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Dresler J, Herzig V, Vilcinskas A, Lüddecke T. Enlightening the toxinological dark matter of spider venom enzymes. NPJ BIODIVERSITY 2024; 3:25. [PMID: 39271930 PMCID: PMC11399385 DOI: 10.1038/s44185-024-00058-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Spiders produce highly adapted venoms featuring a complex mixture of biomolecules used mainly for hunting and defense. The most prominent components are peptidic neurotoxins, a major focus of research and drug development, whereas venom enzymes have been largely neglected. Nevertheless, investigation of venom enzymes not only reveals insights into their biological functions, but also provides templates for future industrial applications. Here we compared spider venom enzymes validated at protein level contained in the VenomZone database and from all publicly available proteo-transcriptomic spider venom datasets. We assigned reported enzymes to cellular processes and known venom functions, including toxicity, prey pre-digestion, venom preservation, venom component activation, and spreading factors. Our study unveiled extensive discrepancy between public databases and publications with regard to enzyme coverage, which impedes the development of novel spider venom enzyme-based applications. Uncovering the previously unrecognized abundance and diversity of venom enzymes will open new avenues for spider venom biodiscovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Dresler
- Animal Venomics Lab, Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Gießen, Germany.
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt a. M., Germany.
| | - Volker Herzig
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Animal Venomics Lab, Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Gießen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt a. M., Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Tim Lüddecke
- Animal Venomics Lab, Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Gießen, Germany.
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt a. M., Germany.
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Dersch L, Stahlhut A, Eichberg J, Paas A, Hardes K, Vilcinskas A, Lüddecke T. Engineering a wolf spider A-family toxin towards increased antimicrobial activity but low toxicity. Toxicon 2024; 247:107810. [PMID: 38880255 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.107810] [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: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Spider-derived peptides with insecticidal, antimicrobial and/or cytolytic activities, also known as spider venom antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), can be found in the venoms of RTA-clade spiders. They show translational potential as therapeutic leads. A set of 52 AMPs has been described in the Chinese wolf spider (Lycosa shansia), and many have been shown to exhibit antibacterial effects. Here we explored the potential to enhance their antimicrobial activity using bioengineering. We generated a panel of artificial derivatives of an A-family peptide and screened their activity against selected microbial pathogens, vertebrate cells and insects. In several cases, we increased the antimicrobial activity of the derivatives while retaining the low cytotoxicity of the parental molecule. Furthermore, we injected the peptides into adult Drosophila suzukii and found no evidence of insecticidal effects, confirming the low levels of toxicity. Our data therefore suggest that spider venom linear peptides naturally defend the venom gland against microbial colonization and can be modified into more potent antimicrobial agents that could help to battle infectious diseases in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludwig Dersch
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Antonia Stahlhut
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Johanna Eichberg
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research "ASCRIBE", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Anne Paas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Kornelia Hardes
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research "ASCRIBE", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
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Padilla-Villavicencio M, Corzo G, Guillén-Navarro K, Ibarra-Núñez G, Arenas I, Zamudio F, Diego-García E. Cupiennius spiders (Trechaleidae) from southern Mexico: DNA barcoding, venomics, and biological effect. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2024; 30:e20230098. [PMID: 39161647 PMCID: PMC11333084 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2023-0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Members of the genus Cupiennius Simon, 1891 are categorized as wandering spiders and are part of the family Trechaleidae. The genomics and proteomics of Cupiennius spiders from North America remain uncharacterized. The present study explores for the first time molecular data from the endemic species Cupiennius chiapanensis Medina, 2006, and also presents new data for Cupiennius salei (Keyserling, 1878), both collected in southern Mexico. Methods In total, 88 Cupiennius specimens were collected from southern Mexico and morphologically identified. DNA was extracted and the mitochondrial COI fragment was amplified. COI sequences were analyzed, and a phylogenetic tree was inferred for species from the Americas. Genetic diversity was analyzed using haplotype networks and gene distances. Venom was obtained from C. chiapanensis and C. salei by electrostimulation. The venom was separated by HPLC, visualized using SDS-PAGE, and quantified for use in toxicity bioassays in mice and insects. Results Analysis of COI sequences from C. chiapanensis showed 94% identity with C. salei, while C. salei exhibited 94-97% identity with sequences from Central and South American conspecifics. The venom from C. chiapanensis exhibited toxic activity against crickets. Venoms from C. chiapanensis and C. salei caused death in Anastrepha obliqua flies. Analysis of venom fractions from C. salei and C. chiapanensis revealed molecular masses of a similar size as some previously reported toxins and neurotoxic components. We determined the amino acid sequences of ChiaTx1 and ChiaTx2, toxins that are reported here for the first time and which showed toxicity against mice and insects. Conclusion Our work is the first to report COI-based DNA barcoding sequences from southern Mexican Cupiennius spiders. Compounds with toxic activity were identified in venom from both species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerardo Corzo
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Unam), Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Karina Guillén-Navarro
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Grupo Académico de
Biotecnología Ambiental, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Guillermo Ibarra-Núñez
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Colección de Arácnidos del
Sureste de México, Grupo Académico de Biología y Ecología de Artrópodos Benéficos,
Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Iván Arenas
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Unam), Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Fernando Zamudio
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Unam), Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Elia Diego-García
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Grupo Académico de
Biotecnología Ambiental, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
- Programa Investigadoras e Investigadores por México del CONAHCyT -
El Colegio de la Frontera, Mexico City, Mexico
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Paiva ALB, de Souza Santos JH, Queiroz Machado VP, Santos DM, Diniz MRV, Guerra-Duarte C. Unveiling hidden toxin diversity: Discovery of novel venom components through manual curation of highly expressed sequences annotated as "no hits" in Phoneutria nigriventer spider venom gland transcriptome. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2024; 49:101155. [PMID: 37952503 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2023.101155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Spider venoms have evolved over thousands of years, optimizing feeding and defense mechanisms. Venom components show pharmacological and biotechnological potential, rising interest in their study. However, the isolation of spider toxins for experimental evaluation poses significant challenges. To address this, transcriptomic analysis combined with computational tools has emerged as an appealing approach to characterizing spider venoms. However, many sequences remain unidentified after automatic annotation. In this study, we manually curated a subset of previously unannotated sequences from the Phoneutria nigriventer transcriptome and identified new putative venom components. Our manual analysis revealed 29 % of the analyzed sequences were potential venom components, 29 % hypothetical/uncharacterized proteins, and 17 % cellular function proteins. Only 25 % of the originally unannotated dataset remained without any identification. Most reclassified components were cysteine-rich peptides, including 23 novel putative toxins. We also found glycine-rich peptides (GRP), corroborating the previous description of GRPs in Phoneutria pertyi venom glands. Furthermore, to emphasize the recurrence of the lack of annotation in spider venom glands transcripts, we provide a survey of the percentage of unidentified sequences in several published spider venom transcriptomics studies. In conclusion, our study highlights the importance of manual curation in uncovering novel venom components and underscores the need for improved annotation strategies to fully exploit the medical and biotechnological potential of spider venoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Daniel Moreira Santos
- Campus Centro-Oeste, Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rey, Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Clara Guerra-Duarte
- Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. https://twitter.com/@claraguerrad
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Korolkova Y, Mikov A, Lobas A, Solovyeva E, Surin A, Andreev Y, Gorshkov M, Kozlov S. Venom-gland transcriptomics and venom proteomics of the Tibellus oblongus spider. Sci Data 2023; 10:820. [PMID: 37993463 PMCID: PMC10665394 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02703-0] [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: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The Tibellus oblongus spider is an active hunter that does not spin webs and remains highly underinvestigated in terms of the venom composition. Here, we describe venom glands transcriptome and venom proteome analysis for unveiling the polypeptide composition of Tibellus oblongus spider venom. The resulting EST database includes 1733 records, including 1263 nucleotide sequences with ORFs, of these 942 have been identified as toxin-coding. The database of peptide sequences was built based on of the transcriptomics results. It contains 217 new toxins, 212 of them were detected in the T. oblongus venom by the proteomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliya Korolkova
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 16/10 Miklukho-Maklay Str., 117997, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Alexander Mikov
- Scientific Research Institute for Systems Biology and Medicine, Scientific Driveway, 18, 117246, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna Lobas
- V.L. Talrose Institute for Energy Problems of Chemical Physics, N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics, RAS, 38 Bld. 2, Leninsky Pr., 119334, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elizaveta Solovyeva
- V.L. Talrose Institute for Energy Problems of Chemical Physics, N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics, RAS, 38 Bld. 2, Leninsky Pr., 119334, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Molecular and Chemical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), 9 Institutsky Per., 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Alexey Surin
- V.L. Talrose Institute for Energy Problems of Chemical Physics, N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics, RAS, 38 Bld. 2, Leninsky Pr., 119334, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yaroslav Andreev
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 16/10 Miklukho-Maklay Str., 117997, Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 8 Bld. 2, Trubetskaya Str., 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail Gorshkov
- V.L. Talrose Institute for Energy Problems of Chemical Physics, N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics, RAS, 38 Bld. 2, Leninsky Pr., 119334, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey Kozlov
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 16/10 Miklukho-Maklay Str., 117997, Moscow, Russia
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Lyons K, Dugon MM, Boyd A, Healy K. Venom extraction method influences venom composition and potency in the giant house spider Eratigena atrica (C. L. Koch, 1843). Toxicon 2023; 234:107303. [PMID: 37775046 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107303] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Extraction is the first step when investigating venom composition and function. In small invertebrates, widely used extraction methods include electrostimulation and venom gland extraction, however, the influence of these methods on composition and toxicology is poorly understood. Using the Giant House Spider Eratigena atrica as a model, we show that electrostimulation and venom gland removal extraction methods produce different protein profiles as assessed by Coomassie-stained SDS-PAGE and significantly different potencies in the cricket Acheta domesticus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith Lyons
- Macroecology Lab, School of Natural Sciences, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, H91 TK33, Galway, Ireland.
| | - Michel M Dugon
- Venom Systems & Proteomics Lab, School of Natural Sciences, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, H91 TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - Aoife Boyd
- Pathogenic Mechanisms Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, H91 TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - Kevin Healy
- Macroecology Lab, School of Natural Sciences, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, H91 TK33, Galway, Ireland
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Lüddecke T, Dersch L, Schulte L, Hurka S, Paas A, Oberpaul M, Eichberg J, Hardes K, Klimpel S, Vilcinskas A. Functional Profiling of the A-Family of Venom Peptides from the Wolf Spider Lycosa shansia. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:toxins15050303. [PMID: 37235338 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15050303] [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: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The venoms of spiders from the RTA (retro-lateral tibia apophysis) clade contain diverse short linear peptides (SLPs) that offer a rich source of therapeutic candidates. Many of these peptides have insecticidal, antimicrobial and/or cytolytic activities, but their biological functions are unclear. Here, we explore the bioactivity of all known members of the A-family of SLPs previously identified in the venom of the Chinese wolf spider (Lycosa shansia). Our broad approach included an in silico analysis of physicochemical properties and bioactivity profiling for cytotoxic, antiviral, insecticidal and antibacterial activities. We found that most members of the A-family can form α-helices and resemble the antibacterial peptides found in frog poison. The peptides we tested showed no cytotoxic, antiviral or insecticidal activities but were able to reduce the growth of bacteria, including clinically relevant strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Listeria monocytogenes. The absence of insecticidal activity may suggest that these peptides have no role in prey capture, but their antibacterial activity may help to defend the venom gland against infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ludwig Dersch
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Lennart Schulte
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sabine Hurka
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Anne Paas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Markus Oberpaul
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research "ASCRIBE", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Johanna Eichberg
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research "ASCRIBE", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Kornelia Hardes
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research "ASCRIBE", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Sven Klimpel
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60439 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
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The Molecular Composition of Peptide Toxins in the Venom of Spider Lycosa coelestis as Revealed by cDNA Library and Transcriptomic Sequencing. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:toxins15020143. [PMID: 36828457 PMCID: PMC9959208 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15020143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In the so-called "struggle for existence" competition, the venomous animals developed a smart and effective strategy, envenomation, for predation and defense. Biochemical analysis revealed that animal venoms are chemical pools of proteinase, peptide toxins, and small organic molecules with various biological activities. Of them, peptide toxins are of great molecular diversity and possess the capacity to modulate the activity of ion channels, the second largest group of drug targets expressed on the cell membrane, which makes them a rich resource for developing peptide drug pioneers. The spider Lycosa coelestis (L. coelestis) commonly found in farmland in China is a dominant natural enemy of agricultural pests; however, its venom composition and activity were never explored. Herein, we conducted cDNA library and transcriptomic sequencing of the venom gland of L. coelestis, which identified 1131 high-quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs), grouped into three categories denoted as toxin-like ESTs (597, 52.79%), cellular component ESTs (357, 31.56%), and non-matched ESTs (177, 15.65%). These toxin-like ESTs encode 98 non-reductant toxins, which are artificially divided into 11 families based on their sequence homology and cysteine frameworks (2-14 cysteines forming 1-7 disulfide bonds to stabilize the toxin structure). Furthermore, RP-HPLC purification combined with off-line MALDI-TOF analysis have detected 147 different peptides physically existing in the venom of L. coelestis. Electrophysiology analysis confirmed that the venom preferably inhibits the voltage-gated calcium channels in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. Altogether, the present study has added a great lot of new members to the spider toxin superfamily and built the foundation for characterizing novel active peptides in the L. coelestis venom.
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Baza-Moreno JD, Vega-Alvarado L, Ibarra-Núñez G, Guillén-Navarro K, García-Fajardo LV, Jiménez-Jacinto V, Diego-García E. Transcriptome analysis of the spider Phonotimpus pennimani reveals novel toxin transcripts. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2023; 29:e20220031. [PMID: 36721428 PMCID: PMC9881743 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2022-0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Phonotimpus pennimani (Araneae, Phrurolithidae) is a small-sized (3-5 mm) spider endemic to the Tacaná volcano in Chiapas, Mexico, where it is found in soil litter of cloud forests and coffee plantations. Its venom composition has so far not been investigated, partly because it is not a species of medical significance. However, it does have an important impact on the arthropod populations of its natural habitat. Methods Specimens were collected in Southeastern Mexico (Chiapas) and identified taxonomically by morphological characteristics. A partial sequence from the mitochondrial gene coxI was amplified. Sequencing on the Illumina platform of a transcriptome library constructed from 12 adult specimens revealed 25 toxin or toxin-like genes. Transcripts were validated (RT-qPCR) by assessing the differential expression of the toxin-like PpenTox1 transcript and normalising with housekeeping genes. Results Analysis of the coxI-gene revealed a similarity to other species of the family Phrurolithidae. Transcriptome analysis also revealed similarity with venom components of species from the families Ctenidae, Lycosidae, and Sicariidae. Expression of the toxin-like PpenTox1 gene was different for each developmental stage (juvenile or adult) and also for both sexes (female or male). Additionally, a partial sequence was obtained for the toxin-like PpenTox1 from DNA. Conclusion Data from the amplification of the mitochondrial coxI gene confirmed that P. pennimani belongs to the family Phrurolithidae. New genes and transcripts coding for venom components were identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan David Baza-Moreno
- Grupo Académico de Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Ciencias
de la Sustentabilidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Tapachula de Córdova
y Ordoñez, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Leticia Vega-Alvarado
- Instituto de Ciencias Aplicadas y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional
Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Guillermo Ibarra-Núñez
- Grupo Académico de Ecología de Artrópodos y Manejo de Plagas,
Departamento de Agricultura, Sociedad y Ambiente, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur
(ECOSUR), Tapachula de Córdova y Ordoñez, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Karina Guillén-Navarro
- Grupo Académico de Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Ciencias
de la Sustentabilidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Tapachula de Córdova
y Ordoñez, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Luz Verónica García-Fajardo
- Grupo Académico de Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Ciencias
de la Sustentabilidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Tapachula de Córdova
y Ordoñez, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Verónica Jiménez-Jacinto
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
(UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Elia Diego-García
- Grupo Académico de Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Ciencias
de la Sustentabilidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Tapachula de Córdova
y Ordoñez, Chiapas, Mexico.,Investigadora CONACyT - ECOSUR, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y
Técnología, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico.,Correspondence:
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10
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Megaly AMA, Miyashita M, Abdel-Wahab M, Nakagawa Y, Miyagawa H. Molecular Diversity of Linear Peptides Revealed by Transcriptomic Analysis of the Venom Gland of the Spider Lycosa poonaensis. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14120854. [PMID: 36548751 PMCID: PMC9788040 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14120854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider venom is a complex mixture of bioactive components. Previously, we identified two linear peptides in Lycosa poonaensis venom using mass spectrometric analysis and predicted the presence of more linear peptides therein. In this study, a transcriptomic analysis of the L. poonaensis venom gland was conducted to identify other undetermined linear peptides in the venom. The results identified 87 contigs encoding peptides and proteins in the venom that were similar to those in other spider venoms. The number of contigs identified as neurotoxins was the highest, and 15 contigs encoding 17 linear peptide sequences were identified. Seven peptides that were representative of each family were chemically synthesized, and their biological activities were evaluated. All peptides showed significant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, although their selectivity for bacterial species differed. All peptides also exhibited paralytic activity against crickets, but none showed hemolytic activity. The secondary structure analysis based on the circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that all these peptides adopt an amphiphilic α-helical structure. Their activities appear to depend on the net charge, the arrangement of basic and acidic residues, and the hydrophobicity of the peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alhussin Mohamed Abdelhakeem Megaly
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assuit 71524, Egypt
| | - Masahiro Miyashita
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Correspondence:
| | - Mohammed Abdel-Wahab
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assuit 71524, Egypt
| | - Yoshiaki Nakagawa
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Hisashi Miyagawa
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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11
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Nishiduka ES, Abreu TF, Abukawa FM, Oliveira UC, Tardivo CEO, Nascimento SM, Meissner GO, Chaim OM, Juliano MA, Kitano ES, Zelanis A, Serrano SMT, da Silva PI, Junqueira-de-Azevedo IL, Nishiyama-Jr MY, Tashima AK. Multiomics Profiling of Toxins in the Venom of the Amazonian Spider Acanthoscurria juruenicola. J Proteome Res 2022; 21:2783-2797. [PMID: 36260604 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Acanthoscurria juruenicola is an Amazonian spider described for the first time almost a century ago. However, little is known about their venom composition. Here, we present a multiomics characterization of A. juruenicola venom by a combination of transcriptomics, proteomics, and peptidomics approaches. Transcriptomics of female venom glands resulted in 93,979 unique assembled mRNA transcript encoding proteins. A total of 92 proteins were identified in the venom by mass spectrometry, including 14 mature cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs). Quantitative analysis showed that CRPs, cysteine-rich secretory proteins, metalloproteases, carbonic anhydrases, and hyaluronidase comprise >90% of the venom proteome. Relative quantification of venom toxins was performed by DIA and DDA, revealing converging profiles of female and male specimens by both methods. Biochemical assays confirmed the presence of active hyaluronidases, phospholipases, and proteases in the venom. Moreover, the venom promoted in vivo paralytic activities in crickets, consistent with the high concentration of CRPs. Overall, we report a comprehensive analysis of the arsenal of toxins of A. juruenicola and highlight their potential biotechnological and pharmacological applications. Mass spectrometry data were deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE repository with the dataset identifier PXD013149 and via the MassIVE repository with the dataset identifier MSV000087777.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika S Nishiduka
- Department of Biochemistry, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo 04023-901, Brazil
| | - Thiago F Abreu
- Department of Biochemistry, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo 04023-901, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Midori Abukawa
- Laboratory of Applied Toxinology, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signalig, CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Ursula C Oliveira
- Laboratory of Applied Toxinology, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signalig, CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Caio E O Tardivo
- Department of Biochemistry, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo 04023-901, Brazil
| | - Soraia M Nascimento
- Laboratory of Applied Toxinology, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signalig, CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Gabriel O Meissner
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 81531-980, Puerto Rico, Brazil
| | - Olga M Chaim
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 81531-980, Puerto Rico, Brazil.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Maria A Juliano
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo 04021-001, Brazil
| | - Eduardo S Kitano
- Laboratory of Applied Toxinology, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signalig, CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - André Zelanis
- Functional Proteomics Laboratory, Department of Science and Technology, Federal University of São Paulo, (ICT-UNIFESP), São José dos Campos 12231-280, Brazil
| | - Solange M T Serrano
- Laboratory of Applied Toxinology, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signalig, CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Pedro I da Silva
- Laboratory of Applied Toxinology, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signalig, CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Inácio L Junqueira-de-Azevedo
- Laboratory of Applied Toxinology, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signalig, CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Milton Y Nishiyama-Jr
- Laboratory of Applied Toxinology, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signalig, CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Alexandre K Tashima
- Department of Biochemistry, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo 04023-901, Brazil
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12
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Song YF, Yu LC, Yang MF, Ye S, Yan B, Li LT, Wu C, Liu JF. A Long-Read Genome Assembly of a Native Mite in China Pyemotes zhonghuajia Yu, Zhang & He (Prostigmata: Pyemotidae) Reveals Gene Expansion in Toxin-Related Gene Families. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14080571. [PMID: 36006233 PMCID: PMC9415403 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14080571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pyemotes zhonghuajia Yu, Zhang & He (Prostigmata: Pyemotidae), discovered in China, has been demonstrated as a high-efficient natural enemy in controlling many agricultural and forestry pests. This mite injects toxins into the host (eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults), resulting in its paralyzation and then gets nourishment for reproductive development. These toxins have been approved to be mammal-safe, which have the potential to be used as biocontrol pesticides. Toxin proteins have been identified from many insects, especially those from the orders Scorpions and Araneae, some of which are now widely used as efficient biocontrol pesticides. However, toxin proteins in mites are not yet understood. In this study, we assembled the genome of P. zhonghuajia using PacBio technology and then identified toxin-related genes that are likely to be responsible for the paralytic process of P. zhonghuajia. The genome assembly has a size of 71.943 Mb, including 20 contigs with a N50 length of 21.248 Mb and a BUSCO completeness ratio of 90.6% (n = 1367). These contigs were subsequently assigned to three chromosomes. There were 11,183 protein coding genes annotated, which were assessed with 91.2% BUSCO completeness (n = 1066). Neurotoxin and dermonecrotic toxin gene families were significantly expanded within the genus of Pyemotes and they also formed several gene clusters on the chromosomes. Most of the genes from these two families and all of the three agatoxin genes were shown with higher expression in the one-day-old mites compared to the seven-day-pregnant mites, supporting that the one-day-old mites cause paralyzation and even death of the host. The identification of these toxin proteins may provide insights into how to improve the parasitism efficiency of this mite, and the purification of these proteins may be used to develop new biological pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Fei Song
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Scientific Observing and Experiment Station of Crop Pest Guiyang, Ministry of Agriculture, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Li-Chen Yu
- Changli Institute of Pomology, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Changli 066600, China
| | - Mao-Fa Yang
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Scientific Observing and Experiment Station of Crop Pest Guiyang, Ministry of Agriculture, Guiyang 550025, China
- College of Tobacco Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Shuai Ye
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Scientific Observing and Experiment Station of Crop Pest Guiyang, Ministry of Agriculture, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Bin Yan
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Scientific Observing and Experiment Station of Crop Pest Guiyang, Ministry of Agriculture, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Li-Tao Li
- Changli Institute of Pomology, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Changli 066600, China
| | - Chen Wu
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Jian-Feng Liu
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Scientific Observing and Experiment Station of Crop Pest Guiyang, Ministry of Agriculture, Guiyang 550025, China
- Correspondence:
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13
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Salinas-Restrepo C, Misas E, Estrada-Gómez S, Quintana-Castillo JC, Guzman F, Calderón JC, Giraldo MA, Segura C. Improving the Annotation of the Venom Gland Transcriptome of Pamphobeteus verdolaga, Prospecting Novel Bioactive Peptides. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:408. [PMID: 35737069 PMCID: PMC9228390 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14060408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Spider venoms constitute a trove of novel peptides with biotechnological interest. Paucity of next-generation-sequencing (NGS) data generation has led to a description of less than 1% of these peptides. Increasing evidence supports the underestimation of the assembled genes a single transcriptome assembler can predict. Here, the transcriptome of the venom gland of the spider Pamphobeteus verdolaga was re-assembled, using three free access algorithms, Trinity, SOAPdenovo-Trans, and SPAdes, to obtain a more complete annotation. Assembler's performance was evaluated by contig number, N50, read representation on the assembly, and BUSCO's terms retrieval against the arthropod dataset. Out of all the assembled sequences with all software, 39.26% were common between the three assemblers, and 27.88% were uniquely assembled by Trinity, while 27.65% were uniquely assembled by SPAdes. The non-redundant merging of all three assemblies' output permitted the annotation of 9232 sequences, which was 23% more when compared to each software and 28% more when compared to the previous P. verdolaga annotation; moreover, the description of 65 novel theraphotoxins was possible. In the generation of data for non-model organisms, as well as in the search for novel peptides with biotechnological interest, it is highly recommended to employ at least two different transcriptome assemblers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Salinas-Restrepo
- Grupo Toxinología, Alternativas Terapéuticas y Alimentarias, Facultad de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y Alimentarias, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050012, Colombia; (C.S.-R.); (S.E.-G.)
| | - Elizabeth Misas
- Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas, Medellín 050012, Colombia;
| | - Sebastian Estrada-Gómez
- Grupo Toxinología, Alternativas Terapéuticas y Alimentarias, Facultad de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y Alimentarias, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050012, Colombia; (C.S.-R.); (S.E.-G.)
- Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Aven-ida Viel 1497, Santiago 7750000, Chile
| | | | - Fanny Guzman
- Núcleo Biotecnología Curauma (NBC), Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2374631, Chile;
| | - Juan C. Calderón
- Physiology and Biochemistry Research Group-PHYSIS, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050012, Colombia;
| | - Marco A. Giraldo
- Biophysics Group, Institute of Physics, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050012, Colombia;
| | - Cesar Segura
- Grupo Malaria, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050012, Colombia
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14
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Vásquez-Escobar J, Romero-Gutiérrez T, Morales JA, Clement HC, Corzo GA, Benjumea DM, Corrales-García LL. Transcriptomic Analysis of the Venom Gland and Enzymatic Characterization of the Venom of Phoneutria depilata (Ctenidae) from Colombia. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14050295. [PMID: 35622542 PMCID: PMC9144723 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14050295] [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: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcriptome of the venom glands of the Phoneutria depilata spider was analyzed using RNA-seq with an Illumina protocol, which yielded 86,424 assembled transcripts. A total of 682 transcripts were identified as potentially coding for venom components. Most of the transcripts found were neurotoxins (156) that commonly act on sodium and calcium channels. Nevertheless, transcripts coding for some enzymes (239), growth factors (48), clotting factors (6), and a diuretic hormone (1) were found, which have not been described in this spider genus. Furthermore, an enzymatic characterization of the venom of P. depilata was performed, and the proteomic analysis showed a correlation between active protein bands and protein sequences found in the transcriptome. The transcriptomic analysis of P. depilata venom glands show a deeper description of its protein components, allowing the identification of novel molecules that could lead to the treatment of human diseases, or could be models for developing bioinsecticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieta Vásquez-Escobar
- Grupo de Toxinología y Alternativas Farmacéuticas y Alimentarias, Facultad de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y Alimentarias, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin 1226, Colombia;
- Correspondence: (J.V.-E.); (L.L.C.-G.)
| | - Teresa Romero-Gutiérrez
- Traslational Bioengineering Department, Exact Sciences and Engineering University Center, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44430, Mexico; (T.R.-G.); (J.A.M.)
| | - José Alejandro Morales
- Traslational Bioengineering Department, Exact Sciences and Engineering University Center, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44430, Mexico; (T.R.-G.); (J.A.M.)
| | - Herlinda C. Clement
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca 62210, Mexico; (H.C.C.); (G.A.C.)
| | - Gerardo A. Corzo
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca 62210, Mexico; (H.C.C.); (G.A.C.)
| | - Dora M. Benjumea
- Grupo de Toxinología y Alternativas Farmacéuticas y Alimentarias, Facultad de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y Alimentarias, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin 1226, Colombia;
| | - Ligia Luz Corrales-García
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca 62210, Mexico; (H.C.C.); (G.A.C.)
- Departamento de Alimentos, Facultad de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y Alimentarias, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin 1226, Colombia
- Correspondence: (J.V.-E.); (L.L.C.-G.)
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15
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Marchi FC, Mendes-Silva E, Rodrigues-Ribeiro L, Bolais-Ramos LG, Verano-Braga T. Toxinology in the proteomics era: a review on arachnid venom proteomics. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2022; 28:20210034. [PMID: 35291269 PMCID: PMC8893269 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2021-0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The word venomics was coined to acknowledge the studies that use omics to investigate venom proteins and peptides. Venomics has evolved considerably over the last 20 years. The first works on scorpion or spider venomics were published in the early 2000's. Such studies relied on peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) to characterize venom complexity. After the introduction of new mass spectrometers with higher resolution, sensitivity and mass accuracy, and the next-generation nucleotide sequencing, the complexity of data reported in research on scorpion and spider venomics increased exponentially, which allowed more comprehensive studies. In the present review article, we covered key publications on scorpion venomics and spider venomics, presenting historical grounds and implemented technologies over the last years. The literature presented in this review was selected after searching the PubMed database using the terms "(scorpion venom) AND (proteome)" for scorpion venomics, and "(spider venom) AND (proteome)" for publications on spider venomics. We presented the key aspects related to proteomics in the covered papers including, but not restricted to, the employed proteomic strategy (i.e., PMF, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, shotgun/bottom-up and/or top-down/peptidome), and the type of mass spectrometer used. Some conclusions can be drawn from the present study. For example, the scorpion genus Tityus is the most studied concerning venomics, followed by Centruroides; whereas for spiders the studied genera were found more equally distributed. Another interesting conclusion is the lack of high throughput studies on post-translational modifications (PTMs) of scorpion and spider proteins. In our opinion, PTMs should be more studied as they can modulate the activity of scorpion and spider toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipi Calbaizer Marchi
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Edneia Mendes-Silva
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Lucas Rodrigues-Ribeiro
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Lucas Gabriel Bolais-Ramos
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Thiago Verano-Braga
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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16
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Krämer J, Lüddecke T, Marner M, Maiworm E, Eichberg J, Hardes K, Schäberle TF, Vilcinskas A, Predel R. Antimicrobial, Insecticidal and Cytotoxic Activity of Linear Venom Peptides from the Pseudoscorpion Chelifer cancroides. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:58. [PMID: 35051034 PMCID: PMC8778599 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14010058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Linear cationic venom peptides are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that exert their effects by damaging cell membranes. These peptides can be highly specific, and for some, a significant therapeutic value was proposed, in particular for treatment of bacterial infections. A prolific source of novel AMPs are arthropod venoms, especially those of hitherto neglected groups such as pseudoscorpions. In this study, we describe for the first time pharmacological effects of AMPs discovered in pseudoscorpion venom. We examined the antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and insecticidal activity of full-length Checacin1, a major component of the Chelifer cancroides venom, and three truncated forms of this peptide. The antimicrobial tests revealed a potent inhibitory activity of Checacin1 against several bacteria and fungi, including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and even Gram-negative pathogens. All peptides reduced survival rates of aphids, with Checacin1 and the C-terminally truncated Checacin11-21 exhibiting effects comparable to Spinosad, a commercially used pesticide. Cytotoxic effects on mammalian cells were observed mainly for the full-length Checacin1. All tested peptides might be potential candidates for developing lead structures for aphid pest treatment. However, as these peptides were not yet tested on other insects, aphid specificity has not been proven. The N- and C-terminal fragments of Checacin1 are less potent against aphids but exhibit no cytotoxicity on mammalian cells at the tested concentration of 100 µM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Krämer
- Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Strasse 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Michael Marner
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Elena Maiworm
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research "ASCRIBE", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Johanna Eichberg
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research "ASCRIBE", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Kornelia Hardes
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research "ASCRIBE", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Till F Schäberle
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Reinhard Predel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Strasse 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
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17
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Khamtorn P, Peigneur S, Amorim FG, Quinton L, Tytgat J, Daduang S. De Novo Transcriptome Analysis of the Venom of Latrodectus geometricus with the Discovery of an Insect-Selective Na Channel Modulator. Molecules 2021; 27:molecules27010047. [PMID: 35011282 PMCID: PMC8746590 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27010047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The brown widow spider, Latrodectus geometricus, is a predator of a variety of agricultural insects and is also hazardous for humans. Its venom is a true pharmacopeia representing neurotoxic peptides targeting the ion channels and/or receptors of both vertebrates and invertebrates. The lack of transcriptomic information, however, limits our knowledge of the diversity of components present in its venom. The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) carry out a transcriptomic analysis of the venom, and (2) investigate the bioactivity of the venom using an electrophysiological bioassay. From 32,505 assembled transcripts, 8 toxin families were classified, and the ankyrin repeats (ANK), agatoxin, centipede toxin, ctenitoxin, lycotoxin, scorpion toxin-like, and SCP families were reported in the L. geometricus venom gland. The diversity of L. geometricus venom was also uncovered by the transcriptomics approach with the presence of defensins, chitinases, translationally controlled tumor proteins (TCTPs), leucine-rich proteins, serine proteases, and other important venom components. The venom was also chromatographically purified, and the activity contained in the fractions was investigated using an electrophysiological bioassay with the use of a voltage clamp on ion channels in order to find if the neurotoxic effects of the spider venom could be linked to a particular molecular target. The findings show that U24-ctenitoxin-Pn1a involves the inhibition of the insect sodium (Nav) channels, BgNav and DmNav. This study provides an overview of the molecular diversity of L. geometricus venom, which can be used as a reference for the venom of other spider species. The venom composition profile also increases our knowledge for the development of novel insecticides targeting voltage-gated sodium channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pornsawan Khamtorn
- Program in Research and Development in Pharmaceuticals, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand;
| | - Steve Peigneur
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, Campus Gasthuisberg, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (S.P.); (J.T.)
| | - Fernanda Gobbi Amorim
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry, MolSys Research Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium; (F.G.A.); (L.Q.)
| | - Loïc Quinton
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry, MolSys Research Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium; (F.G.A.); (L.Q.)
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, Campus Gasthuisberg, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (S.P.); (J.T.)
| | - Sakda Daduang
- Center for Research and Development of Herbal Health Products (CDR-HHP), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
- Protein and Proteomics Research Center for Commercial and Industrial Purposes (ProCCI), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
- Division of Pharmacognosy and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
- Correspondence:
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18
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A Deep Learning Approach with Data Augmentation to Predict Novel Spider Neurotoxic Peptides. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212291. [PMID: 34830173 PMCID: PMC8619404 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
As major components of spider venoms, neurotoxic peptides exhibit structural diversity, target specificity, and have great pharmaceutical potential. Deep learning may be an alternative to the laborious and time-consuming methods for identifying these peptides. However, the major hurdle in developing a deep learning model is the limited data on neurotoxic peptides. Here, we present a peptide data augmentation method that improves the recognition of neurotoxic peptides via a convolutional neural network model. The neurotoxic peptides were augmented with the known neurotoxic peptides from UniProt database, and the models were trained using a training set with or without the generated sequences to verify the augmented data. The model trained with the augmented dataset outperformed the one with the unaugmented dataset, achieving accuracy of 0.9953, precision of 0.9922, recall of 0.9984, and F1 score of 0.9953 in simulation dataset. From the set of all RNA transcripts of Callobius koreanus spider, we discovered neurotoxic peptides via the model, resulting in 275 putative peptides of which 252 novel sequences and only 23 sequences showing homology with the known peptides by Basic Local Alignment Search Tool. Among these 275 peptides, four were selected and shown to have neuromodulatory effects on the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y. The augmentation method presented here may be applied to the identification of other functional peptides from biological resources with insufficient data.
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19
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Lüddecke T, Herzig V, von Reumont BM, Vilcinskas A. The biology and evolution of spider venoms. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:163-178. [PMID: 34453398 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Spiders are diverse, predatory arthropods that have inhabited Earth for around 400 million years. They are well known for their complex venom systems that are used to overpower their prey. Spider venoms contain many proteins and peptides with highly specific and potent activities suitable for biomedical or agrochemical applications, but the key role of venoms as an evolutionary innovation is often overlooked, even though this has enabled spiders to emerge as one of the most successful animal lineages. In this review, we discuss these neglected biological aspects of spider venoms. We focus on the morphology of spider venom systems, their major components, biochemical and chemical plasticity, as well as ecological and evolutionary trends. We argue that the effectiveness of spider venoms is due to their unprecedented complexity, with diverse components working synergistically to increase the overall potency. The analysis of spider venoms is difficult to standardize because they are dynamic systems, fine-tuned and modified by factors such as sex, life-history stage and biological role. Finally, we summarize the mechanisms that drive spider venom evolution and highlight the need for genome-based studies to reconstruct the evolutionary history and physiological networks of spider venom compounds with more certainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Lüddecke
- Department for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, Gießen, 35392, Germany.,LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
| | - Volker Herzig
- GeneCology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia.,School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia
| | - Björn M von Reumont
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany.,Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, Gießen, 35392, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, Gießen, 35392, Germany.,LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany.,Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, Gießen, 35392, Germany
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20
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Xun C, Wang L, Yang H, Xiao Z, Deng M, Xu R, Zhou X, Chen P, Liu Z. Origin and Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles Present in the Spider Venom of Ornithoctonus hainana. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13080579. [PMID: 34437450 PMCID: PMC8402349 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13080579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles, are membranous vesicles released from nearly all cellular types. They contain various bioactive molecules, and their molecular composition varies depending on their cellular origin. As research into venomous animals has progressed, EVs have been discovered in the venom of snakes and parasitic wasps. Although vesicle secretion in spider venom glands has been observed, these secretory vesicles’ origin and biological properties are unknown. In this study, the origin of the EVs from Ornithoctonus hainana venom was observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Ornithoctonus hainana venom extracellular vesicles (HN-EVs) were isolated and purified by density gradient centrifugation. HN-EVs possess classic membranous vesicles with a size distribution ranging from 50 to 150 nm and express the arthropod EV marker Tsp29Fb. The LC-MS/MS analysis identified a total of 150 proteins, which were divided into three groups according to their potential function: conservative vesicle transport-related proteins, virulence-related proteins, and other proteins of unknown function. Functionally, HN-EVs have hyaluronidase activity and inhibit the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by affecting the cytoskeleton and cell cycle. Overall, this study investigates the biological characteristics of HN-EVs for the first time and sheds new light on the envenomation process of spider venom.
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21
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Kuhn-Nentwig L, Lischer HEL, Pekár S, Langenegger N, Albo MJ, Isaia M, Nentwig W. Linear Peptides-A Combinatorial Innovation in the Venom of Some Modern Spiders. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:705141. [PMID: 34295924 PMCID: PMC8290080 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.705141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the venom of spiders, linear peptides (LPs), also called cytolytical or antimicrobial peptides, represent a largely neglected group of mostly membrane active substances that contribute in some spider species considerably to the killing power of spider venom. By next-generation sequencing venom gland transcriptome analysis, we investigated 48 spider species from 23 spider families and detected LPs in 20 species, belonging to five spider families (Ctenidae, Lycosidae, Oxyopidae, Pisauridae, and Zodariidae). The structural diversity is extraordinary high in some species: the lynx spider Oxyopes heterophthalmus contains 62 and the lycosid Pardosa palustris 60 different LPs. In total, we identified 524 linear peptide structures and some of them are in lycosids identical on amino acid level. LPs are mainly encoded in complex precursor structures in which, after the signal peptide and propeptide, 13 or more LPs (Hogna radiata) are connected by linkers. Besides Cupiennius species, also in Oxyopidae, posttranslational modifications of some precursor structures result in the formation of two-chain peptides. It is obvious that complex precursor structures represent a very suitable and fast method to produce a high number and a high diversity of bioactive LPs as economically as possible. At least in Lycosidae, Oxyopidae, and in the genus Cupiennius, LPs reach very high Transcripts Per Kilobase Million values, indicating functional importance within the envenomation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Kuhn-Nentwig
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Heidi E. L. Lischer
- Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Maria J. Albo
- Departamento de Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, UdelaR, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Investigaciones Biologicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Marco Isaia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Wolfgang Nentwig
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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22
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Han Q, Huang L, Li J, Wang Z, Gao H, Yang Z, Zhou Z, Liu Z. Neurotoxins in the venom gland of Calommata signata, a burrowing spider. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2021; 40:100871. [PMID: 34315107 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2021.100871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Calommata signata, a burrowing spider, represents a special type of predation mode in spiders, and its utilization of toxins is different from that of web-weaving spiders and wandering spiders. The existing researches on spider toxins are mainly focused on the web-weaving and wandering spiders, but little attention on that of the burrowing spiders. Through transcriptome sequencing of C. signata venom gland and the remaining part as the counterpart tissue, 25 putative neurotoxin precursors were identified. These most neurotoxins were novel because their low similarities with the known sequences except for that of over 50% similarities in four neuropeptide toxins. The 25 neuropeptide toxins were divided into five families according to the constitution of cysteines for the possible disulfide bonds and the similarities of the deduced amino acid sequences. Besides neuropeptide toxins, other potential toxins in the venom gland were also analyzed. Unlike web-weaving spiders and wandering spiders, only a few neurotoxin genes were significantly expressed in the venom gland of C. signata. In the non-peptide toxin genes, only CsTryp_SPc-1, CsPA2-1, CsVa5-2 and four PDI genes were abundantly expressed in the venom gland. The present study provided an improved understanding on the spider toxin diversity and useful information for the exploitation of spider toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Han
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Lixin Huang
- Department of Applied Microbiology, Jiangsu Lixiahe District Institute of Agricultural Sciences/National Agricultural Experimental Station for Agricultural Microbiology, Yangzhou 225007, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Zhaoying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Haoli Gao
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Zhiming Yang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Zhangjin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Zewen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, China.
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23
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Schüttler A, Jakobs G, Fix J, Krauss M, Krüger J, Leuthold D, Altenburger R, Busch W. Transcriptome-Wide Prediction and Measurement of Combined Effects Induced by Chemical Mixture Exposure in Zebrafish Embryos. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2021; 129:47006. [PMID: 33826412 PMCID: PMC8041271 DOI: 10.1289/ehp7773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Humans and environmental organisms are constantly exposed to complex mixtures of chemicals. Extending our knowledge about the combined effects of chemicals is thus essential for assessing the potential consequences of these exposures. In this context, comprehensive molecular readouts as retrieved by omics techniques are advancing our understanding of the diversity of effects upon chemical exposure. This is especially true for effects induced by chemical concentrations that do not instantaneously lead to mortality, as is commonly the case for environmental exposures. However, omics profiles induced by chemical exposures have rarely been systematically considered in mixture contexts. OBJECTIVES In this study, we aimed to investigate the predictability of chemical mixture effects on the whole-transcriptome scale. METHODS We predicted and measured the toxicogenomic effects of a synthetic mixture on zebrafish embryos. The mixture contained the compounds diuron, diclofenac, and naproxen. To predict concentration- and time-resolved whole-transcriptome responses to the mixture exposure, we adopted the mixture concept of concentration addition. Predictions were based on the transcriptome profiles obtained for the individual mixture components in a previous study. Finally, concentration- and time-resolved mixture exposures and subsequent toxicogenomic measurements were performed and the results were compared with the predictions. RESULTS This comparison of the predictions with the observations showed that the concept of concentration addition provided reasonable estimates for the effects induced by the mixture exposure on the whole transcriptome. Although nonadditive effects were observed only occasionally, combined, that is, multicomponent-driven, effects were found for mixture components with anticipated similar, as well as dissimilar, modes of action. DISCUSSION Overall, this study demonstrates that using a concentration- and time-resolved approach, the occurrence and size of combined effects of chemicals may be predicted at the whole-transcriptome scale. This allows improving effect assessment of mixture exposures on the molecular scale that might not only be of relevance in terms of risk assessment but also for pharmacological applications. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7773.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Schüttler
- Department Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Environmental Research, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - G. Jakobs
- Department Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - J.M. Fix
- Department Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - M. Krauss
- Department Effect-Directed Analysis, UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - J. Krüger
- Department Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - D. Leuthold
- Department Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - R. Altenburger
- Department Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Environmental Research, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - W. Busch
- Department Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
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24
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Scieuzo C, Salvia R, Franco A, Pezzi M, Cozzolino F, Chicca M, Scapoli C, Vogel H, Monti M, Ferracini C, Pucci P, Alma A, Falabella P. An integrated transcriptomic and proteomic approach to identify the main Torymus sinensis venom components. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5032. [PMID: 33658582 PMCID: PMC7930282 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84385-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
During oviposition, ectoparasitoid wasps not only inject their eggs but also a complex mixture of proteins and peptides (venom) in order to regulate the host physiology to benefit their progeny. Although several endoparasitoid venom proteins have been identified, little is known about the components of ectoparasitoid venom. To characterize the protein composition of Torymus sinensis Kamijo (Hymenoptera: Torymidae) venom, we used an integrated transcriptomic and proteomic approach and identified 143 venom proteins. Moreover, focusing on venom gland transcriptome, we selected additional 52 transcripts encoding putative venom proteins. As in other parasitoid venoms, hydrolases, including proteases, phosphatases, esterases, and nucleases, constitute the most abundant families in T. sinensis venom, followed by protease inhibitors. These proteins are potentially involved in the complex parasitic syndrome, with different effects on the immune system, physiological processes and development of the host, and contribute to provide nutrients to the parasitoid progeny. Although additional in vivo studies are needed, initial findings offer important information about venom factors and their putative host effects, which are essential to ensure the success of parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Scieuzo
- grid.7367.50000000119391302Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy ,grid.7367.50000000119391302Spinoff XFlies S.R.L, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Rosanna Salvia
- grid.7367.50000000119391302Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy ,grid.7367.50000000119391302Spinoff XFlies S.R.L, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Antonio Franco
- grid.7367.50000000119391302Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy ,grid.7367.50000000119391302Spinoff XFlies S.R.L, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Marco Pezzi
- grid.8484.00000 0004 1757 2064Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Via L. Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Flora Cozzolino
- grid.4691.a0000 0001 0790 385XDepartment of Chemical Sciences, University Federico II of Napoli, Via Cinthia 6, 80126 Naples, Italy ,CEINGE Advanced Biotechnology, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Milvia Chicca
- grid.8484.00000 0004 1757 2064Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Via L. Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Chiara Scapoli
- grid.8484.00000 0004 1757 2064Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Via L. Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Heiko Vogel
- grid.418160.a0000 0004 0491 7131Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Maria Monti
- grid.4691.a0000 0001 0790 385XDepartment of Chemical Sciences, University Federico II of Napoli, Via Cinthia 6, 80126 Naples, Italy ,CEINGE Advanced Biotechnology, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Chiara Ferracini
- grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Pietro Pucci
- grid.4691.a0000 0001 0790 385XDepartment of Chemical Sciences, University Federico II of Napoli, Via Cinthia 6, 80126 Naples, Italy ,CEINGE Advanced Biotechnology, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Alberto Alma
- grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Patrizia Falabella
- grid.7367.50000000119391302Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy ,grid.7367.50000000119391302Spinoff XFlies S.R.L, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
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25
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Kuhn-Nentwig L. Complex precursor structures of cytolytic cupiennins identified in spider venom gland transcriptomes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4009. [PMID: 33597701 PMCID: PMC7889660 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83624-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of spider venom gland transcriptomes focuses on the identification of possible neurotoxins, proteins and enzymes. Here, the first comprehensive transcriptome analysis of cupiennins, small linear cationic peptides, also known as cytolytic or antimicrobial peptides, is reported from the venom gland transcriptome of Cupiennius salei by 454- and Illumina 3000 sequencing. Four transcript families with complex precursor structures are responsible for the expression of 179 linear peptides. Within the transcript families, after an anionic propeptide, cationic linear peptides are separated by anionic linkers, which are transcript family specific. The C-terminus of the transcript families is characterized by a linear peptide or truncated linkers with unknown function. A new identified posttranslational processing mechanism explains the presence of the two-chain CsTx-16 family in the venom. The high diversity of linear peptides in the venom of a spider and this unique synthesis process is at least genus specific as verified with Cupiennius getazi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Kuhn-Nentwig
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
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26
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ACE2 and ACE: structure-based insights into mechanism, regulation and receptor recognition by SARS-CoV. Clin Sci (Lond) 2020; 134:2851-2871. [PMID: 33146371 PMCID: PMC7642307 DOI: 10.1042/cs20200899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) is well-known for its role in blood pressure regulation via the renin–angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) but also functions in fertility, immunity, haematopoiesis and diseases such as obesity, fibrosis and Alzheimer’s dementia. Like ACE, the human homologue ACE2 is also involved in blood pressure regulation and cleaves a range of substrates involved in different physiological processes. Importantly, it is the functional receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus (CoV)-2 responsible for the 2020, coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Understanding the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2 is crucial for the design of therapies to combat this disease. This review provides a comparative analysis of methodologies and findings to describe how structural biology techniques like X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy have enabled remarkable discoveries into the structure–function relationship of ACE and ACE2. This, in turn, has enabled the development of ACE inhibitors for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and candidate therapies for the treatment of COVID-19. However, despite these advances the function of ACE homologues in non-human organisms is not yet fully understood. ACE homologues have been discovered in the tissues, body fluids and venom of species from diverse lineages and are known to have important functions in fertility, envenoming and insect–host defence mechanisms. We, therefore, further highlight the need for structural insight into insect and venom ACE homologues for the potential development of novel anti-venoms and insecticides.
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27
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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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Lüddecke T, von Reumont BM, Förster F, Billion A, Timm T, Lochnit G, Vilcinskas A, Lemke S. An Economic Dilemma Between Molecular Weapon Systems May Explain an Arachno-atypical Venom in Wasp Spiders ( Argiope bruennichi). Biomolecules 2020; 10:E978. [PMID: 32630016 PMCID: PMC7407881 DOI: 10.3390/biom10070978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Spiders use venom to subdue their prey, but little is known about the diversity of venoms in different spider families. Given the limited data available for orb-weaver spiders (Araneidae), we selected the wasp spider Argiope bruennichi for detailed analysis. Our strategy combined a transcriptomics pipeline based on multiple assemblies with a dual proteomics workflow involving parallel mass spectrometry techniques and electrophoretic profiling. We found that the remarkably simple venom of A. bruennichi has an atypical composition compared to other spider venoms, prominently featuring members of the cysteine-rich secretory protein, antigen 5 and pathogenesis-related protein 1 (CAP) superfamily and other, mostly high-molecular-weight proteins. We also detected a subset of potentially novel toxins similar to neuropeptides. We discuss the potential function of these proteins in the context of the unique hunting behavior of wasp spiders, which rely mostly on silk to trap their prey. We propose that the simplicity of the venom evolved to solve an economic dilemma between two competing yet metabolically expensive weapon systems. This study emphasizes the importance of cutting-edge methods to encompass the lineages of smaller venomous species that have yet to be characterized in detail, allowing us to understand the biology of their venom systems and to mine this prolific resource for translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (A.B.); (A.V.)
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; (B.M.v.R.); (S.L.)
| | - Björn M. von Reumont
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; (B.M.v.R.); (S.L.)
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Frank Förster
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, 35392 Gießen, Germany;
| | - André Billion
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (A.B.); (A.V.)
| | - Thomas Timm
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Friedrichstr. 24, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (T.T.); (G.L.)
| | - Günter Lochnit
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Friedrichstr. 24, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (T.T.); (G.L.)
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (A.B.); (A.V.)
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; (B.M.v.R.); (S.L.)
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Sarah Lemke
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; (B.M.v.R.); (S.L.)
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Gießen, Germany
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Dunbar JP, Fort A, Redureau D, Sulpice R, Dugon MM, Quinton L. Venomics Approach Reveals a High Proportion of Lactrodectus-Like Toxins in the Venom of the Noble False Widow Spider Steatoda nobilis. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:E402. [PMID: 32570718 PMCID: PMC7354476 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12060402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis originates from the Macaronesian archipelago and has expanded its range globally. Outside of its natural range, it may have a negative impact on native wildlife, and in temperate regions it lives in synanthropic environments where it frequently encounters humans, subsequently leading to envenomations. S. nobilis is the only medically significant spider in Ireland and the UK, and envenomations have resulted in local and systemic neurotoxic symptoms similar to true black widows (genus Latrodectus). S. nobilis is a sister group to Latrodectus which possesses the highly potent neurotoxins called α-latrotoxins that can induce neuromuscular paralysis and is responsible for human fatalities. However, and despite this close relationship, the venom composition of S. nobilis has never been investigated. In this context, a combination of transcriptomic and proteomic cutting-edge approaches has been used to deeply characterise S. nobilis venom. Mining of transcriptome data for the peptides identified by proteomics revealed 240 annotated sequences, of which 118 are related to toxins, 37 as enzymes, 43 as proteins involved in various biological functions, and 42 proteins without any identified function to date. Among the toxins, the most represented in numbers are α-latrotoxins (61), δ-latroinsectotoxins (44) and latrodectins (6), all of which were first characterised from black widow venoms. Transcriptomics alone provided a similar representation to proteomics, thus demonstrating that our approach is highly sensitive and accurate. More precisely, a relative quantification approach revealed that latrodectins are the most concentrated toxin (28%), followed by α-latrotoxins (11%), δ-latroinsectotoxins (11%) and α-latrocrustotoxins (11%). Approximately two-thirds of the venom is composed of Latrodectus-like toxins. Such toxins are highly potent towards the nervous system of vertebrates and likely responsible for the array of symptoms occurring after envenomation by black widows and false widows. Thus, caution should be taken in dismissing S. nobilis as harmless. This work paves the way towards a better understanding of the competitiveness of S. nobilis and its potential medical importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P. Dunbar
- Venom Systems & Proteomics Lab, School of Natural Sciences, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland; (J.P.D.); (M.M.D.)
| | - Antoine Fort
- Plant Systems Biology Lab, Plant and AgriBiosciences Research Centre, School of Natural Sciences, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland; (A.F.); (R.S.)
| | - Damien Redureau
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, MolSys RU, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium;
| | - Ronan Sulpice
- Plant Systems Biology Lab, Plant and AgriBiosciences Research Centre, School of Natural Sciences, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland; (A.F.); (R.S.)
| | - Michel M. Dugon
- Venom Systems & Proteomics Lab, School of Natural Sciences, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland; (J.P.D.); (M.M.D.)
| | - Loïc Quinton
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, MolSys RU, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium;
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Neurotoxin Merging: A Strategy Deployed by the Venom of the Spider Cupiennius salei to Potentiate Toxicity on Insects. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12040250. [PMID: 32290562 PMCID: PMC7232441 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12040250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The venom of Cupiennius salei is composed of dozens of neurotoxins, with most of them supposed to act on ion channels. Some insecticidal monomeric neurotoxins contain an α-helical part besides their inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) motif (type 1). Other neurotoxins have, besides the ICK motif, an α-helical part of an open loop, resulting in a heterodimeric structure (type 2). Due to their low toxicity, it is difficult to understand the existence of type 2 peptides. Here, we show with the voltage clamp technique in oocytes of Xenopus laevis that a combined application of structural type 1 and type 2 neurotoxins has a much more pronounced cytolytic effect than each of the toxins alone. In biotests with Drosophila melanogaster, the combined effect of both neurotoxins was enhanced by 2 to 3 log units when compared to the components alone. Electrophysiological measurements of a type 2 peptide at 18 ion channel types, expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, showed no effect. Microscale thermophoresis data indicate a monomeric/heterodimeric peptide complex formation, thus a direct interaction between type 1 and type 2 peptides, leading to cell death. In conclusion, peptide mergers between both neurotoxins are the main cause for the high cytolytic activity of Cupiennius salei venom.
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Spider Venom: Components, Modes of Action, and Novel Strategies in Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11100611. [PMID: 31652611 PMCID: PMC6832493 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11100611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This review gives an overview on the development of research on spider venoms with a focus on structure and function of venom components and techniques of analysis. Major venom component groups are small molecular mass compounds, antimicrobial (also called cytolytic, or cationic) peptides (only in some spider families), cysteine-rich (neurotoxic) peptides, and enzymes and proteins. Cysteine-rich peptides are reviewed with respect to various structural motifs, their targets (ion channels, membrane receptors), nomenclature, and molecular binding. We further describe the latest findings concerning the maturation of antimicrobial, and cysteine-rich peptides that are in most known cases expressed as propeptide-containing precursors. Today, venom research, increasingly employs transcriptomic and mass spectrometric techniques. Pros and cons of venom gland transcriptome analysis with Sanger, 454, and Illumina sequencing are discussed and an overview on so far published transcriptome studies is given. In this respect, we also discuss the only recently described cross contamination arising from multiplexing in Illumina sequencing and its possible impacts on venom studies. High throughput mass spectrometric analysis of venom proteomes (bottom-up, top-down) are reviewed.
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Lüddecke T, Vilcinskas A, Lemke S. Phylogeny-Guided Selection of Priority Groups for Venom Bioprospecting: Harvesting Toxin Sequences in Tarantulas as a Case Study. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E488. [PMID: 31450685 PMCID: PMC6784122 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11090488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal venoms are promising sources of novel drug leads, but their translational potential is hampered by the low success rate of earlier biodiscovery programs, in part reflecting the narrow selection of targets for investigation. To increase the number of lead candidates, here we discuss a phylogeny-guided approach for the rational selection of venomous taxa, using tarantulas (family Theraphosidae) as a case study. We found that previous biodiscovery programs have prioritized the three subfamilies Ornithoctoninae, Selenocosmiinae, and Theraphosinae, which provide almost all of the toxin sequences currently available in public databases. The remaining subfamilies are poorly represented, if at all. These overlooked subfamilies include several that form entire clades of the theraphosid life tree, such as the subfamilies Eumenophorinae, Harpactirinae, and Stromatopelminae, indicating that biodiversity space has not been covered effectively for venom biodiscovery in Theraphosidae. Focusing on these underrepresented taxa will increase the likelihood that promising candidates with novel structures and mechanisms of action can be identified in future bioprospecting programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstr. 2, 35394 Gießen, Germany.
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchesterstr. 2, 35394 Gießen, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Gießen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sarah Lemke
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Gießen, Germany
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Delgado-Prudencio G, Possani LD, Becerril B, Ortiz E. The Dual α-Amidation System in Scorpion Venom Glands. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11070425. [PMID: 31330798 PMCID: PMC6669573 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11070425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Many peptides in scorpion venoms are amidated at their C-termini. This post-translational modification is paramount for the correct biological function of ion channel toxins and antimicrobial peptides, among others. The discovery of canonical amidation sequences in transcriptome-derived scorpion proproteins suggests that a conserved enzymatic α-amidation system must be responsible for this modification of scorpion peptides. A transcriptomic approach was employed to identify sequences putatively encoding enzymes of the α-amidation pathway. A dual enzymatic α-amidation system was found, consisting of the membrane-anchored, bifunctional, peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) and its paralogs, soluble monofunctional peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHMm) and peptidyl-α-hydroxyglycine α-amidating lyase (PALm). Independent genes encode these three enzymes. Amino acid residues responsible for ion coordination and enzymatic activity are conserved in these sequences, suggesting that the enzymes are functional. Potential endoproteolytic recognition sites for proprotein convertases in the PAM sequence indicate that PAM-derived soluble isoforms may also be expressed. Sequences potentially encoding proprotein convertases (PC1 and PC2), carboxypeptidase E (CPE), and other enzymes of the α-amidation pathway, were also found, confirming the presence of this pathway in scorpions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Delgado-Prudencio
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Lourival D Possani
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Baltazar Becerril
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Ernesto Ortiz
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico.
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