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Hojjati-Razgi AS, Nazarian S, Samiei-Abianeh H, Vazirizadeh A, Kordbacheh E, Aghaie SM. Expression of Recombinant Stonustoxin Alpha Subunit and Preparation of polyclonal antiserum for Stonustoxin Neutralization Studies. Protein J 2024; 43:627-638. [PMID: 38760596 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-024-10203-2] [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] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Stonustoxin (SNTX) is a lethal protein found in stonefish venom, responsible for many of the symptoms associated with stonefish envenomation. To counter stonefish venom challenges, antivenom is a well-established and effective solution. In this study, we aimed to produce the recombinant alpha subunit protein of Stonustoxin from Synanceia horrida and prepare antibodies against it The SNTXα gene sequence was optimized for E. coli BL21 (DE3) expression and cloned into the pET17b vector. Following purification, the recombinant protein was subcutaneously injected into rabbits, and antibodies were extracted from rabbit´s serum using a G protein column As a result of codon optimization, the codon adaptation index for the SNTXα cassette increased to 0.94. SDS-PAGE analysis validated the expression of SNTXα, with a band observed at 73.5 kDa with a yield of 60 mg/l. ELISA results demonstrated rabbits antibody titers were detectable up to a 1:256,000 dilution. The isolated antibody from rabbit´s serum exhibited a concentration of 1.5 mg/ml, and its sensitivity allowed the detection of a minimum protein concentration of 9.7 ng. In the neutralization assay the purified antibody against SNTXα protected mice challenged with 2 LD50. In conclusion, our study successfully expressed the alpha subunit of Stonustoxin in a prokaryotic host, enabling the production of antibodies for potential use in developing stonefish antivenom.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shahram Nazarian
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Imam Hossein University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Hossein Samiei-Abianeh
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Imam Hossein University, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Amir Vazirizadeh
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, The Persian Gulf Research and Studies Center, The Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Emad Kordbacheh
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Imam Hossein University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mojtaba Aghaie
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Imam Hossein University, Tehran, Iran
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2
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Selvaraj U, Ganapathy S, Muthuvel A, Alex AM, Masood Khan J, Vijayalakshmi P. Evaluation of the toxicological properties of Himantura imbricata Venom using a zebrafish model (Danio rerio). Toxicon 2024; 243:107739. [PMID: 38704125 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.107739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
The stingrays of the genus Himantura imbricata are present in all of the world's oceans, but the toxicity of their venoms has not yet been thoroughly characterized. The zebrafish as a toxicology model can be used for general toxicity testing of drugs and the investigation of toxicological mechanisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of crude venom from the stingray H. imbricata on the zebrafish Danio rerio. Juvenile zebrafish were injected with different concentrations of venom from H. imbricata via subcutaneous injections. The venom's effects were established via histological examination and hemolytic activity in zebrafish. The histopathological analysis revealed significant tissue damage in the organs of the zebrafish injected with venom, including liver necrosis and kidney degeneration. A blood examination revealed echinocytes, hemolysis, and nuclear abnormalities. Bodyweight estimations and histopathological attributes of the gills, heart, muscle, liver, intestine, eye, and brain were determined. The histological staining studies of the gills, liver, and intestine were measurably higher in the venom groups compared with the other two groups. Aggregately, the result shows that zebrafish may act as a valuable biomarker for alterations impelled by H. imbricata venom. The work delivers a useful model with substantial pharmacological potential for new drugs and a better comprehension of research on stingray venom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uthra Selvaraj
- CAS in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai, India
| | | | | | - Asha Monica Alex
- Department of Biotechnology, St. Joseph's College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli, 620 002, India
| | - Javed Masood Khan
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Periyasamy Vijayalakshmi
- P.G and Research Department of Biotechnology Bioinformatics, Holy Cross College (Autonomous) Affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Trichy, India.
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3
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Tang T, Huang Y, Peng C, Liao Y, Lv Y, Shi Q, Gao B. A Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of the Reef Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) Provides Novel Insights into Stonustoxin (sntx) Genes. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad215. [PMID: 37770059 PMCID: PMC10566576 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad215] [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: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) is one of the most venomous fishes, but its biomedical study has been restricted to molecular cloning and purification of its toxins, instead of high-throughput genetic research on related toxin genes. In this study, we constructed a chromosome-level haplotypic genome assembly for the reef stonefish. The genome was assembled into 24 pseudo-chromosomes, and the length totaled 689.74 Mb, reaching a contig N50 of 11.97 Mb and containing 97.8% of complete BUSCOs. A total of 24,050 protein-coding genes were annotated, of which metalloproteinases, C-type lectins, and stonustoxins (sntx) were the most abundant putative toxin genes. Multitissue transcriptomic and venom proteomic data showed that sntx genes, especially those clustered within a 50-kb region on the chromosome 2, had higher transcription levels than other types of toxins as well as those sntx genes scatteringly distributed on other chromosomes. Further comparative genomic analysis predicted an expansion of sntx-like genes in the Percomorpha lineage including nonvenomous fishes, but Scorpaenoidei species experienced extra independent sntx duplication events, marking the clear-cut origin of authentic toxic stonustoxins. In summary, this high-quality genome assembly and related comparative analysis of toxin genes highlight valuable genetic differences for potential involvement in the evolution of venoms among Scorpaeniformes fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianle Tang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Yu Huang
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Chao Peng
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- BGI-Marine Research Institute for Biomedical Technology, Shenzhen Huahong Marine Biomedicine Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanling Liao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Yunyun Lv
- Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province for Fishes Conservation and Utilization in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Life Sciences, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiong Shi
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- BGI-Marine Research Institute for Biomedical Technology, Shenzhen Huahong Marine Biomedicine Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province for Fishes Conservation and Utilization in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Life Sciences, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, Sichuan, China
| | - Bingmiao Gao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China
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Buser TJ, Kee VE, Terry RC, Summers AP, Sidlauskas BL. Taurus of the Tidepool? Inferring the Function of Cranial Weapons in Intertidal Sculpins (Pisces: Cottoidea: Oligocottinae). ICHTHYOLOGY & HERPETOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1643/i2022044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Thaddaeus J. Buser
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon; (VEK) ; and (BLS)
. ORCID: (BLS) 0000-0003-0597-4085
| | - Victoria E. Kee
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon; (VEK) ; and (BLS)
. ORCID: (BLS) 0000-0003-0597-4085
| | - Rebecca C. Terry
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon; . ORCID: 0000-0002-9803-6292
| | - Adam P. Summers
- Department of Biology and SAFS, University of Washington, Friday Harbor Laboratories, Friday Harbor, Washington; . ORCID: 0000-0003-1930-9748
| | - Brian L. Sidlauskas
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon; (VEK) ; and (BLS)
. ORCID: (BLS) 0000-0003-0597-4085
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5
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Luis Molina-Quirós J, Hernández-Muñoz S, Antonio Baeza J. The complete mitochondrial genome of the roosterfish Nematistius pectoralis Gill 1862: purifying selection in protein coding genes, organization of the control region, and insights into family-level phylogenomic relationships in the recently erected order Carangiformes. Gene 2022; 845:146847. [PMID: 36058495 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The roosterfish Nematistius pectoralis is considered as one of the most magnificent sportfishes worldwide. This study developed the first genomic resource for this trophy-fish that is heavily targeted by the fly-fishing industry. The complete mitochondrial genome of N. pectoralis was assembled using short read sequences and analyzed in detail. The mitochondrial genome of N. pectoralis is 16,537 bp in length and comprises 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (12S and 16S), and 22 transfer RNA genes. A long intergenic space 770 bp in length was assumed to be the D-loop or Control Region (CR). Most of the PCGs and tRNA genes are encoded in the L-strand. All PCGs are under purifying selection and atp8 and nad6 experienced the least selective pressure. All tRNAs exhibit a cloverleaf secondary structure except tRNA-Serine 1 that lacked the D-arm loop. The D-loop of N. pectoralis exhibits three domains commonly described in other fishes; extended terminal associated sequences (ETAS), central, and conserved sequence block (CSB). A ML phylogenetic reconstruction of the newly recognized order Carangiformes based on all 13 mitochondrial PCGs did not support the monophyly of this clade but recognized several families as monophyletic, including Bothidae, Carangidae, Istiophoridae, Latidae, Paralichthyidae, Polynemidae, and Rhombosoleidae. Nematistius pectoralis was sister to a clade composed of Toxotes chatareus (fam. Toxotidae) + Lactarius lactarius (fam. Lactariidae). This genomic resource developed for N. pectoralis will aid in improving our understanding of the population genomics of and strengthen conservation and management strategies in this remarkable trophy-fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Luis Molina-Quirós
- Biomolecular Laboratory, Center for International Programs, Universidad Veritas, San José, Costa Rica.
| | - Sebastián Hernández-Muñoz
- Biomolecular Laboratory, Center for International Programs, Universidad Veritas, San José, Costa Rica; Sala de Colecciones, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - J Antonio Baeza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA; Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Catolica del Norte, Coquimbo, IV Región, Chile; Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Smithsonian Institution, Fort Pierce, FL, USA
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6
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Mu X, Yang Y, Sun J, Yi liu, Xu M, Shao C, Chu KH, Li W, Liu C, Gu D, Fang M, Zhang C, Liu F, Song H, Wang X, Chen J, Ma KY. FishPIE: a universal phylogenetically informative exon markers set for ray-finned fishes. iScience 2022; 25:105025. [PMID: 36105587 PMCID: PMC9464953 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the evolutionary history of the highly diverse ray-finned fishes has been challenging, and the development of more universal primers for phylogenetic analyses may help overcoming these challenges. We developed FishPIE, a nested PCR primer set of 82 phylogenetically informative exon markers, and tested it on 203 species from 31 orders of Actinopterygii. We combined orthologous sequences of the FishPIE markers obtained from published genomes and transcriptomes and constructed the phylogeny of 710 species belonging to 190 families and 60 orders. The resulting phylogenies had topologies comparable to previous phylogenomic studies. We demonstrated that the FishPIE markers could address phylogenetic questions across broad taxonomic levels. By incorporating the newly sequenced taxa, we were able to shed new light on the phylogeny of the highly diverse Cypriniformes. Thus, FishPIE holds great promise for generating genetic data for broad taxonomic groups and accelerating our understanding of the fish tree of life. FishPIE is a nested PCR primer set of 82 markers for fish phylogenetic analysis The markers can be broadly applied to all orders of ray-finned fishes Their phylogenetic performance is comparable to that of genomic analyses
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7
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Prolonged morphological expansion of spiny-rayed fishes following the end-Cretaceous. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1211-1220. [PMID: 35835827 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01801-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Spiny-rayed fishes (Acanthomorpha) dominate modern marine habitats and account for more than a quarter of all living vertebrate species. Previous time-calibrated phylogenies and patterns from the fossil record explain this dominance by correlating the origin of major acanthomorph lineages with the Cretaceous-Palaeogene mass extinction. Here we infer a time-calibrated phylogeny using ultraconserved elements that samples 91.4% of all acanthomorph families and investigate patterns of body shape disparity. Our results show that acanthomorph lineages steadily accumulated throughout the Cenozoic and underwent a significant expansion of among-clade morphological disparity several million years after the end-Cretaceous. These acanthomorph lineages radiated into and diversified within distinct regions of morphospace that characterize iconic lineages, including fast-swimming open-ocean predators, laterally compressed reef fishes, bottom-dwelling flatfishes, seahorses and pufferfishes. The evolutionary success of spiny-rayed fishes is the culmination of multiple species-rich and phenotypically disparate lineages independently diversifying across the globe under a wide range of ecological conditions.
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8
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Girard MG, Davis MP, Tan HH, Wedd DJ, Chakrabarty P, Ludt WB, Summers AP, Smith WL. Phylogenetics of archerfishes (Toxotidae) and evolution of the toxotid shooting apparatus. Integr Org Biol 2022; 4:obac013. [PMID: 35814192 PMCID: PMC9259087 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obac013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Archerfishes (Toxotidae) are variously found in the fresh- and brackish-water environments of Asia Pacific and are well known for their ability to shoot water at terrestrial prey. These shots of water are intended to strike their prey and cause it to fall into the water for capture and consumption. While this behavior is well known, there are competing hypotheses (blowpipe vs. pressure tank hypothesis) of how archerfishes shoot and which oral structures are involved. Current understanding of archerfish shooting structures is largely based on two species, Toxotes chatareus and T. jaculatrix. We do not know if all archerfishes possess the same oral structures to shoot water, if anatomical variation is present within these oral structures, or how these features have evolved. Additionally, there is little information on the evolution of the Toxotidae as a whole, with all previous systematic works focusing on the interrelationships of the family. We first investigate the limits of archerfish species using new and previously published genetic data. Our analyses highlight that the current taxonomy of archerfishes does not conform to the relationships we recover. Toxotes mekongensis and T. siamensis are placed in synonymy of T. chatareus, Toxotes carpentariensis is recognized as a species and removed from synonymy of T. chatareus, and the genus Protoxotes is recognized for T. lorentzi based on the results of our analyses. We then take an integrative approach, using a combined analysis of discrete hard- and soft-tissue morphological characters with genetic data, to construct a phylogeny of the Toxotidae. Using the resulting phylogenetic hypothesis, we then characterize the evolutionary history and anatomical variation within the archerfishes. We discuss the variation in the oral structures and the evolution of the mechanism with respect to the interrelationships of archerfishes, and find that the oral structures of archerfishes support the blowpipe hypothesis but soft-tissue oral structures may also play a role in shooting. Finally, by comparing the morphology of archerfishes to their sister group, we find that the Leptobramidae has relevant shooting features in the oral cavity, suggesting that some components of the archerfish shooting mechanism are examples of co-opted or exapted traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- M G Girard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
| | - M P Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN, 56301, USA
| | - H H Tan
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, 117377, SGP
| | - D J Wedd
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, 0810, AUS
| | - P Chakrabarty
- Ichthyology Section, Museum of Natural Science, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - W B Ludt
- Department of Ichthyology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - A P Summers
- Department of Biology and SAFS, University of Washington's Friday Harbor Laboratories, Friday Harbor, WA, 98250, USA
| | - W L Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
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Girard MG, Davis MP, Baldwin CC, Dettaï A, Martin RP, Smith WL. Molecular phylogeny of the threadfin fishes (Polynemidae) using ultraconserved elements. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 100:793-810. [PMID: 35137410 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Threadfins (Teleostei: Polynemidae) are a group of fishes named for their elongated and threadlike pectoral-fin rays. These fishes are commonly found in the world's tropical and subtropical waters, and are an economically important group for people living in these regions, with more than 100,000 t harvested in recent years. However, we do not have a detailed understanding of polynemid evolutionary history such that these fishes can be monitored, managed and conserved as an important tropical food source. Recent studies hypothesize at least one genus of threadfins is polyphyletic, and no studies have focused on generating a hypothesis of relationship for the Polynemidae using DNA sequences. In this study, we analyse a genomic dataset of ultraconserved-element and mitochondrial loci to construct a phylogeny of the Polynemidae. We recover the threadfins as a clade sister to flatfishes, with the most taxonomically rich genus, Polydactylus, being resolved as polyphyletic. When comparing our dataset to data from previous studies, we find that a few recent broad-scale phylogenies of fishes have incorporated mislabelled, misidentified or chimeric terminals into their analyses, impacting the relationships of threadfins they recover. We highlight these problematic sequences, providing revised identifications based on the data sequenced in this study. We then discuss the intrarelationships of threadfins, highlighting morphological or ecological characters that support the clades we recover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Girard
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Matthew P Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
| | - Carole C Baldwin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Agnès Dettaï
- Département Systématique et Evolution, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, FRA
| | - Rene P Martin
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - W Leo Smith
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
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Smith WL, Ghedotti MJ, Domínguez-Domínguez O, McMahan CD, Espinoza E, Martin RP, Girard MG, Davis MP. Investigations into the ancestry of the Grape-eye Seabass (Hemilutjanus macrophthalmos) reveal novel limits and relationships for the Acropomatiformes (Teleostei: Percomorpha). NEOTROPICAL ICHTHYOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1982-0224-2021-0160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract For 175 years, an unremarkable bass, the Grape-eye Seabass (Hemilutjanus macrophthalmos), has been known from coastal waters in the Eastern Pacific. To date, its phylogenetic placement and classification have been ignored. A preliminary osteological examination of Hemilutjanus hinted that it may have affinities with the Acropomatiformes. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis using UCE and Sanger sequence data to study the placement of Hemilutjanus and the limits and relationships of the Acropomatiformes. We show that Hemilutjanus is a malakichthyid, and our results corroborate earlier studies that have resolved a polyphyletic Polyprionidae; accordingly, we describe Stereolepididae, new family, for Stereolepis. With these revisions, the Acropomatiformes is now composed of the: Acropomatidae; Banjosidae; Bathyclupeidae; Champsodontidae; Creediidae; Dinolestidae; Epigonidae; Glaucosomatidae; Hemerocoetidae; Howellidae; Lateolabracidae; Malakichthyidae; Ostracoberycidae; Pempheridae; Pentacerotidae; Polyprionidae; Scombropidae; Stereolepididae, new family; Symphysanodontidae; Synagropidae; and Schuettea. Finally, using our new hypothesis, we demonstrate that acropomatiforms repeatedly evolved bioluminescence and transitioned between shallow waters and the deep sea.
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FIOROTTI HELENAB, SOARES THIAGOG, BORGES MÁRCIAH, MATAVEL ALESSANDRA, CAMPOS FABIANAV, FIGUEIREDO SUELYGDE. Preliminary report on the hemagglutinating activity of the Scorpaena plumieri fish venom. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2022; 94:e20200976. [DOI: 10.1590/0001-376520220976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- HELENA B. FIOROTTI
- Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil; Instituto Butantan, Brazil
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12
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Fish Cytolysins in All Their Complexity. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13120877. [PMID: 34941715 PMCID: PMC8704401 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13120877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The majority of the effects observed upon envenomation by scorpaenoid fish species can be reproduced by the cytolysins present in their venoms. Fish cytolysins are multifunctional proteins that elicit lethal, cytolytic, cardiovascular, inflammatory, nociceptive, and neuromuscular activities, representing a novel class of protein toxins. These large proteins (MW 150–320 kDa) are composed by two different subunits, termed α and β, with about 700 amino acid residues each, being usually active in oligomeric form. There is a high degree of similarity between the primary sequences of cytolysins from different fish species. This suggests these molecules share similar mechanisms of action, which, at least regarding the cytolytic activity, has been proved to involve pore formation. Although the remaining components of fish venoms have interesting biological activities, fish cytolysins stand out because of their multifunctional nature and their ability to reproduce the main events of envenomation on their own. Considerable knowledge about fish cytolysins has been accumulated over the years, although there remains much to be unveiled. In this review, we compiled and compared the current information on the biochemical aspects and pharmacological activities of fish cytolysins, going over their structures, activities, mechanisms of action, and perspectives for the future.
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Arbuckle K, Harris RJ. Radiating pain: venom has contributed to the diversification of the largest radiations of vertebrate and invertebrate animals. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:150. [PMID: 34344322 PMCID: PMC8336261 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01880-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding drivers of animal biodiversity has been a longstanding aim in evolutionary biology. Insects and fishes represent the largest lineages of invertebrates and vertebrates respectively, and consequently many ideas have been proposed to explain this diversity. Natural enemy interactions are often important in diversification dynamics, and key traits that mediate such interactions may therefore have an important role in explaining organismal diversity. Venom is one such trait which is intricately bound in antagonistic coevolution and has recently been shown to be associated with increased diversification rates in tetrapods. Despite ~ 10% of fish families and ~ 16% of insect families containing venomous species, the role that venom may play in these two superradiations remains unknown. Results In this paper we take a broad family-level phylogenetic perspective and show that variation in diversification rates are the main cause of variations in species richness in both insects and fishes, and that venomous families have diversification rates twice as high as non-venomous families. Furthermore, we estimate that venom was present in ~ 10% and ~ 14% of the evolutionary history of fishes and insects respectively. Conclusions Consequently, we provide evidence that venom has played a role in generating the remarkable diversity in the largest vertebrate and invertebrate radiations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-021-01880-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Arbuckle
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
| | - Richard J Harris
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
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14
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Peplinski J, Malone MA, Fowler KJ, Potratz EJ, Pergams AG, Charmoy KL, Rasheed K, Avdieiev SS, Whelan CJ, Brown JS. Ecology of Fear: Spines, Armor and Noxious Chemicals Deter Predators in Cancer and in Nature. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.682504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, many multicellular and unicellular organisms use constitutive defenses such as armor, spines, and noxious chemicals to keep predators at bay. These defenses render the prey difficult and/or dangerous to subdue and handle, which confers a strong deterrent for predators. The distinct benefit of this mode of defense is that prey can defend in place and continue activities such as foraging even under imminent threat of predation. The same qualitative types of armor-like, spine-like, and noxious defenses have evolved independently and repeatedly in nature, and we present evidence that cancer is no exception. Cancer cells exist in environments inundated with predator-like immune cells, so the ability of cancer cells to defend in place while foraging and proliferating would clearly be advantageous. We argue that these defenses repeatedly evolve in cancers and may be among the most advanced and important adaptations of cancers. By drawing parallels between several taxa exhibiting armor-like, spine-like, and noxious defenses, we present an overview of different ways these defenses can appear and emphasize how phenotypes that appear vastly different can nevertheless have the same essential functions. This cross-taxa comparison reveals how cancer phenotypes can be interpreted as anti-predator defenses, which can facilitate therapy approaches which aim to give the predators (the immune system) the upper hand. This cross-taxa comparison is also informative for evolutionary ecology. Cancer provides an opportunity to observe how prey evolve in the context of a unique predatory threat (the immune system) and varied environments.
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15
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Burke PJ, Williamson JE. Using cone beam CT scans to reveal headfirst ingestion and possible prey manipulation tactics in sawsharks. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 99:271-274. [PMID: 33534180 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Prey manipulation through headfirst ingestion is a common foraging tactic in predatory taxa. Sawsharks possess a toothed rostrum that is thought to assist in prey capture, but the process from prey contact to ingestion is unknown. This study provides evidence of headfirst ingestion and possible prey orientation in situ through the use of cone beam CT scans in the common sawshark (Pristiophorus cirratus). CT scans provide an efficient method for assessing ingestion and proposing plausible behavioural tactics for food manipulation in a species difficult to observe in the wild or maintain in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Burke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jane E Williamson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
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16
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Trim CM, Byrne LJ, Trim SA. Utilisation of compounds from venoms in drug discovery. PROGRESS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2021; 60:1-66. [PMID: 34147202 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmch.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Difficult drug targets are becoming the normal course of business in drug discovery, sometimes due to large interacting surfaces or only small differences in selectivity regions. For these, a different approach is merited: compounds lying somewhere between the small molecule and the large antibody in terms of many properties including stability, biodistribution and pharmacokinetics. Venoms have evolved over millions of years to be complex mixtures of stable molecules derived from other somatic molecules, the stability comes from the pressure to be ready for delivery at a moment's notice. Snakes, spiders, scorpions, jellyfish, wasps, fish and even mammals have evolved independent venom systems with complex mixtures in their chemical arsenal. These venom-derived molecules have been proven to be useful tools, such as for the development of antihypotensive angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and have also made successful drugs such as Byetta® (Exenatide), Integrilin® (Eptifibatide) and Echistatin. Only a small percentage of the available chemical space from venoms has been investigated so far and this is growing. In a new era of biological therapeutics, venom peptides present opportunities for larger target engagement surface with greater stability than antibodies or human peptides. There are challenges for oral absorption and target engagement, but there are venom structures that overcome these and thus provide substrate for engineering novel molecules that combine all desired properties. Venom researchers are characterising new venoms, species, and functions all the time, these provide great substrate for solving the challenges presented by today's difficult targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol M Trim
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Social Sciences, Natural and Applied Sciences, School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Lee J Byrne
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Social Sciences, Natural and Applied Sciences, School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
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17
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Gorman CE, Hulsey CD. Non-trophic Functional Ecology of Vertebrate Teeth: A Review. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 60:665-675. [PMID: 32573716 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Teeth are critical to the functional ecology of vertebrate trophic abilities, but are also used for a diversity of other non-trophic tasks. Teeth can play a substantial role in how animals move, manipulate their environment, positively interact with conspecifics, antagonistically interact with other organisms, and sense the environment. We review these non-trophic functions in an attempt to place the utility of human and all other vertebrate dentitions in a more diverse framework that emphasizes an expanded view of the functional importance and ecological diversity of teeth. In light of the extensive understanding of the developmental genetics, trophic functions, and evolutionary history of teeth, comparative studies of vertebrate dentitions will continue to provide unique insights into multi-functionality, many-to-one mapping, and the evolution of novel abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney E Gorman
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - C Darrin Hulsey
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
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18
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Faustino-Fuster DR, Meza-Vargas V, Lovejoy NR, Lujan NK. Multi-locus phylogeny with dense Guiana Shield sampling supports new suprageneric classification of the neotropical three-barbeled catfishes (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021; 162:107186. [PMID: 33932613 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The catfish family Heptapteridae is ubiquitous across a range of freshwater habitats from southern Mexico to northern Argentina and contains 23 genera and 228 valid species. After a century of mostly morphology-based systematic analyses of these fishes, we provide the first molecular phylogenetic hypothesis spanning most valid Heptapteridae genera (16 of 23). We examined eight of 14 valid genera in the Nemuroglanis-subclade (Heptapterini), all valid genera in the Brachyglanis-subclade (Brachyglaniini) and most valid Brachyglaniini species (11 of 15). Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of a 4156-base alignment of five gene regions (three mitochondrial: COI, Cyt b, and ND2; two nuclear: RAG2, Glyt) yielded thoroughly resolved and statistically robust phylogenies that were largely congruent with each other and with previous morphology-based hypotheses. We propose a revised phylogenetic classification consisting of two subfamilies (Rhamdiinae, Heptapterinae) each with two tribes. Dense taxonomic sampling of Brachyglaniini, including type species of Brachyglanis, Gladioglanis, Leptorhamdia, and Myoglanis, revealed widespread paraphyly. Newly recovered clades within Brachyglaniini are closely associated with either the upper Orinoco or the Essequibo suggesting repeated dispersals and/or range expansions/contractions across the western Guiana Shield highlands and from there to the upper Amazon and Brazilian Shield. These biogeographical processes appear to have been an important driver of allopatric diversification in the clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario R Faustino-Fuster
- Departamento de Ictiología, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Avenida Arenales 1256, Lima 14, Peru; Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Bloco IV, Prédio 43433, Campus do Vale, 91509-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Vanessa Meza-Vargas
- Departamento de Ictiología, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Avenida Arenales 1256, Lima 14, Peru; Laboratório de Sistemática de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul., Av. Ipiranga, 6681, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Nathan R Lovejoy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Nathan K Lujan
- Department of Ichthyology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
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19
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A fossil-calibrated time-tree of all Australian freshwater fishes. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021; 161:107180. [PMID: 33887481 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Australian freshwater fishes are a relatively species-poor assemblage, mostly comprising groups derived from older repeated freshwater invasions by marine ancestors, plus a small number of Gondwanan lineages. These taxa are both highly endemic and highly threatened, but a comprehensive phylogeny for Australian freshwater fishes is lacking. This has hampered efforts to study their phylogenetic diversity, distribution of extinction risk, speciation rates, and rates of trait evolution. Here, we present a comprehensive dated phylogeny of 412 Australian fishes. We include all formally recognized freshwater species plus a number of genetically distinct subpopulations, species awaiting formal description, and predominantly brackish-water species that sometimes enter fresh water. The phylogeny was inferred using maximum-likelihood analysis of a multilocus data set comprising six mitochondrial and three nuclear genes from 326 taxa. We inferred the evolutionary timescale using penalized likelihood, then used a statistical approach to add 86 taxa for which no molecular data were available. The time-tree inferred in our study will provide a useful resource for macroecological studies of Australian freshwater fishes by enabling corrections for phylogenetic non-independence in evolutionary and ecological comparative analyses.
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20
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Ghedotti MJ, DeKay HM, Maile AJ, Smith WL, Davis MP. Anatomy and evolution of bioluminescent organs in the slimeheads (Teleostei: Trachichthyidae). J Morphol 2021; 282:820-832. [PMID: 33733466 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial bioluminescent organs in fishes have a diverse range of tissues of origin, patterns of compartmentalization, and associated light-conducting structures. The morphology of the perianal, bacterial bioluminescent organ of Aulotrachichthys prosthemius was described previously, but the light organ in other species of slimeheads, family Trachichthyidae, is poorly known. Here, we describe the anatomy of the bioluminescent organs in trachichthyids and places the evolution of this light-producing system in the context of a new phylogeny of the Trachichthyoidei to test the hypothesis that bioluminescence evolved twice in the suborder and that the light-producing component derives from the perianal ectoderm. We use gross and histological examination to provide the first description of the bioluminescent organ of Paratrachichthys and four additional species of Aulotrachichthys. Observations also strongly suggest the presence of a perianal bioluminescent organ in Sorosichthys ananasa. The updated phylogeny of the Trachichthyoidei is the first to combine morphological and DNA-sequence (11-gene fragments) evidence, and supports a monophyletic Trachichthyidae with component subfamilies Hoplostethinae and Trachichthyinae, supporting continued recognition of the family Anoplogastridae. All bioluminescent trachichthyoids share a similar bioluminescent-organ structure with elongate chambers filled with bacteria and connected to collecting ducts that, in turn, connect to superficial ducts that lead to and have lining epithelia continuous with the epidermis. In the context of the phylogeny, the bioluminescent organ of trachichthyids is inferred to have evolved as an elaboration of the proctodeum in the ancestor of Aulotrachichthys, Paratrachichthys, and Sorosichthys independently from the structurally similar cephalic bioluminescent organs in Anomalopidae and Monocentridae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Ghedotti
- Department of Biology, Regis University, Denver, Colorado, USA.,Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Hannah M DeKay
- Department of Biology, Regis University, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Alex J Maile
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
| | - W Leo Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Matthew P Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
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21
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Maile AJ, May ZA, DeArmon ES, Martin RP, Davis MP. Marine Habitat Transitions and Body-Shape Evolution in Lizardfishes and Their Allies (Aulopiformes). COPEIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1643/cg-19-300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alex J. Maile
- Department of Biological Sciences, 720 Fourth Avenue South, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301; (AJM) . Send reprint requests to AJM
| | - Zachary A. May
- Department of Biological Sciences, 720 Fourth Avenue South, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301; (AJM) . Send reprint requests to AJM
| | - Emily S. DeArmon
- Department of Biological Sciences, 720 Fourth Avenue South, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301; (AJM) . Send reprint requests to AJM
| | - Rene P. Martin
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045
| | - Matthew P. Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, 720 Fourth Avenue South, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301; (AJM) . Send reprint requests to AJM
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22
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Girard MG, Davis MP, Smith WL. The Phylogeny of Carangiform Fishes: Morphological and Genomic Investigations of a New Fish Clade. COPEIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1643/ci-19-320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G. Girard
- Biodiversity Institute, 1345 Jayhawk Boulevard, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045; (MGG) . Send reprint requests to MGG
| | - Matthew P. Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301
| | - W. Leo Smith
- Biodiversity Institute, 1345 Jayhawk Boulevard, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045; (MGG) . Send reprint requests to MGG
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23
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Niermann CN, Tate TG, Suto AL, Barajas R, White HA, Guswiler OD, Secor SM, Rowe AH, Rowe MP. Defensive Venoms: Is Pain Sufficient for Predator Deterrence? Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12040260. [PMID: 32316477 PMCID: PMC7232307 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12040260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain, though unpleasant, is adaptive in calling an animal’s attention to potential tissue damage. A long list of animals representing diverse taxa possess venom-mediated, pain-inducing bites or stings that work by co-opting the pain-sensing pathways of potential enemies. Typically, such venoms include toxins that cause tissue damage or disrupt neuronal activity, rendering painful stings honest indicators of harm. But could pain alone be sufficient for deterring a hungry predator? Some venomologists have argued “no”; predators, in the absence of injury, would “see through” the bluff of a painful but otherwise benign sting or bite. Because most algogenic venoms are also toxic (although not vice versa), it has been difficult to disentangle the relative contributions of each component to predator deterrence. Southern grasshopper mice (Onychomys torridus) are voracious predators of arthropods, feeding on a diversity of scorpion species whose stings vary in painfulness, including painful Arizona bark scorpions (Centruroides sculpturatus) and essentially painless stripe-tailed scorpions (Paravaejovis spinigerus). Moreover, southern grasshopper mice have evolved resistance to the lethal toxins in bark scorpion venom, rendering a sting from these scorpions painful but harmless. Results from a series of laboratory experiments demonstrate that painful stings matter. Grasshopper mice preferred to prey on stripe-tailed scorpions rather than bark scorpions when both species could sting; the preference disappeared when each species had their stingers blocked. A painful sting therefore appears necessary for a scorpion to deter a hungry grasshopper mouse, but it may not always be sufficient: after first attacking and consuming a painless stripe-tailed scorpion, many grasshopper mice went on to attack, kill, and eat a bark scorpion even when the scorpion was capable of stinging. Defensive venoms that result in tissue damage or neurological dysfunction may, thus, be required to condition greater aversion than venoms causing pain alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal N. Niermann
- Department of Biology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77340, USA; (C.N.N.); (T.G.T.)
| | - Travis G. Tate
- Department of Biology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77340, USA; (C.N.N.); (T.G.T.)
| | - Amber L. Suto
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (A.L.S.); (O.D.G.)
| | - Rolando Barajas
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (R.B.); (H.A.W.)
| | - Hope A. White
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (R.B.); (H.A.W.)
| | - Olivia D. Guswiler
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (A.L.S.); (O.D.G.)
| | - Stephen M. Secor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA;
| | - Ashlee H. Rowe
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA;
| | - Matthew P. Rowe
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-405-325-6539
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24
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The venoms of the lesser ( Echiichthys vipera) and greater ( Trachinus draco) weever fish- A review. Toxicon X 2020; 6:100025. [PMID: 32550581 PMCID: PMC7285994 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2020.100025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 11/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In comparison with other animal venoms, fish venoms remain relatively understudied. This is especially true for that of the lesser Echiichthys vipera and greater weever fish Trachinus draco which, apart from the isolation of their unique venom cytolysins, trachinine and dracotoxin, respectively, remain relatively uncharacterised. Envenomation reports mainly include mild symptoms consisting of nociception and inflammation. However, like most fish venoms, if the venom becomes systemic it causes cardiorespiratory and blood pressure changes. Although T. draco venom has not been studied since the 1990's, recent studies on E. vipera venom have discovered novel cytotoxic components on human cancer cells, but due to the scarcity of research on the molecular make-up of the venom, the molecule(s) causing this cytotoxicity remains unknown. This review analyses past studies on E. vipera and T. draco venom, the methods used in the , the venom constituents characterised, the reported symptoms of envenomation and compares these findings with those from other venomous Scorpaeniformes. Research on the weever fish venoms Echiichthys vipera and Trachinus draco has been scarce. E. vipera and T. draco venoms elicit cardiorespiratory symptoms in victims. E. vipera and T. draco contain unique cytolysins – Trachinine and Dracotoxin. Dracotoxin is haemolytic and contains membrane depolarising activities. E. vipera venom triggers apoptosis in human colon carcinoma cells.
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25
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Morlighem JÉRL, Radis-Baptista G. The Place for Enzymes and Biologically Active Peptides from Marine Organisms for Application in Industrial and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2019; 20:334-355. [PMID: 30255754 DOI: 10.2174/1389203719666180926121722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Since the beginning of written history, diverse texts have reported the use of enzymatic preparations in food processing and have described the medicinal properties of crude and fractionated venoms to treat various diseases and injuries. With the biochemical characterization of enzymes from distinct sources and bioactive polypeptides from animal venoms, the last sixty years have testified the advent of industrial enzymology and protein therapeutics, which are currently applicable in a wide variety of industrial processes, household products, and pharmaceuticals. Bioprospecting of novel biocatalysts and bioactive peptides is propelled by their unsurpassed properties that are applicable for current and future green industrial processes, biotechnology, and biomedicine. The demand for both novel enzymes with desired characteristics and novel peptides that lead to drug development, has experienced a steady increase in response to the expanding global market for industrial enzymes and peptidebased drugs. Moreover, although largely unexplored, oceans and marine realms, with their unique ecosystems inhabited by a large variety of species, including a considerable number of venomous animals, are recognized as untapped reservoirs of molecules and macromolecules (enzymes and bioactive venom-derived peptides) that can potentially be converted into highly valuable biopharmaceutical products. In this review, we have focused on enzymes and animal venom (poly)peptides that are presently in biotechnological use, and considering the state of prospection of marine resources, on the discovery of useful industrial biocatalysts and drug leads with novel structures exhibiting selectivity and improved performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Étienne R L Morlighem
- Institute for Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Av da Abolicao 3207. Fortaleza/CE. 60165081, Brazil
| | - Gandhi Radis-Baptista
- Institute for Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Av da Abolicao 3207. Fortaleza/CE. 60165081, Brazil
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26
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Abstract
Venomous teeth are rare in fishes, which typically utilise spines for defence. A new study reveals the evolutionary origins of fangs and venom in the Nemophini blennies and shows that, in contrast to snakes and lizards, the fangs pre-date the venom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin I Taylor
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
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27
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Harris RJ, Jenner RA. Evolutionary Ecology of Fish Venom: Adaptations and Consequences of Evolving a Venom System. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E60. [PMID: 30678265 PMCID: PMC6409815 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11020060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on venomous animals has mainly focused on the molecular, biochemical, and pharmacological aspects of venom toxins. However, it is the relatively neglected broader study of evolutionary ecology that is crucial for understanding the biological relevance of venom systems. As fish have convergently evolved venom systems multiple times, it makes them ideal organisms to investigate the evolutionary ecology of venom on a broader scale. This review outlines what is known about how fish venom systems evolved as a result of natural enemy interactions and about the ecological consequences of evolving a venom system. This review will show how research on the evolutionary ecology of venom in fish can aid in understanding the evolutionary ecology of animal venoms more generally. Further, understanding these broad ecological questions can shed more light on the other areas of toxinology, with applications across multiple disciplinary fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Harris
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Ronald A Jenner
- Department of Life Sciences, the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD London, UK.
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28
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Silva F, Huang Y, Yang V, Mu X, Shi Q, Antunes A. Transcriptomic Characterization of the South American Freshwater Stingray Potamotrygon motoro Venom Apparatus. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:E544. [PMID: 30567320 PMCID: PMC6315956 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10120544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Venomous animals are found through a wide taxonomic range including cartilaginous fish such as the freshwater stingray Potamotrygon motoro occurring in South America, which can injure people and cause venom-related symptoms. Ensuring the efficacy of drug development to treat stingray injuries can be assisted by the knowledge of the venom composition. Here we performed a detailed transcriptomic characterization of the venom gland of the South American freshwater stingray Potamotrygon motoro. The transcripts retrieved showed 418 hits to venom components (comparably to 426 and 396 hits in other two Potamotrygon species), with high expression levels of hyaluronidase, cystatin and calglandulin along with hits uniquely found in P. motoro such as DELTA-alicitoxin-Pse1b, Augerpeptide hhe53 and PI-actitoxin-Aeq3a. We also identified undescribed molecules with extremely high expression values with sequence similarity to the SE-cephalotoxin and Rapunzel genes. Comparative analyses showed that despite being closely related, there may be significant variation among the venoms of freshwater stingrays, highlighting the importance of considering elicit care in handling different envenomation cases. Since hyaluronidase represents a major component of fish venom, we have performed phylogenetic and selective pressure analyses of this gene/protein across all fish with the available information. Results indicated an independent recruitment of the hyaluronidase into the stingray venom relative to that of venomous bony fish. The hyaluronidase residues were found to be mostly under negative selection, but 18 sites showed evidence of diversifying positive selection (P < 0.05). Our data provides new insight into stingray venom variation, composition, and selective pressure in hyaluronidase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Silva
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal.
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Yu Huang
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, Shenzhen 518083, China.
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518083, China.
| | - Vítor Yang
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal.
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Xidong Mu
- Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Key Laboratory of Recreational Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Advanced Recreational Fisheries, Guangzhou 510380, China.
| | - Qiong Shi
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, Shenzhen 518083, China.
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518083, China.
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal.
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
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Ghedotti MJ, Gruber JN, Barton RW, Davis MP, Smith WL. Morphology and evolution of bioluminescent organs in the glowbellies (Percomorpha: Acropomatidae) with comments on the taxonomy and phylogeny of Acropomatiformes. J Morphol 2018; 279:1640-1653. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ryan W. Barton
- Department of Biology; Regis University; Denver Colorado
| | - Matthew P. Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences; St. Cloud State University; St. Cloud Minnesota
| | - W. Leo Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute; University of Kansas; Lawrence Kansas
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30
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Light in the darkness: New perspective on lanternfish relationships and classification using genomic and morphological data. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018; 121:71-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.12.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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31
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Smith WL, Everman E, Richardson C. Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Flatheads, Scorpionfishes, Sea Robins, and Stonefishes (Percomorpha: Scorpaeniformes) and the Evolution of the Lachrymal Saber. COPEIA 2018. [DOI: 10.1643/cg-17-669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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32
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Marranzino AN, Webb JF. Flow sensing in the deep sea: the lateral line system of stomiiform fishes. Zool J Linn Soc 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Marranzino
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Jacqueline F Webb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
- Associate of Ichthyology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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33
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Khalil AM, Wahsha MA, Abu Khadra KM, Khalaf MA, Al-Najjar TH. Biochemical and histopathological effects of the stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) venom in rats. Toxicon 2017; 142:45-51. [PMID: 29294314 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2017.12.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The Reef Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) is one of the most dangerous venomous fish known, and has caused occasional human fatalities. The present study was designed to examine some of the pathological effects of the venom from this fish in Sprague Dawley rats. Crude venom was extracted from venom glands of the dorsal spines of stonefish specimens collected from coral reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba (in the northeastern branch of the Red Sea). The rats were given intramuscular injections of the venom and acute toxicity and effect on selected serum marker enzymes as well as normal architecture of vital organs were evaluated. The rat 24 h LD50 was 38 μg/kg body weight. The serum biochemical markers; alanine transaminase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) increased after 6 h of administration of a sub lethal dose of the venom and remained significantly raised at 24 h. Amylase levels also significantly increased after venom injection. The venom caused histological damage manifested as an interstitial hemorrhage, inflammatory cell infiltration, and necrosis. The demonstrated rises in the levels of different critical biochemical parameters in the serum may have led to the observed abnormal morphological changes in these organs. These results may account for some of the clinical manifestations observed in victims of stonefish envenomation. Thus, the presented data provide further in vivo evidence of the stonefish toxic effects that may threaten human life and call for the need for special measures to be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad M Khalil
- Department of Biological Sciences, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan.
| | - Mohammad A Wahsha
- Marine Science Station, The University of Jordan and Yarmouk University, Jordan; Department of Marine Biology, The University of Jordan, Aqaba branch, Jordan
| | | | - Maroof A Khalaf
- Marine Science Station, The University of Jordan and Yarmouk University, Jordan; Department of Marine Biology, The University of Jordan, Aqaba branch, Jordan
| | - Tariq H Al-Najjar
- Marine Science Station, The University of Jordan and Yarmouk University, Jordan; Department of Marine Biology, The University of Jordan, Aqaba branch, Jordan
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34
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The Evolution of Fangs, Venom, and Mimicry Systems in Blenny Fishes. Curr Biol 2017; 27:1184-1191. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.02.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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35
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The Cardiovascular and Neurotoxic Effects of the Venoms of Six Bony and Cartilaginous Fish Species. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:toxins9020067. [PMID: 28212333 PMCID: PMC5331446 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9020067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fish venoms are often poorly studied, in part due to the difficulty in obtaining, extracting, and storing them. In this study, we characterize the cardiovascular and neurotoxic effects of the venoms from the following six species of fish: the cartilaginous stingrays Neotrygon kuhlii and Himantura toshi, and the bony fish Platycephalus fucus, Girella tricuspidata, Mugil cephalus, and Dentex tumifrons. All venoms (10–100 µg/kg, i.v.), except G. tricuspidata and P. fuscus, induced a biphasic response on mean arterial pressure (MAP) in the anesthetised rat. P. fucus venom exhibited a hypotensive response, while venom from G. tricuspidata displayed a single depressor response. All venoms induced cardiovascular collapse at 200 µg/kg, i.v. The in vitro neurotoxic effects of venom were examined using the chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle (CBCNM) preparation. N. kuhlii, H. toshi, and P. fucus venoms caused concentration-dependent inhibition of indirect twitches in the CBCNM preparation. These three venoms also inhibited responses to exogenous acetylcholine (ACh) and carbachol (CCh), but not potassium chloride (KCl), indicating a post-synaptic mode of action. Venom from G. tricuspidata, M. cephalus, and D. tumifrons had no significant effect on indirect twitches or agonist responses in the CBCNM. Our results demonstrate that envenoming by these species of fish may result in moderate cardiovascular and/or neurotoxic effects. Future studies aimed at identifying the molecules responsible for these effects could uncover potentially novel lead compounds for future pharmaceuticals, in addition to generating new knowledge about the evolutionary relationships between venomous animals.
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36
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Yang DC, Deuis JR, Dashevsky D, Dobson J, Jackson TNW, Brust A, Xie B, Koludarov I, Debono J, Hendrikx I, Hodgson WC, Josh P, Nouwens A, Baillie GJ, Bruxner TJC, Alewood PF, Lim KKP, Frank N, Vetter I, Fry BG. The Snake with the Scorpion's Sting: Novel Three-Finger Toxin Sodium Channel Activators from the Venom of the Long-Glanded Blue Coral Snake (Calliophis bivirgatus). Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:E303. [PMID: 27763551 PMCID: PMC5086663 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8100303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Millions of years of evolution have fine-tuned the ability of venom peptides to rapidly incapacitate both prey and potential predators. Toxicofera reptiles are characterized by serous-secreting mandibular or maxillary glands with heightened levels of protein expression. These glands are the core anatomical components of the toxicoferan venom system, which exists in myriad points along an evolutionary continuum. Neofunctionalisation of toxins is facilitated by positive selection at functional hotspots on the ancestral protein and venom proteins have undergone dynamic diversification in helodermatid and varanid lizards as well as advanced snakes. A spectacular point on the venom system continuum is the long-glanded blue coral snake (Calliophis bivirgatus), a specialist feeder that preys on fast moving, venomous snakes which have both a high likelihood of prey escape but also represent significant danger to the predator itself. The maxillary venom glands of C. bivirgatus extend one quarter of the snake's body length and nestle within the rib cavity. Despite the snake's notoriety its venom has remained largely unstudied. Here we show that the venom uniquely produces spastic paralysis, in contrast to the flaccid paralysis typically produced by neurotoxic snake venoms. The toxin responsible, which we have called calliotoxin (δ-elapitoxin-Cb1a), is a three-finger toxin (3FTx). Calliotoxin shifts the voltage-dependence of NaV1.4 activation to more hyperpolarised potentials, inhibits inactivation, and produces large ramp currents, consistent with its profound effects on contractile force in an isolated skeletal muscle preparation. Voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV) are a particularly attractive pharmacological target as they are involved in almost all physiological processes including action potential generation and conduction. Accordingly, venom peptides that interfere with NaV function provide a key defensive and predatory advantage to a range of invertebrate venomous species including cone snails, scorpions, spiders, and anemones. Enhanced activation or delayed inactivation of sodium channels by toxins is associated with the extremely rapid onset of tetanic/excitatory paralysis in envenomed prey animals. A strong selection pressure exists for the evolution of such toxins where there is a high chance of prey escape. However, despite their prevalence in other venomous species, toxins causing delay of sodium channel inhibition have never previously been described in vertebrate venoms. Here we show that NaV modulators, convergent with those of invertebrates, have evolved in the venom of the long-glanded coral snake. Calliotoxin represents a functionally novel class of 3FTx and a structurally novel class of NaV toxins that will provide significant insights into the pharmacology and physiology of NaV. The toxin represents a remarkable case of functional convergence between invertebrate and vertebrate venom systems in response to similar selection pressures. These results underscore the dynamic evolution of the Toxicofera reptile system and reinforces the value of using evolution as a roadmap for biodiscovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daryl C Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3168, Australia.
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Jennifer R Deuis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Daniel Dashevsky
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - James Dobson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Timothy N W Jackson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Andreas Brust
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Bing Xie
- Bejing Genomics Institute-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.
| | - Ivan Koludarov
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Jordan Debono
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Iwan Hendrikx
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Wayne C Hodgson
- Department of Pharmacology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3168, Australia.
| | - Peter Josh
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Amanda Nouwens
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Gregory J Baillie
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Timothy J C Bruxner
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Paul F Alewood
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Kelvin Kok Peng Lim
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, 2 Conservatory Drive, Singapore 117377, Singapore.
| | | | - Irina Vetter
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
- School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba 4102, Australia.
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
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37
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Integrating Perspectives on Animal Venom Diversity: An Introduction to the Symposium. Integr Comp Biol 2016; 56:934-937. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
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