1
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Yang D, Liu X, Li J, Xie J, Jiang L. Animal venoms: a novel source of anti- Toxoplasma gondii drug candidates. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1178070. [PMID: 37205912 PMCID: PMC10188992 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1178070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a nucleated intracellular parasitic protozoan with a broad host selectivity. It causes toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised or immunodeficient patients. The currently available treatments for toxoplasmosis have significant side effects as well as certain limitations, and the development of vaccines remains to be explored. Animal venoms are considered to be an important source of novel antimicrobial agents. Some peptides from animal venoms have amphipathic alpha-helix structures. They inhibit the growth of pathogens by targeting membranes to produce lethal pores and cause membrane rupture. Venom molecules generally possess immunomodulatory properties and play key roles in the suppression of pathogenic organisms. Here, we summarized literatures of the last 15 years on the interaction of animal venom peptides with T. gondii and attempt to explore the mechanisms of their interaction with parasites that involve membrane and organelle damage, immune response regulation and ion homeostasis. Finally, we analyzed some limitations of venom peptides for drug therapy and some insights into their development in future studies. It is hoped that more research will be stimulated to turn attention to the medical value of animal venoms in toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongqian Yang
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaohua Liu
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jing Xie
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Liping Jiang
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- China-Africa Research Center of Infectious Diseases, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- *Correspondence: Liping Jiang,
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2
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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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3
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Lugo-Fabres PH, Otero-Sastre LM, Bernáldez-Sarabia J, Camacho-Villegas TA, Sánchez-Campos N, Serrano-Bello J, Medina LA, Muñiz-Hernández S, de la Cruz L, Arenas I, Barajas-Martínez A, Garcia DE, Nuñez-Garcia L, González-Canudas J, Licea-Navarro AF. Potential Therapeutic Applications of Synthetic Conotoxin s-cal14.2b, Derived from Californiconus californicus, for Treating Type 2 Diabetes. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9080936. [PMID: 34440140 PMCID: PMC8391312 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9080936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The FDA’s approval of peptide drugs such as Ziconotide or Exendin for pain relief and diabetes treatment, respectively, enhanced the interest to explore novel conotoxins from Conus species venom. In general, conotoxins can be used in pathologies where voltage-gated channels, membrane receptors, or ligands alter normal physiological functions, as in metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes. In this study, the synthetic cal14.2b (s-cal14.2b) from the unusual Californiconus californicus demonstrated bioactivity on NIT-1 insulinoma cell lines stimulating insulin secretion detecting by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Accordingly, s-cal14.2b increased the CaV1.2/1.3 channel-current by 35 ± 4% with a recovery τ of 10.3 ± 4 s in primary cell culture of rat pancreatic β-cells. The in vivo results indicated a similar effect of insulin secretion on mice in the glucose tolerance curve model by reducing the glucose from 500 mg/dL to 106 mg/dL in 60 min, compared to the negative control of 325 mg/dL at the same time. The PET-SCAN with radiolabeling 99mTc-s-cal14.2b demonstrated biodistribution and accumulation in rat pancreas with complete depuration in 24 h. These findings show the potential therapeutic use of s-cal14.2b in endocrinal pathologies such as early stages of Type 2 Diabetes where the pancreas’s capability to produce insulin is still effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel H. Lugo-Fabres
- CONACYT-Unidad de Biotecnología Médica y Farmacéutica, Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco (CIATEJ) A. C., Av. Normalistas 800, Colinas de la Normal, Guadalajara 44270, Jalisco, Mexico; (P.H.L.-F.); (T.A.C.-V.)
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana No. 3918, Zona Playitas, Ensenada 22860, Baja California, Mexico; (L.M.O.-S.); (J.B.-S.); (N.S.-C.)
| | - Leslie M. Otero-Sastre
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana No. 3918, Zona Playitas, Ensenada 22860, Baja California, Mexico; (L.M.O.-S.); (J.B.-S.); (N.S.-C.)
| | - Johanna Bernáldez-Sarabia
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana No. 3918, Zona Playitas, Ensenada 22860, Baja California, Mexico; (L.M.O.-S.); (J.B.-S.); (N.S.-C.)
| | - Tanya A. Camacho-Villegas
- CONACYT-Unidad de Biotecnología Médica y Farmacéutica, Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco (CIATEJ) A. C., Av. Normalistas 800, Colinas de la Normal, Guadalajara 44270, Jalisco, Mexico; (P.H.L.-F.); (T.A.C.-V.)
| | - Noemi Sánchez-Campos
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana No. 3918, Zona Playitas, Ensenada 22860, Baja California, Mexico; (L.M.O.-S.); (J.B.-S.); (N.S.-C.)
| | - Janeth Serrano-Bello
- Laboratorio de Bioingeniería de Tejidos, División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04360, Mexico;
| | - Luis A. Medina
- Laboratorio de Física Médica-Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer-INCan, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico;
- Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Saé Muñiz-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Oncología Experimental, Subdirección de Investigación Básica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico;
| | - Lizbeth de la Cruz
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (L.d.l.C.); (I.A.); (A.B.-M.); (D.E.G.)
| | - Isabel Arenas
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (L.d.l.C.); (I.A.); (A.B.-M.); (D.E.G.)
| | - Antonio Barajas-Martínez
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (L.d.l.C.); (I.A.); (A.B.-M.); (D.E.G.)
| | - David E. Garcia
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (L.d.l.C.); (I.A.); (A.B.-M.); (D.E.G.)
| | - Linda Nuñez-Garcia
- Laboratorios Silanes S.A. de C.V., Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico; (L.N.-G.); (J.G.-C.)
| | | | - Alexei F. Licea-Navarro
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana No. 3918, Zona Playitas, Ensenada 22860, Baja California, Mexico; (L.M.O.-S.); (J.B.-S.); (N.S.-C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +52-6461750500 (ext. 27218)
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4
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Fedosov A, Zaharias P, Puillandre N. A phylogeny-aware approach reveals unexpected venom components in divergent lineages of cone snails. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211017. [PMID: 34229491 PMCID: PMC8261202 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine gastropods of the genus Conus are renowned for their remarkable diversity and deadly venoms. While Conus venoms are increasingly well studied for their biomedical applications, we know surprisingly little about venom composition in other lineages of Conidae. We performed comprehensive venom transcriptomic profiling for Conasprella coriolisi and Pygmaeconus traillii, first time for both respective genera. We complemented reference-based transcriptome annotation by a de novo toxin prediction guided by phylogeny, which involved transcriptomic data on two additional 'divergent' cone snail lineages, Profundiconus, and Californiconus. We identified toxin clusters (SSCs) shared among all or some of the four analysed genera based on the identity of the signal region-a molecular tag present in toxins. In total, 116 and 98 putative toxins represent 29 and 28 toxin gene superfamilies in Conasprella and Pygmaeconus, respectively; about quarter of these only found by semi-manual annotation of the SSCs. Two rare gene superfamilies, originally identified from fish-hunting cone snails, were detected outside Conus rather unexpectedly, so we further investigated their distribution across Conidae radiation. We demonstrate that both these, in fact, are ubiquitous in Conidae, sometimes with extremely high expression. Our findings demonstrate how a phylogeny-aware approach circumvents methodological caveats of similarity-based transcriptome annotation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Fedosov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, 119071 Moscow, Russian Federation
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 26, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Paul Zaharias
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 26, 75005 Paris, France
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Nicolas Puillandre
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 26, 75005 Paris, France
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5
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Lin Z, Torres JP, Watkins M, Paguigan N, Niu C, Imperial JS, Tun J, Safavi-Hemami H, Finol-Urdaneta RK, Neves JLB, Espino S, Karthikeyan M, Olivera BM, Schmidt EW. Non-Peptidic Small Molecule Components from Cone Snail Venoms. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:655981. [PMID: 34054536 PMCID: PMC8155685 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.655981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Venomous molluscs (Superfamily Conoidea) comprise a substantial fraction of tropical marine biodiversity (>15,000 species). Prior characterization of cone snail venoms established that bioactive venom components used to capture prey, defend against predators and for competitive interactions were relatively small, structured peptides (10–35 amino acids), most with multiple disulfide crosslinks. These venom components (“conotoxins, conopeptides”) have been widely studied in many laboratories, leading to pharmaceutical agents and probes. In this review, we describe how it has recently become clear that to varying degrees, cone snail venoms also contain bioactive non-peptidic small molecule components. Since the initial discovery of genuanine as the first bioactive venom small molecule with an unprecedented structure, a broad set of cone snail venoms have been examined for non-peptidic bioactive components. In particular, a basal clade of cone snails (Stephanoconus) that prey on polychaetes produce genuanine and many other small molecules in their venoms, suggesting that this lineage may be a rich source of non-peptidic cone snail venom natural products. In contrast to standing dogma in the field that peptide and proteins are predominantly used for prey capture in cone snails, these small molecules also contribute to prey capture and push the molecular diversity of cone snails beyond peptides. The compounds so far characterized are active on neurons and thus may potentially serve as leads for neuronal diseases. Thus, in analogy to the incredible pharmacopeia resulting from studying venom peptides, these small molecules may provide a new resource of pharmacological agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenjian Lin
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Joshua P Torres
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Maren Watkins
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Noemi Paguigan
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Changshan Niu
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Julita S Imperial
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Jortan Tun
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States.,Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rocio K Finol-Urdaneta
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jorge L B Neves
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, CIIMAR/ CIMAR, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Samuel Espino
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Manju Karthikeyan
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Baldomero M Olivera
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Eric W Schmidt
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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6
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Torres JP, Lin Z, Watkins M, Salcedo PF, Baskin RP, Elhabian S, Safavi-Hemami H, Taylor D, Tun J, Concepcion GP, Saguil N, Yanagihara AA, Fang Y, McArthur JR, Tae HS, Finol-Urdaneta RK, Özpolat BD, Olivera BM, Schmidt EW. Small-molecule mimicry hunting strategy in the imperial cone snail, Conus imperialis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/11/eabf2704. [PMID: 33712468 PMCID: PMC7954447 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf2704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Venomous animals hunt using bioactive peptides, but relatively little is known about venom small molecules and the resulting complex hunting behaviors. Here, we explored the specialized metabolites from the venom of the worm-hunting cone snail, Conus imperialis Using the model polychaete worm Platynereis dumerilii, we demonstrate that C. imperialis venom contains small molecules that mimic natural polychaete mating pheromones, evoking the mating phenotype in worms. The specialized metabolites from different cone snails are species-specific and structurally diverse, suggesting that the cones may adopt many different prey-hunting strategies enabled by small molecules. Predators sometimes attract prey using the prey's own pheromones, in a strategy known as aggressive mimicry. Instead, C. imperialis uses metabolically stable mimics of those pheromones, indicating that, in biological mimicry, even the molecules themselves may be disguised, providing a twist on fake news in chemical ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P Torres
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Zhenjian Lin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
| | - Maren Watkins
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Paula Flórez Salcedo
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Robert P Baskin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Shireen Elhabian
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, School of Computing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen DK-2200, Denmark
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Dylan Taylor
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jortan Tun
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Gisela P Concepcion
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
| | - Noel Saguil
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Angel A Yanagihara
- Department of Tropical Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Yixin Fang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jeffrey R McArthur
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Han-Shen Tae
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Rocio K Finol-Urdaneta
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | | | - Baldomero M Olivera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Eric W Schmidt
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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7
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Oroz-Parra I, Álvarez-Delgado C, Cervantes-Luevano K, Dueñas-Espinoza S, Licea-Navarro AF. Proapoptotic Index Evaluation of Two Synthetic Peptides Derived from the Coneshell Californiconus californicus in Lung Cancer Cell Line H1299. Mar Drugs 2019; 18:md18010010. [PMID: 31861952 PMCID: PMC7024154 DOI: 10.3390/md18010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, accounting for approximately 15% of all cancer cases worldwide. Apoptosis is the dominant defense mechanism against tumor development. The balance between pro- and antiapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 protein family can determine cellular fate. The venom of predatory marine snails Conus is estimated to have 100-400 toxins called conotoxins. The family of α-conotoxins is known to consist of selective antagonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Lung cancer cells overexpress several subunits of nAChRs and are considered as an excellent target for new anticancer drugs. We compared the cytotoxic effect of two synthetic peptides derived from Californiconus californicus, Cal14.1a, and Cal14.1b, which only differ by one amino acid in their sequence, and compared their proapoptotic balance by Bax and Bcl-2 mRNA expression. We determined the caspase-3 and -7 activation to demonstrate apoptosis induction. Results showed that Cal14.1a induces a high Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in H1299 (lung cancer cells). Although Cal14.1b has a cytotoxic effect on H1299 cells, reducing cell viability by 30%, it does not increase the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, which could be explained by the Glu in the 15th residue, which is crucial for the ability of Cal14.1a to induce apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irasema Oroz-Parra
- Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), Ensenada 22860, Baja California, Mexico;
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada 22860, Baja California, Mexico (K.C.-L.); (S.D.-E.)
| | - Carolina Álvarez-Delgado
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada 22860, Baja California, Mexico (K.C.-L.); (S.D.-E.)
| | - Karla Cervantes-Luevano
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada 22860, Baja California, Mexico (K.C.-L.); (S.D.-E.)
| | - Salvador Dueñas-Espinoza
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada 22860, Baja California, Mexico (K.C.-L.); (S.D.-E.)
| | - Alexei F. Licea-Navarro
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Centro de Investigación y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada 22860, Baja California, Mexico (K.C.-L.); (S.D.-E.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +52-646-1750500
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8
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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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9
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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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10
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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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11
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Bernáldez-Sarabia J, Figueroa-Montiel A, Dueñas S, Cervantes-Luévano K, Beltrán JA, Ortiz E, Jiménez S, Possani LD, Paniagua-Solís JF, Gonzalez-Canudas J, Licea-Navarro A. The Diversified O-Superfamily in Californiconus californicus Presents a Conotoxin with Antimycobacterial Activity. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11020128. [PMID: 30791616 PMCID: PMC6410186 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11020128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Californiconus californicus, previously named Conus californicus, has always been considered a unique species within cone snails, because of its molecular, toxicological and morphological singularities; including the wide range of its diet, since it is capable of preying indifferently on fish, snails, octopus, shrimps, and worms. We report here a new cysteine pattern conotoxin assigned to the O1-superfamily capable of inhibiting the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The conotoxin was tested on a pathogen reference strain (H37Rv) and multidrug-resistant strains, having an inhibition effect on growth with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) range of 3.52–0.22 μM, similar concentrations to drugs used in clinics. The peptide was purified from the venom using reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), a partial sequence was constructed by Edman degradation, completed by RACE and confirmed with venom gland transcriptome. The 32-mer peptide containing eight cysteine residues was named O1_cal29b, according to the current nomenclature for this type of molecule. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis of O-superfamily toxins present in the venom gland of the snail allowed us to assign several signal peptides to O2 and O3 superfamilies not described before in C. californicus, with new conotoxins frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Bernáldez-Sarabia
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Andrea Figueroa-Montiel
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Salvador Dueñas
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Karla Cervantes-Luévano
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Jesús A Beltrán
- Departamento de Ciencias Computacionales, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Ernesto Ortiz
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, IBT, UNAM, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C.P. 62210, Mexico.
| | - Samanta Jiménez
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
| | - Lourival D Possani
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, IBT, UNAM, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C.P. 62210, Mexico.
| | - Jorge F Paniagua-Solís
- Teraclon IDF, S.L., Parque Tecnológico de Madrid, Tres Cantos, Madrid, C.P. 28760, Espana.
| | | | - Alexei Licea-Navarro
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico.
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12
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Abalde S, Tenorio MJ, Afonso CML, Zardoya R. Conotoxin Diversity in Chelyconus ermineus (Born, 1778) and the Convergent Origin of Piscivory in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Cones. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:2643-2662. [PMID: 30060147 PMCID: PMC6178336 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcriptome of the venom duct of the Atlantic piscivorous cone species Chelyconus ermineus (Born, 1778) was determined. The venom repertoire of this species includes at least 378 conotoxin precursors, which could be ascribed to 33 known and 22 new (unassigned) protein superfamilies, respectively. Most abundant superfamilies were T, W, O1, M, O2, and Z, accounting for 57% of all detected diversity. A total of three individuals were sequenced showing considerable intraspecific variation: each individual had many exclusive conotoxin precursors, and only 20% of all inferred mature peptides were common to all individuals. Three different regions (distal, medium, and proximal with respect to the venom bulb) of the venom duct were analyzed independently. Diversity (in terms of number of distinct members) of conotoxin precursor superfamilies increased toward the distal region whereas transcripts detected toward the proximal region showed higher expression levels. Only the superfamilies A and I3 showed statistically significant differential expression across regions of the venom duct. Sequences belonging to the alpha (motor cabal) and kappa (lightning-strike cabal) subfamilies of the superfamily A were mainly detected in the proximal region of the venom duct. The mature peptides of the alpha subfamily had the α4/4 cysteine spacing pattern, which has been shown to selectively target muscle nicotinic-acetylcholine receptors, ultimately producing paralysis. This function is performed by mature peptides having a α3/5 cysteine spacing pattern in piscivorous cone species from the Indo-Pacific region, thereby supporting a convergent evolution of piscivory in cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Abalde
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel J Tenorio
- Departamento CMIM y Q. Inorgánica-INBIO, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cadiz, Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Carlos M L Afonso
- Fisheries, Biodiversity and Conervation Group, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Rafael Zardoya
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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13
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Zhang H, Fu Y, Wang L, Liang A, Chen S, Xu A. Identifying novel conopepetides from the venom ducts of Conus litteratus through integrating transcriptomics and proteomics. J Proteomics 2018; 192:346-357. [PMID: 30267875 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2018.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The venom ducts of marine cone snails secrete highly complex mixtures of cysteine-rich active peptides, which are generally known as conotoxins or conopeptides and provide a potential fertile resource for pharmacological neuroscience research and the discovery of new drugs. Previous studies have devoted substantial effort to the identification of novel conopeptides, and the 109 cone snail species have yielded 7000 known conopeptides to date. Here, we used de novo deep transcriptome sequencing analyses combined with traditional Sanger sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify 30 distinct conopeptide precursors. Twenty of these were previously reported and the other 10 were novel conopeptide precursors. The study provides the first identification of the Con-ikot-ikot, NSF-bt05, O3 and I1 gene superfamilies in C. litteratus. A new putative superfamily was identified. In addition, the following cysteine frameworks were first identified in this study: CC-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-CC-C-C-C-C-C and C-C-C-C-C-CC-C. Several isomerases involved in post-translational modification of conopeptides were identified as well. The discovery of new conopeptides in C. litteratus will enhance our understanding of the conopeptide diversity in this particular clade of cone snails. We also found the existence of intraspecific variations in vermivorous species. Finally, the analysis strategy offers a relatively reliable workflow for screening for peptide drug candidates. SIGNIFICANCE: These novel conopeptides provide a potential resource for the development of new channel-targeting drugs. The intraspecific variation in C. litteratus enhance our understanding of the conopeptide diversity in this particular clade of cone snails. The identified three cysteine residues, which might participate in the formation of disulfide bonds, provide a clue to get the connectivity of cysteine frameworks. Finally, the analysis strategy offers a relatively reliable workflow for screening for peptide drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Shenzhen Research Institute, Sun Yat-Sen University, People's Republic of China
| | - Yonggui Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Shenzhen Research Institute, Sun Yat-Sen University, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Shenzhen Research Institute, Sun Yat-Sen University, People's Republic of China
| | - Anwen Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shangwu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Shenzhen Research Institute, Sun Yat-Sen University, People's Republic of China.
| | - Anlong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; School of Life Science, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China.
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14
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Huang Y, Peng C, Yi Y, Gao B, Shi Q. A Transcriptomic Survey of Ion Channel-Based Conotoxins in the Chinese Tubular Cone Snail (Conus betulinus). Mar Drugs 2017; 15:md15070228. [PMID: 28718820 PMCID: PMC5532670 DOI: 10.3390/md15070228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Conotoxins in the venom of cone snails (Conus spp.) are a mixture of active peptides that work as blockers, agonists, antagonists, or inactivators of various ion channels. Recently we reported a high-throughput method to identify 215 conotoxin transcripts from the Chinese tubular cone snail, C. betulinus. Here, based on the previous datasets of four transcriptomes from three venom ducts and one venom bulb, we explored ion channel-based conotoxins and predicted their related ion channel receptors. Homologous analysis was also performed for the most abundant ion channel protein, voltage-gated potassium (Kv; with Kv1.1 as the representative), and the most studied ion channel receptor, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR; with α2-nAChR as the representative), in different animals. Our transcriptomic survey demonstrated that ion channel-based conotoxins and related ion channel proteins/receptors transcribe differentially between the venom duct and the venom bulb. In addition, we observed that putative κ-conotoxins were the most common conotoxins with the highest transcription levels in the examined C. betulinus. Furthermore, Kv1.1 and α2-nAChR were conserved in their functional domains of deduced protein sequences, suggesting similar effects of conotoxins via the ion channels in various species, including human beings. In a word, our present work suggests a high-throughput way to develop conotoxins as potential drugs for treatment of ion channel-associated human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Huang
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518083, China.
- 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.
| | - 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.
| | - Yunhai Yi
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518083, China.
- 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.
| | - Bingmiao Gao
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Research and Development of Tropical Medicinal Plants, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China.
| | - Qiong Shi
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518083, China.
- 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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15
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Uribe JE, Puillandre N, Zardoya R. Beyond Conus: Phylogenetic relationships of Conidae based on complete mitochondrial genomes. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2016; 107:142-151. [PMID: 27794464 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how the extraordinary taxonomic and ecological diversity of cone snails (Caenogastropoda: Conidae) evolved requires a statistically robust phylogenetic framework, which thus far is not available. While recent molecular phylogenies have been able to distinguish several deep lineages within the family Conidae, including the genera Profundiconus, Californiconus, Conasprella, and Conus (and within this one, several subgenera), phylogenetic relationships among these genera remain elusive. Moreover, the possibility that additional deep lineages may exist within the family is open. Here, we reconstructed with probabilistic methods a molecular phylogeny of Conidae using the newly sequenced complete or nearly complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes of the following nine species that represent all main Conidae lineages and potentially new ones: Profundiconus teramachii, Californiconus californicus, Conasprella wakayamaensis, Lilliconus sagei, Pseudolilliconus traillii, Conus (Kalloconus) venulatus, Conus (Lautoconus) ventricosus, Conus (Lautoconus) hybridus, and Conus (Eugeniconus) nobilis. To test the monophyly of the family, we also sequenced the nearly complete mt genomes of the following three species representing closely related conoidean families: Benthomangelia sp. (Mangeliidae), Tomopleura sp. (Borsoniidae), and Glyphostoma sp. (Clathurellidae). All newly sequenced conoidean mt genomes shared a relatively constant gene order with rearrangements limited to tRNA genes. The reconstructed phylogeny recovered with high statistical support the monophyly of Conidae and phylogenetic relationships within the family. The genus Profundiconus was placed as sister to the remaining genera. Within these, a clade including Californiconus and Lilliconus+Pseudolilliconus was the sister group of Conasprella to the exclusion of Conus. The phylogeny included a new lineage whose relative phylogenetic position was unknown (Lilliconus) and uncovered thus far hidden diversity within the family (Pseudolilliconus). Moreover, reconstructed phylogenetic relationships allowed inferring that the peculiar diet of Californiconus based on worms, mollusks, crustaceans and fish is derived, and reinforce the hypothesis that the ancestor of Conidae was a worm hunter. A chronogram was reconstructed under an uncorrelated relaxed molecular clock, which dated the origin of the family shortly after the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (about 59million years ago) and the divergence among main lineages during the Paleocene and the Eocene (56-30million years ago).
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan E Uribe
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Nicolas Puillandre
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité ISYEB - UMR 7205 - CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, 43 rue Cuvier, CP26, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Rafael Zardoya
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
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16
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Novel Conopeptides of Largely Unexplored Indo Pacific Conus sp. Mar Drugs 2016; 14:md14110199. [PMID: 27801785 PMCID: PMC5128742 DOI: 10.3390/md14110199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cone snails are predatory creatures using venom as a weapon for prey capture and defense. Since this venom is neurotoxic, the venom gland is considered as an enormous collection of pharmacologically interesting compounds having a broad spectrum of targets. As such, cone snail peptides represent an interesting treasure for drug development. Here, we report five novel peptides isolated from the venom of Conus longurionis, Conus asiaticus and Conus australis. Lo6/7a and Lo6/7b were retrieved from C. longurionis and have a cysteine framework VI/VII. Lo6/7b has an exceptional amino acid sequence because no similar conopeptide has been described to date (similarity percentage <50%). A third peptide, Asi3a from C. asiaticus, has a typical framework III Cys arrangement, classifying the peptide in the M-superfamily. Asi14a, another peptide of C. asiaticus, belongs to framework XIV peptides and has a unique amino acid sequence. Finally, AusB is a novel conopeptide from C. australis. The peptide has only one disulfide bond, but is structurally very different as compared to other disulfide-poor peptides. The peptides were screened on nAChRs, NaV and KV channels depending on their cysteine framework and proposed classification. No targets could be attributed to the peptides, pointing to novel functionalities. Moreover, in the quest of identifying novel pharmacological targets, the peptides were tested for antagonistic activity against a broad panel of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, as well as two yeast strains.
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17
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Lugo P, Díaz F, Re AD, Olivares F, González R, Dueñas S, Licea A. Thermoregulatory behaviour and thermal tolerance of three species of Conidae in the Eastern Pacific and Gulf of California coasts of Baja California, Mexico. MOLLUSCAN RESEARCH 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/13235818.2016.1172545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Lugo
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Ensenada, México
| | - Fernando Díaz
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología de Organismos Acuáticos, Departamento de Biotecnología Marina, CICESE, Ensenada, México
| | - Ana Denisse Re
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología de Organismos Acuáticos, Departamento de Biotecnología Marina, CICESE, Ensenada, México
| | - Félix Olivares
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Ensenada, México
| | | | - Salvador Dueñas
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Ensenada, México
| | - Alexei Licea
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Ensenada, México
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18
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Peng C, Yao G, Gao BM, Fan CX, Bian C, Wang J, Cao Y, Wen B, Zhu Y, Ruan Z, Zhao X, You X, Bai J, Li J, Lin Z, Zou S, Zhang X, Qiu Y, Chen J, Coon SL, Yang J, Chen JS, Shi Q. High-throughput identification of novel conotoxins from the Chinese tubular cone snail (Conus betulinus) by multi-transcriptome sequencing. Gigascience 2016; 5:17. [PMID: 27087938 PMCID: PMC4832519 DOI: 10.1186/s13742-016-0122-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The venom of predatory marine cone snails mainly contains a diverse array of unique bioactive peptides commonly referred to as conopeptides or conotoxins. These peptides have proven to be valuable pharmacological probes and potential drugs because of their high specificity and affinity to important ion channels, receptors and transporters of the nervous system. Most previous studies have focused specifically on the conopeptides from piscivorous and molluscivorous cone snails, but little attention has been devoted to the dominant vermivorous species. Results The vermivorous Chinese tubular cone snail, Conus betulinus, is the dominant Conus species inhabiting the South China Sea. The transcriptomes of venom ducts and venom bulbs from a variety of specimens of this species were sequenced using both next-generation sequencing and traditional Sanger sequencing technologies, resulting in the identification of a total of 215 distinct conopeptides. Among these, 183 were novel conopeptides, including nine new superfamilies. It appeared that most of the identified conopeptides were synthesized in the venom duct, while a handful of conopeptides were identified only in the venom bulb and at very low levels. Conclusions We identified 215 unique putative conopeptide transcripts from the combination of five transcriptomes and one EST sequencing dataset. Variation in conopeptides from different specimens of C. betulinus was observed, which suggested the presence of intraspecific variability in toxin production at the genetic level. These novel conopeptides provide a potentially fertile resource for the development of new pharmaceuticals, and a pathway for the discovery of new conotoxins. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13742-016-0122-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Peng
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | - Ge Yao
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Beijing, 102205 China
| | - Bing-Miao Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199 China
| | - Chong-Xu Fan
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Beijing, 102205 China
| | - Chao Bian
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China ; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | | | - Ying Cao
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Beijing, 102205 China
| | - Bo Wen
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | | | - Zhiqiang Ruan
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China ; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | | | - Xinxin You
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China ; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | - Jie Bai
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China ; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | - Jia Li
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China ; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | | | | | - Xinhui Zhang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China ; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | - Ying Qiu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China ; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | - Jieming Chen
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China ; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, Shenzhen, 518083 China
| | - Steven L Coon
- Molecular Genomics Laboratory, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Jiaan Yang
- Micro Pharmatech Ltd, Wuhan, 430075 China
| | - Ji-Sheng Chen
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Beijing, 102205 China
| | - Qiong Shi
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China ; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, Shenzhen, 518083 China ; BGI-Zhenjiang Institute of Hydrobiology, Zhenjiang, 212000 China
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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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20
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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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21
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Apoptosis Activation in Human Lung Cancer Cell Lines by a Novel Synthetic Peptide Derived from Conus californicus Venom. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:38. [PMID: 26861394 PMCID: PMC4773791 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8020038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2015] [Revised: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men and women and a leading cause of death worldwide resulting in more than one million deaths per year. The venom of marine snails Conus contains up to 200 pharmacologically active compounds that target several receptors in the cell membrane. Due to their diversity and specific binding properties, Conus toxins hold great potential as source of new drugs against cancer. We analyzed the cytotoxic effect of a 17-amino acid synthetic peptide (s-cal14.1a) that is based on a native toxin (cal14.1a) isolated from the sea snail Conus californicus. Cytotoxicity studies in four lung cancer cell lines were complemented with measurement of gene expression of apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2, BAX and the pro-survival proteins NFκB-1 and COX-2, as well as quantification of caspase activity. Our results showed that H1299 and H1437 cell lines treated with s-call4.1a had decreased cell viability, activated caspases, and reduced expression of the pro-survival protein NFκB-1. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing activation of apoptosis in human lung cancer cell lines by s-cal14.1a and we offer insight into the possible mechanism of action.
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22
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Olivera BM, Seger J, Horvath MP, Fedosov AE. Prey-Capture Strategies of Fish-Hunting Cone Snails: Behavior, Neurobiology and Evolution. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2015; 86:58-74. [PMID: 26397110 DOI: 10.1159/000438449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The venomous fish-hunting cone snails (Conus) comprise eight distinct lineages evolved from ancestors that preyed on worms. In this article, we attempt to reconstruct events resulting in this shift in food resource by closely examining patterns of behavior, biochemical agents (toxins) that facilitate prey capture and the combinations of toxins present in extant species. The first sections introduce three different hunting behaviors associated with piscivory: 'taser-and-tether', 'net-engulfment' and 'strike-and-stalk'. The first two fish-hunting behaviors are clearly associated with distinct groups of venom components, called cabals, which act in concert to modify the behavior of prey in a specific manner. Derived fish-hunting behavior clearly also correlates with physical features of the radular tooth, the device that injects these biochemical components. Mapping behavior, biochemical components and radular tooth features onto phylogenetic trees shows that fish-hunting behavior emerged at least twice during evolution. The system presented here may be one of the best examples where diversity in structure, physiology and molecular features were initially driven by particular pathways selected through behavior.
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Cloning, synthesis, and characterization of αO-conotoxin GeXIVA, a potent α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E4026-35. [PMID: 26170295 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1503617112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We identified a previously unidentified conotoxin gene from Conus generalis whose precursor signal sequence has high similarity to the O1-gene conotoxin superfamily. The predicted mature peptide, αO-conotoxin GeXIVA (GeXIVA), has four Cys residues, and its three disulfide isomers were synthesized. Previously pharmacologically characterized O1-superfamily peptides, exemplified by the US Food and Drug Administration-approved pain medication, ziconotide, contain six Cys residues and are calcium, sodium, or potassium channel antagonists. However, GeXIVA did not inhibit calcium channels but antagonized nicotinic AChRs (nAChRs), most potently on the α9α10 nAChR subtype (IC50 = 4.6 nM). Toxin blockade was voltage-dependent, and kinetic analysis of toxin dissociation indicated that the binding site of GeXIVA does not overlap with the binding site of the competitive antagonist α-conotoxin RgIA. Surprisingly, the most active disulfide isomer of GeXIVA is the bead isomer, comprising, according to NMR analysis, two well-resolved but uncoupled disulfide-restrained loops. The ribbon isomer is almost as potent but has a more rigid structure built around a short 310-helix. In contrast to most α-conotoxins, the globular isomer is the least potent and has a flexible, multiconformational nature. GeXIVA reduced mechanical hyperalgesia in the rat chronic constriction injury model of neuropathic pain but had no effect on motor performance, warranting its further investigation as a possible therapeutic agent.
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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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Bioinformatics-Aided Venomics. Toxins (Basel) 2015; 7:2159-87. [PMID: 26110505 PMCID: PMC4488696 DOI: 10.3390/toxins7062159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Venomics is a modern approach that combines transcriptomics and proteomics to explore the toxin content of venoms. This review will give an overview of computational approaches that have been created to classify and consolidate venomics data, as well as algorithms that have helped discovery and analysis of toxin nucleic acid and protein sequences, toxin three-dimensional structures and toxin functions. Bioinformatics is used to tackle specific challenges associated with the identification and annotations of toxins. Recognizing toxin transcript sequences among second generation sequencing data cannot rely only on basic sequence similarity because toxins are highly divergent. Mass spectrometry sequencing of mature toxins is challenging because toxins can display a large number of post-translational modifications. Identifying the mature toxin region in toxin precursor sequences requires the prediction of the cleavage sites of proprotein convertases, most of which are unknown or not well characterized. Tracing the evolutionary relationships between toxins should consider specific mechanisms of rapid evolution as well as interactions between predatory animals and prey. Rapidly determining the activity of toxins is the main bottleneck in venomics discovery, but some recent bioinformatics and molecular modeling approaches give hope that accurate predictions of toxin specificity could be made in the near future.
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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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27
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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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28
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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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29
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Puillandre N, Bouchet P, Duda TF, Kauferstein S, Kohn AJ, Olivera BM, Watkins M, Meyer C. Molecular phylogeny and evolution of the cone snails (Gastropoda, Conoidea). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2014; 78:290-303. [PMID: 24878223 PMCID: PMC5556946 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We present a large-scale molecular phylogeny that includes 320 of the 761 recognized valid species of the cone snails (Conus), one of the most diverse groups of marine molluscs, based on three mitochondrial genes (COI, 16S rDNA and 12S rDNA). This is the first phylogeny of the taxon to employ concatenated sequences of several genes, and it includes more than twice as many species as the last published molecular phylogeny of the entire group nearly a decade ago. Most of the numerous molecular phylogenies published during the last 15years are limited to rather small fractions of its species diversity. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses are mostly congruent and confirm the presence of three previously reported highly divergent lineages among cone snails, and one identified here using molecular data. About 85% of the species cluster in the single Large Major Clade; the others are divided between the Small Major Clade (∼12%), the Conus californicus lineage (one species), and a newly defined clade (∼3%). We also define several subclades within the Large and Small major clades, but most of their relationships remain poorly supported. To illustrate the usefulness of molecular phylogenies in addressing specific evolutionary questions, we analyse the evolution of the diet, the biogeography and the toxins of cone snails. All cone snails whose feeding biology is known inject venom into large prey animals and swallow them whole. Predation on polychaete worms is inferred as the ancestral state, and diet shifts to molluscs and fishes occurred rarely. The ancestor of cone snails probably originated from the Indo-Pacific; rather few colonisations of other biogeographic provinces have probably occurred. A new classification of the Conidae, based on the molecular phylogeny, is published in an accompanying paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Puillandre
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Systématique et Evolution, ISyEB Institut (UMR 7205 CNRS/UPMC/MNHN/EPHE), 43, Rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris, France.
| | - P Bouchet
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Systématique et Evolution, ISyEB Institut (UMR 7205 CNRS/UPMC/MNHN/EPHE), 55, Rue Buffon, 75231 Paris, 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; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama.
| | - S Kauferstein
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Frankfurt, Kennedyallee 104, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - A J Kohn
- Department of Biology, Box 351800, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - B M Olivera
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
| | - M Watkins
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
| | - C Meyer
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA.
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30
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Akondi KB, Muttenthaler M, Dutertre S, Kaas Q, Craik DJ, Lewis RJ, Alewood PF. Discovery, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of conotoxins. Chem Rev 2014; 114:5815-47. [PMID: 24720541 PMCID: PMC7610532 DOI: 10.1021/cr400401e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sébastien Dutertre
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Richard J Lewis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Paul F Alewood
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
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Robinson SD, Safavi-Hemami H, McIntosh LD, Purcell AW, Norton RS, Papenfuss AT. Diversity of conotoxin gene superfamilies in the venomous snail, Conus victoriae. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87648. [PMID: 24505301 PMCID: PMC3914837 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal venoms represent a vast library of bioactive peptides and proteins with proven potential, not only as research tools but also as drug leads and therapeutics. This is illustrated clearly by marine cone snails (genus Conus), whose venoms consist of mixtures of hundreds of peptides (conotoxins) with a diverse array of molecular targets, including voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels, G-protein coupled receptors and neurotransmitter transporters. Several conotoxins have found applications as research tools, with some being used or developed as therapeutics. The primary objective of this study was the large-scale discovery of conotoxin sequences from the venom gland of an Australian cone snail species, Conus victoriae. Using cDNA library normalization, high-throughput 454 sequencing, de novo transcriptome assembly and annotation with BLASTX and profile hidden Markov models, we discovered over 100 unique conotoxin sequences from 20 gene superfamilies, the highest diversity of conotoxins so far reported in a single study. Many of the sequences identified are new members of known conotoxin superfamilies, some help to redefine these superfamilies and others represent altogether new classes of conotoxins. In addition, we have demonstrated an efficient combination of methods to mine an animal venom gland and generate a library of sequences encoding bioactive peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel D. Robinson
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- * E-mail: (SDR); (HSH)
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- * E-mail: (SDR); (HSH)
| | - Lachlan D. McIntosh
- Bioinformatics Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Anthony W. Purcell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Raymond S. Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Anthony T. Papenfuss
- Bioinformatics Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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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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Olivera BM, Showers Corneli P, Watkins M, Fedosov A. Biodiversity of cone snails and other venomous marine gastropods: evolutionary success through neuropharmacology. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2013; 2:487-513. [PMID: 25384153 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-022513-114124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Venomous marine snails (superfamily Conoidea) are a remarkably biodiverse marine invertebrate lineage (featuring more than 10,000 species). Conoideans use complex venoms (up to 100 different components for each species) to capture prey and for other biotic interactions. Molecular phylogeny and venom peptide characterization provide an unusual multidisciplinary view of conoidean biodiversity at several taxonomic levels. Venom peptides diverge between species at an unprecedented rate through hypermutation within gene families. Clade divergence within a genus occurs without recruiting new gene families when a saltatory event, such as colonization of new prey types (e.g., fish), leads to a new radiation. Divergence between genera in the same family involves substantial divergence in gene families. In the superfamily Conoidea, the family groups recruited distinct sets of different venom gene superfamilies. The associated morphological, behavioral, and prey-preference changes that accompany these molecular changes are unknown for most conoidean lineages, except for one genus, Conus, for which many associated phenotypic changes have been documented.
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Lavergne V, Dutertre S, Jin AH, Lewis RJ, Taft RJ, Alewood PF. Systematic interrogation of the Conus marmoreus venom duct transcriptome with ConoSorter reveals 158 novel conotoxins and 13 new gene superfamilies. BMC Genomics 2013; 14:708. [PMID: 24131469 PMCID: PMC3853152 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conopeptides, often generically referred to as conotoxins, are small neurotoxins found in the venom of predatory marine cone snails. These molecules are highly stable and are able to efficiently and selectively interact with a wide variety of heterologous receptors and channels, making them valuable pharmacological probes and potential drug leads. Recent advances in next-generation RNA sequencing and high-throughput proteomics have led to the generation of large data sets that require purpose-built and dedicated bioinformatics tools for efficient data mining. RESULTS Here we describe ConoSorter, an algorithm that categorizes cDNA or protein sequences into conopeptide superfamilies and classes based on their signal, pro- and mature region sequence composition. ConoSorter also catalogues key sequence characteristics (including relative sequence frequency, length, number of cysteines, N-terminal hydrophobicity, sequence similarity score) and automatically searches the ConoServer database for known precursor sequences, facilitating identification of known and novel conopeptides. When applied to ConoServer and UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot databases, ConoSorter is able to recognize 100% of known conotoxin superfamilies and classes with a minimum species specificity of 99%. As a proof of concept, we performed a reanalysis of Conus marmoreus venom duct transcriptome and (i) correctly classified all sequences previously annotated, (ii) identified 158 novel precursor conopeptide transcripts, 106 of which were confirmed by protein mass spectrometry, and (iii) identified another 13 novel conotoxin gene superfamilies. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these findings indicate that ConoSorter is not only capable of robust classification of known conopeptides from large RNA data sets, but can also facilitate de novo identification of conopeptides which may have pharmaceutical importance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ryan J Taft
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
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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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Proteomic characterisation of toxins isolated from nematocysts of the South Atlantic jellyfish Olindias sambaquiensis. Toxicon 2013; 71:11-7. [PMID: 23688393 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2013.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Revised: 04/24/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Surprisingly little is known of the toxic arsenal of cnidarian nematocysts compared to other venomous animals. Here we investigate the toxins of nematocysts isolated from the jellyfish Olindias sambaquiensis. A total of 29 unique ms/ms events were annotated as potential toxins homologous to the toxic proteins from diverse animal phyla, including cone-snails, snakes, spiders, scorpions, wasp, bee, parasitic worm and other Cnidaria. Biological activities of these potential toxins include cytolysins, neurotoxins, phospholipases and toxic peptidases. The presence of several toxic enzymes is intriguing, such as sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase B (SMase B) that has only been described in certain spider venoms, and a prepro-haystatin P-IIId snake venom metalloproteinase (SVMP) that activates coagulation factor X, which is very rare even in snake venoms. Our annotation reveals sequence orthologs to many representatives of the most important superfamilies of peptide venoms suggesting that their origins in higher organisms arise from deep eumetazoan innovations. Accordingly, cnidarian venoms may possess unique biological properties that might generate new leads in the discovery of novel pharmacologically active drugs.
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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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38
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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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39
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A novel inhibitor of α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors from Conus vexillum delineates a new conotoxin superfamily. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54648. [PMID: 23382933 PMCID: PMC3559828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Conotoxins (CTxs) selectively target a range of ion channels and receptors, making them widely used tools for probing nervous system function. Conotoxins have been previously grouped into superfamilies according to signal sequence and into families based on their cysteine framework and biological target. Here we describe the cloning and characterization of a new conotoxin, from Conus vexillum, named αB-conotoxin VxXXIVA. The peptide does not belong to any previously described conotoxin superfamily and its arrangement of Cys residues is unique among conopeptides. Moreover, in contrast to previously characterized conopeptide toxins, which are expressed initially as prepropeptide precursors with a signal sequence, a ‘‘pro’’ region, and the toxin-encoding region, the precursor sequence of αB-VxXXIVA lacks a ‘‘pro’’ region. The predicted 40-residue mature peptide, which contains four Cys, was synthesized in each of the three possible disulfide arrangements. Investigation of the mechanism of action of αB-VxXXIVA revealed that the peptide is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist with greatest potency against the α9α10 subtype. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra indicated that all three αB-VxXXIVA isomers were poorly structured in aqueous solution. This was consistent with circular dichroism (CD) results which showed that the peptides were unstructured in buffer, but adopted partially helical conformations in aqueous trifluoroethanol (TFE) solution. The α9α10 nAChR is an important target for the development of analgesics and cancer chemotherapeutics, and αB-VxXXIVA represents a novel ligand with which to probe the structure and function of this protein.
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40
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Smith UE, Hendricks JR. Geometric morphometric character suites as phylogenetic data: extracting phylogenetic signal from gastropod shells. Syst Biol 2013; 62:366-85. [PMID: 23325808 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syt002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite being the objects of numerous macroevolutionary studies, many of the best represented constituents of the fossil record-including diverse examples such as foraminifera, brachiopods, and mollusks-have mineralized skeletons with limited discrete characteristics, making morphological phylogenies difficult to construct. In contrast to their paucity of phylogenetic characters, the mineralized structures (tests and shells) of these fossil groups frequently have distinctive shapes that have long proved useful for their classification. The recent introduction of methodologies for including continuous data directly in a phylogenetic analysis has increased the number of available characters, making it possible to produce phylogenies based, in whole or part, on continuous character data collected from such taxa. Geometric morphometric methods provide tools for accurately characterizing shape variation and can produce quantitative data that can therefore now be included in a phylogenetic matrix in a nonarbitrary manner. Here, the marine gastropod genus Conus is used to evaluate the ability of continuous characters-generated from a geometric morphometric analysis of shell shape-to contribute to a total evidence phylogenetic hypothesis constructed using molecular and morphological data. Furthermore, the ability of continuous characters derived from geometric morphometric analyses to place fossil taxa with limited discrete characters into a phylogeny with their extant relatives was tested by simulating the inclusion of fossil taxa. This was done by removing the molecular partition of individual extant species to produce a "cladistic pseudofossil" with only the geometric morphometric derived characters coded. The phylogenetic position of each cladistic pseudofossil taxon was then compared with its placement in the total evidence tree and a symmetric resampling tree to evaluate the degree to which morphometric characters alone can correctly place simulated fossil species. In 33-45% of the test cases (depending upon the approach used for measuring success), it was possible to place the pseudofossil taxon into the correct regions of the phylogeny using only the morphometric characters. This suggests that the incorporation of extinct Conus taxa into phylogenetic hypotheses will be possible, permitting a wide range of macroevolutionary questions to be addressed within this genus. This methodology also has potential to contribute to phylogenetic reconstructions for other major components of the fossil record that lack numerous discrete characters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula E Smith
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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41
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Khoo KK, Gupta K, Green BR, Zhang MM, Watkins M, Olivera BM, Balaram P, Yoshikami D, Bulaj G, Norton RS. Distinct disulfide isomers of μ-conotoxins KIIIA and KIIIB block voltage-gated sodium channels. Biochemistry 2012; 51:9826-35. [PMID: 23167564 DOI: 10.1021/bi301256s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In the preparation of synthetic conotoxins containing multiple disulfide bonds, oxidative folding can produce numerous permutations of disulfide bond connectivities. Establishing the native disulfide connectivities thus presents a significant challenge when the venom-derived peptide is not available, as is increasingly the case when conotoxins are identified from cDNA sequences. Here, we investigate the disulfide connectivity of μ-conotoxin KIIIA, which was predicted originally to have a [C1-C9,C2-C15,C4-C16] disulfide pattern based on homology with closely related μ-conotoxins. The two major isomers of synthetic μ-KIIIA formed during oxidative folding were purified and their disulfide connectivities mapped by direct mass spectrometric collision-induced dissociation fragmentation of the disulfide-bonded polypeptides. Our results show that the major oxidative folding product adopts a [C1-C15,C2-C9,C4-C16] disulfide connectivity, while the minor product adopts a [C1-C16,C2-C9,C4-C15] connectivity. Both of these peptides were potent blockers of Na(V)1.2 (K(d) values of 5 and 230 nM, respectively). The solution structure for μ-KIIIA based on nuclear magnetic resonance data was recalculated with the [C1-C15,C2-C9,C4-C16] disulfide pattern; its structure was very similar to the μ-KIIIA structure calculated with the incorrect [C1-C9,C2-C15,C4-C16] disulfide pattern, with an α-helix spanning residues 7-12. In addition, the major folding isomers of μ-KIIIB, an N-terminally extended isoform of μ-KIIIA identified from its cDNA sequence, were isolated. These folding products had the same disulfide connectivities as μ-KIIIA, and both blocked Na(V)1.2 (K(d) values of 470 and 26 nM, respectively). Our results establish that the preferred disulfide pattern of synthetic μ-KIIIA and μ-KIIIB folded in vitro is 1-5/2-4/3-6 but that other disulfide isomers are also potent sodium channel blockers. These findings raise questions about the disulfide pattern(s) of μ-KIIIA in the venom of Conus kinoshitai; indeed, the presence of multiple disulfide isomers in the venom could provide a means of further expanding the snail's repertoire of active peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith K Khoo
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
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Lindgren AR, Pankey MS, Hochberg FG, Oakley TH. A multi-gene phylogeny of Cephalopoda supports convergent morphological evolution in association with multiple habitat shifts in the marine environment. BMC Evol Biol 2012; 12:129. [PMID: 22839506 PMCID: PMC3733422 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-12-129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2012] [Accepted: 07/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The marine environment is comprised of numerous divergent organisms living under similar selective pressures, often resulting in the evolution of convergent structures such as the fusiform body shape of pelagic squids, fishes, and some marine mammals. However, little is known about the frequency of, and circumstances leading to, convergent evolution in the open ocean. Here, we present a comparative study of the molluscan class Cephalopoda, a marine group known to occupy habitats from the intertidal to the deep sea. Several lineages bear features that may coincide with a benthic or pelagic existence, making this a valuable group for testing hypotheses of correlated evolution. To test for convergence and correlation, we generate the most taxonomically comprehensive multi-gene phylogeny of cephalopods to date. We then create a character matrix of habitat type and morphological characters, which we use to infer ancestral character states and test for correlation between habitat and morphology. RESULTS Our study utilizes a taxonomically well-sampled phylogeny to show convergent evolution in all six morphological characters we analyzed. Three of these characters also correlate with habitat. The presence of an autogenic photophore (those relying upon autonomous enzymatic light reactions) is correlated with a pelagic habitat, while the cornea and accessory nidamental gland correlate with a benthic lifestyle. Here, we present the first statistical tests for correlation between convergent traits and habitat in cephalopods to better understand the evolutionary history of characters that are adaptive in benthic or pelagic environments, respectively. DISCUSSION Our study supports the hypothesis that habitat has influenced convergent evolution in the marine environment: benthic organisms tend to exhibit similar characteristics that confer protection from invasion by other benthic taxa, while pelagic organisms possess features that facilitate crypsis and communication in an environment lacking physical refuges. Features that have originated multiple times in distantly related lineages are likely adaptive for the organisms inhabiting a particular environment: studying the frequency and evolutionary history of such convergent characters can increase understanding of the underlying forces driving ecological and evolutionary transitions in the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie R Lindgren
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Present Address: Department of Biology, Portland State University, PO Box 751, Portland, OR 97207, USA
| | - Molly S Pankey
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Frederick G Hochberg
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol Rd, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, USA
| | - Todd H Oakley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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Molecular phylogeny, classification and evolution of conopeptides. J Mol Evol 2012; 74:297-309. [PMID: 22760645 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-012-9507-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Accepted: 06/12/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Conopeptides are toxins expressed in the venom duct of cone snails (Conoidea, Conus). These are mostly well-structured peptides and mini-proteins with high potency and selectivity for a broad range of cellular targets. In view of these properties, they are widely used as pharmacological tools and many are candidates for innovative drugs. The conopeptides are primarily classified into superfamilies according to their peptide signal sequence, a classification that is thought to reflect the evolution of the multigenic system. However, this hypothesis has never been thoroughly tested. Here we present a phylogenetic analysis of 1,364 conopeptide signal sequences extracted from GenBank. The results validate the current conopeptide superfamily classification, but also reveal several important new features. The so-called "cysteine-poor" conopeptides are revealed to be closely related to "cysteine-rich" conopeptides; with some of them sharing very similar signal sequences, suggesting that a distinction based on cysteine content and configuration is not phylogenetically relevant and does not reflect the evolutionary history of conopeptides. A given cysteine pattern or pharmacological activity can be found across different superfamilies. Furthermore, a few conopeptides from GenBank do not cluster in any of the known superfamilies, and could represent yet-undefined superfamilies. A clear phylogenetically based classification should help to disentangle the diversity of conopeptides, and could also serve as a rationale to understand the evolution of the toxins in the numerous other species of conoideans and venomous animals at large.
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Terrat Y, Biass D, Dutertre S, Favreau P, Remm M, Stöcklin R, Piquemal D, Ducancel F. High-resolution picture of a venom gland transcriptome: Case study with the marine snail Conus consors. Toxicon 2012; 59:34-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2011.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2011] [Revised: 09/26/2011] [Accepted: 10/04/2011] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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45
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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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46
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Bernaldez J, López O, Licea A, Salceda E, Arellano RO, Vega R, Soto E. Electrophysiological characterization of a novel small peptide from the venom of Conus californicus that targets voltage-gated neuronal Ca2+ channels. Toxicon 2010; 57:60-7. [PMID: 20920515 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2010.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2010] [Revised: 09/07/2010] [Accepted: 09/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Conus californicus belongs to a genus of marine gastropods with more than 700 extant species. C. californicus has been shown to be distantly related to all Conus species, but showing unusual biological features. We report a novel peptide isolated from C. californicus with a significant inhibitory action over neuronal voltage-gated calcium channels. The new toxin is formed by 13-amino acid residues with two disulfide bonds, whose sequence (NCPAGCRSQGCCM) is strikingly different from regular ω-conotoxins. In the HPLC purification procedure, the venom fraction eluted in the first 10-15 min produced a significant decrease (54% ± 3%) of the Ca(2+) current in Xenopus laevis oocytes transfected with purified rat-brain mRNA. A specific peptide obtained from the elution at 13 min decreased the Ca(2+) current in the adult rat dorsal-root ganglion neurons in a primary culture by 34% ± 2%. The cysteine pattern of this peptide corresponds to the framework XVI described for the M-superfamily of conopeptides and is unprecedented among Conus peptides acting on Ca(2+) channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Bernaldez
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Molecular y Biotoxinas, Departamento de Biotecnología Marina (C.I.C.E.S.E.), Ensenada, B.C., Mexico
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