. Remipede venom components represent the full range of evolutionary recruitment frequencies, from families that have been recruited into many animal venoms (serine peptidases, ICKs), to those having a very narrow taxonomic range (double ICKs), to those unique for remipedes. We discuss the most highly expressed venom components to shed light on their possible functional significance in the predatory and defensive use of remipede venom, and to provide testable ideas for any future bioactivity studies.
Collapse
|
41
|
Bilgo E, Lovett B, Fang W, Bende N, King GF, Diabate A, St Leger RJ. Improved efficacy of an arthropod toxin expressing fungus against insecticide-resistant malaria-vector mosquitoes. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3433. [PMID: 28611355 PMCID: PMC5469824 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03399-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The continued success of malaria control efforts requires the development, study and implementation of new technologies that circumvent insecticide resistance. We previously demonstrated that fungal pathogens can provide an effective delivery system for mosquitocidal or malariacidal biomolecules. Here we compared genes from arthropod predators encoding insect specific sodium, potassium and calcium channel blockers for their ability to improve the efficacy of Metarhizium against wild-caught, insecticide-resistant anophelines. Toxins expressed under control of a hemolymph-specific promoter increased fungal lethality to mosquitoes at spore dosages as low as one conidium per mosquito. One of the most potent, the EPA approved Hybrid (Ca++/K+ channel blocker), was studied for pre-lethal effects. These included reduced blood feeding behavior, with almost 100% of insects infected with ~6 spores unable to transmit malaria within 5 days post-infection, surpassing the World Health Organization threshold for successful vector control agents. Furthermore, recombinant strains co-expressing Hybrid toxin and AaIT (Na+ channel blocker) produced synergistic effects, requiring 45% fewer spores to kill half of the mosquitoes in 5 days as single toxin strains. Our results identify a repertoire of toxins with different modes of action that improve the utility of entomopathogens as a technology that is compatible with existing insecticide-based control methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Bilgo
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé/Centre Muraz, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Brian Lovett
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA
| | - Weiguo Fang
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Niraj Bende
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, 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
| | - Abdoulaye Diabate
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé/Centre Muraz, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Raymond J St Leger
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Ying J, Delaglio F, Torchia DA, Bax A. Sparse multidimensional iterative lineshape-enhanced (SMILE) reconstruction of both non-uniformly sampled and conventional NMR data. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2017; 68:101-118. [PMID: 27866371 PMCID: PMC5438302 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-016-0072-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Implementation of a new algorithm, SMILE, is described for reconstruction of non-uniformly sampled two-, three- and four-dimensional NMR data, which takes advantage of the known phases of the NMR spectrum and the exponential decay of underlying time domain signals. The method is very robust with respect to the chosen sampling protocol and, in its default mode, also extends the truncated time domain signals by a modest amount of non-sampled zeros. SMILE can likewise be used to extend conventional uniformly sampled data, as an effective multidimensional alternative to linear prediction. The program is provided as a plug-in to the widely used NMRPipe software suite, and can be used with default parameters for mainstream application, or with user control over the iterative process to possibly further improve reconstruction quality and to lower the demand on computational resources. For large data sets, the method is robust and demonstrated for sparsities down to ca 1%, and final all-real spectral sizes as large as 300 Gb. Comparison between fully sampled, conventionally processed spectra and randomly selected NUS subsets of this data shows that the reconstruction quality approaches the theoretical limit in terms of peak position fidelity and intensity. SMILE essentially removes the noise-like appearance associated with the point-spread function of signals that are a default of five-fold above the noise level, but impacts the actual thermal noise in the NMR spectra only minimally. Therefore, the appearance and interpretation of SMILE-reconstructed spectra is very similar to that of fully sampled spectra generated by Fourier transformation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinfa Ying
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Digestive and Diabetic and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Frank Delaglio
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Maryland, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Dennis A Torchia
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ad Bax
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Digestive and Diabetic and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Insect-Active Toxins with Promiscuous Pharmacology from the African Theraphosid Spider Monocentropus balfouri. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:toxins9050155. [PMID: 28475112 PMCID: PMC5450703 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9050155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Many chemical insecticides are becoming less efficacious due to rising resistance in pest species, which has created much interest in the development of new, eco-friendly bioinsecticides. Since insects are the primary prey of most spiders, their venoms are a rich source of insect-active peptides that can be used as leads for new bioinsecticides or as tools to study molecular receptors that are insecticidal targets. In the present study, we isolated two insecticidal peptides, µ/ω-TRTX-Mb1a and -Mb1b, from venom of the African tarantula Monocentropus balfouri. Recombinant µ/ω-TRTX-Mb1a and -Mb1b paralyzed both Lucilia cuprina (Australian sheep blowfly) and Musca domestica (housefly), but neither peptide affected larvae of Helicoverpa armigera (cotton bollworms). Both peptides inhibited currents mediated by voltage-gated sodium (NaV) and calcium channels in Periplaneta americana (American cockroach) dorsal unpaired median neurons, and they also inhibited the cloned Blattella germanica (German cockroach) NaV channel (BgNaV1). An additional effect seen only with Mb1a on BgNaV1 was a delay in fast inactivation. Comparison of the NaV channel sequences of the tested insect species revealed that variations in the S1–S2 loops in the voltage sensor domains might underlie the differences in activity between different phyla.
Collapse
|
44
|
Prashanth JR, Hasaballah N, Vetter I. Pharmacological screening technologies for venom peptide discovery. Neuropharmacology 2017; 127:4-19. [PMID: 28377116 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.03.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 03/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Venomous animals occupy one of the most successful evolutionary niches and occur on nearly every continent. They deliver venoms via biting and stinging apparatuses with the aim to rapidly incapacitate prey and deter predators. This has led to the evolution of venom components that act at a number of biological targets - including ion channels, G-protein coupled receptors, transporters and enzymes - with exquisite selectivity and potency, making venom-derived components attractive pharmacological tool compounds and drug leads. In recent years, plate-based pharmacological screening approaches have been introduced to accelerate venom-derived drug discovery. A range of assays are amenable to this purpose, including high-throughput electrophysiology, fluorescence-based functional and binding assays. However, despite these technological advances, the traditional activity-guided fractionation approach is time-consuming and resource-intensive. The combination of screening techniques suitable for miniaturization with sequence-based discovery approaches - supported by advanced proteomics, mass spectrometry, chromatography as well as synthesis and expression techniques - promises to further improve venom peptide discovery. Here, we discuss practical aspects of establishing a pipeline for venom peptide drug discovery with a particular emphasis on pharmacology and pharmacological screening approaches. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Venom-derived Peptides as Pharmacological Tools.'
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jutty Rajan Prashanth
- Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, 306 Carmody Rd, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Nojod Hasaballah
- Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, 306 Carmody Rd, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Irina Vetter
- Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, 306 Carmody Rd, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia; School of Pharmacy, 20 Cornwall St, Woolloongabba, Qld 4102, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Venomics: integrative venom proteomics and beyond*. Biochem J 2017; 474:611-634. [DOI: 10.1042/bcj20160577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Revised: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Venoms are integrated phenotypes that evolved independently in, and are used for predatory and defensive purposes by, a wide phylogenetic range of organisms. The same principles that contribute to the evolutionary success of venoms, contribute to making the study of venoms of great interest in such diverse fields as evolutionary ecology and biotechnology. Evolution is profoundly contingent, and nature also reinvents itself continuosly. Changes in a complex phenotypic trait, such as venom, reflect the influences of prior evolutionary history, chance events, and selection. Reconstructing the natural history of venoms, particularly those of snakes, which will be dealt with in more detail in this review, requires the integration of different levels of knowledge into a meaningful and comprehensive evolutionary framework for separating stochastic changes from adaptive evolution. The application of omics technologies and other disciplines have contributed to a qualitative and quantitative advance in the road map towards this goal. In this review we will make a foray into the world of animal venoms, discuss synergies and complementarities of the different approaches used in their study, and identify current bottlenecks that prevent inferring the evolutionary mechanisms and ecological constraints that molded snake venoms to their present-day variability landscape.
Collapse
|
46
|
Gendreau KL, Haney RA, Schwager EE, Wierschin T, Stanke M, Richards S, Garb JE. House spider genome uncovers evolutionary shifts in the diversity and expression of black widow venom proteins associated with extreme toxicity. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:178. [PMID: 28209133 PMCID: PMC5314461 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3551-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Black widow spiders are infamous for their neurotoxic venom, which can cause extreme and long-lasting pain. This unusual venom is dominated by latrotoxins and latrodectins, two protein families virtually unknown outside of the black widow genus Latrodectus, that are difficult to study given the paucity of spider genomes. Using tissue-, sex- and stage-specific expression data, we analyzed the recently sequenced genome of the house spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum), a close relative of black widows, to investigate latrotoxin and latrodectin diversity, expression and evolution. RESULTS We discovered at least 47 latrotoxin genes in the house spider genome, many of which are tandem-arrayed. Latrotoxins vary extensively in predicted structural domains and expression, implying their significant functional diversification. Phylogenetic analyses show latrotoxins have substantially duplicated after the Latrodectus/Parasteatoda split and that they are also related to proteins found in endosymbiotic bacteria. Latrodectin genes are less numerous than latrotoxins, but analyses show their recruitment for venom function from neuropeptide hormone genes following duplication, inversion and domain truncation. While latrodectins and other peptides are highly expressed in house spider and black widow venom glands, latrotoxins account for a far smaller percentage of house spider venom gland expression. CONCLUSIONS The house spider genome sequence provides novel insights into the evolution of venom toxins once considered unique to black widows. Our results greatly expand the size of the latrotoxin gene family, reinforce its narrow phylogenetic distribution, and provide additional evidence for the lateral transfer of latrotoxins between spiders and bacterial endosymbionts. Moreover, we strengthen the evidence for the evolution of latrodectin venom genes from the ecdysozoan Ion Transport Peptide (ITP)/Crustacean Hyperglycemic Hormone (CHH) neuropeptide superfamily. The lower expression of latrotoxins in house spiders relative to black widows, along with the absence of a vertebrate-targeting α-latrotoxin gene in the house spider genome, may account for the extreme potency of black widow venom.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kerry L Gendreau
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Biocomplexity Institute, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Robert A Haney
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Evelyn E Schwager
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Torsten Wierschin
- Institut für Mathematik und Informatik, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Straße 47, 17487, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Mario Stanke
- Institut für Mathematik und Informatik, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Straße 47, 17487, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stephen Richards
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jessica E Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Saez NJ, Cristofori-Armstrong B, Anangi R, King GF. A Strategy for Production of Correctly Folded Disulfide-Rich Peptides in the Periplasm of E. coli. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1586:155-180. [PMID: 28470604 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6887-9_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant expression of disulfide-reticulated peptides and proteins is often challenging. We describe a method that exploits the periplasmic disulfide-bond forming machinery of Escherichia coli and combines this with a cleavable, solubility-enhancing fusion tag to obtain higher yields of correctly folded target protein than is achievable via cytoplasmic expression. The protocols provided herein cover all aspects of this approach, from vector construction and transformation to purification of the cleaved target protein and subsequent quality control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie J Saez
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, 306 Carmody Road, St. Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia.
| | - Ben Cristofori-Armstrong
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, 306 Carmody Road, St. Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | - Raveendra Anangi
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, 306 Carmody Road, St. Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, 306 Carmody Road, St. Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Tsutsui N, Sakamoto T, Arisaka F, Tanokura M, Nagasawa H, Nagata K. Crystal structure of a crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) precursor suggests structural variety in the C-terminal regions of CHH superfamily members. FEBS J 2016; 283:4325-4339. [PMID: 27743429 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 09/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) is one of the major hormones in crustaceans, and peptides belonging to the CHH superfamily have been found in diverse ecdysozoans. Although the basic function of CHH is to control energy metabolism, it also plays various roles in crustacean species, such as in molting and vitellogenesis. Here, we present the crystal structure of Pej-SGP-I-Gly, a partially active precursor of CHH from the kuruma prawn Marsupenaeus japonicus, which has an additional Gly residue in place of the C-terminal amide group of the mature Pej-SGP-I. The 1.6-angstrom crystal structure showed not only the common CHH superfamily scaffold comprising three α-helices, three disulfide bridges, and a hydrophobic core but also revealed that the C-terminal part has a variant backbone fold that is specific to Pej-SGP-I-Gly. The α-helix 4 of Pej-SGP-I-Gly was much longer than that of molt-inhibiting hormone (Pej-MIH) from the same species, and as a result, the following C-terminal helix, corresponding to α-helix 5 in MIH, was not formed. Unlike monomeric Pej-MIH, Pej-SGP-I-Gly forms a homodimer in the crystal structure via its unique α-helix 4. The unexpected dissimilar folds between Pej-SGP-I-Gly and Pej-MIH appear to be the result of their distinct C-terminal amino acid sequences. Variations in amino acid sequences and lengths and the resulting variety of backbone folds allow the C-terminal and sterically adjoining regions to confer different hormonal activities in diverse CHH superfamily members. DATABASE Structural data are available in the PDB under the accession number 5B5I.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naoaki Tsutsui
- Ushimado Marine Institute, Faculty of Science, Okayama University, Setouchi, Japan.,Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Sakamoto
- Ushimado Marine Institute, Faculty of Science, Okayama University, Setouchi, Japan
| | - Fumio Arisaka
- Life Science Research Center, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Masaru Tanokura
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Nagasawa
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Japan
| | - Koji Nagata
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Ikonomopoulou MP, Smith JJ, Herzig V, Pineda SS, Dziemborowicz S, Er SY, Durek T, Gilchrist J, Alewood PF, Nicholson GM, Bosmans F, King GF. Isolation of two insecticidal toxins from venom of the Australian theraphosid spider Coremiocnemis tropix. Toxicon 2016; 123:62-70. [PMID: 27793656 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2016.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Sheep flystrike is caused by parasitic flies laying eggs on soiled wool or open wounds, after which the hatched maggots feed on the sheep flesh and often cause large lesions. It is a significant economic problem for the livestock industry as infestations are difficult to control due to ongoing cycles of larval development into flies followed by further egg laying. We therefore screened venom fractions from the Australian theraphosid spider Coremiocnemis tropix to identify toxins active against the sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina, which is the primary cause of flystrike in Australia. This screen led to isolation of two insecticidal peptides, Ct1a and Ct1b, that are lethal to blowflies within 24 h of injection. The primary structure of these peptides was determined using a combination of Edman degradation and sequencing of a C. tropix venom-gland transcriptome. Ct1a and Ct1b contain 39 and 38 amino acid residues, respectively, including six cysteine residues that form three disulfide bonds. Recombinant production in bacteria (Escherichia coli) resulted in low yields of Ct1a whereas solid-phase peptide synthesis using native chemical ligation produced sufficient quantities of Ct1a for functional analyses. Synthetic Ct1a had no effect on voltage-gated sodium channels from the American cockroach Periplanata americana or the German cockroach Blattella germanica, but it was lethal to sheep blowflies with an LD50 of 1687 pmol/g.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria P Ikonomopoulou
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jennifer J Smith
- 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 S Pineda
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | | | - Sing-Yan Er
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - John Gilchrist
- Department of Physiology & Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Paul F Alewood
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Graham M Nicholson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Frank Bosmans
- Department of Physiology & Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|