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Kvetkina A, Pislyagin E, Menchinskaya E, Yurchenko E, Kalina R, Kozlovskiy S, Kaluzhskiy L, Menshov A, Kim N, Peigneur S, Tytgat J, Ivanov A, Ayvazyan N, Leychenko E, Aminin D. Kunitz-Type Peptides from Sea Anemones Protect Neuronal Cells against Parkinson's Disease Inductors via Inhibition of ROS Production and ATP-Induced P2X7 Receptor Activation. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23095115. [PMID: 35563513 PMCID: PMC9103184 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a socially significant disease, during the development of which oxidative stress and inflammation play a significant role. Here, we studied the neuroprotective effects of four Kunitz-type peptides from Heteractis crispa and Heteractis magnifica sea anemones against PD inductors. The peptide HCIQ1c9, which was obtained for the first time, inhibited trypsin less than other peptides due to unfavorable interactions of Arg17 with Lys43 in the enzyme. Its activity was reduced by up to 70% over the temperature range of 60–100 °C, while HCIQ2c1, HCIQ4c7, and HMIQ3c1 retained their conformation and stayed active up to 90–100 °C. All studied peptides inhibited paraquat- and rotenone-induced intracellular ROS formation, in particular NO, and scavenged free radicals outside the cells. The peptides did not modulate the TRPV1 channels but they affected the P2X7R, both of which are considered therapeutic targets in Parkinson’s disease. HMIQ3c1 and HCIQ4c7 almost completely inhibited the ATP-induced uptake of YO-PRO-1 dye in Neuro-2a cells through P2X7 ion channels and significantly reduced the stable calcium response in these cells. The complex formation of the peptides with the P2X7R extracellular domain was determined via SPR analysis. Thus, these peptides may be considered promising compounds to protect neuronal cells against PD inductors, which act as ROS production inhibitors and partially act as ATP-induced P2X7R activation inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Kvetkina
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia; (A.K.); (E.P.); (E.M.); (E.Y.); (R.K.); (S.K.); (A.M.); (N.K.); (E.L.)
| | - Evgeny Pislyagin
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia; (A.K.); (E.P.); (E.M.); (E.Y.); (R.K.); (S.K.); (A.M.); (N.K.); (E.L.)
| | - Ekaterina Menchinskaya
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia; (A.K.); (E.P.); (E.M.); (E.Y.); (R.K.); (S.K.); (A.M.); (N.K.); (E.L.)
| | - Ekaterina Yurchenko
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia; (A.K.); (E.P.); (E.M.); (E.Y.); (R.K.); (S.K.); (A.M.); (N.K.); (E.L.)
| | - Rimma Kalina
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia; (A.K.); (E.P.); (E.M.); (E.Y.); (R.K.); (S.K.); (A.M.); (N.K.); (E.L.)
| | - Sergei Kozlovskiy
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia; (A.K.); (E.P.); (E.M.); (E.Y.); (R.K.); (S.K.); (A.M.); (N.K.); (E.L.)
| | - Leonid Kaluzhskiy
- V.N. Orekhovich Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, 10, Pogodinskaya St., 119121 Moscow, Russia; (L.K.); (A.I.)
| | - Alexander Menshov
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia; (A.K.); (E.P.); (E.M.); (E.Y.); (R.K.); (S.K.); (A.M.); (N.K.); (E.L.)
| | - Natalia Kim
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia; (A.K.); (E.P.); (E.M.); (E.Y.); (R.K.); (S.K.); (A.M.); (N.K.); (E.L.)
| | - Steve Peigneur
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, Campus Gasthuisberg O&N2, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Herestraat 49, P.O. Box 922, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; (S.P.); (J.T.)
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, Campus Gasthuisberg O&N2, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Herestraat 49, P.O. Box 922, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; (S.P.); (J.T.)
| | - Alexis Ivanov
- V.N. Orekhovich Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, 10, Pogodinskaya St., 119121 Moscow, Russia; (L.K.); (A.I.)
| | - Naira Ayvazyan
- L.A. Orbeli Institute of Physiology, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Yerevan 0028, Armenia;
| | - Elena Leychenko
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia; (A.K.); (E.P.); (E.M.); (E.Y.); (R.K.); (S.K.); (A.M.); (N.K.); (E.L.)
| | - Dmitry Aminin
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia; (A.K.); (E.P.); (E.M.); (E.Y.); (R.K.); (S.K.); (A.M.); (N.K.); (E.L.)
- Correspondence:
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Venomics Reveals a Non-Compartmentalised Venom Gland in the Early Diverged Vermivorous Conus distans. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14030226. [PMID: 35324723 PMCID: PMC8949452 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14030226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The defensive use of cone snail venom is hypothesised to have first arisen in ancestral worm-hunting snails and later repurposed in a compartmentalised venom duct to facilitate the dietary shift to molluscivory and piscivory. Consistent with its placement in a basal lineage, we demonstrate that the C. distans venom gland lacked distinct compartmentalisation. Transcriptomics revealed C. distans expressed a wide range of structural classes, with inhibitory cysteine knot (ICK)-containing peptides dominating. To better understand the evolution of the venom gland compartmentalisation, we compared C. distans to C. planorbis, the earliest diverging species from which a defence-evoked venom has been obtained, and fish-hunting C. geographus from the Gastridium subgenus that injects distinct defensive and predatory venoms. These comparisons support the hypothesis that venom gland compartmentalisation arose in worm-hunting species and enabled repurposing of venom peptides to facilitate the dietary shift from vermivory to molluscivory and piscivory in more recently diverged cone snail lineages.
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Cotoras DD, Suenaga M, Mikheyev AS. Intraspecific niche partition without speciation: individual level web polymorphism within a single island spider population. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20203138. [PMID: 33593195 PMCID: PMC7934906 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.3138] [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] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Early in the process of adaptive radiation, allopatric disruption of gene flow followed by ecological specialization is key for speciation; but, do adaptive radiations occur on small islands without internal geographical barriers? Island populations sometimes harbour polymorphism in ecological specializations, but its significance remains unclear. On one hand, morphs may correspond to ‘cryptic’ species. Alternatively, they could result from population, developmental or behavioural plasticity. The spider Wendilgarda galapagensis (Araneae, Theridiosomatidae) is endemic to the small Isla del Coco and unique in spinning three different web types, each corresponding to a different microhabitat. We tested whether this variation is associated with ‘cryptic’ species or intraspecific behavioural plasticity. Despite analysing 36 803 loci across 142 individuals, we found no relationship between web type and population structure, which was only weakly geographically differentiated. The same pattern holds when looking within a sampling site or considering only Fst outliers. In line with genetic data, translocation experiments showed that web architecture is plastic within an individual. However, not all transitions between web types are equally probable, indicating the existence of individual preferences. Our data supports the idea that diversification on small islands might occur mainly at the behavioural level producing an intraspecific niche partition without speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darko D Cotoras
- Entomology Department, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.,Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Tancha 1919-1, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495 Japan
| | - Miyuki Suenaga
- Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Tancha 1919-1, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495 Japan
| | - Alexander S Mikheyev
- Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Tancha 1919-1, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495 Japan.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Abalde S, Tenorio MJ, Afonso CML, Zardoya R. Comparative transcriptomics of the venoms of continental and insular radiations of West African cones. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200794. [PMID: 32546094 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcriptomes of the venom glands of 13 closely related species of vermivorous cones endemic to West Africa from genera Africonus and Varioconus were sequenced and venom repertoires compared within a phylogenetic framework using one Kalloconus species as outgroup. The total number of conotoxin precursors per species varied between 108 and 221. Individuals of the same species shared about one-fourth of the total conotoxin precursors. The number of common sequences was drastically reduced in the pairwise comparisons between closely related species, and the phylogenetical signal was totally eroded at the inter-generic level (no sequence was identified as shared derived), due to the intrinsic high variability of these secreted peptides. A common set of four conotoxin precursor superfamilies (T, O1, O2 and M) was expanded in all studied cone species, and thus, they are considered the basic venom toolkit for hunting and defense in the West African vermivorous cone snails. Maximum-likelihood ancestral character reconstructions inferred shared conotoxin precursors preferentially at internal nodes close to the tips of the phylogeny (between individuals and between closely related species) as well as in the common ancestor of Varioconus. Besides the common toolkit, the two genera showed significantly distinct catalogues of conotoxin precursors in terms of type of superfamilies present and the abundance of members per superfamily, but had similar relative expression levels indicating functional convergence. Differential expression comparisons between vermivorous and piscivorous cones highlighted the importance of the A and S superfamilies for fish hunting and defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Abalde
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Manuel J Tenorio
- Departamento CMIM y Q. Inorgánica-INBIO, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Carlos M L Afonso
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Rafael Zardoya
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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Kvetkina A, Leychenko E, Chausova V, Zelepuga E, Chernysheva N, Guzev K, Pislyagin E, Yurchenko E, Menchinskaya E, Aminin D, Kaluzhskiy L, Ivanov A, Peigneur S, Tytgat J, Kozlovskaya E, Isaeva M. A new multigene HCIQ subfamily from the sea anemone Heteractis crispa encodes Kunitz-peptides exhibiting neuroprotective activity against 6-hydroxydopamine. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4205. [PMID: 32144281 PMCID: PMC7060258 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61034-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Kunitz/BPTI-type peptides are ubiquitous in numerous organisms including marine venomous animals. The peptides demonstrate various biological activities and therefore they are the subject of a number of investigations. We have discovered a new HCIQ subfamily belonging to recently described multigene HCGS family of Heteractis crispa Kunitz-peptides. The uniqueness of this subfamily is that the HCIQ precursors contain a propeptide terminating in Lys-Arg (endopeptidase cleavage site) the same as in the neuro- and cytotoxin ones. Moreover, the HCIQ genes contain two introns in contrast to HCGS genes with one intron. As a result of Sanger and amplicon deep sequencings, 24 HCIQ isoforms were revealed. The recombinant peptides for the most prevalent isoform (HCIQ2c1) and for the isoform with the rare substitution Gly17Glu (HCIQ4c7) were obtained. They can inhibit trypsin with Ki 5.2 × 10-8 M and Ki 1.9 × 10-7 M, respectively, and interact with some serine proteinases including inflammatory ones according to the SPR method. For the first time, Kunitz-peptides have shown to significantly increase neuroblastoma cell viability in an in vitro 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity model being a consequence of an effective decrease of ROS level in the cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Kvetkina
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
| | - Elena Leychenko
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia.
| | - Victoria Chausova
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
| | - Elena Zelepuga
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
| | - Nadezhda Chernysheva
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
| | - Konstantin Guzev
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
| | - Evgeny Pislyagin
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Yurchenko
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Menchinskaya
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
| | - Dmitry Aminin
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Leonid Kaluzhskiy
- V.N. Orekhovich Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, 10, Pogodinskaya St., Moscow, 119121, Russia
| | - Alexis Ivanov
- V.N. Orekhovich Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, 10, Pogodinskaya St., Moscow, 119121, Russia
| | - Steve Peigneur
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N2, Herestraat 49, P.O. Box 922, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N2, Herestraat 49, P.O. Box 922, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium
| | - Emma Kozlovskaya
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
| | - Marina Isaeva
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia
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Rajabi H, Zolgharnein H, Ronagh MT, Amiri Moghaddam J, Crüsemann M. Conus coronatus and Conus frigidus Venom: A New Source of Conopeptides with Analgesic Activity. Avicenna J Med Biotechnol 2020; 12:179-185. [PMID: 32695281 PMCID: PMC7368110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cone snails are a natural source of complex peptides with analgesic properties called conotoxins. These peptides are secreted in a complex venomic mixture and are predominantly smaller than 5 kDa. The present study aimed to document the analgesic activity of two species of Conus coronatus (C. coronatus) and Conus frigidus (C. frigidus) venom collected off the Iranian coast in a mouse behavioral test. METHODS Conotoxin containing fractions was extracted from the venom ducts and initially purified by column chromatography. The analgesic effect of the fractions was determined on formalin pain model and hot-plate test. RESULTS The results led to the identification of four fractions with analgesic activity in C. coronatus and two in C. frigidus. Only one fraction was able to reduce the flinching and licking in both acute pain and chronic pain phases of the formalin test. Moreover, the activity of this fraction remained 30 minutes on the hot-plate test. Purification of the fractions was carried out by RP-HPLC. LC-ESI-MS analysis of the fractions showed that the conotoxins of the analgesic fraction had molecular weights not previously reported. CONCLUSION The findings give insight into the venom of two previously under-investigated Conus species and reveal the therapeutic potential of the containing conopeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halimeh Rajabi
- Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran,Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Khorramshahr, Iran,Corresponding author: Halimeh Rajabi, Ph.D., Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran, Tel: +98 9166313458, E-mail: ,
| | - Hossein Zolgharnein
- Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Khorramshahr, Iran
| | | | - Jamshid Amiri Moghaddam
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology- Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Max Crüsemann
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Venom Diversity and Evolution in the Most Divergent Cone Snail Genus Profundiconus. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11110623. [PMID: 31661832 PMCID: PMC6891753 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11110623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Profundiconus is the most divergent cone snail genus and its unique phylogenetic position, sister to the rest of the family Conidae, makes it a key taxon for examining venom evolution and diversity. Venom gland and foot transcriptomes of Profundiconus cf. vaubani and Profundiconus neocaledonicus were de novo assembled, annotated, and analyzed for differential expression. One hundred and thirty-seven venom components were identified from P. cf. vaubani and 82 from P. neocaledonicus, with only four shared by both species. The majority of the transcript diversity was composed of putative peptides, including conotoxins, profunditoxins, turripeptides, insulin, and prohormone-4. However, there were also a significant percentage of other putative venom components such as chymotrypsin and L-rhamnose-binding lectin. The large majority of conotoxins appeared to be from new gene superfamilies, three of which are highly different from previously reported venom peptide toxins. Their low conotoxin diversity and the type of insulin found suggested that these species, for which no ecological information are available, have a worm or molluscan diet associated with a narrow dietary breadth. Our results indicate that Profundiconus venom is highly distinct from that of other cone snails, and therefore important for examining venom evolution in the Conidae family.
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Spider Venom: Components, Modes of Action, and Novel Strategies in Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11100611. [PMID: 31652611 PMCID: PMC6832493 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11100611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This review gives an overview on the development of research on spider venoms with a focus on structure and function of venom components and techniques of analysis. Major venom component groups are small molecular mass compounds, antimicrobial (also called cytolytic, or cationic) peptides (only in some spider families), cysteine-rich (neurotoxic) peptides, and enzymes and proteins. Cysteine-rich peptides are reviewed with respect to various structural motifs, their targets (ion channels, membrane receptors), nomenclature, and molecular binding. We further describe the latest findings concerning the maturation of antimicrobial, and cysteine-rich peptides that are in most known cases expressed as propeptide-containing precursors. Today, venom research, increasingly employs transcriptomic and mass spectrometric techniques. Pros and cons of venom gland transcriptome analysis with Sanger, 454, and Illumina sequencing are discussed and an overview on so far published transcriptome studies is given. In this respect, we also discuss the only recently described cross contamination arising from multiplexing in Illumina sequencing and its possible impacts on venom studies. High throughput mass spectrometric analysis of venom proteomes (bottom-up, top-down) are reviewed.
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Jin AH, Muttenthaler M, Dutertre S, Himaya SWA, Kaas Q, Craik DJ, Lewis RJ, Alewood PF. Conotoxins: Chemistry and Biology. Chem Rev 2019; 119:11510-11549. [PMID: 31633928 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The venom of the marine predatory cone snails (genus Conus) has evolved for prey capture and defense, providing the basis for survival and rapid diversification of the now estimated 750+ species. A typical Conus venom contains hundreds to thousands of bioactive peptides known as conotoxins. These mostly disulfide-rich and well-structured peptides act on a wide range of targets such as ion channels, G protein-coupled receptors, transporters, and enzymes. Conotoxins are of interest to neuroscientists as well as drug developers due to their exquisite potency and selectivity, not just against prey but also mammalian targets, thereby providing a rich source of molecular probes and therapeutic leads. The rise of integrated venomics has accelerated conotoxin discovery with now well over 10,000 conotoxin sequences published. However, their structural and pharmacological characterization lags considerably behind. In this review, we highlight the diversity of new conotoxins uncovered since 2014, their three-dimensional structures and folds, novel chemical approaches to their syntheses, and their value as pharmacological tools to unravel complex biology. Additionally, we discuss challenges and future directions for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai-Hua Jin
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Markus Muttenthaler
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia.,Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry , University of Vienna , 1090 Vienna , Austria
| | - Sebastien Dutertre
- Département des Acides Amines, Peptides et Protéines, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5247, Université Montpellier 2-Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique , Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron , Place Eugène Bataillon , 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5 , France
| | - S W A Himaya
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Richard J Lewis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Paul F Alewood
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia
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Zazueta-Favela D, Donis-Maturano L, Licea-Navarro AF, Bernáldez-Sarabia J, Dan KWL, Cota-Arce JM, Escobedo G, De León-Nava MA. Marine peptides as immunomodulators: Californiconus californicus-derived synthetic conotoxins induce IL-10 production by regulatory T cells (CD4+Foxp3+). Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 2019; 41:463-468. [DOI: 10.1080/08923973.2019.1641114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Zazueta-Favela
- Department of Biomedical Innovation, Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California, Mexico
| | - Luis Donis-Maturano
- Department of Biomedical Innovation, Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California, Mexico
| | - Alexei F. Licea-Navarro
- Department of Biomedical Innovation, Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California, Mexico
| | - Johanna Bernáldez-Sarabia
- Department of Biomedical Innovation, Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California, Mexico
| | - Kee W. L. Dan
- Department of Biomedical Innovation, Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California, Mexico
| | - Julián M. Cota-Arce
- Department of Biomedical Innovation, Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California, Mexico
| | - Galileo Escobedo
- Laboratory for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Research Division, General Hospital of Mexico “Dr. Eduardo Liceaga”, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Marco A. De León-Nava
- Department of Biomedical Innovation, Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California, Mexico
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Yao G, Peng C, Zhu Y, Fan C, Jiang H, Chen J, Cao Y, Shi Q. High-Throughput Identification and Analysis of Novel Conotoxins from Three Vermivorous Cone Snails by Transcriptome Sequencing. Mar Drugs 2019; 17:md17030193. [PMID: 30917600 PMCID: PMC6471451 DOI: 10.3390/md17030193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The venom of each Conus species consists of a diverse array of neurophysiologically active peptides, which are mostly unique to the examined species. In this study, we performed high-throughput transcriptome sequencing to extract and analyze putative conotoxin transcripts from the venom ducts of 3 vermivorous cone snails (C. caracteristicus, C. generalis, and C. quercinus), which are resident in offshore waters of the South China Sea. In total, 118, 61, and 48 putative conotoxins (across 22 superfamilies) were identified from the 3 Conus species, respectively; most of them are novel, and some possess new cysteine patterns. Interestingly, a series of 45 unassigned conotoxins presented with a new framework of C-C-C-C-C-C, and their mature regions were sufficiently distinct from any other known conotoxins, most likely representing a new superfamily. O- and M-superfamily conotoxins were the most abundant in transcript number and transcription level, suggesting their critical roles in the venom functions of these vermivorous cone snails. In addition, we identified numerous functional proteins with potential involvement in the biosynthesis, modification, and delivery process of conotoxins, which may shed light on the fundamental mechanisms for the generation of these important conotoxins within the venom duct of cone snails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Yao
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing 102205, China.
| | - Chao Peng
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, BGI, Shenzhen 518083, China.
| | - Yabing Zhu
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.
| | - Chongxu Fan
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing 102205, China.
| | - Hui Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing 102205, China.
| | - Jisheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing 102205, China.
| | - Ying Cao
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing 102205, China.
| | - Qiong Shi
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, BGI, Shenzhen 518083, China.
- Laboratory of Aquatic Genomics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
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12
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Pekár S, Bočánek O, Michálek O, Petráková L, Haddad CR, Šedo O, Zdráhal Z. Venom gland size and venom complexity-essential trophic adaptations of venomous predators: A case study using spiders. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:4257-4269. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology; Faculty of Science; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Bočánek
- Central European Institute of Technology; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research; Faculty of Science; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Michálek
- Department of Botany and Zoology; Faculty of Science; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Petráková
- Department of Botany and Zoology; Faculty of Science; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Charles R. Haddad
- Department of Zoology & Entomology; University of the Free State; Bloemfontein South Africa
| | - Ondrej Šedo
- Central European Institute of Technology; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Zbyněk Zdráhal
- Central European Institute of Technology; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research; Faculty of Science; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
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13
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Möller C, Dovell S, Melaun C, Marí F. Definition of the R-superfamily of conotoxins: Structural convergence of helix-loop-helix peptidic scaffolds. Peptides 2018; 107:75-82. [PMID: 30040981 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The F14 conotoxins define a four-cysteine, three-loop conotoxin scaffold that produce tightly folded structures held together by two disulfide bonds with a CCCC arrangement (conotoxin framework 14). Here we describe the precursors of the F14 conotoxins from the venom of Conus anabathrum and Conus villepinii. Using transcriptomic and cDNA cloning analysis, the full-length of the precursors of flf14a and flf14b from the transcriptome of C. anabathrum revealed a unique signal sequence that defines the new conotoxin R-superfamily. Using the signal sequence as a primer, we cloned seven additional previously undescribed toxins of the R-superfamily from C. villepinii. The propeptide regions of the R-conotoxins are unusually long and with prevalent proline residues in repeating pentads which qualifies them as Pro-rich motifs (PRMs), which can be critical for protein-protein interactions or they can be cleaved to release short linear peptides that may be part of the envenomation mélange. Additionally, we determined the three-dimensional structure of vil14a by solution 1H-NMR and found that the structure of this conotoxin displays a cysteine-stabilized α-helix-loop-helix (Cs α/α) fold. The structure is well-defined over the helical regions (backbone RMSD for residues 2-13 and 17-26 is 0.63 ± 0.14 Å), with conformational flexibility in the triple Gly region of the second loop as well as the N- and C- termini. Structurally, the F14 conotoxins overlap with the Cs α/α scorpion toxins and other peptidic natural products, and in spite of their different exogenomic origins, there is convergence into this scaffold from several classes of living organisms that express these peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Möller
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991, USA
| | - Sanaz Dovell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991, USA
| | - Christian Melaun
- Justus Liebig Universität Giessen, Institut für Allg. Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Giessen, Germany
| | - Frank Marí
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991, USA; Marine Biochemical Sciences, Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
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14
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Vijayasarathy M, Basheer SM, Balaram P. Cone Snail Glutaminyl Cyclase Sequences from Transcriptomic Analysis and Mass Spectrometric Characterization of Two Pyroglutamyl Conotoxins. J Proteome Res 2018; 17:2695-2703. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.8b00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marimuthu Vijayasarathy
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore 560065, India
| | - Soorej M. Basheer
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
- Department of Molecular Biology, Kannur University, Nileshwaram Campus, Kasargod 671314, Kerala, India
| | - Padmanabhan Balaram
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore 560065, India
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15
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Green BR, Olivera BM. Venom Peptides From Cone Snails: Pharmacological Probes for Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2016; 78:65-86. [PMID: 27586281 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The venoms of cone snails provide a rich source of neuroactive peptides (conotoxins). Several venom peptide families have been identified that are either agonists (ι- and δ-conotoxins) or antagonists (μ- and μO-conotoxins) of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs). Members of these conotoxin classes have been integral in identifying and characterizing specific neurotoxin binding sites on the channel. Furthermore, given the specificity of some of these peptides for one sodium channel subtype over another, conotoxins have also proven useful in exploring differences between VGSC subtypes. This chapter summarizes the current knowledge of the structure and function based on the results of conotoxin interactions with VGSCs and correlates the peptides with the phylogeny of the Conus species from which they were derived.
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Affiliation(s)
- B R Green
- University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - B M Olivera
- University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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16
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Phuong MA, Mahardika GN, Alfaro ME. Dietary breadth is positively correlated with venom complexity in cone snails. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:401. [PMID: 27229931 PMCID: PMC4880860 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2755-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although diet is believed to be a major factor underlying the evolution of venom, few comparative studies examine both venom composition and diet across a radiation of venomous species. Cone snails within the family, Conidae, comprise more than 700 species of carnivorous marine snails that capture their prey by using a cocktail of venomous neurotoxins (conotoxins or conopeptides). Venom composition across species has been previously hypothesized to be shaped by (a) prey taxonomic class (i.e., worms, molluscs, or fish) and (b) dietary breadth. We tested these hypotheses under a comparative phylogenetic framework using ecological data from past studies in conjunction with venom duct transcriptomes sequenced from 12 phylogenetically disparate cone snail species, including 10 vermivores (worm-eating), one molluscivore, and one generalist. RESULTS We discovered 2223 unique conotoxin precursor peptides that encoded 1864 unique mature toxins across all species, >90 % of which are new to this study. In addition, we identified two novel gene superfamilies and 16 novel cysteine frameworks. Each species exhibited unique venom profiles, with venom composition and expression patterns among species dominated by a restricted set of gene superfamilies and mature toxins. In contrast with the dominant paradigm for interpreting Conidae venom evolution, prey taxonomic class did not predict venom composition patterns among species. We also found a significant positive relationship between dietary breadth and measures of conotoxin complexity. CONCLUSIONS The poor performance of prey taxonomic class in predicting venom components suggests that cone snails have either evolved species-specific expression patterns likely as a consequence of the rapid evolution of conotoxin genes, or that traditional means of categorizing prey type (i.e., worms, mollusc, or fish) and conotoxins (i.e., by gene superfamily) do not accurately encapsulate evolutionary dynamics between diet and venom composition. We also show that species with more generalized diets tend to have more complex venoms and utilize a greater number of venom genes for prey capture. Whether this increased gene diversity confers an increased capacity for evolutionary change remains to be tested. Overall, our results corroborate the key role of diet in influencing patterns of venom evolution in cone snails and other venomous radiations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Phuong
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Gusti N Mahardika
- Animal Biomedical and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Udayana University Bali, Jl Sesetan-Markisa 6, Denpasar, Bali, 80225, Indonesia
| | - Michael E Alfaro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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17
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De León-Nava MA, Romero-Núñez E, Luna-Nophal A, Bernáldez-Sarabia J, Sánchez-Campos LN, Licea-Navarro AF, Morales-Montor J, Muñiz-Hernández S. In Vitro Effect of the Synthetic cal14.1a Conotoxin, Derived from Conus californicus, on the Human Parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Mar Drugs 2016; 14:md14040066. [PMID: 27070627 PMCID: PMC4849070 DOI: 10.3390/md14040066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxins that are secreted by cone snails are small peptides that are used to treat several diseases. However, their effects on parasites with human and veterinary significance are unknown. Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic parasite that affects approximately 30% of the world’s population and can be lethal in immunologically compromised individuals. The conventional treatment for this parasitic infection has remained the same since the 1950s, and its efficacy is limited to the acute phase of infection. These findings have necessitated the search for new drugs that specifically target T. gondii. We examined the effects of the synthetic toxin cal14.1a (s-cal14.1a) from C. californicus on the tachyzoite form of T. gondii. Our results indicate that, at micromolar concentrations, s-cal14.1a lowers viability and inhibits host cell invasion (by 50% and 61%, respectively) on exposure to extracellular parasites. Further, intracellular replication decreased significantly while viability of the host cell was unaffected. Our study is the first report on the antiparasitic activity of a synthetic toxin of C. californicus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco A De León-Nava
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California, C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Eunice Romero-Núñez
- Subdirección de Investigación Básica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Secretaría de Salud, San Fernando No. 22, Col. Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Ciudad de Mexico, C.P. 14080, Mexico.
| | - Angélica Luna-Nophal
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico; Ciudad de Mexico, C.P. 04510, Mexico.
| | - Johanna Bernáldez-Sarabia
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California, C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Liliana N Sánchez-Campos
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California, C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Alexei F Licea-Navarro
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California, C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Jorge Morales-Montor
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico; Ciudad de Mexico, C.P. 04510, Mexico.
| | - Saé Muñiz-Hernández
- Subdirección de Investigación Básica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Secretaría de Salud, San Fernando No. 22, Col. Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Ciudad de Mexico, C.P. 14080, Mexico.
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18
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Figueroa-Montiel A, Ramos MA, Mares RE, Dueñas S, Pimienta G, Ortiz E, Possani LD, Licea-Navarro AF. In Silico Identification of Protein Disulfide Isomerase Gene Families in the De Novo Assembled Transcriptomes of Four Different Species of the Genus Conus. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0148390. [PMID: 26859138 PMCID: PMC4747531 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 01/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Small peptides isolated from the venom of the marine snails belonging to the genus Conus have been largely studied because of their therapeutic value. These peptides can be classified in two groups. The largest one is composed by peptides rich in disulfide bonds, and referred to as conotoxins. Despite the importance of conotoxins given their pharmacology value, little is known about the protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) enzymes that are required to catalyze their correct folding. To discover the PDIs that may participate in the folding and structural maturation of conotoxins, the transcriptomes of the venom duct of four different species of Conus from the peninsula of Baja California (Mexico) were assembled. Complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries were constructed for each species and sequenced using a Genome Analyzer Illumina platform. The raw RNA-seq data was converted into transcript sequences using Trinity, a de novo assembler that allows the grouping of reads into contigs without a reference genome. An N50 value of 605 was established as a reference for future assemblies of Conus transcriptomes using this software. Transdecoder was used to extract likely coding sequences from Trinity transcripts, and PDI-specific sequence motif "APWCGHCK" was used to capture potential PDIs. An in silico analysis was performed to characterize the group of PDI protein sequences encoded by the duct-transcriptome of each species. The computational approach entailed a structural homology characterization, based on the presence of functional Thioredoxin-like domains. Four different PDI families were characterized, which are constituted by a total of 41 different gene sequences. The sequences had an average of 65% identity with other PDIs. Using MODELLER 9.14, the homology-based three-dimensional structure prediction of a subset of the sequences reported, showed the expected thioredoxin fold which was confirmed by a "simulated annealing" method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Figueroa-Montiel
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Superiores de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Baja California, México
| | - Marco A. Ramos
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Tijuana, Baja California, México
| | - Rosa E. Mares
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Tijuana, Baja California, México
| | - Salvador Dueñas
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Superiores de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Baja California, México
| | - Genaro Pimienta
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Superiores de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Baja California, México
| | - Ernesto Ortiz
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Lourival D. Possani
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Alexei F. Licea-Navarro
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Superiores de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Baja California, México
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Barghi N, Concepcion GP, Olivera BM, Lluisma AO. Structural features of conopeptide genes inferred from partial sequences of the Conus tribblei genome. Mol Genet Genomics 2015; 291:411-22. [PMID: 26423067 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-015-1119-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The evolvability of venom components (in particular, the gene-encoded peptide toxins) in venomous species serves as an adaptive strategy allowing them to target new prey types or respond to changes in the prey field. The structure, organization, and expression of the venom peptide genes may provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that drive the evolution of such genes. Conus is a particularly interesting group given the high chemical diversity of their venom peptides, and the rapid evolution of the conopeptide-encoding genes. Conus genomes, however, are large and characterized by a high proportion of repetitive sequences. As a result, the structure and organization of conopeptide genes have remained poorly known. In this study, a survey of the genome of Conus tribblei was undertaken to address this gap. A partial assembly of C. tribblei genome was generated; the assembly, though consisting of a large number of fragments, accounted for 2160.5 Mb of sequence. A large number of repetitive genomic elements consisting of 642.6 Mb of retrotransposable elements, simple repeats, and novel interspersed repeats were observed. We characterized the structural organization and distribution of conotoxin genes in the genome. A significant number of conopeptide genes (estimated to be between 148 and 193) belonging to different superfamilies with complete or nearly complete exon regions were observed, ~60 % of which were expressed. The unexpressed conopeptide genes represent hidden but significant conotoxin diversity. The conotoxin genes also differed in the frequency and length of the introns. The interruption of exons by long introns in the conopeptide genes and the presence of repeats in the introns may indicate the importance of introns in facilitating recombination, evolution and diversification of conotoxins. These findings advance our understanding of the structural framework that promotes the gene-level molecular evolution of venom peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Barghi
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines-Diliman, 1101, Quezon City, Philippines.,Institut für Populationsgenetik, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gisela P Concepcion
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines-Diliman, 1101, Quezon City, Philippines.,Philippine Genome Center, University of the Philippines, 1101, Quezon City, Philippines
| | | | - Arturo O Lluisma
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines-Diliman, 1101, Quezon City, Philippines. .,Philippine Genome Center, University of the Philippines, 1101, Quezon City, Philippines.
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20
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Optimized deep-targeted proteotranscriptomic profiling reveals unexplored Conus toxin diversity and novel cysteine frameworks. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E3782-91. [PMID: 26150494 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1501334112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cone snails are predatory marine gastropods characterized by a sophisticated venom apparatus responsible for the biosynthesis and delivery of complex mixtures of cysteine-rich toxin peptides. These conotoxins fold into small highly structured frameworks, allowing them to potently and selectively interact with heterologous ion channels and receptors. Approximately 2,000 toxins from an estimated number of >70,000 bioactive peptides have been identified in the genus Conus to date. Here, we describe a high-resolution interrogation of the transcriptomes (available at www.ddbj.nig.ac.jp) and proteomes of the diverse compartments of the Conus episcopatus venom apparatus. Using biochemical and bioinformatic tools, we found the highest number of conopeptides yet discovered in a single Conus specimen, with 3,305 novel precursor toxin sequences classified into 9 known superfamilies (A, I1, I2, M, O1, O2, S, T, Z), and identified 16 new superfamilies showing unique signal peptide signatures. We were also able to depict the largest population of venom peptides containing the pharmacologically active C-C-CC-C-C inhibitor cystine knot and CC-C-C motifs (168 and 44 toxins, respectively), as well as 208 new conotoxins displaying odd numbers of cysteine residues derived from known conotoxin motifs. Importantly, six novel cysteine-rich frameworks were revealed which may have novel pharmacology. Finally, analyses of codon usage bias and RNA-editing processes of the conotoxin transcripts demonstrate a specific conservation of the cysteine skeleton at the nucleic acid level and provide new insights about the origin of sequence hypervariablity in mature toxin regions.
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21
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Barghi N, Concepcion GP, Olivera BM, Lluisma AO. Comparison of the Venom Peptides and Their Expression in Closely Related Conus Species: Insights into Adaptive Post-speciation Evolution of Conus Exogenomes. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:1797-814. [PMID: 26047846 PMCID: PMC4494072 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [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: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Genes that encode products with exogenous targets, which comprise an organism's "exogenome," typically exhibit high rates of evolution. The genes encoding the venom peptides (conotoxins or conopeptides) in Conus sensu lato exemplify this class of genes. Their rapid diversification has been established and is believed to be linked to the high speciation rate in this genus. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie venom peptide diversification and ultimately emergence of new species remain poorly understood. In this study, the sequences and expression levels of conotoxins from several specimens of two closely related worm-hunting species, Conus tribblei and Conus lenavati, were compared through transcriptome analysis. Majority of the identified putative conopeptides were novel, and their diversity, even in each specimen, was remarkably high suggesting a wide range of prey targets for these species. Comparison of the interspecific expression patterns of conopeptides at the superfamily level resulted in the discovery of both conserved as well as species-specific expression patterns, indicating divergence in the regulatory network affecting conotoxin gene expression. Comparison of the transcriptomes of the individual snails revealed that each specimen produces a distinct set of highly expressed conopeptides, reflecting the capability of individual snails to fine-tune the composition of their venoms. These observations reflect the role of sequence divergence and divergence in the control of expression for specific conopeptides in the evolution of the exogenome and hence venom composition in Conus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Barghi
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Gisela P Concepcion
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines Philippine Genome Center, University of the Philippines, Quezon City, Philippines
| | | | - Arturo O Lluisma
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines Philippine Genome Center, University of the Philippines, Quezon City, Philippines
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22
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Zhou M, Wang L, Wu Y, Liu J, Sun D, Zhu X, Feng Y, Qin M, Chen S, Xu A. Soluble expression and sodium channel activity of lt16a, a novel framework XVI conotoxin from the M-superfamily. Toxicon 2015; 98:5-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2015.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Revised: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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23
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Puillandre N, Duda TF, Meyer C, Olivera BM, Bouchet P. One, four or 100 genera? A new classification of the cone snails. THE JOURNAL OF MOLLUSCAN STUDIES 2015; 81:1-23. [PMID: 26300576 PMCID: PMC4541476 DOI: 10.1093/mollus/eyu055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We present a new classification for the genus Conus sensu lato (family Conidae), based on molecular phylogenetic analyses of 329 species. This classification departs from both the traditional classification in only one genus and from a recently proposed shell- and radula-based classification scheme that separates members of this group into five families and 115 genera. Roughly 140 genus-group names are available for Recent cone snails. We propose to place all cone snails within a single family (Conidae) containing four genera-Conus, Conasprella, Profundiconus and Californiconus (with Conus alone encompassing about 85% of known species)-based on the clear separation of cone snails into four distinct and well-supported groups/lineages in molecular phylogenetic analyses. Within Conus and Conasprella, we recognize 57 and 11 subgenera, respectively, that represent well-supported subgroupings within these genera, which we interpret as evidence of intrageneric distinctiveness. We allocate the 803 Recent species of Conidae listed as valid in the World Register of Marine Species into these four genera and 71 subgenera, with an estimate of the confidence for placement of species in these taxonomic categories based on whether molecular or radula and/or shell data were used in these determinations. Our proposed classification effectively departs from previous schemes by (1) limiting the number of accepted genera, (2) retaining the majority of species within the genus Conus and (3) assigning members of these genera to species groups/subgenera to enable the effective communication of these groups, all of which we hope will encourage acceptance of this scheme.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Puillandre
- Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Departement Systematique et Evolution, ISyEB Institut (UMR 7205 CNRS/UPMC/MNHN/EPHE), 43, Rue Cuvier, Paris 75231, France
| | - T. F. Duda
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, 1109 Geddes Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - C. Meyer
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - B. M. Olivera
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - P. Bouchet
- Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Departement Systematique et Evolution, ISyEB Institut (UMR 7205 CNRS/UPMC/MNHN/EPHE), 55, Rue Buffon, Paris 75231, France
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Barghi N, Concepcion GP, Olivera BM, Lluisma AO. High conopeptide diversity in Conus tribblei revealed through analysis of venom duct transcriptome using two high-throughput sequencing platforms. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2015; 17:81-98. [PMID: 25117477 PMCID: PMC4501261 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-014-9595-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The venom of each species of Conus contains different kinds of pharmacologically active peptides which are mostly unique to that species. Collectively, the ~500-700 species of Conus produce a large number of these peptides, perhaps exceeding 140,000 different types in total. To date, however, only a small fraction of this diversity has been characterized via transcriptome sequencing. In addition, the sampling of this chemical diversity has not been uniform across the different lineages in the genus. In this study, we used high-throughput transcriptome sequencing approach to further investigate the diversity of Conus venom peptides. We chose a species, Conus tribblei, as a representative of a poorly studied clade of Conus. Using the Roche 454 and Illumina platforms, we discovered 136 unique and novel putative conopeptides belonging to 30 known gene superfamilies and 6 new conopeptide groups, the greatest diversity so far observed from a transcriptome. Most of the identified peptides exhibited divergence from the known conopeptides, and some contained cysteine frameworks observed for the first time in cone snails. In addition, several enzymes involved in posttranslational modification of conopeptides and also some proteins involved in efficient delivery of the conopeptides to prey were identified as well. Interestingly, a number of conopeptides highly similar to the conopeptides identified in a phylogenetically distant species, the generalist feeder Conus californicus, were observed. The high diversity of conopeptides and the presence of conopeptides similar to those in C. californicus suggest that C. tribblei may have a broad range of prey preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Barghi
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Quezon City, Philippines
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Conotoxin gene superfamilies. Mar Drugs 2014; 12:6058-101. [PMID: 25522317 PMCID: PMC4278219 DOI: 10.3390/md12126058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 11/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Conotoxins are the peptidic components of the venoms of marine cone snails (genus Conus). They are remarkably diverse in terms of structure and function. Unique potency and selectivity profiles for a range of neuronal targets have made several conotoxins valuable as research tools, drug leads and even therapeutics, and has resulted in a concerted and increasing drive to identify and characterise new conotoxins. Conotoxins are translated from mRNA as peptide precursors, and cDNA sequencing is now the primary method for identification of new conotoxin sequences. As a result, gene superfamily, a classification based on precursor signal peptide identity, has become the most convenient method of conotoxin classification. Here we review each of the described conotoxin gene superfamilies, with a focus on the structural and functional diversity present in each. This review is intended to serve as a practical guide to conotoxin superfamilies and to facilitate interpretation of the increasing number of conotoxin precursor sequences being identified by targeted-cDNA sequencing and more recently high-throughput transcriptome sequencing.
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Characterization of a T-superfamily conotoxin TxVC from Conus textile that selectively targets neuronal nAChR subtypes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2014; 454:151-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.10.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 10/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Rong M, Yang S, Wen B, Mo G, Kang D, Liu J, Lin Z, Jiang W, Li B, Du C, Yang S, Jiang H, Feng Q, Xu X, Wang J, Lai R. Peptidomics combined with cDNA library unravel the diversity of centipede venom. J Proteomics 2014; 114:28-37. [PMID: 25449838 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2014.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Centipedes are one of the oldest venomous arthropods using toxin as their weapon to capture prey. But little attention was focused on them and only few centipede toxins were demonstrated with activity on ion channels. Therefore, more deep works are needed to understand the diversity of centipede venom. In the present study, we use peptidomics combined with cDNA library to uncover the diversity of centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L. Koch. 192 peptides were identified by LC-MS/MS and 79 precursors were deduced by cDNA library. Surprisingly, the signal peptides of centipede toxins were more complicated than any other animal toxins and even exhibited large differences in homologues. Meanwhile, a large number of variants generated by alternative cleavage sites were detected by mass spectra. Odd number of cystein (3, 5, 7) found in the mature peptides were seldom seen in peptide toxins. In additional, two novel cysteine frameworks (C-C-C-CCC, C-C-C-C-CC-CC) were identified from 16 different cysteine frameworks from centipede peptides. Only 29 precursors have clear targets, while others may provide a potential diversity function for centipede. These findings highlight the extensive diversity of centipede toxins and provide powerful tools to understand the capture and defense weapon of centipede. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE Peptide toxins from venomous animal have attracted increasing attentions due to their extraordinary chemical and pharmacological diversity. Centipedes are one of the most used Chinese traditional medicines, but little was known about the active components. The venom of Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L. Koch is first deeply analyzed in this work and most of peptides were never discovered before. Interestingly, the number and arrangement of cysteine showed a larger different to known peptide toxins such spider or scorpion toxins. Moreover, only 29 peptides from this centipede venom were identified with known function. It suggested that our work not only important to understand the composition of centipede venom, but also provide many valuable peptides for potential biological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingqiang Rong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Shilong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Bo Wen
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Guoxiang Mo
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, Jiangshu 210095, China
| | - Di Kang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
| | | | - Wenbin Jiang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Bowen Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
| | | | - Shuanjuan Yang
- Kunming Biological Diversity Regional Center of Large Apparatuses and Equipment, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Hui Jiang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Qiang Feng
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; Kunming Biological Diversity Regional Center of Large Apparatuses and Equipment, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Xun Xu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Jun Wang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; Kunming Biological Diversity Regional Center of Large Apparatuses and Equipment, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China; Princess Al Jawhara Center of Excellence in the Research of Hereditary Disorders, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Ren Lai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China.
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Tabaraki N, Shahbazzadeh D, Moradi AM, Vosughi G, Mostafavi PG. Analgesic effect of Persian Gulf Conus textile venom. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES 2014; 17:793-7. [PMID: 25729549 PMCID: PMC4340988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cone snails are estimated to consist of up to 700 species. The venom of these snails has yielded a rich source of novel peptides. This study was aimed to study the analgesic effect of Persian Gulf Conus textile and its comparison with morphine in mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Samples were collected in Larak Island. The venom ducts were Isolated and kept on ice then homogenized. The mixture centrifuged at 10000 × g for 20 min. Supernatant was considered as extracted venom. The protein profile of venom determined using 15% sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Venom was administered intraperitoneally (IP) to evaluate the LD50 in Swiss albino mice. Different concentrations of Conus textile venom were injected intrathecally to mice to evaluate their analgesic effect in comparison to morphine. Injection was carried out between the L5 and L6 vertebrae. Differences between groups in the first and second phase were tested with Two-Way analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS SDS-PAGE indicated 12 bands ranged between 6 and 180 KDa. Finally, ten ng of Conus crude venom showed the best analgesic activity in formalin test. No death observed up to 100 mg/kg. Analgesic activity of crude venom was more significant (P<0.05) in acute pain than inflammatory pain. The analgesic effect of 10 ng Conus venom was the same as morphine for reduction of inflammatory pain (P=0.27). CONCLUSION The venom of Persian Gulf Conus textile contains an analgesic component for reliving of acute pain which can lead to find an analgesic drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasim Tabaraki
- Department of Marine Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAU), Tehran, Iran
| | - Delavar Shahbazzadeh
- Biotechnology Research Center, Department of Medical Biotechnology, Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran Iran
| | - Ali Mashinchian Moradi
- Department of Marine Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAU), Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholamhossein Vosughi
- Department of Marine Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAU), Tehran, Iran
| | - Pargol Ghavam Mostafavi
- Department of Marine Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAU), Tehran, Iran,Corresponding author: Pargol Ghavam Mostafavi, Department of Marine Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAU), Tehran, Iran. Tel/fax: +98-21-44865737;
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Meng E, Cai TF, Zhang H, Tang S, Li MJ, Li WY, Huang PF, Liu K, Wu L, Zhu LY, Liu L, Peng K, Dai XD, Jiang H, Zeng XZ, Liang SP, Zhang DY. Screening for voltage-gated sodium channel interacting peptides. Sci Rep 2014; 4:4569. [PMID: 24691553 PMCID: PMC3972499 DOI: 10.1038/srep04569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) interacting peptide is of special interest for both basic research and pharmaceutical purposes. In this study, we established a yeast-two-hybrid based strategy to detect the interaction(s) between neurotoxic peptide and the extracellular region of VGSC. Using a previously reported neurotoxin JZTX-III as a model molecule, we demonstrated that the interactions between JZTX-III and the extracellular regions of its target hNav1.5 are detectable and the detected interactions are directly related to its activity. We further applied this strategy to the screening of VGSC interacting peptides. Using the extracellular region of hNav1.5 as the bait, we identified a novel sodium channel inhibitor SSCM-1 from a random peptide library. This peptide selectively inhibits hNav1.5 currents in the whole-cell patch clamp assays. This strategy might be used for the large scale screening for target-specific interacting peptides of VGSCs or other ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Er Meng
- 1] State Key Laboratory of High Performance Computing, Research Center of Biological Information, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, China [2]
| | - Tian-Fu Cai
- 1] Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China [2]
| | - Hui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Si Tang
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Meng-Jie Li
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Wen-Ying Li
- State Key Laboratory of High Performance Computing, Research Center of Biological Information, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, China
| | - Peng-Fei Huang
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Kai Liu
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Lei Wu
- State Key Laboratory of High Performance Computing, Research Center of Biological Information, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, China
| | - Ling-Yun Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of High Performance Computing, Research Center of Biological Information, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, China
| | - Long Liu
- State Key Laboratory of High Performance Computing, Research Center of Biological Information, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, China
| | - Kuan Peng
- Core Facilities of Biotechnology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, China
| | - Xian-Dong Dai
- Beijing Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Beijing 102205, China
| | - Hui Jiang
- Beijing Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Beijing 102205, China
| | - Xiong-Zhi Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Song-Ping Liang
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Dong-Yi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of High Performance Computing, Research Center of Biological Information, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, China
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Sadhasivam G, Muthuvel A, Rajasekaran R, Pachaiyappan A, Thangavel B. Studies on biochemical and biomedical properties of Conus betulinus venom. ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TROPICAL DISEASE 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/s2222-1808(14)60423-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Molecular evolution and diversity of Conus peptide toxins, as revealed by gene structure and intron sequence analyses. PLoS One 2013; 8:e82495. [PMID: 24349297 PMCID: PMC3862624 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cone snails, which are predatory marine gastropods, produce a cocktail of venoms used for predation, defense and competition. The major venom component, conotoxin, has received significant attention because it is useful in neuroscience research, drug development and molecular diversity studies. In this study, we report the genomic characterization of nine conotoxin gene superfamilies from 18 Conus species and investigate the relationships among conotoxin gene structure, molecular evolution and diversity. The I1, I2, M, O2, O3, P, S, and T superfamily precursors all contain three exons and two introns, while A superfamily members contain two exons and one intron. The introns are conserved within a certain gene superfamily, and also conserved across different Conus species, but divergent among different superfamilies. The intronic sequences contain many simple repeat sequences and regulatory elements that may influence conotoxin gene expression. Furthermore, due to the unique gene structure of conotoxins, the base substitution rates and the number of positively selected sites vary greatly among exons. Many more point mutations and trinucleotide indels were observed in the mature peptide exon than in the other exons. In addition, the first example of alternative splicing in conotoxin genes was found. These results suggest that the diversity of conotoxin genes has been shaped by point mutations and indels, as well as rare gene recombination or alternative splicing events, and that the unique gene structures could have made a contribution to the evolution of conotoxin genes.
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Incorporation of post-translational modified amino acids as an approach to increase both chemical and biological diversity of conotoxins and conopeptides. Amino Acids 2013; 46:125-51. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-013-1606-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Zhou M, Wang L, Wu Y, Zhu X, Feng Y, Chen Z, Li Y, Sun D, Ren Z, Xu A. Characterizing the evolution and functions of the M-superfamily conotoxins. Toxicon 2013; 76:150-9. [PMID: 24080356 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2013.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2013] [Revised: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 09/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Conotoxins from cone snails are valuable in physiology research and therapeutic applications. Evolutionary mechanisms of conotoxins have been investigated in several superfamilies, but there is no phylogenetic analysis on M-superfamily conotoxins. In this study, we characterized identical sequences, gene structure, novel cysteine frameworks, functions and evolutionary mechanisms of M-superfamily conotoxins. Identical M-superfamily conotoxins can be found in different Conus species from the analysis of novel 467 M-superfamily conotoxin sequences and other published M-superfamily conotoxins sequences. M-superfamily conotoxin genes consist of two introns and three exons from the results of genome walking. Eighteen cysteine frameworks were identified from the M-superfamily conotoxins, and 10 of the 18 may be generated from framework III. An analysis between diet types and phylogeny of the M-superfamily conotoxins indicate that M-superfamily conotoxins might not evolve in a concerted manner but were subject to birth-and-death evolution. Codon usage analysis shows that position-specific codon conservation is not restricted to cysteines, but also to other conserved residues. By analysing primary structures and physiological functions of M-superfamily conotoxins, we proposed a hypothesis that insertions and deletions, especially insertions in the third cysteine loop, are involved in the creation of new functions and structures of the M-superfamily conotoxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maojun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, National Engineering Research Center of South China Sea Marine Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China
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Protease inhibitors from marine venomous animals and their counterparts in terrestrial venomous animals. Mar Drugs 2013; 11:2069-112. [PMID: 23771044 PMCID: PMC3721222 DOI: 10.3390/md11062069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2013] [Revised: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The Kunitz-type protease inhibitors are the best-characterized family of serine protease inhibitors, probably due to their abundance in several organisms. These inhibitors consist of a chain of ~60 amino acid residues stabilized by three disulfide bridges, and was first observed in the bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI)-like protease inhibitors, which strongly inhibit trypsin and chymotrypsin. In this review we present the protease inhibitors (PIs) described to date from marine venomous animals, such as from sea anemone extracts and Conus venom, as well as their counterparts in terrestrial venomous animals, such as snakes, scorpions, spiders, Anurans, and Hymenopterans. More emphasis was given to the Kunitz-type inhibitors, once they are found in all these organisms. Their biological sources, specificity against different proteases, and other molecular blanks (being also K+ channel blockers) are presented, followed by their molecular diversity. Whereas sea anemone, snakes and other venomous animals present mainly Kunitz-type inhibitors, PIs from Anurans present the major variety in structure length and number of Cys residues, with at least six distinguishable classes. A representative alignment of PIs from these venomous animals shows that, despite eventual differences in Cys assignment, the key-residues for the protease inhibitory activity in all of them occupy similar positions in primary sequence. The key-residues for the K+ channel blocking activity was also compared.
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Cervantes-Luevano KE, Bernaldez J, Licea A. Effect of two synthetic disulfide bond variants of a 13-mer toxin from Conus californicus on the transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by LPS. Toxicon 2013; 70:82-5. [PMID: 23624384 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2013.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2012] [Revised: 04/13/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This study presents the effects of two synthetic disulfide bond variants of cal16b, a 13-mer Ca²⁺ channel blocker conotoxin, on pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine gene transcription in the murine macrophage-like cell line J774A.1 stimulated with LPS. The globular form (cal16b_1) acted as an anti-inflammatory agent; in contrast, the ribbon disulfide variant (cal16b_2) had a pro-inflammatory effect. Our results suggest that the pro- and anti-inflammatory effects are mediated by the three-dimensional structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- K E Cervantes-Luevano
- Marine Science Faculty, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California-UABC, Km 103, Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, CP. 22800 Ensenada, B.C., México
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Bernáldez J, Román-González SA, Martínez O, Jiménez S, Vivas O, Arenas I, Corzo G, Arreguín R, García DE, Possani LD, Licea A. A Conus regularis conotoxin with a novel eight-cysteine framework inhibits CaV2.2 channels and displays an anti-nociceptive activity. Mar Drugs 2013; 11:1188-202. [PMID: 23567319 PMCID: PMC3705398 DOI: 10.3390/md11041188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2013] [Revised: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 03/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel peptide, RsXXIVA, was isolated from the venom duct of Conus regularis, a worm-hunting species collected in the Sea of Cortez, México. Its primary structure was determined by mass spectrometry and confirmed by automated Edman degradation. This conotoxin contains 40 amino acids and exhibits a novel arrangement of eight cysteine residues (C-C-C-C-CC-CC). Surprisingly, two loops of the novel peptide are highly identical to the amino acids sequence of ω-MVIIA. The total length and disulfide pairing of both peptides are quite different, although the two most important residues for the described function of ω-MVIIA (Lys2 and Tyr13) are also present in the peptide reported here. Electrophysiological analysis using superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons indicates that RsXXIVA inhibits CaV2.2 channel current in a dose-dependent manner with an EC50 of 2.8 μM, whose effect is partially reversed after washing. Furthermore, RsXXIVA was tested in hot-plate assays to measure the potential anti-nociceptive effect to an acute thermal stimulus, showing an analgesic effect in acute thermal pain at 30 and 45 min post-injection. Also, the toxin shows an anti-nociceptive effect in a formalin chronic pain test. However, the low affinity for CaV2.2 suggests that the primary target of the peptide could be different from that of ω-MVIIA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Bernáldez
- Molecular Immunology and Biotoxins Laboratory, Marine Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research and High Education Center from Ensenada (CICESE), Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana #3918, Zona Playitas, Ensenada 22860, Mexico; E-Mails: (J.B.); (O.M.); (S.J.)
| | - Sergio A. Román-González
- Chemistry Biomacromolecules Department, Chemistry Institute, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Av. Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria, PO BOX 70-213, D.F. 04510, Mexico; E-Mails: (S.A.R.-G.); (R.A.)
| | - Oscar Martínez
- Molecular Immunology and Biotoxins Laboratory, Marine Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research and High Education Center from Ensenada (CICESE), Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana #3918, Zona Playitas, Ensenada 22860, Mexico; E-Mails: (J.B.); (O.M.); (S.J.)
| | - Samanta Jiménez
- Molecular Immunology and Biotoxins Laboratory, Marine Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research and High Education Center from Ensenada (CICESE), Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana #3918, Zona Playitas, Ensenada 22860, Mexico; E-Mails: (J.B.); (O.M.); (S.J.)
| | - Oscar Vivas
- Physiology Department, Medicine Faculty, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Av. Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria, PO BOX 70-250, D.F. 04510, Mexico; E-Mails: (O.V.); (I.A.); (D.E.G.)
| | - Isabel Arenas
- Physiology Department, Medicine Faculty, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Av. Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria, PO BOX 70-250, D.F. 04510, Mexico; E-Mails: (O.V.); (I.A.); (D.E.G.)
| | - Gerardo Corzo
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Bioprocesses, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Av. Universidad 2001, C.P. 510-3, Cuernavaca 61500, Mexico; E-Mails: (G.C.); (L.D.P.)
| | - Roberto Arreguín
- Chemistry Biomacromolecules Department, Chemistry Institute, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Av. Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria, PO BOX 70-213, D.F. 04510, Mexico; E-Mails: (S.A.R.-G.); (R.A.)
| | - David E. García
- Physiology Department, Medicine Faculty, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Av. Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria, PO BOX 70-250, D.F. 04510, Mexico; E-Mails: (O.V.); (I.A.); (D.E.G.)
| | - Lourival D. Possani
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Bioprocesses, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Av. Universidad 2001, C.P. 510-3, Cuernavaca 61500, Mexico; E-Mails: (G.C.); (L.D.P.)
| | - Alexei Licea
- Molecular Immunology and Biotoxins Laboratory, Marine Biotechnology Department, Scientific Research and High Education Center from Ensenada (CICESE), Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana #3918, Zona Playitas, Ensenada 22860, Mexico; E-Mails: (J.B.); (O.M.); (S.J.)
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel./Fax: +52-646-1750-500 (ext. 27201)
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Peigneur S, Van Der Haegen A, Möller C, Waelkens E, Diego-García E, Marí F, Naudé R, Tytgat J. Unraveling the peptidome of the South African cone snails Conus pictus and Conus natalis. Peptides 2013; 41:8-16. [PMID: 22776330 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2012.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Revised: 07/02/2012] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Venoms from cone snails (genus Conus) can be seen as an untapped cocktail of biologically active compounds, being increasingly recognized as an emerging source of peptide-based therapeutics. Cone snails are considered to be specialized predators that have evolved the most sophisticated peptide chemistry and neuropharmacology system for their own biological purposes by producing venoms which contains a structural and functional diversity of neurotoxins. These neurotoxins or conotoxins are often small cysteine-rich peptides which have shown to be highly selective ligands for a wide range of ion channels and receptors. Local habitat conditions have constituted barriers preventing the spreading of Conus species occurring along the coast of South Africa. Due to their scarceness, these species remain, therefore, extremely poorly studied. In this work, the venoms of two South African cone snails, Conus pictus, a vermivorous snail and Conus natalis, a molluscivorous snail, have been characterized in depth. In total, 26 novel peptides were identified. Comparing the venoms of both snails, interesting differences were observed regarding venom composition and molecular characteristics of these components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Peigneur
- Laboratory of Toxicology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
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Aguilar MB, Ortiz E, Kaas Q, López-Vera E, Becerril B, Possani LD, de la Cotera EPH. Precursor De13.1 from Conus delessertii defines the novel G gene superfamily. Peptides 2013; 41:17-20. [PMID: 23340018 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2013.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Revised: 01/10/2013] [Accepted: 01/14/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Peptide de13a was previously purified from the venom of the worm-hunting cone snail Conus delessertii from the Yucatán Channel, México. This peptide has eight cysteine (Cys) residues in the unique arrangement C-C-C-CC-C-C-C, which defines the cysteine framework XIII ("-" represents one or more non-Cys residues). Remarkably, δ-hydroxy-lysine residues have been found only in conotoxin de13a, which also contains an unusually high proportion of hydroxylated amino acid residues. Here, we report the cDNA cloning of the complete precursor De13.1 of a related peptide, de13b, which has the same Cys framework and inter-Cys spacings as peptide de13a, and shares high protein/nucleic acid sequence identity (87%/90%) with de13a, suggesting that both peptides belong to the same conotoxin gene superfamily. Analysis of the signal peptide of precursor De13.1 reveals that this precursor belongs to a novel conotoxin gene superfamily that we chose to name gene superfamily G. Thus far superfamily G only includes two peptides, each of which contains the same, distinctive Cys framework and a high proportion of amino acid residues with hydroxylated side chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel B Aguilar
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro 76230, Mexico.
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Bhattacharyya M, Gupta K, Gowd KH, Balaram P. Rapid mass spectrometric determination of disulfide connectivity in peptides and proteins. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2013; 9:1340-50. [DOI: 10.1039/c3mb25534d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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40
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Casewell NR, Wüster W, Vonk FJ, Harrison RA, Fry BG. Complex cocktails: the evolutionary novelty of venoms. Trends Ecol Evol 2012; 28:219-29. [PMID: 23219381 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2012.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 593] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2012] [Revised: 10/10/2012] [Accepted: 10/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Venoms have evolved on numerous occasions throughout the animal kingdom. These 'biochemical weapon systems' typically function to facilitate, or protect the producing animal from, predation. Most venomous animals remain unstudied despite venoms providing model systems for investigating predator-prey interactions, molecular evolution, functional convergence, and novel targets for pharmaceutical discovery. Through advances in 'omic' technologies, venom composition data have recently become available for several venomous lineages, revealing considerable complexity in the processes responsible for generating the genetic and functional diversity observed in many venoms. Here, we review these recent advances and highlight the ecological and evolutionary novelty of venom systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R Casewell
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group, School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK.
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41
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Liu Z, Li H, Liu N, Wu C, Jiang J, Yue J, Jing Y, Dai Q. Diversity and evolution of conotoxins in Conus virgo, Conus eburneus, Conus imperialis and Conus marmoreus from the South China Sea. Toxicon 2012; 60:982-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2012.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Revised: 06/15/2012] [Accepted: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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42
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Van Der Haegen A, Peigneur S, Dyubankova N, Möller C, Marí F, Diego-García E, Naudé R, Lescrinier E, Herdewijn P, Tytgat J. Pc16a, the first characterized peptide from Conus pictus venom, shows a novel disulfide connectivity. Peptides 2012; 34:106-13. [PMID: 22079220 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2011.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2011] [Revised: 10/20/2011] [Accepted: 10/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A novel conotoxin, pc16a, was isolated from the venom of Conus pictus. This is the first peptide characterized from this South-African cone snail and it has only 11 amino acid residues, SCSCKRNFLCC*, with the rare cysteine framework XVI and a monoisotopic mass of 1257.6Da. Two peptides were synthesized with two possible conformations: globular (pc16a_1) and ribbon (pc16a_2). pc16a_1 co-eluted with the native peptide, which indicates a disulfide connectivity I-III, II-IV. The structure of pc16a_1 was determined by NMR. Both synthetic peptides were used to elucidate the biological activity. Bioassays were performed on crickets, ghost shrimps, larvae of the mealworm beetle and mice, but no effect was seen. Using two-electrode voltage clamp, a range of voltage-gated ion channels (Na(v) and K(v)) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors were screened, but again no activity was found. Hence, the specific target of pc16a still remains to be discovered.
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Kaas Q, Yu R, Jin AH, Dutertre S, Craik DJ. ConoServer: updated content, knowledge, and discovery tools in the conopeptide database. Nucleic Acids Res 2011; 40:D325-30. [PMID: 22058133 PMCID: PMC3245185 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 246] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
ConoServer (http://www.conoserver.org) is a database specializing in the sequences and structures of conopeptides, which are toxins expressed by marine cone snails. Cone snails are carnivorous gastropods, which hunt their prey using a cocktail of toxins that potently subvert nervous system function. The ability of these toxins to specifically target receptors, channels and transporters of the nervous system has attracted considerable interest for their use in physiological research and as drug leads. Since the founding publication on ConoServer in 2008, the number of entries in the database has nearly doubled, the interface has been redesigned and new annotations have been added, including a more detailed description of cone snail species, biological activity measurements and information regarding the identification of each sequence. Automatically updated statistics on classification schemes, three-dimensional structures, conopeptide-bearing species and endoplasmic reticulum signal sequence conservation trends, provide a convenient overview of current knowledge on conopeptides. Transcriptomics and proteomics have began generating massive numbers of new conopeptide sequences, and two dedicated tools have been recently implemented in ConoServer to standardize the analysis of conopeptide precursor sequences and to help in the identification by mass spectrometry of toxins whose sequences were predicted at the nucleic acid level.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - David J. Craik
- *To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +61 7 3346 2019; Fax: +61 7 3346 2101;
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