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Koch TL, Robinson SD, Salcedo PF, Chase K, Biggs J, Fedosov AE, Yandell M, Olivera BM, Safavi-Hemami H. Prey Shifts Drive Venom Evolution in Cone Snails. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae120. [PMID: 38935574 PMCID: PMC11296725 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Venom systems are complex traits that have independently emerged multiple times in diverse plant and animal phyla. Within each venomous lineage there typically exists interspecific variation in venom composition where several factors have been proposed as drivers of variation, including phylogeny and diet. Understanding these factors is of broad biological interest and has implications for the development of antivenom therapies and venom-based drug discovery. Because of their high species richness and the presence of several major evolutionary prey shifts, venomous marine cone snails (genus Conus) provide an ideal system to investigate drivers of interspecific venom variation. Here, by analyzing the venom gland expression profiles of ∼3,000 toxin genes from 42 species of cone snail, we elucidate the role of prey-specific selection pressures in shaping venom variation. By analyzing overall venom composition and individual toxin structures, we demonstrate that the shifts from vermivory to piscivory in Conus are complemented by distinct changes in venom composition independent of phylogeny. In vivo injections of venom from piscivorous cone snails in fish further showed a higher potency compared with venom of nonpiscivores demonstrating a selective advantage. Together, our findings provide compelling evidence for the role of prey shifts in directing the venom composition of cone snails and expand our understanding of the mechanisms of venom variation and diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Lund Koch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Samuel D Robinson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | | | - Kevin Chase
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jason Biggs
- Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources, Department of Agriculture, Mangilao, GU 96913, USA
| | - Alexander E Fedosov
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Zoology, Stockholm 114 18, Sweden
| | - Mark Yandell
- Department of Human Genetics, Utah Center for Genetic Discovery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Baldomero M Olivera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N 2200, Denmark
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2
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Robinson KE, Moniz HA, Stokes AN, Feldman CR. Where Does All the Poison Go? Investigating Toxicokinetics of Newt (Taricha) Tetrodotoxin (TTX) in Garter Snakes (Thamnophis). J Chem Ecol 2024:10.1007/s10886-024-01517-7. [PMID: 38842636 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-024-01517-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Animals that consume toxic diets provide models for understanding the molecular and physiological adaptations to ecological challenges. Garter snakes (Thamnophis) in western North America prey on Pacific newts (Taricha), which employ tetrodotoxin (TTX) as an antipredator defense. These snakes possess mutations in voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav), the molecular targets of TTX, that decrease the binding ability of TTX to sodium channels (target-site resistance). However, genetic variation at these loci that cannot explain all the phenotypic variation in TTX resistance in Thamnophis. We explored a separate means of resistance, toxin metabolism, to determine if TTX-resistant snakes either rapidly remove TTX or sequester TTX. We examined the metabolism and distribution of TTX in the body (toxicokinetics), to determine differences between TTX-resistant and TTX-sensitive snakes in the rates at which TTX is eliminated from organs and the whole body (using TTX half-life as our metric). We assayed TTX half-life in snakes from TTX-resistant and TTX-sensitive populations of three garter snake species with a coevolutionary history with newts (T. atratus, T. couchii, T. sirtalis), as well as two non-resistant "outgroup" species (T. elegans, Pituophis catenifer) that seldom (if ever) engage newts. We found TTX half-life varied across species, populations, and tissues. Interestingly, TTX half-life was shortest in T. elegans and P. catenifer compared to all other snakes. Furthermore, TTX-resistant populations of T. couchii and T. sirtalis eliminated TTX faster (shorter TTX half-life) than their TTX-sensitive counterparts, while populations of TTX-resistant and TTX-sensitive T. atratus showed no difference rates of TTX removal (same TTX half-life). The ability to rapidly eliminate TTX may have permitted increased prey consumption, which may have promoted the evolution of additional resistance mechanisms. Finally, snakes still retain substantial amounts of TTX, and we projected that snakes could be dangerous to their own predators days to weeks following the ingestion of a single newt. Thus, aspects of toxin metabolism may have been key in driving predator-prey relationships, and important in determining other ecological interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Robinson
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA.
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA.
| | - Haley A Moniz
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Amber N Stokes
- Department of Biology, California State University Bakersfield, Bakersfield, CA, USA
| | - Chris R Feldman
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
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3
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Dashevsky D, Harris RJ, Zdenek CN, Benard-Valle M, Alagón A, Portes-Junior JA, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, Grego KF, Sant'Anna SS, Frank N, Fry BG. Red-on-Yellow Queen: Bio-Layer Interferometry Reveals Functional Diversity Within Micrurus Venoms and Toxin Resistance in Prey Species. J Mol Evol 2024; 92:317-328. [PMID: 38814340 PMCID: PMC11168994 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-024-10176-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Snakes in the family Elapidae largely produce venoms rich in three-finger toxins (3FTx) that bind to the α 1 subunit of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), impeding ion channel activity. These neurotoxins immobilize the prey by disrupting muscle contraction. Coral snakes of the genus Micrurus are specialist predators who produce many 3FTx, making them an interesting system for examining the coevolution of these toxins and their targets in prey animals. We used a bio-layer interferometry technique to measure the binding interaction between 15 Micrurus venoms and 12 taxon-specific mimotopes designed to resemble the orthosteric binding region of the muscular nAChR subunit. We found that Micrurus venoms vary greatly in their potency on this assay and that this variation follows phylogenetic patterns rather than previously reported patterns of venom composition. The long-tailed Micrurus tend to have greater binding to nAChR orthosteric sites than their short-tailed relatives and we conclude this is the likely ancestral state. The repeated loss of this activity may be due to the evolution of 3FTx that bind to other regions of the nAChR. We also observed variations in the potency of the venoms depending on the taxon of the target mimotope. Rather than a pattern of prey-specificity, we found that mimotopes modeled after snake nAChRs are less susceptible to Micrurus venoms and that this resistance is partly due to a characteristic tryptophan → serine mutation within the orthosteric site in all snake mimotopes. This resistance may be part of a Red Queen arms race between coral snakes and their prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Dashevsky
- Australian National Insect Collection, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Richard J Harris
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Cape Cleveland, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Christina N Zdenek
- Celine Frere Group, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Melisa Benard-Valle
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Region Hovedstaden, Denmark
| | - Alejandro Alagón
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 62210, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - José A Portes-Junior
- Laboratório de Coleções Zoológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Anita M Tanaka-Azevedo
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Kathleen F Grego
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Sávio S Sant'Anna
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Nathaniel Frank
- MToxins Venom Lab, 717 Oregon Street, Oshkosh, WI, 54902, USA
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
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4
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Gonzalez M, Carazzone C. Eco-Metabolomics Applied to the Chemical Ecology of Poison Frogs (Dendrobatoidea). J Chem Ecol 2023; 49:570-598. [PMID: 37594619 PMCID: PMC10725362 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01443-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Amphibians are one of the most remarkable sources of unique natural products. Biogenic amines, peptides, bufodienolides, alkaloids, and volatile organic compounds have been characterized in different species. The superfamily Dendrobatoidea represents one of the most enigmatic cases of study in chemical ecology because their skin secretome is composed by a complex mixture (i.e. cocktail) of highly lethal and noxious unique alkaloid structures. While chemical defences from dendrobatoids (families Dendrobatidae and Aromobatidae) have been investigated employing ecological, behavioral, phylogenetic and evolutionary perspectives, studies about the analytical techniques needed to perform the chemical characterization have been neglected for many years. Therefore, our aim is to summarize the current methods applied for the characterization of chemical profiles in dendrobatoids and to illustrate innovative Eco-metabolomics strategies that could be translated to this study model. This approach could be extended to natural products other than alkaloids and implemented for the chemical analysis of different species of dendrobatoids employing both low- and high-resolution mass spectrometers. Here, we overview important biological features to be considered, procedures that could be applied to perform the chemical characterization, steps and tools to perform an Eco-metabolomic analysis, and a final discussion about future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mabel Gonzalez
- Department of Chemistry, Universidad de los Andes, 4976, Bogotá, AA, Colombia.
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Chiara Carazzone
- Department of Chemistry, Universidad de los Andes, 4976, Bogotá, AA, Colombia.
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5
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Smith CF, Nikolakis ZL, Perry BW, Schield DR, Meik JM, Saviola AJ, Castoe TA, Parker J, Mackessy SP. The best of both worlds? Rattlesnake hybrid zones generate complex combinations of divergent venom phenotypes that retain high toxicity. Biochimie 2023; 213:176-189. [PMID: 37451532 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Studying the consequences of hybridization between closely related species with divergent traits can reveal patterns of evolution that shape and maintain extreme trophic adaptations. Snake venoms are an excellent model system for examining the evolutionary and ecological patterns that underlie highly selected polymorphic traits. Here we investigate hybrid venom phenotypes that result from natural introgression between two rattlesnake species that express highly divergent venom phenotypes: Crotalus o. concolor and C. v. viridis. Though not yet documented, interbreeding between these species may lead to novel venom phenotypes with unique activities that break the typical trends of venom composition in rattlesnakes. The characteristics of these unusual phenotypes could unveil the roles of introgression in maintaining patterns of venom composition and variation, including the near ubiquitous dichotomy between neurotoxic or degradative venoms observed across rattlesnakes. We use RADseq data to infer patterns of gene flow and hybrid ancestry between these diverged lineages and link these genetic data with analyses of venom composition, biological activity, and whole animal model toxicity tests to understand the impacts of introgression on venom composition. We find that introgressed populations express admixed venom phenotypes that do not sacrifice biological activity (lethal toxicity) or overall abundance of dominant toxins compared to parental venoms. These hybridized venoms therefore do not represent a trade-off in functionality between the typical phenotypic extremes but instead represent a unique combination of characters whose expression appears limited to the hybrid zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara F Smith
- School of Biological Sciences, 501 20th Street, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
| | - Zachary L Nikolakis
- Department of Biology, 501 S. Nedderman Drive, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Blair W Perry
- Department of Biology, 501 S. Nedderman Drive, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Drew R Schield
- Department of Biology, 501 S. Nedderman Drive, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Jesse M Meik
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tarleton State University, 1333 W. Washington Street, Stephenville, TX, 76402, USA
| | - Anthony J Saviola
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, 12801 East 17th Avenue, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Todd A Castoe
- Department of Biology, 501 S. Nedderman Drive, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Joshua Parker
- Fresno City College, 1101 E. University Avenue, Fresno, CA, 93741, USA
| | - Stephen P Mackessy
- School of Biological Sciences, 501 20th Street, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA.
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6
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Zhao HY, He N, Sun Y, Wang YC, Zhang HB, Chen HH, Zhang YQ, Gao JF. Phylogeny-Related Variations in Venomics: A Test in a Subset of Habu Snakes ( Protobothrops). Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:toxins15050350. [PMID: 37235384 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15050350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
We conducted a comparative analysis to unveil the divergence among venoms from a subset of Old World habu snakes (Protobothrops) in terms of venomic profiles and toxicological and enzymatic activities. A total of 14 protein families were identified in the venoms from these habu snakes, and 11 of them were shared among these venoms. The venoms of five adult habu snakes were overwhelmingly dominated by SVMP (32.56 ± 13.94%), PLA2 (22.93 ± 9.26%), and SVSP (16.27 ± 4.79%), with a total abundance of over 65%, while the subadult P. mangshanensis had an extremely low abundance of PLA2 (1.23%) but a high abundance of CTL (51.47%), followed by SVMP (22.06%) and SVSP (10.90%). Apparent interspecific variations in lethality and enzymatic activities were also explored in habu snake venoms, but no variations in myotoxicity were found. Except for SVSP, the resemblance of the relatives within Protobothrops in other venom traits was estimated to deviate from Brownian motion evolution based on phylogenetic signals. A comparative analysis further validated that the degree of covariation between phylogeny and venom variation is evolutionarily labile and varies among clades of closely related snakes. Our findings indicate a high level of interspecific variation in the venom proteomes of habu snakes, both in the presence or absence and the relative abundance of venom protein families, and that these venoms might have evolved under a combination of adaptive and neutral mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Yan Zhao
- Herpetological Research Center, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Na He
- Herpetological Research Center, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Herpetological Research Center, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Yong-Chen Wang
- Herpetological Research Center, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Hao-Bing Zhang
- Herpetological Research Center, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Hui-Hui Chen
- Herpetological Research Center, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Ya-Qi Zhang
- Herpetological Research Center, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Jian-Fang Gao
- Herpetological Research Center, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
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7
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Brooks OL, James JJ, Saporito RA. Maternal chemical defenses predict offspring defenses in a dendrobatid poison frog. Oecologia 2023; 201:385-396. [PMID: 36637523 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05314-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Within and among populations, alkaloid defenses of the strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio) vary spatially, temporally, and with life history stage. Natural variation in defense has been implicated as a critical factor in determining the level of protection afforded against predators and pathogens. Oophaga pumilio tadpoles sequester alkaloids from nutritive eggs and are, thus, entirely dependent on their mothers for their defense. However, it remains unclear how tadpole alkaloid composition relates to that of its mother and how variation in maternally provisioned defenses might result in varying levels of protection against predators. Here, we demonstrate that natural variation in the alkaloid composition of a mother frog is reflected as variation in her tadpole's alkaloid composition. Tadpoles, like mother frogs, varied in their alkaloid composition but always contained the identical alkaloids found in their mother. Alkaloid quantity in tadpoles was highly correlated with alkaloid quantity in their mothers. Additionally, alkaloid quantity was the best predictor of tadpole palatability, wherein tadpoles with higher alkaloid quantities were less palatable. Mother frogs with greater quantities of alkaloids are, thus, providing better protection for their offspring by provisioning chemical defenses during one of the most vulnerable periods of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia L Brooks
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, 61701, USA.,Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA
| | - Jessie J James
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
| | - Ralph A Saporito
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA.
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8
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Firneno TJ, Ramesh B, Maldonado JA, Hernandez-Briones AI, Emery AH, Roelke CE, Fujita MK. Transcriptomic analysis reveals potential candidate pathways and genes involved in toxin biosynthesis in true toads. J Hered 2022; 113:311-324. [PMID: 35325156 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esac015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthesized chemical defenses have broadly evolved across countless taxa and are important in shaping evolutionary and ecological interactions within ecosystems. However, the underlying genomic mechanisms by which these organisms synthesize and utilize their toxins are relatively unknown. Herein, we use comparative transcriptomics to uncover potential toxin synthesizing genes and pathways, as well as interspecific patterns of toxin synthesizing genes across ten species of North American true toads (Bufonidae). Upon assembly and annotation of the ten transcriptomes, we explored patterns of relative gene expression and possible protein-protein interactions across the species to determine what genes and/or pathways may be responsible for toxin synthesis. We also tested our transcriptome dataset for signatures of positive selection to reveal how selection may be acting upon potential toxin producing genes. We assembled high quality transcriptomes of the bufonid parotoid gland, a tissue not often investigated in other bufonid related RNAseq studies. We found several genes involved in metabolic and biosynthetic pathways (e.g. steroid biosynthesis, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, isoquinoline biosynthesis, glucosinolate biosynthesis) that were functionally enriched and/or relatively expressed across the ten focal species that may be involved in the synthesis of alkaloid and steroid toxins, as well as other small metabolic compounds that cause distastefulness in bufonids. We hope that our study lays a foundation for future studies to explore the genomic underpinnings and specific pathways of toxin synthesis in toads, as well as at the macroevolutionary scale across numerous taxa that produce their own defensive toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Firneno
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA.,Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA
| | - Balan Ramesh
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA
| | - Jose A Maldonado
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA.,Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA
| | | | - Alyson H Emery
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA
| | - Corey E Roelke
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA.,Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA
| | - Matthew K Fujita
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA.,Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, 76019-0498, USA
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9
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A. Al-Shammery K, Hozzein WN. Antibacterial activities of two potential peptides extracted from Polistes wattii Cameron, 1900 (Vespidae: Polistinae) wasp venom collected at Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264035. [PMID: 35255107 PMCID: PMC8901064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternatives of conventional antibiotics have become an urgent need to control drug-resistant bacteria. Therefore, search for new antibacterial agents has become a trend in several microbiological and pharmaceutical scientific works. Insects, one of the most successful and evolved species on earth is known to be an effective natural source of several medically useful chemicals including antibacterial agents. There is considerable evidence of using wasp venom against medical ailments in several parts of the world. In this work venom from Polistes wattii Cameron, 1900 collected from Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia was evaluated for its antibacterial activities. Such activity was tested against four pathogenic bacteria: two-gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Streptococcus mutans (RCMB 017(1) ATCC 25175) and two gram-negative (Salmonella typhimurium NCTC 12023 ATCC 14028 and Enterobacter cloacae (RCMB 001(1) ATCC 23355). Also, chemical characterization of wasp venom was done using HPLC and two isolated peptides were sequenced. The result indicates the potent anti-microbial effect of the venom against the four tested bacteria. The most sensitive bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Streptococcus mutans (RCMB 017(1) ATCC 25175). The sequence of the two purified peptides indicates that they belong to mastoparan. The study results may pave way to use this wasp venom in future antibiotics especially in controlling skin infection by Staphylococcus aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kholoud A. Al-Shammery
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Ha’il University, Ha’il, Saudi Arabia
- * E-mail:
| | - Wael N. Hozzein
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
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10
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Zamora-Camacho FJ. The relationships between toad behaviour, antipredator defences, and spatial and sexual variation in predation pressure. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12985. [PMID: 35194533 PMCID: PMC8858576 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal behaviour is under strong selection. Selection on behaviour, however, might not act in isolation from other fitness-related traits. Since predators represent outstanding selective forces, animal behaviour could covary with antipredator defences, such that individuals better suited against predators could afford facing the costs of riskier behaviours. Moreover, not all individuals undergo equivalent degrees of predation pressure, which can vary across sexes or habitats. Individuals under lower predation pressure might also exhibit riskier behaviours. METHODS In this work, I tested these hypotheses on natterjack toads (Epidalea calamita). Specifically, I gauged activity time, exploratory behaviour and boldness in standard laboratory conditions, and assessed whether they correlated with body size and antipredator strategies, namely sprint speed, parotoid gland area and parotoid gland colour contrast. Additionally, I compared these traits between sexes and individuals from an agrosystem and pine grove, since there is evidence that males and agrosystem individuals are subjected to greater predation pressure. RESULTS Sprint speed as well as parotoid gland contrast and size appeared unrelated to the behavioural traits studied. In turn, body mass was negatively related to activity time, boldness and exploration. This trend is consistent with the fact that larger toads could be more detectable to their predators, which are mostly gape unconstrained and could easily consume them. As predicted, females exhibited riskier behaviours. Nonetheless, agrosystem toads did not differ from pine grove toads in the behavioural traits measured, despite being under stronger predation pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Zamora-Camacho
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain,Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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11
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Bucciarelli GM, Alsalek F, Kats LB, Green DB, Shaffer HB. Toxic Relationships and Arms-Race Coevolution Revisited. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022; 10:63-80. [PMID: 35167315 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-013120-024716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Toxin evolution in animals is one of the most fascinating and complex subjects of scientific inquiry today. Gaining an understanding of toxins poses a multifaceted challenge given the diverse modes of acquisition, evolutionary adaptations, and abiotic components that affect toxin phenotypes. Here, we highlight some of the main genetic and ecological factors that influence toxin evolution and discuss the role of antagonistic interactions and coevolutionary dynamics in shaping the direction and extent of toxicity and resistance in animals. We focus on toxic Pacific newts (family Salamandridae, genus Taricha) as a system to investigate and better evaluate the widely distributed toxin they possess, tetrodotoxin (TTX), and the hypothesized model of arms-race coevolution with snake predators that is used to explain phenotypic patterns of newt toxicity. Finally, we propose an alternative coevolutionary model that incorporates TTX-producing bacteria and draws from an elicitor-receptor concept to explain TTX evolution and ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- G M Bucciarelli
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA; , , .,La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Farid Alsalek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA; , ,
| | - L B Kats
- Natural Science Division, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California, USA; ,
| | - D B Green
- Natural Science Division, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California, USA; ,
| | - H B Shaffer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA; , , .,La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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12
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Márquez
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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13
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Zamora-Camacho FJ. Sex and habitat differences in size and coloration of an amphibian's poison glands match differential predator pressures. Integr Zool 2021; 17:764-776. [PMID: 34599787 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Chemical defenses are frequently accompanied by salient color patterns actively avoided by predators, a phenomenon referred to as aposematism. However, the production of both chemical defenses and pigments is costly, and is thus expected to be reduced under mild predator pressure. In this work, I compared the size and coloration of parotoid glands (2 dorsal, external swollen structures that secrete toxins in toads) of male and female Epidalea calamita toads from agrosystems and from pine groves. I also quantified the predator attacks received by plasticine toad models, whose "parotoid glands" differed in size and color conspicuousness, exposed in each habitat. Predators avoided models with large and conspicuous parotoid glands, but models in agrosystems were more often attacked. Concerning actual toads, agrosystem and male individuals had larger parotoid glands, presumably implying greater production of chemical defenses than in pine grove and female conspecifics. These findings are aligned with previous research suggesting that both agrosystem toads and males in this system are subjected to a more intense predator pressure. Difference between parotoid gland and dorsum coloration was greater in agrosystem toads. A marked internal pattern could function as an aposematic signal, which could counteract increased predator pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Zamora-Camacho
- Department of Phisical, Chemical and Natural Systems, Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain.,Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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14
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Piperidine alkaloids from fire ants are not sequestered by the green and black poison frog (Dendrobates auratus). CHEMOECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-021-00357-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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15
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Calvete JJ, Lomonte B, Saviola AJ, Bonilla F, Sasa M, Williams DJ, Undheim EA, Sunagar K, Jackson TN. Mutual enlightenment: A toolbox of concepts and methods for integrating evolutionary and clinical toxinology via snake venomics and the contextual stance. Toxicon X 2021; 9-10:100070. [PMID: 34195606 PMCID: PMC8234350 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2021.100070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming is a neglected tropical disease that may claim over 100,000 human lives annually worldwide. Snakebite occurs as the result of an interaction between a human and a snake that elicits either a defensive response from the snake or, more rarely, a feeding response as the result of mistaken identity. Snakebite envenoming is therefore a biological and, more specifically, an ecological problem. Snake venom itself is often described as a "cocktail", as it is a heterogenous mixture of molecules including the toxins (which are typically proteinaceous) responsible for the pathophysiological consequences of envenoming. The primary function of venom in snake ecology is pre-subjugation, with defensive deployment of the secretion typically considered a secondary function. The particular composition of any given venom cocktail is shaped by evolutionary forces that include phylogenetic constraints associated with the snake's lineage and adaptive responses to the snake's ecological context, including the taxa it preys upon and by which it is predated upon. In the present article, we describe how conceptual frameworks from ecology and evolutionary biology can enter into a mutually enlightening relationship with clinical toxinology by enabling the consideration of snakebite envenoming from an "ecological stance". We detail the insights that may emerge from such a perspective and highlight the ways in which the high-fidelity descriptive knowledge emerging from applications of -omics era technologies - "venomics" and "antivenomics" - can combine with evolutionary explanations to deliver a detailed understanding of this multifactorial health crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J. Calvete
- Evolutionary and Translational Venomics Laboratory, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Bruno Lomonte
- Unidad de Proteómica, Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Anthony J. Saviola
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Fabián Bonilla
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Animales Peligrosos (LIAP), Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Mahmood Sasa
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Animales Peligrosos (LIAP), Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Museo de Zoología, Centro de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Ecología Tropical, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica
| | | | - Eivind A.B. Undheim
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kartik Sunagar
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Timothy N.W. Jackson
- Australian Venom Research Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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16
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Costa TR, Francisco AF, Cardoso FF, Moreira-Dill LS, Fernandes CAH, Gomes AAS, Guimarães CLS, Marcussi S, Pereira PS, Oliveira HC, Fontes MRM, Silva SL, Zuliani JP, Soares AM. Gallic acid anti-myotoxic activity and mechanism of action, a snake venom phospholipase A 2 toxin inhibitor, isolated from the medicinal plant Anacardium humile. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 185:494-512. [PMID: 34197854 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.06.163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming is the cause of an ongoing health crisis in several regions of the world, particularly in tropical and neotropical countries. This scenario creates an urgent necessity for new practical solutions to address the limitations of current therapies. The current study investigated the isolation, phytochemical characterization, and myotoxicity inhibition mechanism of gallic acid (GA), a myotoxin inhibitor obtained from Anacardium humile. The identification and isolation of GA was achieved by employing analytical chromatographic separation, which exhibited a compound with retention time and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra compatible with GA's commercial standard and data from the literature. GA alone was able to inhibit the myotoxic activity induced by the crude venom of Bothrops jararacussu and its two main myotoxins, BthTX-I and BthTX-II. Circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence spectroscopy (FS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and interaction studies by molecular docking suggested that GA forms a complex with BthTX-I and II. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) kinetics assays showed that GA has a high affinity for BthTX-I with a KD of 9.146 × 10-7 M. Taken together, the two-state reaction mode of GA binding to BthTX-I, and CD, FS and DLS assays, suggest that GA is able to induce oligomerization and secondary structure changes for BthTX-I and -II. GA and other tannins have been shown to be effective inhibitors of snake venoms' toxic effects, and herein we demonstrated GA's ability to bind to and inhibit a snake venom PLA2, thus proposing a new mechanism of PLA2 inhibition, and presenting more evidence of GA's potential as an antivenom compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tássia R Costa
- Instituto de Genética e Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Aleff F Francisco
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil; Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Proteínas e Compostos Bioativos, LABIOPROT, Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde, CEBio, Laboratório de Imunologia Celular Aplicada à Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Fábio F Cardoso
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Leandro S Moreira-Dill
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Proteínas e Compostos Bioativos, LABIOPROT, Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde, CEBio, Laboratório de Imunologia Celular Aplicada à Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Carlos A H Fernandes
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Antoniel A S Gomes
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - César L S Guimarães
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Proteínas e Compostos Bioativos, LABIOPROT, Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde, CEBio, Laboratório de Imunologia Celular Aplicada à Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil; Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis, IBAMA, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Silvana Marcussi
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Lavras, UFLA, Lavras, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Hamine C Oliveira
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos R M Fontes
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Saulo L Silva
- Faculty of Chemical Sciences, University of Cuenca, Cuenca, Azuay, Ecuador; LAQV/Requimte, Faculty of Sciences University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Juliana P Zuliani
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Proteínas e Compostos Bioativos, LABIOPROT, Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde, CEBio, Laboratório de Imunologia Celular Aplicada à Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Andreimar M Soares
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Proteínas e Compostos Bioativos, LABIOPROT, Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde, CEBio, Laboratório de Imunologia Celular Aplicada à Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil; Centro Universitário São Lucas, UniSL, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental (INCT-EpiAmO), Brazil.
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17
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Dashevsky D, Rokyta D, Frank N, Nouwens A, Fry BG. Electric Blue: Molecular Evolution of Three-Finger Toxins in the Long-Glanded Coral Snake Species Calliophis bivirgatus. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:124. [PMID: 33567660 PMCID: PMC7915963 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13020124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Calliophis is the most basal branch of the family Elapidae and several species in it have developed highly elongated venom glands. Recent research has shown that C. bivirgatus has evolved a seemingly unique toxin (calliotoxin) that produces spastic paralysis in their prey by acting on the voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels. We assembled a transcriptome from C. bivirgatus to investigate the molecular characteristics of these toxins and the venom as a whole. We find strong confirmation that this genus produces the classic elapid eight-cysteine three-finger toxins, that δδ-elapitoxins (toxins that resemble calliotoxin) are responsible for a substantial portion of the venom composition, and that these toxins form a distinct clade within a larger, more diverse clade of C. bivirgatus three-finger toxins. This broader clade of C. bivirgatus toxins also contains the previously named maticotoxins and is somewhat closely related to cytotoxins from other elapids. However, the toxins from this clade that have been characterized are not themselves cytotoxic. No other toxins show clear relationships to toxins of known function from other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Dashevsky
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia;
- Australian National Insect Collection, Commonwealth Science and Industry Research Organization, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Darin Rokyta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 24105, USA;
| | - Nathaniel Frank
- MToxins Venom Lab, 717 Oregon Street, Oshkosh, WI 54902, USA;
| | - Amanda Nouwens
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia;
| | - Bryan G. Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia;
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18
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Shi R, Zhang C, Gong X, Yang M, Ji M, Jiang L, Leonti M, Yao R, Li M. The genus Orobanche as food and medicine: An ethnopharmacological review. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2020; 263:113154. [PMID: 32763418 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The genus Orobanche consists of annual, biennial or perennial fleshy parasitic herb species, many of which are in use as traditional medicines and wild gathered foods since a long time. Recently, Orobanche spp. are increasingly accepted as edible medicines with nourishing properties. However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of their ethnopharmacological background. AIM OF THE REVIEW This review focuses on the advancements in botanical classification, and summary of traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Orobanche species, in order to check for scientific support of their traditional uses and the safe treatment of human ailments and diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this review, the results of a systematic and comprehensive literature survey about Orobanche spp over the past 60 years (from 1960 to 2020) is presented. The selected literature includes periodicals, doctoral dissertations, master dissertations conference papers and various books. The literature was identified through search engine websites and a cross-checked with the Chinese pharmacopeia, classic Chinese and European herbals, regional medicinal monographs, and online ethnobotanical databases. RESULTS The literature about the traditional uses revealed that Orobanche spp. were used as medicine and food in many regions of the world, but mainly in China and North America while in Europe they were primarily used as food items. Phenylpropanoid derivatives and alkaloids, were reported as their main bioactive compounds, showing antioxidant, immune system enhancing, androgenic, antibacterial and antiviral properties. CONCLUSIONS Orobanche spp. are increasingly being used for tonic purposes in China. Their ethnopharmacological background suggests potential usages as healthy foods and food supplements. They have the potential to be developed into herbal medicines for tonifying the kidney, against impotence and spermatorrhea, dermatological problems and wounds, as well as infantile diarrhoea. However, the pharmacological studies conducted with extracts derived from Orobanche spp. were not useful for rationally explaining the traditional uses. More investigations are required to provide a pharmacological basis for the traditional claims and the relationship between traditional uses, clinical uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties. Additionally, quality control should be emphasized to ensure the safe and effective use of Orobanche derived products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruyu Shi
- Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, 014040, China
| | - Chunhong Zhang
- Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, 014040, China
| | - Xue Gong
- Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, 014040, China
| | - Min Yang
- Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, 014040, China
| | - Mingyue Ji
- Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, 014040, China
| | - Linlin Jiang
- Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010110, China
| | - Marco Leonti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Ospedale 72, Cagliari, CA, 09124, Italy
| | - Ruyu Yao
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China.
| | - Minhui Li
- Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, 014040, China; Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010110, China; Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning, Guangxi, 53000, China; Inner Mongolia Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China, 010020, China.
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19
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Inoue T, Nakata R, Savitzky AH, Yoshinaga N, Mori A, Mori N. Variation in Bufadienolide Composition of Parotoid Gland Secretion From Three Taxa of Japanese Toads. J Chem Ecol 2020; 46:997-1009. [PMID: 32996040 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01217-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Toads of the genus Bufo synthesize and accumulate bufadienolides (BDs) in their parotoid glands. BDs are cardiotonic steroids that play an important role in defense against the toads' predators. Three bufonid taxa occur in mainland Japan, Bufo japonicus formosus, B. j. japonicus, and B. torrenticola. The chemical structures of BDs isolated from B. j. formosus were studied several decades ago, but there is no further information on the toxic components of Japanese toads and their metabolism. In this study, we analyzed BDs of toads from throughout Japan and compared the BD profiles by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). We observed BDs in three taxa of Japanese toads, and identified five of the most common BDs by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. Of the five BDs, only bufalin was detected in all individuals. HCA of individual BD profiles divided the three taxa into five primary clusters and several subclusters. This result indicates that BD profiles differ both among and within the taxa. The clustering pattern of BDs is generally concordant with a phylogenetic tree reconstructed from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of Japanese toads. Our results suggest that the BDs of Japanese toads have diversified not in response to specific selective pressures, but simply due to population structuring over evolutionary time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takato Inoue
- Division of Applied Life Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo, Kyoto, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Ryu Nakata
- Division of Applied Life Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo, Kyoto, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kyoto University of Advanced Science, 1-1 Nanjo Otani, Sogabe, Kameoka, Kyoto, 621-8555, Japan
| | - Alan H Savitzky
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322-5305, USA
| | - Naoko Yoshinaga
- Division of Applied Life Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo, Kyoto, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Akira Mori
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakwa, Sakyo, Kyoto, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Naoki Mori
- Division of Applied Life Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo, Kyoto, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
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20
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Reynaud S, Ciolek J, Degueldre M, Saez NJ, Sequeira AF, Duhoo Y, Brás JLA, Meudal H, Cabo Díez M, Fernández Pedrosa V, Verdenaud M, Boeri J, Pereira Ramos O, Ducancel F, Vanden Driessche M, Fourmy R, Violette A, Upert G, Mourier G, Beck-Sickinger AG, Mörl K, Landon C, Fontes CMGA, Miñambres Herráiz R, Rodríguez de la Vega RC, Peigneur S, Tytgat J, Quinton L, De Pauw E, Vincentelli R, Servent D, Gilles N. A Venomics Approach Coupled to High-Throughput Toxin Production Strategies Identifies the First Venom-Derived Melanocortin Receptor Agonists. J Med Chem 2020; 63:8250-8264. [PMID: 32602722 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Animal venoms are rich in hundreds of toxins with extraordinary biological activities. Their exploitation is difficult due to their complexity and the small quantities of venom available from most venomous species. We developed a Venomics approach combining transcriptomic and proteomic characterization of 191 species and identified 20,206 venom toxin sequences. Two complementary production strategies based on solid-phase synthesis and recombinant expression in Escherichia coli generated a physical bank of 3597 toxins. Screened on hMC4R, this bank gave an incredible hit rate of 8%. Here, we focus on two novel toxins: N-TRTX-Preg1a, exhibiting an inhibitory cystine knot (ICK) motif, and N-BUTX-Ptr1a, a short scorpion-CSαβ structure. Neither N-TRTX-Preg1a nor N-BUTX-Ptr1a affects ion channels, the known targets of their toxin scaffolds, but binds to four melanocortin receptors with low micromolar affinities and activates the hMC1R/Gs pathway. Phylogenetically, these two toxins form new groups within their respective families and represent novel hMC1R agonists, structurally unrelated to the natural agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Reynaud
- Université Paris-Sud, 15 Rue Georges Clemenceau, Orsay 91405 France.,Université Paris Saclay, CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette 91191 France
| | - Justyna Ciolek
- Université Paris Saclay, CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette 91191 France
| | - Michel Degueldre
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Université de Liège, Allée du six Aout 11, Quartier Agora, Liege 4000 Belgium.,Department of Analytical Science Biologicals, UCB, Chemin du Foriest, Braine L'Alleud 1420 Belgium
| | - Natalie J Saez
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Campus de Luminy, Marseille 13288 France.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Ana Filipa Sequeira
- Universidade de Lisboa, CIISA - Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, Lisboa 1300-477 Portugal.,NZYTech Lda, Genes & Enzymes, Estrada do Paço do Lumiar, Campus do Lumiar, Edifício E - R/C, Lisboa 1649-038 Portugal
| | - Yoan Duhoo
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Campus de Luminy, Marseille 13288 France.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Joana L A Brás
- Universidade de Lisboa, CIISA - Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, Lisboa 1300-477 Portugal.,NZYTech Lda, Genes & Enzymes, Estrada do Paço do Lumiar, Campus do Lumiar, Edifício E - R/C, Lisboa 1649-038 Portugal
| | - Hervé Meudal
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, rue Charles Sadron, Orléans 45071 France
| | - Miguel Cabo Díez
- Next-Generation Sequencing Laboratory, Sistemas Genómicos Ltd., Ronda de Guglielmo Marconi, 6, Paterna 46980 Spain
| | - Victoria Fernández Pedrosa
- Next-Generation Sequencing Laboratory, Sistemas Genómicos Ltd., Ronda de Guglielmo Marconi, 6, Paterna 46980 Spain
| | - Marion Verdenaud
- Université Paris Saclay, CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette 91191 France
| | - Julia Boeri
- Université Paris Saclay, CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette 91191 France
| | - Oscar Pereira Ramos
- Université Paris Saclay, CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette 91191 France
| | - Frédéric Ducancel
- Université Paris Saclay, CEA, Département IDMIT, 18 route du Panorama, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Margot Vanden Driessche
- Université Paris Saclay, CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette 91191 France
| | - Rudy Fourmy
- Alphabiotoxine Laboratory sprl, Barberie 15, Montroeul-au-bois 7911 Belgium
| | - Aude Violette
- Alphabiotoxine Laboratory sprl, Barberie 15, Montroeul-au-bois 7911 Belgium
| | - Grégory Upert
- Université Paris Saclay, CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette 91191 France
| | - Gilles Mourier
- Université Paris Saclay, CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette 91191 France
| | | | - Karin Mörl
- Institute of Biochemistry, Universitat Leipzig, Leipzig 04103 Germany
| | - Céline Landon
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, rue Charles Sadron, Orléans 45071 France
| | - Carlos M G A Fontes
- Universidade de Lisboa, CIISA - Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, Lisboa 1300-477 Portugal.,NZYTech Lda, Genes & Enzymes, Estrada do Paço do Lumiar, Campus do Lumiar, Edifício E - R/C, Lisboa 1649-038 Portugal
| | - Rebeca Miñambres Herráiz
- Next-Generation Sequencing Laboratory, Sistemas Genómicos Ltd., Ronda de Guglielmo Marconi, 6, Paterna 46980 Spain
| | | | - Steve Peigneur
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000 Belgium
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000 Belgium
| | - Loïc Quinton
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Université de Liège, Allée du six Aout 11, Quartier Agora, Liege 4000 Belgium
| | - Edwin De Pauw
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Université de Liège, Allée du six Aout 11, Quartier Agora, Liege 4000 Belgium
| | - Renaud Vincentelli
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Campus de Luminy, Marseille 13288 France
| | - Denis Servent
- Université Paris Saclay, CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette 91191 France
| | - Nicolas Gilles
- Université Paris Saclay, CEA, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette 91191 France
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21
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Câmara GA, Nishiyama-Jr MY, Kitano ES, Oliveira UC, da Silva PI, Junqueira-de-Azevedo IL, Tashima AK. A Multiomics Approach Unravels New Toxins With Possible In Silico Antimicrobial, Antiviral, and Antitumoral Activities in the Venom of Acanthoscurria rondoniae. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:1075. [PMID: 32774304 PMCID: PMC7388414 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Araneae order is considered one of the most successful groups among venomous animals in the world. An important factor for this success is the production of venoms, a refined biological fluid rich in proteins, short peptides and cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs). These toxins may present pharmacologically relevant biological actions, as antimicrobial, antiviral and anticancer activities, for instance. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in the exploration of venom toxins for therapeutic reasons, such as drug development. However, the process of peptide sequencing and mainly the evaluation of potential biological activities of these peptides are laborious, considering the low yield of venom extraction and the high variability of toxins present in spider venoms. Here we show a robust methodology for identification, sequencing, and initial screening of potential bioactive peptides found in the venom of Acanthoscurria rondoniae. This methodology consists in a multiomics approach involving proteomics, peptidomics and transcriptomics analyses allied to in silico predictions of antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anticancer activities. Through the application of this strategy, a total of 92,889 venom gland transcripts were assembled and 84 novel toxins were identified at the protein level, including seven short peptides and 10 fully sequenced CRPs (belonging to seven toxin families). In silico analysis suggests that seven CRPs families may have potential antimicrobial or antiviral activities, while two CRPs and four short peptides are potentially anticancer. Taken together, our results demonstrate an effective multiomics strategy for the discovery of new toxins and in silico screening of potential bioactivities. This strategy may be useful in toxin discovery, as well as in the screening of possible activities for the vast diversity of molecules produced by venomous animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme A Câmara
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Milton Y Nishiyama-Jr
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo S Kitano
- Laboratory of Immunology, Heart Institute (InCor), Faculty of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ursula C Oliveira
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro I da Silva
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Inácio L Junqueira-de-Azevedo
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandre K Tashima
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
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22
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Modahl CM, Roointan A, Rogers J, Currier K, Mackessy SP. Interspecific and intraspecific venom enzymatic variation among cobras (Naja sp. and Ophiophagus hannah). Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2020; 232:108743. [PMID: 32194156 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2020.108743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The genera Ophiophagus and Naja comprise part of a clade of snakes referred to as cobras, dangerously venomous front-fanged snakes in the family Elapidae responsible for significant human mortality and morbidity throughout Asia and Africa. We evaluated venom enzyme variation for eleven cobra species and three N. kaouthia populations using SDS-PAGE venom fingerprinting and numerous enzyme assays. Acetylcholinesterase and PLA2 activities were the most variable between species, and PLA2 activity was significantly different between Malaysian and Thailand N. kaouthia populations. Venom metalloproteinase activity was low and significantly different among most species, but levels were identical for N. kaouthia populations; minor variation in venom L-amino acid oxidase and phosphodiesterase activities were seen between cobra species. Naja siamensis venom lacked the α-fibrinogenolytic activity common to other cobra venoms. In addition, venom from N. siamensis had no detectable metalloproteinase activity and exhibited an SDS-PAGE profile with reduced abundance of higher mass proteins. Venom profiles from spitting cobras (N. siamensis, N. pallida, and N. mossambica) exhibited similar reductions in higher mass proteins, suggesting the evolution of venoms of reduced complexity and decreased enzymatic activity among spitting cobras. Generally, the venom proteomes of cobras show highly abundant three-finger toxin diversity, followed by large quantities of PLA2s. However, PLA2 bands and activity were very reduced for N. haje, N. annulifera and N. nivea. Venom compositionalenzy analysis provides insight into the evolution, diversification and distribution of different venom phenotypes that complements venomic data, and this information is critical for the development of effective antivenoms and snakebite treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M Modahl
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St., Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
| | - Amir Roointan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore; Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Jessica Rogers
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St., Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA
| | - Katelyn Currier
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St., Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA
| | - Stephen P Mackessy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St., Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA.
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23
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Ujszegi J, Vajna B, Móricz ÁM, Krüzselyi D, Korponai K, Krett G, Hettyey A. Relationships Between Chemical Defenses of Common Toad (Bufo bufo) Tadpoles and Bacterial Community Structure of their Natural Aquatic Habitat. J Chem Ecol 2020; 46:534-543. [PMID: 32468489 PMCID: PMC7332479 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01184-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Many organisms synthesize secondary metabolites against natural enemies. However, to which environmental factors the production of these metabolites is adjusted to is poorly investigated in animals, especially so in vertebrates. Bufadienolides are steroidal compounds that are present in a wide range of plants and animals and, if present in large quantities, can provide protection against natural enemies, such as pathogens. In a correlative study involving 16 natural populations we investigated how variation in bufadienolide content of larval common toads (Bufo bufo) is associated with the bacterial community structure of their aquatic environment. We also evaluated pond size, macrovegetation cover, and the abundance of predators, conspecifics and other larval amphibians. We measured toxin content of tadpoles using HPLC-MS and determined the number of bufadienolide compounds (NBC) and the total quantity of bufadienolides (TBQ). AICc-based model selection revealed strong relationships of NBC and TBQ with bacterial community structure of the aquatic habitat as well as with the presence of conspecific tadpoles. The observed relationships may have arisen due to adaptation to local bacterial communities, phenotypic plasticity, differential biotransformation of toxin compounds by different bacterial communities, or a combination of these processes. Bacterial groups that contribute to among-population variation in toxin content remain to be pinpointed, but our study suggesting that toxin production may be influenced by the bacterial community of the environment represents an important step towards understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes leading to microbiota-mediated variation in skin toxin profiles of aquatic vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- János Ujszegi
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Herman Ottó út 15, Budapest, 1022, Hungary.
| | - Balázs Vajna
- Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Ágnes M Móricz
- Department of Pathophysiology, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Herman Ottó út 15, Budapest, 1022, Hungary
| | - Dániel Krüzselyi
- Department of Pathophysiology, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Herman Ottó út 15, Budapest, 1022, Hungary
| | - Kristóf Korponai
- Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Gergely Krett
- Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- Danube Research Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, Budapest, 1113, Hungary
| | - Attila Hettyey
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Herman Ottó út 15, Budapest, 1022, Hungary
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24
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Lyons K, Dugon MM, Healy K. Diet Breadth Mediates the Prey Specificity of Venom Potency in Snakes. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12020074. [PMID: 31979380 PMCID: PMC7076792 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12020074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Venoms are best known for their ability to incapacitate prey. In predatory groups, venom potency is predicted to reflect ecological and evolutionary drivers relating to diet. While venoms have been found to have preyspecific potencies, the role of diet breadth on venom potencies has yet to be tested at large macroecological scales. Here, using a comparative analysis of 100 snake species, we show that the evolution of prey-specific venom potencies is contingent on the breadth of a species' diet. We find that while snake venom is more potent when tested on species closely related to natural prey items, we only find this prey-specific pattern in species with taxonomically narrow diets. While we find that the taxonomic diversity of a snakes' diet mediates the prey specificity of its venom, the species richness of its diet was not found to affect these prey-specific potency patterns. This indicates that the physiological diversity of a species' diet is an important driver of the evolution of generalist venom potencies. These findings suggest that the venoms of species with taxonomically diverse diets may be better suited to incapacitating novel prey species and hence play an important role for species within changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith Lyons
- Correspondence: (K.L.); (K.H.); Tel.: +353-91-493744 (K.H.)
| | | | - Kevin Healy
- Correspondence: (K.L.); (K.H.); Tel.: +353-91-493744 (K.H.)
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25
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Üveges B, Szederkényi M, Mahr K, Móricz ÁM, Krüzselyi D, Bókony V, Hoi H, Hettyey A. Chemical defense of toad tadpoles under risk by four predator species. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:6287-6299. [PMID: 31236221 PMCID: PMC6580299 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many organisms use inducible defenses as protection against predators. In animals, inducible defenses may manifest as changes in behavior, morphology, physiology, or life history, and prey species can adjust their defensive responses based on the dangerousness of predators. Analogously, prey may also change the composition and quantity of defensive chemicals when they coexist with different predators, but such predator-induced plasticity in chemical defenses remains elusive in vertebrates. In this study, we investigated whether tadpoles of the common toad (Bufo bufo) adjust their chemical defenses to predation risk in general and specifically to the presence of different predator species; furthermore, we assessed the adaptive value of the induced defense. We reared tadpoles in the presence or absence of one of four caged predator species in a mesocosm experiment, analyzed the composition and quantity of their bufadienolide toxins, and exposed them to free-ranging predators. We found that toad tadpoles did not respond to predation risk by upregulating their bufadienolide synthesis. Fishes and newts consumed only a small percentage of toad tadpoles, suggesting that bufadienolides provided protection against vertebrate predators, irrespective of the rearing environment. Backswimmers consumed toad tadpoles regardless of treatment. Dragonfly larvae were the most voracious predators and consumed more predator-naïve toad tadpoles than tadpoles raised in the presence of dragonfly cues. These results suggest that tadpoles in our experiment had high enough toxin levels for an effective defense against vertebrate predators even in the absence of predator cues. The lack of predator-induced phenotypic plasticity in bufadienolide synthesis may be due to local adaptation for constantly high chemical defense against fishes in the study population and/or due to the high density of conspecifics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bálint Üveges
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural ResearchHungarian Academy of SciencesBudapestHungary
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and EvolutionUniversity of Veterinary Medicine ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Márk Szederkényi
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural ResearchHungarian Academy of SciencesBudapestHungary
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and EvolutionUniversity of Veterinary Medicine ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Katharina Mahr
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and EvolutionUniversity of Veterinary Medicine ViennaViennaAustria
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Ágnes M. Móricz
- Department of Pathophysiology, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural ResearchHungarian Academy of SciencesBudapestHungary
| | - Dániel Krüzselyi
- Department of Pathophysiology, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural ResearchHungarian Academy of SciencesBudapestHungary
| | - Veronika Bókony
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural ResearchHungarian Academy of SciencesBudapestHungary
| | - Herbert Hoi
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and EvolutionUniversity of Veterinary Medicine ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Attila Hettyey
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural ResearchHungarian Academy of SciencesBudapestHungary
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26
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García-Jacas CR, Marrero-Ponce Y, Cortés-Guzmán F, Suárez-Lezcano J, Martinez-Rios FO, García-González LA, Pupo-Meriño M, Martinez-Mayorga K. Enhancing Acute Oral Toxicity Predictions by using Consensus Modeling and Algebraic Form-Based 0D-to-2D Molecular Encodes. Chem Res Toxicol 2019; 32:1178-1192. [PMID: 31066547 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.9b00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) are introduced to predict acute oral toxicity (AOT), by using the QuBiLS-MAS (acronym for quadratic, bilinear and N-Linear maps based on graph-theoretic electronic-density matrices and atomic weightings) framework for the molecular encoding. Three training sets were employed to build the models: EPA training set (5931 compounds), EPA-full training set (7413 compounds), and Zhu training set (10 152 compounds). Additionally, the EPA test set (1482 compounds) was used for the validation of the QSAR models built on the EPA training set, while the ProTox (425 compounds) and T3DB (284 compounds) external sets were employed for the assessment of all the models. The k-nearest neighbor, multilayer perceptron, random forest, and support vector machine procedures were employed to build several base (individual) models. The base models with REPA-training ≥ 0.75 ( R = correlation coefficient) and MAEEPA-training ≤ 0.5 (MAE = mean absolute error) were retained to build consensus models. As a result, two consensus models based on the minimum operator and denoted as M19 and M22, as well as a consensus model based on the weighted average operator and denoted as M24, were selected as the best ones for each training set considered. According to the applicability domain (AD) analysis performed, model M19 (built on the EPA training set) has MAEtest-AD = 0.4044, MAEProTox-AD = 0.4067 and MAET3DB-AD = 0.2586 on the EPA test set, ProTox external set, and T3DB external set, respectively; whereas model M22 (built on the EPA-full set) and model M24 (built on the Zhu set) present MAEProTox-AD = 0.3992 and MAET3DB-AD = 0.2286, and MAEProTox-AD = 0.3773 and MAET3DB-AD = 0.2471 on the two external sets accounted for, respectively. These outcomes were compared and statistically validated with respect to 14 QSAR methods (e.g., admetSAR, ProTox-II) from the literature. As a result, model M22 presents the best overall performance. In addition, a retrospective study on 261 withdrawn drugs due to their toxic/side effects was performed, to assess the usefulness of prospectively using the QSAR models proposed in the labeling of chemicals. A comparison with regard to the methods from the literature was also made. As a result, model M22 has the best ability of labeling a compound as toxic according to the globally harmonized system of classification and labeling of chemicals. Therefore, it can be concluded that the models proposed, especially model M22, constitute prominent tools for studying AOT, at providing the best results among all the methods examined. A freely available software was also developed to be used in virtual screening tasks ( http://tomocomd.com/apps/ptoxra ).
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Affiliation(s)
- César R García-Jacas
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación , Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada , Ensenada , Baja California , México
| | - Yovani Marrero-Ponce
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Grupo de Medicina Molecular y Traslacional, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud , Escuela de Medicina, Edificio de Especialidades Médicas , Quito , Pichincha , Ecuador.,Grupo de Investigación Ambiental, Programas Ambientales, Facultad de Ingenierías , Fundacion Universitaria Tecnologico Comfenalco-Cartagena , Cr44 DN 30 A, 91 , Cartagena , Bolívar , Colombia
| | - Fernando Cortés-Guzmán
- Instituto de Química , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Ciudad de México , México
| | - José Suárez-Lezcano
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Sede Esmeraldas , Esmeraldas , Ecuador
| | | | - Luis A García-González
- Grupo de Investigación de Bioinformática , Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas , La Habana , Cuba
| | - Mario Pupo-Meriño
- Grupo de Investigación de Bioinformática , Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas , La Habana , Cuba
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27
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Saporito RA, Russell MW, Richards-Zawacki CL, Dugas MB. Experimental evidence for maternal provisioning of alkaloid defenses in a dendrobatid frog. Toxicon 2019; 161:40-43. [PMID: 30790578 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Dendrobatid frogs sequester alkaloid defenses from dietary arthropods. Here, we provide experimental evidence that mother strawberry poison frogs (Oophaga pumilio) provision alkaloids to tadpoles. Captive-raised females were fed the synthetic alkaloid decahydroquinoline (DHQ), which we subsequently quantified in their skin, eggs, and developing tadpoles. DHQ quantity was positively associated with tadpole mass/development, suggesting high sequestration rates by tadpoles. These data confirm that tadpoles obtain nutrition and alkaloids by feeding exclusively on maternally provisioned eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph A Saporito
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, 1 John Carroll Boulevard, University Heights, Ohio 44118, USA.
| | - Matthew W Russell
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, 1 John Carroll Boulevard, University Heights, Ohio 44118, USA
| | - Corinne L Richards-Zawacki
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, 400 Lindy Boggs Building, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Matthew B Dugas
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, 400 Lindy Boggs Building, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, 61790, USA
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28
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Tóth Z, Kurali A, Móricz ÁM, Hettyey A. Changes in Toxin Quantities Following Experimental Manipulation of Toxin Reserves in Bufo bufo Tadpoles. J Chem Ecol 2019; 45:253-263. [PMID: 30684072 PMCID: PMC6477007 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-019-01045-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Possessing toxins can contribute to an efficient defence against various threats in nature. However, we generally know little about the energy- and time-demands of developing toxicity in animals, which determines the efficiency of chemical defence and its trade-off with other risk-induced phenotypic responses. In this study we examined how immersion into norepinephrine solution inducing the release of stored toxins, administration of mild stress mimicking predator attack or simple handling during experimental procedure affected the quantity and number of toxin compounds present in common toad (Bufo bufo) tadpoles as compared to undisturbed control individuals, and investigated how fast toxin reserves were restored. We found that total bufadienolide quantity (TBQ) significantly decreased only in the norepinephrine treatment group immediately after treatment compared to the control, but this difference disappeared after 12 h; there were no consistent differences in TBQ between treatments at later samplings. Interestingly, in the norepinephrine treatment approximately half of the compounds characterized by >700 m/z values showed the same changes in time as TBQ, but several bufadienolides characterized by <600 m/z values showed the opposite pattern: they were present in higher quantities immediately after treatment. The number of bufadienolide compounds was not affected by any treatments, but was positively related to TBQ. Our study represents the first experimental evidence that toxin quantities returned to the original level following induced toxin release within a very short period of time in common toad tadpoles and provide additional insights into the physiological background of chemical defence in this model vertebrate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Tóth
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottó Str. 15, Budapest, H-1022, Hungary.
| | - Anikó Kurali
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottó Str. 15, Budapest, H-1022, Hungary
| | - Ágnes M Móricz
- Department of Pathophysiology, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottó Str. 15, Budapest, H-1022, Hungary
| | - Attila Hettyey
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottó Str. 15, Budapest, H-1022, Hungary
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29
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Healy K, Carbone C, Jackson AL. Snake venom potency and yield are associated with prey-evolution, predator metabolism and habitat structure. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:527-537. [PMID: 30616302 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Snake venom is well known for its ability to incapacitate and kill prey. Yet, potency and the amount of venom available varies greatly across species, ranging from the seemingly harmless to those capable of killing vast numbers of potential prey. This variation is poorly understood, with comparative approaches confounded by the use of atypical prey species as models to measure venom potency. Here, we account for such confounding issues by incorporating the phylogenetic similarity between a snake's diet and the species used to measure its potency. In a comparative analysis of 102 species we show that snake venom potency is generally prey-specific. We also show that venom yields are lower in species occupying three dimensional environments and increases with body size corresponding to metabolic rate, but faster than predicted from increases in prey size. These results underline the importance of physiological and environmental factors in the evolution of predator traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Healy
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.,School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TH, UK.,School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Chris Carbone
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Andrew L Jackson
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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30
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Márquez R, Ramírez‐Castañeda V, Amézquita A. Does batrachotoxin autoresistance coevolve with toxicity in
Phyllobates
poison‐dart frogs? Evolution 2019; 73:390-400. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Márquez
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Chicago 1101 East 57th St. Chicago Illinois 60637
- Department of Biological Sciences Universidad de los Andes A.A. 4976 Bogotá Colombia
| | | | - Adolfo Amézquita
- Department of Biological Sciences Universidad de los Andes A.A. 4976 Bogotá Colombia
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31
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Whitelaw BL, Cooke IR, Finn J, Zenger K, Strugnell JM. The evolution and origin of tetrodotoxin acquisition in the blue-ringed octopus (genus Hapalochlaena). AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2019; 206:114-122. [PMID: 30472480 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Tetrodotoxin is a potent non-proteinaceous neurotoxin, which is commonly found in the marine environment. Synthesised by bacteria, tetrodotoxin has been isolated from the tissues of several genera including pufferfish, salamanders and octopus. Believed to provide a defensive function, the independent evolution of tetrodotoxin sequestration is poorly understood in most species. Two mechanisms of tetrodotoxin resistance have been identified to date, tetrodotoxin binding proteins in the circulatory system and mutations to voltage gated sodium channels, the binding target of tetrodotoxin with the former potentially succeeding the latter in evolutionary time. This review focuses on the evolution of tetrodotoxin acquisition, in particular how it may have occurred within the blue-ringed octopus genus (Hapalochlaena) and the subsequent impact on venom evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke L Whitelaw
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
| | - Ira R Cooke
- College of Public Health, Medical and Vet Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia; La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 3086, Vic. Australia
| | - Julian Finn
- Sciences, Museum Victoria, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia
| | - Kyall Zenger
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - J M Strugnell
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia; Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 3086, Vic. Australia
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Scharenberg F, Zidorn C. Genuine and Sequestered Natural Products from the Genus Orobanche (Orobanchaceae, Lamiales). Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23112821. [PMID: 30380787 PMCID: PMC6278508 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23112821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The present review gives an overview about natural products from the holoparasitic genus Orobanche (Orobanchaceae). We cover both genuine natural products as well as compounds sequestered by Orobanche taxa from their host plants. However, the distinction between these two categories is not always easy. In cases where the respective authors had not indicated the opposite, all compounds detected in Orobanche taxa were regarded as genuine Orobanche natural products. From the about 200 species of Orobanche s.l. (i.e., including Phelipanche) known worldwide, only 26 species have so far been investigated phytochemically (22 Orobanche and four Phelipanche species), from 17 Orobanche and three Phelipanche species defined natural products (and not only natural product classes) have been reported. For two species of Orobanche and one of Phelipanche dedicated studies have been performed to analyze the phenomenon of natural product sequestration by parasitic plants from their host plants. In total, 70 presumably genuine natural products and 19 sequestered natural products have been described from Orobanche s.l.; these form the basis of 140 chemosystematic records (natural product reports per taxon). Bioactivities described for Orobanche s.l. extracts and natural products isolated from Orobanche species include in addition to antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, e.g., analgesic, antifungal and antibacterial activities, inhibition of amyloid β aggregation, memory enhancing effects as well as anti-hypertensive effects, inhibition of blood platelet aggregation, and diuretic effects. Moreover, muscle relaxant and anti-spasmodic effects as well as anti-photoaging effects have been described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Scharenberg
- Pharmazeutisches Institut, Abteilung Pharmazeutische Biologie, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Gutenbergstraße 76, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
| | - Christian Zidorn
- Pharmazeutisches Institut, Abteilung Pharmazeutische Biologie, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Gutenbergstraße 76, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
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Cardoso Trento MV, de Faria Eleutério MW, Silva Abreu T, Andrade Machado GH, Cesar PHS, Assaid Simão A, Marcussi S. The protective effect exerted by ascorbic acid on DNA fragmentation of human leukocytes induced by Lachesis muta muta venom. J Cell Biochem 2018; 120:3520-3528. [PMID: 30321470 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.27628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the genotoxic and mutagenic effects of the toxins present in Lachesis muta muta's venom on human peripheral blood leukocytes and the protective potential of ascorbic acid on DNA fragmentation. The venom of L. muta muta was incubated in different concentrations (1, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 120 µg/mL) with human blood to evaluate DNA fragmentation using the comet, agarose gel electrophoresis, and micronucleus assays. In these concentrations evaluated, the venom of L. muta muta induced genotoxicity (comet assay and agarose gel electrophoresis) and mutagenicity (micronucleus test), but they were not cytotoxic, as they did not change the rate of cell proliferation after cytokinesis blockade with cytochalasin B. The ascorbic acid significantly inhibited the genotoxicity induced by L. muta muta venom in the proportions evaluated (1:0.1 and 1:0.5, venom/ascorbic acid - w/w). Thus, future studies are needed to elucidate the protective mechanisms of ascorbic acid on the genotoxic effects induced by toxins present in snake venoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Vinícius Cardoso Trento
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Campus UFLA, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Tatiane Silva Abreu
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Campus UFLA, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Henrique Andrade Machado
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Campus UFLA, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Pedro Henrique Souza Cesar
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Campus UFLA, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Anderson Assaid Simão
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Campus UFLA, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Silvana Marcussi
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Campus UFLA, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Pekár S, Líznarová E, Bočánek O, Zdráhal Z. Venom of prey-specialized spiders is more toxic to their preferred prey: A result of prey-specific toxins. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1639-1652. [PMID: 30125357 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In specialized predators, a variety of adaptations have evolved to such a level of specificity that they allow very effective exploitation of focal prey. Venom is an essential adaptive trait of predatory venomous species, such as spiders, yet our knowledge of spider venom is incomplete. In agreement with the prey preference hypothesis, we expected that the venom of spider specialists should be more toxic to focal than to alternative prey, because it is composed of prey-specific toxins. Here we used spiders with three types of trophic specializations: specialists that were ant-eating, termite-eating and spider-eating. We compared the efficacy of prey capture of preferred and alternative prey (measured as paralysis latency) with that of related generalists and profiled the venom of the studied species using proteomic methods. We used 22 spider species: six myrmecophagous, two termitophagous, three araneophagous and 11 euryphagous generalist species belonging to different families. We found that ten of the eleven specialist species induced significantly shorter paralysis latency in preferred prey than in alternative prey. Generalists exhibited either similar efficiency on both prey types or slightly higher efficiency on preferred prey. Multivariate analysis of proteomic profiles (peptides and proteins) revealed significant differences between trophic specializations, particularly in peptides. Specialists appear to have venom composed of unique specific compounds as revealed by the multivariate ordination and indicator analysis. These components are likely prey-specific toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Líznarová
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Bočánek
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.,National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zbyněk Zdráhal
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.,National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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Aird SD, Arora J, Barua A, Qiu L, Terada K, Mikheyev AS. Population Genomic Analysis of a Pitviper Reveals Microevolutionary Forces Underlying Venom Chemistry. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 9:2640-2649. [PMID: 29048530 PMCID: PMC5737360 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Venoms are among the most biologically active secretions known, and are commonly believed to evolve under extreme positive selection. Many venom gene families, however, have undergone duplication, and are often deployed in doses vastly exceeding the LD50 for most prey species, which should reduce the strength of positive selection. Here, we contrast these selective regimes using snake venoms, which consist of rapidly evolving protein formulations. Though decades of extensive studies have found that snake venom proteins are subject to strong positive selection, the greater action of drift has been hypothesized, but never tested. Using a combination of de novo genome sequencing, population genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, we compare the two modes of evolution in the pitviper, Protobothrops mucrosquamatus. By partitioning selective constraints and adaptive evolution in a McDonald–Kreitman-type framework, we find support for both hypotheses: venom proteins indeed experience both stronger positive selection, and lower selective constraint than other genes in the genome. Furthermore, the strength of selection may be modulated by expression level, with more abundant proteins experiencing weaker selective constraint, leading to the accumulation of more deleterious mutations. These findings show that snake venoms evolve by a combination of adaptive and neutral mechanisms, both of which explain their extraordinarily high rates of molecular evolution. In addition to positive selection, which optimizes efficacy of the venom in the short term, relaxed selective constraints for deleterious mutations can lead to more rapid turnover of individual proteins, and potentially to exploration of a larger venom phenotypic space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven D Aird
- Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa-ken, Japan
| | - Jigyasa Arora
- Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa-ken, Japan
| | - Agneesh Barua
- Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa-ken, Japan
| | - Lijun Qiu
- Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa-ken, Japan
| | - Kouki Terada
- Okinawa Prefectural Institute of Health and the Environment, Biology and Ecology Group, Nanjo-shi, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Alexander S Mikheyev
- Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa-ken, Japan
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Hovey KJ, Seiter EM, Johnson EE, Saporito RA. Sequestered Alkaloid Defenses in the Dendrobatid Poison Frog Oophaga pumilio Provide Variable Protection from Microbial Pathogens. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:312-325. [PMID: 29427191 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0930-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Most amphibians produce their own defensive chemicals; however, poison frogs sequester their alkaloid-based defenses from dietary arthropods. Alkaloids function as a defense against predators, and certain types appear to inhibit microbial growth. Alkaloid defenses vary considerably among populations of poison frogs, reflecting geographic differences in availability of dietary arthropods. Consequently, environmentally driven differences in frog defenses may have significant implications regarding their protection against pathogens. While natural alkaloid mixtures in dendrobatid poison frogs have recently been shown to inhibit growth of non-pathogenic microbes, no studies have examined the effectiveness of alkaloids against microbes that infect these frogs. Herein, we examined how alkaloid defenses in the dendrobatid poison frog, Oophaga pumilio, affect growth of the known anuran pathogens Aeromonas hydrophila and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Frogs were collected from five locations throughout Costa Rica that are known to vary in their alkaloid profiles. Alkaloids were isolated from individual skins, and extracts were assayed against both pathogens. Microbe subcultures were inoculated with extracted alkaloids to create dose-response curves. Subsequent spectrophotometry and cell counting assays were used to assess growth inhibition. GC-MS was used to characterize and quantify alkaloids in frog extracts, and our results suggest that variation in alkaloid defenses lead to differences in inhibition of these pathogens. The present study provides the first evidence that alkaloid variation in a dendrobatid poison frog is associated with differences in inhibition of anuran pathogens, and offers further support that alkaloid defenses in poison frogs confer protection against both pathogens and predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J Hovey
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA
| | - Emily M Seiter
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA
| | - Erin E Johnson
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA
| | - Ralph A Saporito
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA.
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37
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Pekár S, Petráková L, Šedo O, Korenko S, Zdráhal Z. Trophic niche, capture efficiency and venom profiles of six sympatric ant-eating spider species (Araneae: Zodariidae). Mol Ecol 2018; 27:1053-1064. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology; Faculty of Science; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Petráková
- Department of Botany and Zoology; Faculty of Science; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Šedo
- Research Group Proteomics, CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research; Faculty of Science; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Stanislav Korenko
- Department of Agroecology and Biometeorology; Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources; Czech University of Life Sciences; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Zbyněk Zdráhal
- Research Group Proteomics, CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research; Faculty of Science; Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
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38
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When is overkill optimal? Tritrophic interactions reveal new insights into venom evolution. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-017-0354-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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39
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Ujszegi J, Móricz ÁM, Krüzselyi D, Hettyey A. Skin toxin production of toads changes during early ontogeny but is not adjusted to the microbiota of the aquatic environment. Evol Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-017-9920-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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40
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Üveges B, Fera G, Móricz ÁM, Krüzselyi D, Bókony V, Hettyey A. Age- and environment-dependent changes in chemical defences of larval and post-metamorphic toads. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:137. [PMID: 28610604 PMCID: PMC5470210 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-0956-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chemical defences are widespread in animals, but how their production is adjusted to ecological conditions is poorly known. Optimal defence theory predicts that inducible defences are favoured over constitutive defences when toxin production is costly and the need for it varies across environments. However, if some environmental changes occur predictably (e.g. coupled to transitions during ontogeny), whereas others are unpredictable (e.g. predation, food availability), changes in defences may have constitutive as well as plastic elements. To investigate this phenomenon, we raised common toad (Bufo bufo) tadpoles with ad libitum or limited food and in the presence or absence of chemical cues on predation risk, and measured their toxin content on 5 occasions during early ontogeny. RESULTS The number of compounds showed limited variation with age in tadpoles and was unaffected by food limitation and predator cues. The total amount of bufadienolides first increased and later decreased during development, and it was elevated in young and mid-aged tadpoles with limited food availability compared to their ad libitum fed conspecifics, whereas it did not change in response to cues on predation risk. We provide the first evidence for the active synthesis of defensive toxin compounds this early during ontogeny in amphibians. Furthermore, the observation of increased quantities of bufadienolides in food-restricted tadpoles is the first experimental demonstration of resource-dependent induction of elevated de novo toxin production, suggesting a role for bufadienolides in allelopathy. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in chemical defences may depend on the ecological context (i.e. predation vs. competition). Our results furthermore suggest that the age-dependent changes in the diversity of toxin compounds in developing toads may be fixed (i.e., constitutive), timed for the developmental stages in which they are most reliant on their chemical arsenal, whereas inducible plasticity may prevail in the amount of synthesized compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bálint Üveges
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottó út 15, Budapest, 1022 Hungary
| | - Gábor Fera
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottó út 15, Budapest, 1022 Hungary
| | - Ágnes M. Móricz
- Department of Pathophysiology, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottó út 15, Budapest, 1022 Hungary
| | - Dániel Krüzselyi
- Department of Pathophysiology, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottó út 15, Budapest, 1022 Hungary
| | - Veronika Bókony
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottó út 15, Budapest, 1022 Hungary
| | - Attila Hettyey
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottó út 15, Budapest, 1022 Hungary
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41
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Smiley-Walters SA, Farrell TM, Gibbs HL. Evaluating local adaptation of a complex phenotype: reciprocal tests of pigmy rattlesnake venoms on treefrog prey. Oecologia 2017; 184:739-748. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3882-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Saggiomo SL, Zelenka C, Seymour J. Relationship between food and venom production in the estuarine stonefish Synanceia horrida. Toxicon 2016; 125:19-23. [PMID: 27867093 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2016.11.250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The potential costs of venom production may be significant to many marine venomous taxa. In general, the parameters that influence the rate of venom production are poorly understood, but seem to be related to feeding frequency. METHODS This study examines the effects of starvation on venom profile and venom yield on the estuarine stonefish (Synanceia horrida). In total, the venom of eight stonefishes was tested under two feeding regimes. Over a four week period, one of the two groups underwent an episode of suspended feeding, while the other was fed on a daily basis. The effect of time on venom replacement was determined by a paired T-test. ANOVA was performed to analyze differences in venom weight between fed and unfed treatments. RESULTS Nutritional suspension was found to have a significant effect on the quantity of venom produced. SDS-PAGE gel and FPLC revealed that the components of the venom collected from both groups were similar, indicating that four weeks is an adequate time to regenerate key venom components but not replenish initial venom quantities. CONCLUSIONS Venom production was found to be affected by starvation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Luiza Saggiomo
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, McGregor Road, Cairns Campus, Australia.
| | - Christine Zelenka
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, McGregor Road, Cairns Campus, Australia.
| | - Jamie Seymour
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, McGregor Road, Cairns Campus, Australia.
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Pla D, Sanz L, Sasa M, Acevedo ME, Dwyer Q, Durban J, Pérez A, Rodriguez Y, Lomonte B, Calvete JJ. Proteomic analysis of venom variability and ontogeny across the arboreal palm-pitvipers (genus Bothriechis). J Proteomics 2016; 152:1-12. [PMID: 27777178 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2016.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Bothriechis is a genus of eleven currently recognized slender and arboreal venomous snakes, commonly called palm-pitvipers that range from southern Mexico to northern South America. Despite dietary studies suggesting that palm-pitvipers are generalists with an ontogenetic shift toward endothermic prey, venom proteomic analyses have revealed remarkable divergence between the venoms of the Costa Rican species, B. lateralis, B. schlegelii, B. supraciliaris, and B. nigroviridis. To achieve a more complete picture of the venomic landscape across Bothriechis, the venom proteomes of biodiversity of the northern Middle American highland palm-pitvipers, B. thalassinus, B. aurifer, and B. bicolor from Guatemala, B. marchi from Honduras, and neonate Costa Rican B. lateralis and B. schlegelii, were investigated. B. thalassinus and B. aurifer venoms are comprised by similar toxin arsenals dominated by SVMPs (33-39% of the venom proteome), CTLs (11-16%), BPP-like molecules (10-13%), and CRISPs (5-10%), and are characterized by the absence of PLA2 proteins. Conversely, the predominant (35%) components of B. bicolor are D49-PLA2 molecules. The venom proteome of B. marchi is similar to B. aurifer and B. thalassinus in that it is rich in SVMPs and BPPs, but also contains appreciable amounts (14.3%) of PLA2s. The major toxin family found in the venoms of both neonate B. lateralis and B. schlegelii, is serine proteinase (SVSP), comprising about 20% of their toxin arsenals. The venom of neonate B. schlegelii is the only palm-pitviper venom where relative high amounts of Kunitz-type (6.3%) and γPLA2 (5.2%) inhibitors have been identified. Despite notable differences between their proteomes, neonate venoms are more similar to each other than to adults of their respective species. However, the ontogenetic changes taking place in the venom of B. lateralis strongly differ from those that occur in the venom of B. schlegelii. Thus, the ontogenetic change in B. lateralis produces a SVMP-rich venom, whereas in B. schlegelii the age-dependent compositional shift generates a PLA2-rich venom. Overall, genus-wide venomics illustrate the high evolvability of palm-pitviper venoms. The integration of the pattern of venom variation across Bothriechis into a phylogenetic and biogeographic framework may lay the foundation for assessing, in future studies, the evolutionary path that led to the present-day variability of the venoms of palm-pitvipers. SIGNIFICANCE Bothriechis represents a monophyletic basal genus of eleven arboreal palm-pitvipers that range from southern Mexico to northern South America. Despite palm-pitvipers' putative status as diet generalists, previous proteomic analyses have revealed remarkable divergence between the venoms of Costa Rican species, B. lateralis, B. schlegelii, B. supraciliaris, and B. nigroviridis. Our current proteomic study of Guatemalan species, B. thalassinus, B. aurifer, and B. bicolor, Honduran B. marchi, and neonate B. lateralis and B. schlegelii from Costa Rica was undertaken to deepen our understanding of the evolutionary pattern of venom proteome diversity across Bothriechis. Ancestral characters are often, but not always, preserved in an organism's development. Venoms of neonate B. lateralis and B. schlegelii are more similar to each other than to adults of their respective species, suggesting that the high evolvability of palm-pitviper venoms may represent an inherent feature of Bothriechis common ancestor. Our genus-wide data identified four nodes of venom phenotype differentiation across the phylogeny of Bothriechis. Integrated into a phylogenetic and biogeographic framework, the pattern of venom variation across Bothriechis may lay the groundwork to establish whether divergence was driven by selection for efficient resource exploitation in arboreal 'islands', thereby contributing to the ecological speciation of the genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davinia Pla
- Structural and Functional Venomics Laboratory, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Libia Sanz
- Structural and Functional Venomics Laboratory, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mahmood Sasa
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Manuel E Acevedo
- Centro de Estudios Conservacionistas, Centro de Datos para la Conservacion, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Quetzal Dwyer
- Parque Reptilandia, Platanillo between Dominical & San Isidro, 8000 Dominical, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
| | - Jordi Durban
- Structural and Functional Venomics Laboratory, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alicia Pérez
- Structural and Functional Venomics Laboratory, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Yania Rodriguez
- Structural and Functional Venomics Laboratory, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Bruno Lomonte
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
| | - Juan J Calvete
- Structural and Functional Venomics Laboratory, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Valencia, Spain.
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Antinociceptive properties of the mastoparan peptide Agelaia-MPI isolated from social wasps. Toxicon 2016; 120:15-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2016.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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45
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Debono J, Cochran C, Kuruppu S, Nouwens A, Rajapakse NW, Kawasaki M, Wood K, Dobson J, Baumann K, Jouiaei M, Jackson TNW, Koludarov I, Low D, Ali SA, Smith AI, Barnes A, Fry BG. Canopy Venom: Proteomic Comparison among New World Arboreal Pit-Viper Venoms. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:toxins8070210. [PMID: 27399777 PMCID: PMC4963843 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8070210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Central and South American pitvipers, belonging to the genera Bothrops and Bothriechis, have independently evolved arboreal tendencies. Little is known regarding the composition and activity of their venoms. In order to close this knowledge gap, venom proteomics and toxin activity of species of Bothriechis, and Bothrops (including Bothriopsis) were investigated through established analytical methods. A combination of proteomics and bioactivity techniques was used to demonstrate a similar diversification of venom composition between large and small species within Bothriechis and Bothriopsis. Increasing our understanding of the evolution of complex venom cocktails may facilitate future biodiscoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Debono
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Chip Cochran
- Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA.
| | - Sanjaya Kuruppu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
| | - Amanda Nouwens
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Niwanthi W Rajapakse
- Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.
- Department of Physiology, Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
| | - Minami Kawasaki
- Aquatic Animal Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia.
| | - Kelly Wood
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - James Dobson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Kate Baumann
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Mahdokht Jouiaei
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Timothy N W Jackson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Ivan Koludarov
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Dolyce Low
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Syed A Ali
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
- HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, ICCBS, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.
| | - A Ian Smith
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
| | - Andrew Barnes
- Aquatic Animal Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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46
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Harris RJ, Arbuckle K. Tempo and Mode of the Evolution of Venom and Poison in Tetrapods. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:toxins8070193. [PMID: 27348001 PMCID: PMC4963826 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8070193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxic weaponry in the form of venom and poison has evolved in most groups of animals, including all four major lineages of tetrapods. Moreover, the evolution of such traits has been linked to several key aspects of the biology of toxic animals including life-history and diversification. Despite this, attempts to investigate the macroevolutionary patterns underlying such weaponry are lacking. In this study we analyse patterns of venom and poison evolution across reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds using a suite of phylogenetic comparative methods. We find that each major lineage has a characteristic pattern of trait evolution, but mammals and reptiles evolve under a surprisingly similar regime, whilst that of amphibians appears to be particularly distinct and highly contrasting compared to other groups. Our results also suggest that the mechanism of toxin acquisition may be an important distinction in such evolutionary patterns; the evolution of biosynthesis is far less dynamic than that of sequestration of toxins from the diet. Finally, contrary to the situation in amphibians, other tetrapod groups show an association between the evolution of toxic weaponry and higher diversification rates. Taken together, our study provides the first broad-scale analysis of macroevolutionary patterns of venom and poison throughout tetrapods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin Arbuckle
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK.
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Carrasco PA, Venegas PJ, Chaparro JC, Scrocchi GJ. Nomenclatural instability in the venomous snakes of the Bothrops complex: Implications in toxinology and public health. Toxicon 2016; 119:122-8. [PMID: 27242040 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2016.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Since nomenclature is intended to reflect the evolutionary history of organisms, advances in our understanding of historical relationships may lead to changes in classification, and thus potentially in taxonomic instability. An unstable nomenclature for medically important animals like venomous snakes is of concern, and its implications in venom/antivenom research and snakebite treatment have been extensively discussed since the 90´s. The taxonomy of the pitvipers of the Bothrops complex has been historically problematic and different genus-level rearrangements were proposed to rectify the long-standing paraphyly of the group. Here we review the toxinological literature on the Bothrops complex to estimate the impact of recent proposals of classification in non-systematic research. This assessment revealed moderate levels of nomenclatural instability in the last five years, and the recurrence of some practices discussed in previous studies regarding the use of classifications and the information provided about the origin of venom samples. We briefly comment on a few examples and the implications of different proposals of classifications for the Bothrops complex. The aim of this review is to contribute to the reduction of adverse effects of current taxonomic instability in a group of medical importance in the Americas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Andrea Carrasco
- Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Rondeau 798, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Pablo Javier Venegas
- División de Herpetología, Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI), Santa Rita, 10536, Of. 202, Huertos de San Antonio, Surco, Lima, Perú
| | - Juan Carlos Chaparro
- Departamento de Herpetología del Museo de Historia Natural del Cusco, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Plaza de Armas del Cusco s/n, Cusco, Perú
| | - Gustavo José Scrocchi
- CONICET and Instituto de Herpetología, Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, 4000 San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
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48
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Pentzold S, Zagrobelny M, Khakimov B, Engelsen SB, Clausen H, Petersen BL, Borch J, Møller BL, Bak S. Lepidopteran defence droplets - a composite physical and chemical weapon against potential predators. Sci Rep 2016; 6:22407. [PMID: 26940001 PMCID: PMC4778013 DOI: 10.1038/srep22407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects often release noxious substances for their defence. Larvae of Zygaena filipendulae (Lepidoptera) secrete viscous and cyanogenic glucoside-containing droplets, whose effectiveness was associated with their physical and chemical properties. The droplets glued mandibles and legs of potential predators together and immobilised them. Droplets were characterised by a matrix of an aqueous solution of glycine-rich peptides (H-WG11-NH2) with significant amounts of proteins and glucose. Among the proteins, defensive proteins such as protease inhibitors, proteases and oxidases were abundant. The neurotoxin β-cyanoalanine was also found in the droplets. Despite the presence of cyanogenic glucosides, which release toxic hydrogen cyanide after hydrolysis by a specific β-glucosidase, the only β-glucosidase identified in the droplets (ZfBGD1) was inactive against cyanogenic glucosides. Accordingly, droplets did not release hydrogen cyanide, unless they were mixed with specific β-glucosidases present in the Zygaena haemolymph. Droplets secreted onto the cuticle hardened and formed sharp crystalline-like precipitates that may act as mandible abrasives to chewing predators. Hardening followed water evaporation and formation of antiparallel β-sheets of the peptide oligomers. Consequently, after mild irritation, Zygaena larvae deter predators by viscous and hardening droplets that contain defence proteins and β-cyanoalanine. After severe injury, droplets may mix with exuding haemolymph to release hydrogen cyanide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Pentzold
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Villum Research Center ‘Plant Plasticity’, Copenhagen Plant Science Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mika Zagrobelny
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Villum Research Center ‘Plant Plasticity’, Copenhagen Plant Science Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bekzod Khakimov
- Spectroscopy and Chemometrics, Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren Balling Engelsen
- Spectroscopy and Chemometrics, Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henrik Clausen
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine , University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bent Larsen Petersen
- Plant Glycobiology, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jonas Borch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Birger Lindberg Møller
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Villum Research Center ‘Plant Plasticity’, Copenhagen Plant Science Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Carlsberg Laboratory, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren Bak
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Villum Research Center ‘Plant Plasticity’, Copenhagen Plant Science Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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49
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Chang D, Duda TF. Age-related association of venom gene expression and diet of predatory gastropods. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:27. [PMID: 26818019 PMCID: PMC4730619 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0592-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Venomous organisms serve as wonderful systems to study the evolution and expression of genes that are directly associated with prey capture. To evaluate the relationship between venom gene expression and prey utilization, we examined these features among individuals of different ages of the venomous, worm-eating marine snail Conus ebraeus. We determined expression levels of six genes that encode venom components, used a DNA-based approach to evaluate the identity of prey items, and compared patterns of venom gene expression and dietary specialization. Results C. ebraeus exhibits two major shifts in diet with age—an initial transition from a relatively broad dietary breadth to a narrower one and then a return to a broader diet. Venom gene expression patterns also change with growth. All six venom genes are up-regulated in small individuals, down-regulated in medium-sized individuals, and then either up-regulated or continued to be down-regulated in members of the largest size class. Venom gene expression is not significantly different among individuals consuming different types of prey, but instead is coupled and slightly delayed with shifts in prey diversity. Conclusion These results imply that changes in gene expression contribute to intraspecific variation of venom composition and that gene expression patterns respond to changes in the diversity of food resources during different growth stages. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0592-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Chang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. .,Department of Statistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. .,Present address: University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street -- Mail Stop EEBiology, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA.
| | - Thomas F Duda
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. .,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancόn, Republic of Panama.
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50
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Saporito RA, Norton RA, Garraffo MH, Spande TF. Taxonomic distribution of defensive alkaloids in Nearctic oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida). EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2015; 67:317-333. [PMID: 26264156 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-015-9962-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The opisthonotal (oil) glands of oribatid mites are the source of a wide diversity of taxon-specific defensive chemicals, and are likely the location for the more than 90 alkaloids recently identified in oribatids. Although originally recognized in temperate oribatid species, alkaloids have also been detected in related lineages of tropical oribatids. Many of these alkaloids are also present in a worldwide radiation of poison frogs, which are known to sequester these defensive chemicals from dietary arthropods, including oribatid mites. To date, most alkaloid records involve members of the superfamily Oripodoidea (Brachypylina), although few species have been examined and sampling of other taxonomic groups has been highly limited. Herein, we examined adults of more than 60 species of Nearctic oribatid mites, representing 46 genera and 33 families, for the presence of alkaloids. GC-MS analyses of whole body extracts led to the detection of 15 alkaloids, but collectively they occur only in members of the genera Scheloribates (Scheloribatidae) and Protokalumma (Parakalummidae). Most of these alkaloids have also been detected previously in the skin of poison frogs. All examined members of the oripodoid families Haplozetidae and Oribatulidae were alkaloid-free, and no mites outside the Oripodoidea contained alkaloids. Including previous studies, all sampled species of the cosmopolitan oripodoid families Scheloribatidae and Parakalummidae, and the related, mostly tropical families Mochlozetidae and Drymobatidae contain alkaloids. Our findings are consistent with a generalization that alkaloid presence is widespread, but not universal in Oripodoidea. Alkaloid presence in tropical, but not temperate members of some non-oripodoid taxa (in particular Galumnidae) deserves further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph A Saporito
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA.
| | - Roy A Norton
- College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Martin H Garraffo
- Clinical Mass Spectrometry Core, NIDDK, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Thomas F Spande
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, NIDA, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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