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Lüddecke T, Paas A, Harris RJ, Talmann L, Kirchhoff KN, Billion A, Hardes K, Steinbrink A, Gerlach D, Fry BG, Vilcinskas A. Venom biotechnology: casting light on nature's deadliest weapons using synthetic biology. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1166601. [PMID: 37207126 PMCID: PMC10188951 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1166601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Venoms are complex chemical arsenals that have evolved independently many times in the animal kingdom. Venoms have attracted the interest of researchers because they are an important innovation that has contributed greatly to the evolutionary success of many animals, and their medical relevance offers significant potential for drug discovery. During the last decade, venom research has been revolutionized by the application of systems biology, giving rise to a novel field known as venomics. More recently, biotechnology has also made an increasing impact in this field. Its methods provide the means to disentangle and study venom systems across all levels of biological organization and, given their tremendous impact on the life sciences, these pivotal tools greatly facilitate the coherent understanding of venom system organization, development, biochemistry, and therapeutic activity. Even so, we lack a comprehensive overview of major advances achieved by applying biotechnology to venom systems. This review therefore considers the methods, insights, and potential future developments of biotechnological applications in the field of venom research. We follow the levels of biological organization and structure, starting with the methods used to study the genomic blueprint and genetic machinery of venoms, followed gene products and their functional phenotypes. We argue that biotechnology can answer some of the most urgent questions in venom research, particularly when multiple approaches are combined together, and with other venomics technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- *Correspondence: Tim Lüddecke,
| | - Anne Paas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Richard J. Harris
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences (IMB), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lea Talmann
- Syngenta Crop Protection, Stein, Switzerland
| | - Kim N. Kirchhoff
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - André Billion
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Kornelia Hardes
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research “ASCRIBE”, Giessen, Germany
| | - Antje Steinbrink
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Doreen Gerlach
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Bryan G. Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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Lüddecke T, Schulz S, Steinfartz S, Vences M. A salamander’s toxic arsenal: review of skin poison diversity and function in true salamanders, genus Salamandra. Naturwissenschaften 2018; 105:56. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1579-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Kawakami H, Goto SG, Murata K, Matsuda H, Shigeri Y, Imura T, Inagaki H, Shinada T. Isolation of biologically active peptides from the venom of Japanese carpenter bee, Xylocopa appendiculata. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2017; 23:29. [PMID: 28546807 PMCID: PMC5442655 DOI: 10.1186/s40409-017-0119-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mass spectrometry-guided venom peptide profiling is a powerful tool to explore novel substances from venomous animals in a highly sensitive manner. In this study, this peptide profiling approach is successfully applied to explore the venom peptides of a Japanese solitary carpenter bee, Xylocopa appendiculata (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Apidae: Anthophila: Xylocopinae: Xylocopini). Although interesting biological effects of the crude venom of carpenter bees have been reported, the structure and biological function of the venom peptides have not been elucidated yet. Methods The venom peptide profiling of the crude venom of X. appendiculata was performed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectroscopy. The venom was purified by a reverse-phase HPLC. The purified peptides were subjected to the Edman degradation, MS/MS analysis, and/or molecular cloning methods for peptide sequencing. Biological and functional characterization was performed by circular dichroism analysis, liposome leakage assay, and antimicrobial, histamine releasing and hemolytic activity tests. Results Three novel peptides with m/z 16508, 1939.3, and 1900.3 were isolated from the venom of X. appendiculata. The peptide with m/z 16508 was characterized as a secretory phospholipase A2 (PLA2) homolog in which the characteristic cysteine residues as well as the active site residues found in bee PLA2s are highly conserved. Two novel peptides with m/z 1939.3 and m/z 1900.3 were named as Xac-1 and Xac-2, respectively. These peptides are found to be amphiphilic and displayed antimicrobial and hemolytic activities. The potency was almost the same as that of mastoparan isolated from the wasp venom. Conclusion We found three novel biologically active peptides in the venom of X. appendiculata and analyzed their molecular functions, and compared their sequential homology to discuss their molecular diversity. Highly sensitive mass analysis plays an important role in this study. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40409-017-0119-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroko Kawakami
- Graduate School of Material Science, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi, Osaka 558-8585 Japan
| | - Shin G Goto
- Graduate School of Science, Department of Biology & Geosciences, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi, Osaka 558-8585 Japan
| | - Kazuya Murata
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashiosaka, Osaka 577-8502 Japan
| | - Hideaki Matsuda
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashiosaka, Osaka 577-8502 Japan
| | - Yasushi Shigeri
- Health Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Imura
- Research Institute for Chemical Process Technology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Inagaki
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Shinada
- Graduate School of Material Science, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi, Osaka 558-8585 Japan
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Huang Y, Wu X, Zhang P, Duan Z, Zhou X, Chen M, Farooq A, Liang S, Liu Z. Peptide-rich venom from the spider Heteropoda venatoria potently inhibits insect voltage-gated sodium channels. Toxicon 2016; 125:44-49. [PMID: 27867092 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2016.11.252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Heteropoda venatoria is a venomous spider species distributed worldwide and has a characteristic habit of feeding on insects. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analyses revealed that H. venatoria venom contains hundreds of peptides with a predominant molecular weights of 3000-5000 Da. Intra-abdominal injection of the venom had severe toxic effects on cockroaches and caused death at higher concentrations. The LD50 was 28.18 μg/g of body weight in the cockroach. It was found that the venom had potent inhibitory effect on voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) in Periplaneta americana cockroach dorsal unpaired median (DUM) neurons with an IC50 values of 6.25 ± 0.02 μg/mL. However, 100 μg/mL venom only partially blocked VGSC currents in rat dorsal root ganglion cells, a much lower inhibitory effect than that on DUM VGSCs. Our results indicate that the venom of H. venatoria contains diverse neurotoxins that might become new leads for bioinsecticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yazhou Huang
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Xinzhou Wu
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Zhigui Duan
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Xi Zhou
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Minzhi Chen
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Athar Farooq
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Songping Liang
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China; The Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China; The Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China.
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Integrating Perspectives on Animal Venom Diversity: An Introduction to the Symposium. Integr Comp Biol 2016; 56:934-937. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
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Calvete JJ. Proteomic tools against the neglected pathology of snake bite envenoming. Expert Rev Proteomics 2014; 8:739-58. [DOI: 10.1586/epr.11.61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Horta CC, Rezende BA, Oliveira-Mendes BBR, Carmo AO, Capettini LSA, Silva JF, Gomes MT, Chávez-Olórtegui C, Bravo CES, Lemos VS, Kalapothakis E. ADP is a vasodilator component from Lasiodora sp. mygalomorph spider venom. Toxicon 2013; 72:102-12. [PMID: 23792453 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2013.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Revised: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Members of the spider genus Lasiodora are widely distributed in Brazil, where they are commonly known as caranguejeiras. Lasiodora spider venom is slightly harmful to humans. The bite of this spider causes local pain, edema and erythema. However, Lasiodora sp. spider venom may be a source of important pharmacological tools. Our research group has described previously that Lasiodora sp. venom produces bradycardia in the isolated rat heart. In the present work, we sought to evaluate the vascular effect of Lasiodora sp. venom and to isolate the vasoactive compounds from the venom. The results showed that Lasiodora spider venom induced a concentration-dependent vasodilation in rat aortic rings, which was dependent on the presence of a functional endothelium and abolished by the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor L-NAME. Western blot experiments revealed that the venom also increased endothelial NOS function by increasing phosphorylation of the Ser¹¹⁷⁷ residue. Assay-directed fractionation isolated a vasoactive fraction from Lasiodora sp. venom. Mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) assays identified a mixture of two compounds: adenosine diphosphate (ADP, approximately 90%) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP, approximately 10%). The vasodilator effects of Lasiodora sp. whole venom, as well as ADP, were significantly inhibited by suramin, which is a purinergic P2-receptor antagonist. Therefore, the results of the present work indicate that ADP is a main vasodilator component of Lasiodora sp. spider venom.
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Affiliation(s)
- C C Horta
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Abstract
Venomous animals use a highly complex cocktails of proteins, peptides and small molecules to subdue and kill their prey. As such, venoms represent highly valuable combinatorial peptide libraries, displaying an extensive range of pharmacological activities, honed by natural selection. Modern analytical technologies enable us to take full advantage of this vast pharmacological cornucopia in the hunt for novel drug leads. Spider venoms represent a resource of several million peptides, which selectively target specific subtypes of ion channels. Structure-function studies of spider toxins are leading not only to the discovery of novel molecules, but also to novel therapeutic routes for cardiovascular diseases, cancer, neuromuscular diseases, pain and to a variety of other pathological conditions. This review presents an overview of spider peptide toxins as candidates for therapeutics and focuses on their applications in the discovery of novel mechanisms of analgesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Escoubas
- University of Nice - Sophia Antipolis, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC) - CNRS UMR6097, 660 Route des Lucioles, 06560 Valbonne, France +33 04 93 95 77 35 ; +33 04 93 95 77 08 ;
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Identification and phylogenetic analysis of Tityus pachyurus and Tityus obscurus novel putative Na+-channel scorpion toxins. PLoS One 2012; 7:e30478. [PMID: 22355312 PMCID: PMC3280238 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2011] [Accepted: 12/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Colombia and Brazil are affected by severe cases of scorpionism. In Colombia the most dangerous accidents are caused by Tityus pachyurus that is widely distributed around this country. In the Brazilian Amazonian region scorpion stings are a common event caused by Tityus obscurus. The main objective of this work was to perform the molecular cloning of the putative Na+-channel scorpion toxins (NaScTxs) from T. pachyurus and T. obscurus venom glands and to analyze their phylogenetic relationship with other known NaScTxs from Tityus species. Methodology/Principal Findings cDNA libraries from venom glands of these two species were constructed and five nucleotide sequences from T. pachyurus were identified as putative modulators of Na+-channels, and were named Tpa4, Tpa5, Tpa6, Tpa7 and Tpa8; the latter being the first anti-insect excitatory β-class NaScTx in Tityus scorpion venom to be described. Fifteen sequences from T. obscurus were identified as putative NaScTxs, among which three had been previously described, and the others were named To4 to To15. The peptides Tpa4, Tpa5, Tpa6, To6, To7, To9, To10 and To14 are closely related to the α-class NaScTxs, whereas Tpa7, Tpa8, To4, To8, To12 and To15 sequences are more related to the β-class NaScTxs. To5 is possibly an arthropod specific toxin. To11 and To13 share sequence similarities with both α and β NaScTxs. By means of phylogenetic analysis using the Maximum Parsimony method and the known NaScTxs from Tityus species, these toxins were clustered into 14 distinct groups. Conclusions/Significance This communication describes new putative NaScTxs from T. pachyurus and T. obscurus and their phylogenetic analysis. The results indicate clear geographic separation between scorpions of Tityus genus inhabiting the Amazonian and Mountain Andes regions and those distributed over the Southern of the Amazonian rainforest. Based on the consensus sequences for the different clusters, a new nomenclature for the NaScTxs is proposed.
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Heinen TE, Gorini da Veiga AB. Arthropod venoms and cancer. Toxicon 2011; 57:497-511. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2011.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2010] [Revised: 12/13/2010] [Accepted: 01/04/2011] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Songping L. Protocols for peptidomic analysis of spider venoms. Methods Mol Biol 2010; 615:75-85. [PMID: 20013201 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-60761-535-4_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Spider venom contains a complex mixture of components with a large range of molecular masses (0.1-60 kDa) exhibiting a diverse array of actions. Most of these components are proteinaceous molecules - biologically active proteins and peptides. Proteomics profiling of spider venoms (the components with MW >10 kDa) could be achieved through conventional 2-DE-based proteomics methods combined with MS or MS/MS detection. Peptidomic profiling (of the components with MW below ~10 kDa) is usually achieved through off-line separation by a combination of ion-exchange and reverse-phase chromatography, and it relies more heavily on de novo sequencing by Edman degradation or MS/MS for peptide identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Songping
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
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Davis J, Jones A, Lewis RJ. Remarkable inter- and intra-species complexity of conotoxins revealed by LC/MS. Peptides 2009; 30:1222-7. [PMID: 19540420 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2009.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2008] [Revised: 03/30/2009] [Accepted: 03/30/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Cone snails have evolved an assortment of venom peptides as an evolutionary strategy for rapid prey immobilization and defence. Earlier studies estimated approximately 100 conopeptides per species. In this study we optimized liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for the detection of conopeptides in crude venom to characterize conopeptides present in the venom of individual specimens of Conus textile, C. imperialis and C. marmoreus. Using this approach, we have expanded the predicted number of venom peptides 10-fold to an estimate of 1000-1900 conopeptides per species. Our investigation has also revealed a surprisingly high level of intra-species variation that distinguishes cone snails from other venomous species including spiders and scorpions. Given this inherent diversity and variability, more sensitive bioassays and sequencing techniques will be required to fully explore conotoxin bioactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Davis
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Brisbane Q4072, Australia
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Valente RH, Guimarães PR, Junqueira M, Neves-Ferreira AGC, Soares MR, Chapeaurouge A, Trugilho MR, León IR, Rocha SL, Oliveira-Carvalho AL, Wermelinger LS, Dutra DL, Leão LI, Junqueira-de-Azevedo IL, Ho PL, Zingali RB, Perales J, Domont GB. Bothrops insularis venomics: A proteomic analysis supported by transcriptomic-generated sequence data. J Proteomics 2009; 72:241-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2009.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2008] [Revised: 01/05/2009] [Accepted: 01/07/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Antidotes against venomous animals: State of the art and prospectives. J Proteomics 2009; 72:183-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2009.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2009] [Revised: 01/14/2009] [Accepted: 01/14/2009] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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King GF, Gentz MC, Escoubas P, Nicholson GM. A rational nomenclature for naming peptide toxins from spiders and other venomous animals. Toxicon 2008; 52:264-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2008.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 230] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2008] [Revised: 05/23/2008] [Accepted: 05/23/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Escoubas P, Quinton L, Nicholson GM. Venomics: unravelling the complexity of animal venoms with mass spectrometry. JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2008; 43:279-295. [PMID: 18302316 DOI: 10.1002/jms.1389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Animal venoms and toxins are now recognized as major sources of bioactive molecules that may be tomorrow's new drug leads. Their complexity and their potential as drug sources have been demonstrated by application of modern analytical technologies, which have revealed venoms to be vast peptide combinatorial libraries. Structural as well as pharmacological diversity is immense, and mass spectrometry is now one of the major investigative tools for the structural investigation of venom components. Recent advances in its use in the study of venom and toxins are reviewed. The application of mass spectrometry techniques to peptide toxin sequence determination by de novo sequencing is discussed in detail, in the light of the search for novel analgesic drugs. We also present the combined application of LC-MALDI separation with mass fingerprinting and ISD fragmentation for the determination of structural and pharmacological classes of peptides in complex spider venoms. This approach now serves as the basis for the full investigation of complex spider venom proteomes, in combination with cDNA analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Escoubas
- Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS UMR6097, 06560 Valbonne, France.
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Liao Z, Cao J, Li S, Yan X, Hu W, He Q, Chen J, Tang J, Xie J, Liang S. Proteomic and peptidomic analysis of the venom from Chinese tarantulaChilobrachys jingzhao. Proteomics 2007; 7:1892-907. [PMID: 17476710 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.200600785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Chinese tarantula, Chilobrachys jingzhao is one of the most venomous spiders in southern China and its venom is a mixture of various compounds with diversified biological activities. The proteome of C. jingzhao venom was analyzed by proteomic techniques. Proteins with molecular weight of over 10 kDa, indicated by gel-filtration and SDS-PAGE, were analyzed using 2-DE and MALDI-TOF/TOF and LC/ESI-Q-TOF MS. More than 90 proteins were detected, with 47 confirmed by sequence similarity search using mass spectrum driven basic local alignment search tool (MS BLAST). On the other hand, peptides with MW lower than 10 kDa were separated by HPLC and identified by MALDI-TOF MS and Edman degradation sequencing. About 120 peptides were detected, 60 of which were fully or partially sequenced. Our results indicate that peptides with MW lower than 10 kDa are the major components in the crude venom of C. jingzhao. Like those of other tarantulas, these peptides are very likely to act on various ion channels. These results pave a way for further detailed structure-function correlation analysis of the individual toxins present in the venom of C. jingzhao.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Liao
- College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Smith ML, Vorce SP, Holler JM, Shimomura E, Magluilo J, Jacobs AJ, Huestis MA. Modern instrumental methods in forensic toxicology. J Anal Toxicol 2007; 31:237-53, 8A-9A. [PMID: 17579968 PMCID: PMC2745311 DOI: 10.1093/jat/31.5.237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
This article reviews modern analytical instrumentation in forensic toxicology for identification and quantification of drugs and toxins in biological fluids and tissues. A brief description of the theory and inherent strengths and limitations of each methodology is included. The focus is on new technologies that address current analytical limitations. A goal of this review is to encourage innovations to improve our technological capabilities and to encourage use of these analytical techniques in forensic toxicology practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L. Smith
- Division of Forensic Toxicology, Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1413 Research Blvd., Bldg. 102, Rockville, Maryland 20850
| | - Shawn P. Vorce
- Division of Forensic Toxicology, Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1413 Research Blvd., Bldg. 102, Rockville, Maryland 20850
| | - Justin M. Holler
- Division of Forensic Toxicology, Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1413 Research Blvd., Bldg. 102, Rockville, Maryland 20850
| | - Eric Shimomura
- Division of Forensic Toxicology, Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1413 Research Blvd., Bldg. 102, Rockville, Maryland 20850
| | - Joe Magluilo
- Division of Forensic Toxicology, Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1413 Research Blvd., Bldg. 102, Rockville, Maryland 20850
| | - Aaron J. Jacobs
- Division of Forensic Toxicology, Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1413 Research Blvd., Bldg. 102, Rockville, Maryland 20850
- Army Medical Department Board, Fort Sam Houston, Texas 78234
| | - Marilyn A. Huestis
- Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 5500 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
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Bandeira N, Clauser KR, Pevzner PA. Shotgun protein sequencing: assembly of peptide tandem mass spectra from mixtures of modified proteins. Mol Cell Proteomics 2007; 6:1123-34. [PMID: 17446555 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m700001-mcp200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite significant advances in the identification of known proteins, the analysis of unknown proteins by MS/MS still remains a challenging open problem. Although Klaus Biemann recognized the potential of MS/MS for sequencing of unknown proteins in the 1980s, low throughput Edman degradation followed by cloning still remains the main method to sequence unknown proteins. The automated interpretation of MS/MS spectra has been limited by a focus on individual spectra and has not capitalized on the information contained in spectra of overlapping peptides. Indeed the powerful shotgun DNA sequencing strategies have not been extended to automated protein sequencing. We demonstrate, for the first time, the feasibility of automated shotgun protein sequencing of protein mixtures by utilizing MS/MS spectra of overlapping and possibly modified peptides generated via multiple proteases of different specificities. We validate this approach by generating highly accurate de novo reconstructions of multiple regions of various proteins in western diamondback rattlesnake venom. We further argue that shotgun protein sequencing has the potential to overcome the limitations of current protein sequencing approaches and thus catalyze the otherwise impractical applications of proteomics methodologies in studies of unknown proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Bandeira
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
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Estrada G, Villegas E, Corzo G. Spider venoms: a rich source of acylpolyamines and peptides as new leads for CNS drugs. Nat Prod Rep 2007; 24:145-61. [PMID: 17268611 DOI: 10.1039/b603083c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Advances in NMR and mass spectrometry as well as in peptide biochemistry coupled to modern methods in electrophysiology have permitted the isolation and identification of numerous products from spider venoms, previously explored due to technical limitations. The chemical composition of spider venoms is diverse, ranging from low molecular weight organic compounds such as acylpolyamines to complex peptides. First, acylpolyamines (< 1000 Da) have an aromatic moiety linked to a hydrophilic lateral chain. They were characterized for the first time in spider venoms and are ligand-gated ion channel antagonists, which block mainly postsynaptic glutamate receptors in invertebrate and vertebrate nervous systems. Acylpolyamines represent the vast majority of organic components from the spider venom. Acylpolyamine analogues have proven to suppress hippocampal epileptic discharges. Moreover, acylpolyamines could suppress excitatory postsynaptic currents inducing Ca+ accumulation in neurons leading to protection against a brain ischemic insult. Second, short spider peptides (< 6000 Da) modulate ionic currents in Ca2+, Na+, or K+ voltage-gated ion channels. Such peptides may contain from three to four disulfide bridges. Some spider peptides act specifically to discriminate among Ca2+, Na+, or K+ ion channel subtypes. Their selective affinities for ion channel subfamilies are functional for mapping excitable cells. Furthermore, several of these peptides have proven to hyperpolarize peripheral neurons, which are associated with supplying sensation to the skin and skeletal muscles. Some spider N-type calcium ion channel blockers may be important for the treatment of chronic pain. A special group of spider peptides are the amphipathic and positively charged peptides. Their secondary structure is alpha-helical and they insert into the lipid cell membrane of eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells leading to the formation of pores and subsequently depolarizing the cell membrane. Acylpolyamines and peptides from spider venoms represent an interesting source of molecules for the design of novel pharmaceutical drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Estrada
- Instituto de Biotecnología, UNAM, Avenida Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
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