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Smith HL, Broszczak DA, Bryan SE, Norton RS, Prentis PJ. Molecular Insights into the Low Complexity Secreted Venom of Calliactis polypus. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae154. [PMID: 39018436 PMCID: PMC11299110 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae154] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Sea anemones are venomous animals that rely on their venom for prey capture, defense against predators, and intraspecific competition. Currently, comprehensive molecular and evolutionary analyses of the toxin repertoire for sea anemones are limited by a lack of proteomic data for most species. In this study, proteo-transcriptomic analysis was used to expand our knowledge of the proteinaceous components of sea anemone venom by determining the secreted venom proteome of Calliactis polypus. Electromechanical stimulation was used to obtain the secreted venom of C. polypus. We identified a low complexity proteome that was dominated by toxins with similarity to known neurotoxins, as well as six novel toxin candidates. The novel putative toxin candidates were found to be taxonomically restricted to species from the superfamily Metridioidea. Furthermore, the secreted venom of C. polypus had only three putative toxins in common with the venom of acontia from the same species and little similarity with the secreted venom of closely related species. Overall, this demonstrates that regionalized and lineage-specific variability in toxin abundance is common among sea anemone species. Moreover, the limited complexity of the toxin repertoire found in C. polypus supports the idea that peptide neurotoxins make up the dominant toxin arsenal found in the venom of sea anemones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden L Smith
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia
| | - Daniel A Broszczak
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia
| | - Scott E Bryan
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia
| | - Raymond S Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Peter J Prentis
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia
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2
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Koch TL, Robinson SD, Salcedo PF, Chase K, Biggs J, Fedosov AE, Yandell M, Olivera BM, Safavi-Hemami H. Prey Shifts Drive Venom Evolution in Cone Snails. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae120. [PMID: 38935574 PMCID: PMC11296725 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Venom systems are complex traits that have independently emerged multiple times in diverse plant and animal phyla. Within each venomous lineage there typically exists interspecific variation in venom composition where several factors have been proposed as drivers of variation, including phylogeny and diet. Understanding these factors is of broad biological interest and has implications for the development of antivenom therapies and venom-based drug discovery. Because of their high species richness and the presence of several major evolutionary prey shifts, venomous marine cone snails (genus Conus) provide an ideal system to investigate drivers of interspecific venom variation. Here, by analyzing the venom gland expression profiles of ∼3,000 toxin genes from 42 species of cone snail, we elucidate the role of prey-specific selection pressures in shaping venom variation. By analyzing overall venom composition and individual toxin structures, we demonstrate that the shifts from vermivory to piscivory in Conus are complemented by distinct changes in venom composition independent of phylogeny. In vivo injections of venom from piscivorous cone snails in fish further showed a higher potency compared with venom of nonpiscivores demonstrating a selective advantage. Together, our findings provide compelling evidence for the role of prey shifts in directing the venom composition of cone snails and expand our understanding of the mechanisms of venom variation and diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Lund Koch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Samuel D Robinson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | | | - Kevin Chase
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jason Biggs
- Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources, Department of Agriculture, Mangilao, GU 96913, USA
| | - Alexander E Fedosov
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Zoology, Stockholm 114 18, Sweden
| | - Mark Yandell
- Department of Human Genetics, Utah Center for Genetic Discovery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Baldomero M Olivera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N 2200, Denmark
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3
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Surm JM, Landau M, Columbus-Shenkar YY, Moran Y. Sea Anemone Membrane Attack Complex/Perforin Superfamily Demonstrates an Evolutionary Transitional State between Venomous and Developmental Functions. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae082. [PMID: 38676945 PMCID: PMC11090067 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae082] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene duplication is a major force driving evolutionary innovation. A classic example is generating new animal toxins via duplication of physiological protein-encoding genes and recruitment into venom. While this process drives the innovation of many animal venoms, reverse recruitment of toxins into nonvenomous cells remains unresolved. Using comparative genomics, we find members of the Membrane Attack Complex and Perforin Family (MAC) have been recruited into venom-injecting cells (cnidocytes), in soft and stony corals and sea anemones, suggesting that the ancestral MAC was a cnidocyte expressed toxin. Further investigation into the model sea anemone Nematostella vectensis reveals that three members have undergone Nematostella-specific duplications leading to their reverse recruitment into endomesodermal cells. Furthermore, simultaneous knockdown of all three endomesodermally expressed MACs leads to mis-development, supporting that these paralogs have nonvenomous function. By resolving the evolutionary history and function of MACs in Nematostella, we provide the first proof for reverse recruitment from venom to organismal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim M Surm
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Morani Landau
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yaara Y Columbus-Shenkar
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
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4
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Guo Q, Fu J, Yuan L, Liao Y, Li M, Li X, Yi B, Zhang J, Gao B. Diversity analysis of sea anemone peptide toxins in different tissues of Heteractis crispa based on transcriptomics. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7684. [PMID: 38561372 PMCID: PMC10985097 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58402-2] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Peptide toxins found in sea anemones venom have diverse properties that make them important research subjects in the fields of pharmacology, neuroscience and biotechnology. This study used high-throughput sequencing technology to systematically analyze the venom components of the tentacles, column, and mesenterial filaments of sea anemone Heteractis crispa, revealing the diversity and complexity of sea anemone toxins in different tissues. A total of 1049 transcripts were identified and categorized into 60 families, of which 91.0% were proteins and 9.0% were peptides. Of those 1049 transcripts, 416, 291, and 307 putative proteins and peptide precursors were identified from tentacles, column, and mesenterial filaments respectively, while 428 were identified when the datasets were combined. Of these putative toxin sequences, 42 were detected in all three tissues, including 33 proteins and 9 peptides, with the majority of peptides being ShKT domain, β-defensin, and Kunitz-type. In addition, this study applied bioinformatics approaches to predict the family classification, 3D structures, and functional annotation of these representative peptides, as well as the evolutionary relationships between peptides, laying the foundation for the next step of peptide pharmacological activity research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Guo
- Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Jinxing Fu
- Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Lin Yuan
- Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
- Department of Pharmacy, 928th Hospital of PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Haikou, China
| | - Yanling Liao
- Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Ming Li
- Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Xinzhong Li
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK
| | - Bo Yi
- Department of Pharmacy, 928th Hospital of PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Haikou, China
| | - Junqing Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China.
| | - Bingmiao Gao
- Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China.
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5
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Cole AG, Steger J, Hagauer J, Denner A, Ferrer Murguia P, Knabl P, Narayanaswamy S, Wick B, Montenegro JD, Technau U. Updated single cell reference atlas for the starlet anemone Nematostella vectensis. Front Zool 2024; 21:8. [PMID: 38500146 PMCID: PMC10946136 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-024-00529-z] [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: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The recent combination of genomics and single cell transcriptomics has allowed to assess a variety of non-conventional model organisms in much more depth. Single cell transcriptomes can uncover hidden cellular complexity and cell lineage relationships within organisms. The recent developmental cell atlases of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, a representative of the basally branching Cnidaria, has provided new insights into the development of all cell types (Steger et al Cell Rep 40(12):111370, 2022; Sebé-Pedrós et al. Cell 173(6):1520-1534.e20). However, the mapping of the single cell reads still suffers from relatively poor gene annotations and a draft genome consisting of many scaffolds. RESULTS Here we present a new wildtype resource of the developmental single cell atlas, by re-mapping of sequence data first published in Steger et al. (2022) and Cole et al. (Nat Commun 14(1):1747, 2023), to the new chromosome-level genome assembly and corresponding gene models in Zimmermann et al. (Nat Commun 14, 8270 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44080-7 ). We expand the pre-existing dataset through the incorporation of additional sequence data derived from the capture and sequencing of cell suspensions from four additional samples: 24 h gastrula, 2d planula, an inter-parietal region of the bodywall from a young unsexed animal, and another adult mesentery from a mature male animal. CONCLUSION Our analyses of the full cell-state inventory provide transcriptomic signatures for 127 distinct cell states, of which 47 correspond to neuroglandular subtypes. We also identify two distinct putatively immune-related transcriptomic profiles that segregate between the inner and outer cell layers. Furthermore, the new gene annotation Nv2 has markedly improved the mapping on the single cell transcriptome data and will therefore be of great value for the community and anyone using the dataset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison G Cole
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
- Research Platform Single Cell Regulation of Stem Cells, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Julia Steger
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Hagauer
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Denner
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Patricio Ferrer Murguia
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Knabl
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sanjay Narayanaswamy
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Brittney Wick
- UCSC Cellbrowser, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA
| | - Juan D Montenegro
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
- Research Platform Single Cell Regulation of Stem Cells, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
- Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Dr. Bohrgasse 9, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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6
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Sierra NC, Gold DA. The evolution of cnidarian stinging cells supports a Precambrian radiation of animal predators. Evol Dev 2024; 26:e12469. [PMID: 38236185 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12469] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Cnidarians-the phylum including sea anemones, corals, jellyfish, and hydroids-are one of the oldest groups of predatory animals. Nearly all cnidarians are carnivores that use stinging cells called cnidocytes to ensnare and/or envenom their prey. However, there is considerable diversity in cnidocyte form and function. Tracing the evolutionary history of cnidocytes may therefore provide a proxy for early animal feeding strategies. In this study, we generated a time-calibrated molecular clock of cnidarians and performed ancestral state reconstruction on 12 cnidocyte types to test the hypothesis that the original cnidocyte was involved in prey capture. We conclude that the first cnidarians had only the simplest and least specialized cnidocyte type (the isorhiza) which was just as likely to be used for adhesion and/or defense as the capture of prey. A rapid diversification of specialized cnidocytes occurred through the Ediacaran (~654-574 million years ago), with major subgroups developing unique sets of cnidocytes to match their distinct feeding styles. These results are robust to changes in the molecular clock model, and are consistent with growing evidence for an Ediacaran diversification of animals. Our work also provides insight into the evolution of this complex cell type, suggesting that convergence of forms is rare, with the mastigophore being an interesting counterexample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémie C Sierra
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Integrative Genetics and Genomics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - David A Gold
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Integrative Genetics and Genomics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
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7
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Barroso RA, Ramos L, Moreno H, Antunes A. Evolutionary Analysis of Cnidaria Small Cysteine-Rich Proteins (SCRiPs), an Enigmatic Neurotoxin Family from Stony Corals and Sea Anemones (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia). Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:75. [PMID: 38393153 PMCID: PMC10892658 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16020075] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cnidarians (corals, sea anemones, and jellyfish) produce toxins that play central roles in key ecological processes, including predation, defense, and competition, being the oldest extant venomous animal lineage. Cnidaria small cysteine-rich proteins (SCRiPs) were the first family of neurotoxins detected in stony corals, one of the ocean's most crucial foundation species. Yet, their molecular evolution remains poorly understood. Moreover, the lack of a clear classification system has hindered the establishment of an accurate and phylogenetically informed nomenclature. In this study, we extensively surveyed 117 genomes and 103 transcriptomes of cnidarians to identify orthologous SCRiP gene sequences. We annotated a total of 168 novel putative SCRiPs from over 36 species of stony corals and 12 species of sea anemones. Phylogenetic reconstruction identified four distinct SCRiP subfamilies, according to strict discrimination criteria based on well-supported monophyly with a high percentage of nucleotide and amino acids' identity. Although there is a high prevalence of purifying selection for most SCRiP subfamilies, with few positively selected sites detected, a subset of Acroporidae sequences is influenced by diversifying positive selection, suggesting potential neofunctionalizations related to the fine-tuning of toxin potency. We propose a new nomenclature classification system relying on the phylogenetic distribution and evolution of SCRiPs across Anthozoa, which will further assist future proteomic and functional research efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Alexandre Barroso
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal; (R.A.B.); (L.R.); (H.M.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luana Ramos
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal; (R.A.B.); (L.R.); (H.M.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Hugo Moreno
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal; (R.A.B.); (L.R.); (H.M.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal; (R.A.B.); (L.R.); (H.M.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
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Mendonça M, Vicente CSL, Espada M. Functional Characterization of ShK Domain-Containing Protein in the Plant-Parasitic Nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:404. [PMID: 38337937 PMCID: PMC10857297 DOI: 10.3390/plants13030404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
ShK domain-containing proteins are peptides found in different parasitic and venomous organisms. From a previous transcriptomic dataset from Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, a plant-parasitic nematode that infects forest tree species, we identified 96 transcripts potentially as ShK domain-containing proteins with unknown function in the nematode genome. This study aimed to characterize and explore the functional role of genes encoding ShK domain-containing proteins in B. xylophilus biology. We selected and functionally analyzed nine candidate genes that are putatively specific to B. xylophilus. In situ hybridization revealed expression of one B. xylophilus ShK in the pharyngeal gland cells, suggesting their delivery into host cells. Most of the transcripts are highly expressed during infection and showed a significant upregulation in response to peroxide products compared to the nematode catalase enzymes. We reported, for the first time, the potential involvement of ShK domain genes in oxidative stress, suggesting that these proteins may have an important role in protecting or modulating the reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity of the host plant during parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Margarida Espada
- MED—Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE—Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Institute for Advanced Studies, and Research, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 Évora, Portugal; (M.M.); (C.S.L.V.)
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9
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Li M, Mao K, Huang M, Liao Y, Fu J, Pan K, Shi Q, Gao B. Venomics Reveals the Venom Complexity of Sea Anemone Heteractis magnifica. Mar Drugs 2024; 22:71. [PMID: 38393042 PMCID: PMC10890322 DOI: 10.3390/md22020071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The venoms of various sea anemones are rich in diverse toxins, which usually play a dual role in capturing prey and deterring predators. However, the complex components of such venoms have not been well known yet. Here, venomics of integrating transcriptomic and proteomic technologies was applied for the first time to identify putative protein and peptide toxins from different tissues of the representative sea anemone, Heteractis magnifica. The transcriptomic analysis of H. magnifica identified 728 putative toxin sequences, including 442 and 381 from the tentacles and the column, respectively, and they were assigned to 68 gene superfamilies. The proteomic analysis confirmed 101 protein and peptide toxins in the venom, including 91 in the tentacles and 39 in the column. The integrated venomics also confirmed that some toxins such as the ShK-like peptides and defensins are co-expressed in both the tentacles and the column. Meanwhile, a homology analysis was conducted to predict the three-dimensional structures and potential activity of seven representative toxins. Altogether, this venomics study revealed the venom complexity of H. magnifica, which will help deepen our understanding of cnidarian toxins, thereby supporting the in-depth development of valuable marine drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Hainan Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China; (M.L.); (K.M.); (M.H.); (Y.L.); (J.F.); (K.P.)
| | - Kailin Mao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Hainan Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China; (M.L.); (K.M.); (M.H.); (Y.L.); (J.F.); (K.P.)
| | - Meiling Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Hainan Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China; (M.L.); (K.M.); (M.H.); (Y.L.); (J.F.); (K.P.)
| | - Yanling Liao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Hainan Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China; (M.L.); (K.M.); (M.H.); (Y.L.); (J.F.); (K.P.)
| | - Jinxing Fu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Hainan Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China; (M.L.); (K.M.); (M.H.); (Y.L.); (J.F.); (K.P.)
| | - Kun Pan
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Hainan Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China; (M.L.); (K.M.); (M.H.); (Y.L.); (J.F.); (K.P.)
| | - Qiong Shi
- Laboratory of Aquatic Genomics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518057, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, Shenzhen 518081, China
| | - Bingmiao Gao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Hainan Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China; (M.L.); (K.M.); (M.H.); (Y.L.); (J.F.); (K.P.)
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10
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Lecaudey LA, Netzer R, Wibberg D, Busche T, Bloecher N. Metatranscriptome analysis reveals the putative venom toxin repertoire of the biofouling hydroid Ectopleura larynx. Toxicon 2024; 237:107556. [PMID: 38072317 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107556] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Cnidarians thriving in biofouling communities on aquaculture net pens represent a significant health risk for farmed finfish due to their stinging cells. The toxins coming into contact with the fish, during net cleaning, can adversely affect their behavior, welfare, and survival, with a particularly serious health risk for the gills, causing direct tissue damage such as formation of thrombi and increasing risks of secondary infections. The hydroid Ectopleura larynx is one of the most common fouling organisms in Northern Europe. However, despite its significant economic, environmental, and operational impact on finfish aquaculture, biological information on this species is scarce and its venom composition has never been investigated. In this study, we generated a whole transcriptome of E. larynx, and identified its putative expressed venom toxin proteins (predicted toxin proteins, not functionally characterized) based on in silico transcriptome annotation mining and protein sequence analysis. The results uncovered a broad and diverse repertoire of putative toxin proteins for this hydroid species. Its toxic arsenal appears to include a wide and complex selection of toxin proteins, covering a large panel of potential biological functions that play important roles in envenomation. The putative toxins identified in this species, such as neurotoxins, GTPase toxins, metalloprotease toxins, ion channel impairing toxins, hemorrhagic toxins, serine protease toxins, phospholipase toxins, pore-forming toxins, and multifunction toxins may cause various major deleterious effects in prey, predators, and competitors. These results provide valuable new insights into the venom composition of cnidarians, and venomous marine organisms in general, and offer new opportunities for further research into novel and valuable bioactive molecules for medicine, agronomics and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roman Netzer
- SINTEF Ocean, Aquaculture Department, Brattørkaia 17c, 7010, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Daniel Wibberg
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Tobias Busche
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany; Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 1, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Nina Bloecher
- SINTEF Ocean, Aquaculture Department, Brattørkaia 17c, 7010, Trondheim, Norway
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11
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Cheatle Jarvela AM, Wexler JR. Advances in genome sequencing reveal changes in gene content that contribute to arthropod macroevolution. Dev Genes Evol 2023; 233:59-76. [PMID: 37982820 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-023-00712-y] [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: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Current sequencing technology allows for the relatively affordable generation of highly contiguous genomes. Technological advances have made it possible for researchers to investigate the consequences of diverse sorts of genomic variants, such as gene gain and loss. With the extraordinary number of high-quality genomes now available, we take stock of how these genomic variants impact phenotypic evolution. We take care to point out that the identification of genomic variants of interest is only the first step in understanding their impact. Painstaking lab or fieldwork is still required to establish causal relationships between genomic variants and phenotypic evolution. We focus mostly on arthropod research, as this phylum has an impressive degree of phenotypic diversity and is also the subject of much evolutionary genetics research. This article is intended to both highlight recent advances in the field and also to be a primer for learning about evolutionary genetics and genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alys M Cheatle Jarvela
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA.
| | - Judith R Wexler
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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12
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He LS, Qi Y, Allard CAH, Valencia-Montoya WA, Krueger SP, Weir K, Seminara A, Bellono NW. Molecular tuning of sea anemone stinging. eLife 2023; 12:RP88900. [PMID: 37906220 PMCID: PMC10617991 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88900] [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] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Jellyfish and sea anemones fire single-use, venom-covered barbs to immobilize prey or predators. We previously showed that the anemone Nematostella vectensis uses a specialized voltage-gated calcium (CaV) channel to trigger stinging in response to synergistic prey-derived chemicals and touch (Weir et al., 2020). Here, we use experiments and theory to find that stinging behavior is suited to distinct ecological niches. We find that the burrowing anemone Nematostella uses uniquely strong CaV inactivation for precise control of predatory stinging. In contrast, the related anemone Exaiptasia diaphana inhabits exposed environments to support photosynthetic endosymbionts. Consistent with its niche, Exaiptasia indiscriminately stings for defense and expresses a CaV splice variant that confers weak inactivation. Chimeric analyses reveal that CaVβ subunit adaptations regulate inactivation, suggesting an evolutionary tuning mechanism for stinging behavior. These findings demonstrate how functional specialization of ion channel structure contributes to distinct organismal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily S He
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Yujia Qi
- Machine Learning Center Genoa (MalGa), Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of GenoaGenoaItaly
| | - Corey AH Allard
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Wendy A Valencia-Montoya
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Stephanie P Krueger
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Keiko Weir
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Agnese Seminara
- Machine Learning Center Genoa (MalGa), Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of GenoaGenoaItaly
| | - Nicholas W Bellono
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
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13
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Fridrich A, Salinas-Saaverda M, Kozlolvski I, Surm JM, Chrysostomou E, Tripathi AM, Frank U, Moran Y. An ancient pan-cnidarian microRNA regulates stinging capsule biogenesis in Nematostella vectensis. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113072. [PMID: 37676763 PMCID: PMC10548089 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113072] [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: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
An ancient evolutionary innovation of a novel cell type, the stinging cell (cnidocyte), appeared >600 million years ago in the phylum Cnidaria (sea anemones, corals, hydroids, and jellyfish). A complex bursting nano-injector of venom, the cnidocyst, is embedded in cnidocytes and enables cnidarians to paralyze their prey and predators, contributing to this phylum's evolutionary success. In this work, we show that post-transcriptional regulation by a pan-cnidarian microRNA, miR-2022, is essential for biogenesis of these cells in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. By manipulation of miR-2022 levels in a transgenic reporter line of cnidocytes, followed by transcriptomics, single-cell data analysis, prey paralysis assays, and cell sorting of transgenic cnidocytes, we reveal that miR-2022 enables cnidocyte biogenesis in Nematostella, while exhibiting a conserved expression domain with its targets in cnidocytes of other cnidarian species. Thus, here we revealed a functional basis to the conservation of one of nature's most ancient microRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arie Fridrich
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, Faculty of Science, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
| | | | - Itamar Kozlolvski
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, Faculty of Science, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Joachim M Surm
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, Faculty of Science, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Abhinandan M Tripathi
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, Faculty of Science, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Uri Frank
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, Faculty of Science, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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14
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He LS, Qi Y, Allard CAH, Valencia-Montoya WA, Krueger SP, Weir K, Seminara A, Bellono NW. Molecular tuning of sea anemone stinging. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.15.545144. [PMID: 37577638 PMCID: PMC10418081 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.15.545144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Jellyfish and sea anemones fire single-use, venom-covered barbs to immobilize prey or predators. We previously showed that the anemone Nematostella vectensis uses a specialized voltage-gated calcium (CaV) channel to trigger stinging in response to synergistic prey-derived chemicals and touch (Weir et al., 2020). Here we use experiments and theory to find that stinging behavior is suited to distinct ecological niches. We find that the burrowing anemone Nematostella uses uniquely strong CaV inactivation for precise control of predatory stinging. In contrast, the related anemone Exaiptasia diaphana inhabits exposed environments to support photosynthetic endosymbionts. Consistent with its niche, Exaiptasia indiscriminately stings for defense and expresses a CaV splice variant that confers weak inactivation. Chimeric analyses reveal that CaVβ subunit adaptations regulate inactivation, suggesting an evolutionary tuning mechanism for stinging behavior. These findings demonstrate how functional specialization of ion channel structure contributes to distinct organismal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily S He
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138 USA
| | - Yujia Qi
- Machine Learning Center Genoa (MalGa), Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of Genoa, Via Montallegro 1, 16145 Genoa, Italy
| | - Corey AH Allard
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138 USA
| | - Wendy A Valencia-Montoya
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138 USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138 USA
| | - Stephanie P Krueger
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138 USA
| | - Keiko Weir
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138 USA
| | - Agnese Seminara
- Machine Learning Center Genoa (MalGa), Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of Genoa, Via Montallegro 1, 16145 Genoa, Italy
| | - Nicholas W Bellono
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138 USA
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15
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Westfall AK, Gopalan SS, Perry BW, Adams RH, Saviola AJ, Mackessy SP, Castoe TA. Single-Cell Heterogeneity in Snake Venom Expression Is Hardwired by Co-Option of Regulators from Progressively Activated Pathways. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad109. [PMID: 37311204 PMCID: PMC10289209 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad109] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitous cellular heterogeneity underlying many organism-level phenotypes raises questions about what factors drive this heterogeneity and how these complex heterogeneous systems evolve. Here, we use single-cell expression data from a Prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) venom gland to evaluate hypotheses for signaling networks underlying snake venom regulation and the degree to which different venom gene families have evolutionarily recruited distinct regulatory architectures. Our findings suggest that snake venom regulatory systems have evolutionarily co-opted trans-regulatory factors from extracellular signal-regulated kinase and unfolded protein response pathways that specifically coordinate expression of distinct venom toxins in a phased sequence across a single population of secretory cells. This pattern of co-option results in extensive cell-to-cell variation in venom gene expression, even between tandemly duplicated paralogs, suggesting this regulatory architecture has evolved to circumvent cellular constraints. While the exact nature of such constraints remains an open question, we propose that such regulatory heterogeneity may circumvent steric constraints on chromatin, cellular physiological constraints (e.g., endoplasmic reticulum stress or negative protein-protein interactions), or a combination of these. Regardless of the precise nature of these constraints, this example suggests that, in some cases, dynamic cellular constraints may impose previously unappreciated secondary constraints on the evolution of gene regulatory networks that favors heterogeneous expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Blair W Perry
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas Arlington, Texas, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Richard H Adams
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA
| | - Anthony J Saviola
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, USA
| | - Stephen P Mackessy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, USA
| | - Todd A Castoe
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas Arlington, Texas, USA
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16
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Vandepas LE, Tassia MG, Halanych KM, Amemiya CT. Unexpected Distribution of Chitin and Chitin Synthase across Soft-Bodied Cnidarians. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050777. [PMID: 37238647 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cnidarians are commonly recognized as sea jellies, corals, or complex colonies such as the Portuguese man-of-war. While some cnidarians possess rigid internal calcareous skeletons (e.g., corals), many are soft-bodied. Intriguingly, genes coding for the chitin-biosynthetic enzyme, chitin synthase (CHS), were recently identified in the model anemone Nematostella vectensis, a species lacking hard structures. Here we report the prevalence and diversity of CHS across Cnidaria and show that cnidarian chitin synthase genes display diverse protein domain organizations. We found that CHS is expressed in cnidarian species and/or developmental stages with no reported chitinous or rigid morphological structures. Chitin affinity histochemistry indicates that chitin is present in soft tissues of some scyphozoan and hydrozoan medusae. To further elucidate the biology of chitin in cnidarian soft tissues, we focused on CHS expression in N. vectensis. Spatial expression data show that three CHS orthologs are differentially expressed in Nematostella embryos and larvae during development, suggesting that chitin has an integral role in the biology of this species. Understanding how a non-bilaterian lineage such as Cnidaria employs chitin may provide new insight into hitherto unknown functions of polysaccharides in animals, as well as their role in the evolution of biological novelty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Vandepas
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Michael G Tassia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Kenneth M Halanych
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
- Departments of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA
| | - Chris T Amemiya
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
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17
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Smith HL, Prentis PJ, Bryan SE, Norton RS, Broszczak DA. Acontia, a Specialised Defensive Structure, Has Low Venom Complexity in Calliactis polypus. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:218. [PMID: 36977109 PMCID: PMC10051995 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15030218] [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: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Phylum Cnidaria represents a unique group among venomous taxa, with its delivery system organised as individual organelles, known as nematocysts, heterogeneously distributed across morphological structures rather than packaged as a specialised organ. Acontia are packed with large nematocysts that are expelled from sea anemones during aggressive encounters with predatory species and are found in a limited number of species in the superfamily Metridioidea. Little is known about this specialised structure other than the commonly accepted hypothesis of its role in defence and a rudimentary understanding of its toxin content and activity. This study utilised previously published transcriptomic data and new proteomic analyses to expand this knowledge by identifying the venom profile of acontia in Calliactis polypus. Using mass spectrometry, we found limited toxin diversity in the proteome of acontia, with an abundance of a sodium channel toxin type I, and a novel toxin with two ShK-like domains. Additionally, genomic evidence suggests that the proposed novel toxin is ubiquitous across sea anemone lineages. Overall, the venom profile of acontia in Calliactis polypus and the novel toxin identified here provide the basis for future research to define the function of acontial toxins in sea anemones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden L. Smith
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
| | - Peter J. Prentis
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
| | - Scott E. Bryan
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
| | - Raymond S. Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Daniel A. Broszczak
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
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18
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Smith EG, Surm JM, Macrander J, Simhi A, Amir G, Sachkova MY, Lewandowska M, Reitzel AM, Moran Y. Micro and macroevolution of sea anemone venom phenotype. Nat Commun 2023; 14:249. [PMID: 36646703 PMCID: PMC9842752 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35794-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Venom is a complex trait with substantial inter- and intraspecific variability resulting from strong selective pressures acting on the expression of many toxic proteins. However, understanding the processes underlying toxin expression dynamics that determine the venom phenotype remains unresolved. By interspecific comparisons we reveal that toxin expression in sea anemones evolves rapidly and that in each species different toxin family dictates the venom phenotype by massive gene duplication events. In-depth analysis of the sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, revealed striking variation of the dominant toxin (Nv1) diploid copy number across populations (1-24 copies) resulting from independent expansion/contraction events, which generate distinct haplotypes. Nv1 copy number correlates with expression at both the transcript and protein levels with one population having a near-complete loss of Nv1 production. Finally, we establish the dominant toxin hypothesis which incorporates observations in other venomous lineages that animals have convergently evolved a similar strategy in shaping their venom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward G Smith
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Biological Sciences, Charlotte, NC, USA. .,School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom.
| | - Joachim M Surm
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Jason Macrander
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Biological Sciences, Charlotte, NC, USA.,Florida Southern College, Biology Department, Lakeland, FL, USA
| | - Adi Simhi
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The School of Computer Science & Engineering, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Guy Amir
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The School of Computer Science & Engineering, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Maria Y Sachkova
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Magda Lewandowska
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Adam M Reitzel
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Biological Sciences, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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19
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Delgado A, Benedict C, Macrander J, Daly M. Never, Ever Make an Enemy… Out of an Anemone: Transcriptomic Comparison of Clownfish Hosting Sea Anemone Venoms. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:730. [PMID: 36547877 PMCID: PMC9782873 DOI: 10.3390/md20120730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sea anemones are predatory marine invertebrates and have diverse venom arsenals. Venom is integral to their biology, and is used in competition, defense, and feeding. Three lineages of sea anemones are known to have independently evolved symbiotic relationships with clownfish, however the evolutionary impact of this relationship on the venom composition of the host is still unknown. Here, we investigate the potential of this symbiotic relationship to shape the venom profiles of the sea anemones that host clownfish. We use transcriptomic data to identify differences and similarities in venom profiles of six sea anemone species, representing the three known clades of clownfish-hosting sea anemones. We recovered 1121 transcripts matching verified toxins across all species, and show that hemolytic and hemorrhagic toxins are consistently the most dominant and diverse toxins across all species examined. These results are consistent with the known biology of sea anemones, provide foundational data on venom diversity of these species, and allow for a review of existing hierarchical structures in venomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alonso Delgado
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Charlotte Benedict
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jason Macrander
- Department of Biology, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL 33815, USA
| | - Marymegan Daly
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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20
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Senji Laxme RR, Khochare S, Attarde S, Kaur N, Jaikumar P, Shaikh NY, Aharoni R, Primor N, Hawlena D, Moran Y, Sunagar K. The Middle Eastern Cousin: Comparative Venomics of Daboia palaestinae and Daboia russelii. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14110725. [PMID: 36355975 PMCID: PMC9696752 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14110725] [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: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the medically most important snakes in the world, the species belonging to the genus Daboia have been attributed to the highest number of human envenomings, deaths and disabilities. Given their significant clinical relevance, the venoms of Russell's vipers (D. russelii and D. siamensis) have been the primary focus of research. In contrast, the composition, activity, ecology and evolution of venom of its congener, the Palestine viper (D. palaestinae), have remained largely understudied. Therefore, to unravel the factors responsible for the enhanced medical relevance of D. russelii in comparison to D. palaestinae, we comparatively evaluated their venom proteomes, biochemical activities, and mortality and morbidity inflicting potentials. Furthermore, the synthesis and regulation of venom in snakes have also remained underinvestigated, and the relative contribution of each venom gland remains unclear. We address this knowledge gap by sequencing the tissue transcriptomes of both venom glands of D. palaestinae, and comparatively evaluating their contribution to the secreted venom concoction. Our findings highlight the disparity in the venom composition, function and toxicities of the two Daboia species. We also show that toxin production is not partitioned between the two venom glands of D. palaestinae.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. R. Senji Laxme
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Suyog Khochare
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Saurabh Attarde
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Navneet Kaur
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Priyanka Jaikumar
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Naeem Yusuf Shaikh
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Reuven Aharoni
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Naftali Primor
- Shulov Institute of Science, 10 Oppenheimer Street, Science Park, Rehovot 7670110, Israel
| | - Dror Hawlena
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
- Correspondence: (Y.M.); (K.S.)
| | - Kartik Sunagar
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
- Correspondence: (Y.M.); (K.S.)
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21
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Single-cell transcriptomics identifies conserved regulators of neuroglandular lineages. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111370. [PMID: 36130520 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication in bilaterian nervous systems is mediated by electrical and secreted signals; however, the evolutionary origin and relation of neurons to other secretory cell types has not been elucidated. Here, we use developmental single-cell RNA sequencing in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, representing an early evolutionary lineage with a simple nervous system. Validated by transgenics, we demonstrate that neurons, stinging cells, and gland cells arise from a common multipotent progenitor population. We identify the conserved transcription factor gene SoxC as a key upstream regulator of all neuroglandular lineages and demonstrate that SoxC knockdown eliminates both neuronal and secretory cell types. While in vertebrates and many other bilaterians neurogenesis is largely restricted to early developmental stages, we show that in the sea anemone, differentiation of neuroglandular cells is maintained throughout all life stages, and follows the same molecular trajectories from embryo to adulthood, ensuring lifelong homeostasis of neuroglandular cell lineages.
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22
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Gilbert E, Teeling C, Lebedeva T, Pedersen S, Chrismas N, Genikhovich G, Modepalli V. Molecular and cellular architecture of the larval sensory organ in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. Development 2022; 149:dev200833. [PMID: 36000354 PMCID: PMC9481973 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cnidarians are the only non-bilaterian group to evolve ciliated larvae with an apical sensory organ, which is possibly homologous to the apical organs of bilaterian primary larvae. Here, we generated transcriptomes of the apical tissue in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis and showed that it has a unique neuronal signature. By integrating previously published larval single-cell data with our apical transcriptomes, we discovered that the apical domain comprises a minimum of six distinct cell types. We show that the apical organ is compartmentalised into apical tuft cells (spot) and larval-specific neurons (ring). Finally, we identify ISX-like (NVE14554), a PRD class homeobox gene specifically expressed in apical tuft cells, as an FGF signalling-dependent transcription factor responsible for the formation of the apical tuft domain via repression of the neural ring fate in apical cells. With this study, we contribute a comparison of the molecular anatomy of apical organs, which must be carried out across phyla to determine whether this crucial larval structure evolved once or multiple times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Gilbert
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, United Kingdom
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Callum Teeling
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, United Kingdom
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Tatiana Lebedeva
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, 1030, Austria
- Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution, University of Vienna, Vienna, 1030, Austria
| | - Siffreya Pedersen
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan Chrismas
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, United Kingdom
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, 1030, Austria
| | - Vengamanaidu Modepalli
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, United Kingdom
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23
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Giglio ML, Boland W, Heras H. Egg toxic compounds in the animal kingdom. A comprehensive review. Nat Prod Rep 2022; 39:1938-1969. [PMID: 35916025 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00029f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Covering: 1951 to 2022Packed with nutrients and unable to escape, eggs are the most vulnerable stage of an animal's life cycle. Consequently, many species have evolved chemical defenses and teamed up their eggs with a vast array of toxic molecules for defense against predators, parasites, or pathogens. However, studies on egg toxins are rather scarce and the available information is scattered. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of animal egg toxins and to analyze the trends and patterns with respect to the chemistry and biosynthesis of these toxins. We analyzed their ecology, distribution, sources, occurrence, structure, function, relative toxicity, and mechanistic aspects and include a brief section on the aposematic coloration of toxic eggs. We propose criteria for a multiparametric classification that accounts for the complexity of analyzing the full set of toxins of animal eggs. Around 100 properly identified egg toxins are found in 188 species, distributed in 5 phyla: cnidarians (2) platyhelminths (2), mollusks (9), arthropods (125), and chordates (50). Their scattered pattern among animals suggests that species have evolved this strategy independently on numerous occasions. Alkaloids are the most abundant and widespread, among the 13 types of egg toxins recognized. Egg toxins are derived directly from the environment or are endogenously synthesized, and most of them are transferred by females inside the eggs. Their toxicity ranges from ρmol kg-1 to mmol kg-1, and for some species, experiments support their role in predation deterrence. There is still a huge gap in information to complete the whole picture of this field and the number of toxic eggs seems largely underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matías L Giglio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata "Prof. Dr Rodolfo R. Brenner", INIBIOLP, CONICET CCT La Plata - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, 60 y 120, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
| | - Wilhelm Boland
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Horacio Heras
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata "Prof. Dr Rodolfo R. Brenner", INIBIOLP, CONICET CCT La Plata - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, 60 y 120, 1900 La Plata, Argentina. .,Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
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24
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von Reumont BM, Anderluh G, Antunes A, Ayvazyan N, Beis D, Caliskan F, Crnković A, Damm M, Dutertre S, Ellgaard L, Gajski G, German H, Halassy B, Hempel BF, Hucho T, Igci N, Ikonomopoulou MP, Karbat I, Klapa MI, Koludarov I, Kool J, Lüddecke T, Ben Mansour R, Vittoria Modica M, Moran Y, Nalbantsoy A, Ibáñez MEP, Panagiotopoulos A, Reuveny E, Céspedes JS, Sombke A, Surm JM, Undheim EAB, Verdes A, Zancolli G. Modern venomics-Current insights, novel methods, and future perspectives in biological and applied animal venom research. Gigascience 2022; 11:giac048. [PMID: 35640874 PMCID: PMC9155608 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giac048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Venoms have evolved >100 times in all major animal groups, and their components, known as toxins, have been fine-tuned over millions of years into highly effective biochemical weapons. There are many outstanding questions on the evolution of toxin arsenals, such as how venom genes originate, how venom contributes to the fitness of venomous species, and which modifications at the genomic, transcriptomic, and protein level drive their evolution. These questions have received particularly little attention outside of snakes, cone snails, spiders, and scorpions. Venom compounds have further become a source of inspiration for translational research using their diverse bioactivities for various applications. We highlight here recent advances and new strategies in modern venomics and discuss how recent technological innovations and multi-omic methods dramatically improve research on venomous animals. The study of genomes and their modifications through CRISPR and knockdown technologies will increase our understanding of how toxins evolve and which functions they have in the different ontogenetic stages during the development of venomous animals. Mass spectrometry imaging combined with spatial transcriptomics, in situ hybridization techniques, and modern computer tomography gives us further insights into the spatial distribution of toxins in the venom system and the function of the venom apparatus. All these evolutionary and biological insights contribute to more efficiently identify venom compounds, which can then be synthesized or produced in adapted expression systems to test their bioactivity. Finally, we critically discuss recent agrochemical, pharmaceutical, therapeutic, and diagnostic (so-called translational) aspects of venoms from which humans benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bjoern M von Reumont
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Department for Applied Bioinformatics, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, 60235 Frankfurt, Germany
- Justus Liebig University Giessen, Institute for Insectbiotechnology, Heinrich Buff Ring 26-32, 35396 Giessen, Germany
| | - Gregor Anderluh
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450–208 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Naira Ayvazyan
- Orbeli Institute of Physiology of NAS RA, Orbeli ave. 22, 0028 Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Dimitris Beis
- Developmental Biology, Centre for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Figen Caliskan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Letters, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, TR-26040 Eskisehir, Turkey
| | - Ana Crnković
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maik Damm
- Technische Universität Berlin, Department of Chemistry, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Lars Ellgaard
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Goran Gajski
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Mutagenesis Unit, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Hannah German
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Beata Halassy
- University of Zagreb, Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, Trg Republike Hrvatske 14, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Benjamin-Florian Hempel
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies BCRT, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Hucho
- Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Nasit Igci
- Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 50300 Nevsehir, Turkey
| | - Maria P Ikonomopoulou
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, Madrid,E28049, Spain
- The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Izhar Karbat
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Maria I Klapa
- Metabolic Engineering and Systems Biology Laboratory, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT), Patras GR-26504, Greece
| | - Ivan Koludarov
- Justus Liebig University Giessen, Institute for Insectbiotechnology, Heinrich Buff Ring 26-32, 35396 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Lüddecke
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, 60235 Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Riadh Ben Mansour
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Gafsa University, Campus Universitaire Siidi Ahmed Zarrouk, 2112 Gafsa, Tunisia
| | - Maria Vittoria Modica
- Dept. of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Po 25c, I-00198 Roma, Italy
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Ayse Nalbantsoy
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ege University, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey
| | - María Eugenia Pachón Ibáñez
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology, and Preventive Medicine, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alexios Panagiotopoulos
- Metabolic Engineering and Systems Biology Laboratory, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT), Patras GR-26504, Greece
- Animal Biology Division, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, GR-26500, Greece
| | - Eitan Reuveny
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Javier Sánchez Céspedes
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology, and Preventive Medicine, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andy Sombke
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Joachim M Surm
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- University of Oslo, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Postboks 1066 Blindern 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Aida Verdes
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Giulia Zancolli
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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25
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Colom-Casasnovas A, Garay E, Cisneros-Mejorado A, Aguilar MB, Lazcano-Pérez F, Arellano RO, Sánchez-Rodríguez J. Sea anemone Bartholomea annulata venom inhibits voltage-gated Na+ channels and activates GABAA receptors from mammals. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5352. [PMID: 35354863 PMCID: PMC8967859 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09339-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxin production in nematocysts by Cnidaria phylum represents an important source of bioactive compounds. Using electrophysiology and, heterologous expression of mammalian ion channels in the Xenopus oocyte membrane, we identified two main effects produced by the sea anemone Bartholomea annulata venom. Nematocysts isolation and controlled discharge of their content, revealed that venom had potent effects on both voltage-dependent Na+ (Nav) channels and GABA type A channel receptors (GABAAR), two essential proteins in central nervous system signaling. Unlike many others sea anemone toxins, which slow the inactivation rate of Nav channels, B. annulata venom potently inhibited the neuronal action potential and the Na+ currents generated by distinct Nav channels opening, including human TTX-sensitive (hNav1.6) and TTX-insensitive Nav channels (hNav1.5). A second effect of B. annulata venom was an agonistic action on GABAAR that activated distinct receptors conformed by either α1β2γ2, α3β2γ1 or, ρ1 homomeric receptors. Since GABA was detected in venom samples by ELISA assay at low nanomolar range, it was excluded that GABA from nematocysts directly activated the GABAARs. This revealed that substances in B. annulata nematocysts generated at least two potent and novel effects on mammalian ion channels that are crucial for nervous system signaling.
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26
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Menezes C, Thakur NL. Sea anemone venom: Ecological interactions and bioactive potential. Toxicon 2022; 208:31-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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27
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Kaposi K, Courtney R, Seymour J. Implications of bleaching on cnidarian venom ecology. Toxicon X 2022; 13:100094. [PMID: 35146416 PMCID: PMC8819380 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2022.100094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Cnidarian bleaching research often focuses on the effects on a cnidarian's physiological health and fitness, whilst little focus has been towards the impacts of these events on their venom ecology. Given the importance of a cnidarian's venom to their survival and the increasing threat of bleaching events, it is important to understand the effects that this threat may have on this important aspect of their ecology as it may have unforeseen impacts on their ability to catch prey and defend themselves. This review aims to explore evidence that suggests that bleaching may impact on each of the key aspects of a cnidarians' venom ecology: cnidae, venom composition, and venom toxicity. Additionally, the resulting energy deficit, compensatory heterotrophic feeding, and increased defensive measures have been highlighted as possible ecological factors driving these changes. Suggestions are also made to guide the success of research in this field into the future, specifically in regards to selecting a study organism, the importance of accurate symbiont and cnidae identification, use of appropriate bleaching methods, determination of bleaching, and animal handling. Ultimately, this review highlights a significant and important gap in our knowledge into how cnidarians are, and will, continue to be impacted by bleaching stress. Information on the effects of bleaching on cnidarian venom ecology is limited. There is evidence to suggest nematocysts, venom composition and venom toxicity may each be impacted by bleaching. Bleaching may result in depleted energy, increased heterotrophy and/or the need for stronger defensive strategies. To fully understand how cnidarians may be impacted by bleaching stress further research in this field is needed. Future studies should consider the model organism and methodologies, thereby minimising indirect confounding effects.
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28
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Li X, Ma X, Chen X, Wang T, Liu Q, Wang Y, Li Z, Hofer J, Li F, Xiao L, Sun X, Mo J. The medusa of Aurelia coerulea is similar to its polyps in molecular composition and different from the medusa of Stomolophus meleagris in toxicity. Toxicon 2022; 210:89-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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29
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Gahan JM, Kouzel IU, Jansen KO, Burkhardt P, Rentzsch F. Histone demethylase Lsd1 is required for the differentiation of neural cells in Nematostella vectensis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:465. [PMID: 35075108 PMCID: PMC8786827 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28107-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin regulation is a key process in development but its contribution to the evolution of animals is largely unexplored. Chromatin is regulated by a diverse set of proteins, which themselves are tightly regulated in a cell/tissue-specific manner. Using the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis as a basal metazoan model, we explore the function of one such chromatin regulator, Lysine specific demethylase 1 (Lsd1). We generated an endogenously tagged allele and show that NvLsd1 expression is developmentally regulated and higher in differentiated neural cells than their progenitors. We further show, using a CRISPR/Cas9 generated mutant that loss of NvLsd1 leads to developmental abnormalities. This includes the almost complete loss of differentiated cnidocytes, cnidarian-specific neural cells, as a result of a cell-autonomous requirement for NvLsd1. Together this suggests that the integration of chromatin modifying proteins into developmental regulation predates the split of the cnidarian and bilaterian lineages and constitutes an ancient feature of animal development. The evolutionary point where chromatin modifier function integrated into regulation of specific cell types is unclear. In the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, the authors here show that lysine specific demethylase Lsd1 is developmentally regulated and required for normal development including cnidocyte differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Gahan
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Ian U Kouzel
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kamilla Ormevik Jansen
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway
| | - Pawel Burkhardt
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway
| | - Fabian Rentzsch
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway. .,Department for Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt 53, 5006, Bergen, Norway.
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30
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Ashwood LM, Undheim EAB, Madio B, Hamilton BR, Daly M, Hurwood DA, King GF, Prentis PJ. Venoms for all occasions: The functional toxin profiles of different anatomical regions in sea anemones are related to their ecological function. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:866-883. [PMID: 34837433 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The phylum Cnidaria is the oldest extant venomous group and is defined by the presence of nematocysts, specialized organelles responsible for venom production and delivery. Although toxin peptides and the cells housing nematocysts are distributed across the entire animal, nematocyte and venom profiles have been shown to differ across morphological structures in actiniarians. In this study, we explore the relationship between patterns of toxin expression and the ecological roles of discrete anatomical structures in Telmatactis stephensoni. Specifically, using a combination of proteomic and transcriptomic approaches, we examined whether there is a direct correlation between the functional similarity of regions and the similarity of their associated toxin expression profiles. We report that the regionalization of toxin production is consistent with the partitioning of the ecological roles of venom across envenomating structures, and that three major functional regions are present in T. stephensoni: tentacles, epidermis and gastrodermis. Additionally, we find that most structures that serve similar functions not only have comparable putative toxin profiles but also similar nematocyst types. There was no overlap in the putative toxins identified using proteomics and transcriptomics, but the expression patterns of specific milked venom peptides were conserved across RNA-sequencing and mass spectrometry imaging data sets. Furthermore, based on our data, it appears that acontia of T. stephensoni may be transcriptionally inactive and only mature nematocysts are present in the distal portions of the threads. Overall, we find that the venom profile of different anatomical regions in sea anemones varies according to its ecological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Ashwood
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bruno Madio
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Brett R Hamilton
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,Centre for Microscopy and Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Marymegan Daly
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - David A Hurwood
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,ARC Centre for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter J Prentis
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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31
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The Tentacular Spectacular: Evolution of Regeneration in Sea Anemones. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12071072. [PMID: 34356088 PMCID: PMC8306839 DOI: 10.3390/genes12071072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sea anemones vary immensely in life history strategies, environmental niches and their ability to regenerate. While the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis is the starlet of many key regeneration studies, recent work is emerging on the diverse regeneration strategies employed by other sea anemones. This manuscript will explore current molecular mechanisms of regeneration employed by non-model sea anemones Exaiptasia diaphana (an emerging model species for coral symbiosis studies) and Calliactis polypus (a less well-studied species) and examine how these species compare to the model sea anemone N. vectensis. We summarize the field of regeneration within sea anemones, within the greater context of phylum Cnidaria and in other invertebrate models of regeneration. We also address the current knowledge on two key systems that may be implemented in regeneration: the innate immune system and developmental pathways, including future aspects of work and current limitations.
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32
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Tentacle Morphological Variation Coincides with Differential Expression of Toxins in Sea Anemones. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13070452. [PMID: 34209745 PMCID: PMC8310139 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13070452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Phylum Cnidaria is an ancient venomous group defined by the presence of cnidae, specialised organelles that serve as venom delivery systems. The distribution of cnidae across the body plan is linked to regionalisation of venom production, with tissue-specific venom composition observed in multiple actiniarian species. In this study, we assess whether morphological variants of tentacles are associated with distinct toxin expression profiles and investigate the functional significance of specialised tentacular structures. Using five sea anemone species, we analysed differential expression of toxin-like transcripts and found that expression levels differ significantly across tentacular structures when substantial morphological variation is present. Therefore, the differential expression of toxin genes is associated with morphological variation of tentacular structures in a tissue-specific manner. Furthermore, the unique toxin profile of spherical tentacular structures in families Aliciidae and Thalassianthidae indicate that vesicles and nematospheres may function to protect branched structures that host a large number of photosynthetic symbionts. Thus, hosting zooxanthellae may account for the tentacle-specific toxin expression profiles observed in the current study. Overall, specialised tentacular structures serve unique ecological roles and, in order to fulfil their functions, they possess distinct venom cocktails.
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Lewandowska M, Sharoni T, Admoni Y, Aharoni R, Moran Y. Functional characterization of the cnidarian antiviral immune response reveals ancestral complexity. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:4546-4561. [PMID: 34180999 PMCID: PMC8476169 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals evolved a broad repertoire of innate immune sensors and downstream effector cascades for defense against RNA viruses. Yet, this system varies greatly among different bilaterian animals, masking its ancestral state. In this study, we aimed to characterize the antiviral immune response of the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis and decipher the function of the retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs) known to detect viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in bilaterians but activate different antiviral pathways in vertebrates and nematodes. We show that polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), a mimic of long viral dsRNA and a primary ligand for the vertebrate RLR melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5), triggers a complex antiviral immune response bearing features distinctive for both vertebrate and invertebrate systems. Importantly, a well-characterized agonist of the vertebrate RIG-I receptor does not induce a significant transcriptomic response that bears signature of the antiviral immune response, which experimentally supports the results of a phylogenetic analysis indicating clustering of the two N. vectensis RLR paralogs (NveRLRa and NveRLRb) with MDA5. Furthermore, the results of affinity assays reveal that NveRLRb binds poly(I:C) and long dsRNA and its knockdown impairs the expression of putative downstream effector genes including RNA interference components. Our study provides for the first time the functional evidence for the conserved role of RLRs in initiating immune response to dsRNA that originated before the cnidarian–bilaterian split and lay a strong foundation for future research on the evolution of the immune responses to RNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Lewandowska
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Ton Sharoni
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Yael Admoni
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Reuven Aharoni
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
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O'Hara E, Wilson D, Seymour J. The influence of ecological factors on cnidarian venoms. Toxicon X 2021; 9-10:100067. [PMID: 34142080 PMCID: PMC8182416 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2021.100067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Venom research is often focussed on medical relevance, novel compounds and venom evolution, whilst studying the relationship between a venom and its environment – venom ecology - has been conducted to a lesser extent. Given the projected environmental changes envisioned to occur with global warming, it is pertinent now more than ever, to highlight this topic. Here we review literature examining the influence of ecological factors such as environmental temperature, salinity, ontogeny, geographic location and diet on cnidarian venoms. This review provides an exclusive focus on the cnidarian phylum and encompasses all available published, peer-reviewed literature to our knowledge regarding the ecological factors influencing venom. We find a startling lack of research into the effects of both environmental and biological factors on venoms, with very few to no studies available per category. Importantly, research does exist that suggest these ecological processes may influence other marine or terrestrial venoms, thus we recommend future research is needed to explore this concept in cnidarians. Cnidarian toxins are significantly affected by environment and biology, yet literature on the subject is scarce. Temperature, ontogeny, geographic location and diet can influence cnidarian venoms. Salinity can influence other marine toxins, but literature is lacking for cnidarians. More venom ecology research is needed in medically important species, if medical treatments are to advance.
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Sculfort O, McClure M, Nay B, Elias M, Llaurens V. Assessing the Role of Developmental and Environmental Factors in Chemical Defence Variation in Heliconiini Butterflies. J Chem Ecol 2021; 47:577-587. [PMID: 34003420 PMCID: PMC8217024 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-021-01278-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Chemical defences in animals are both incredibly widespread and highly diverse. Yet despite the important role they play in mediating interactions between predators and prey, extensive differences in the amounts and types of chemical compounds can exist between individuals, even within species and populations. Here we investigate the potential role of environment and development on the chemical defences of warningly coloured butterfly species from the tribe Heliconiini, which can both synthesize and sequester cyanogenic glycosides (CGs). We reared 5 Heliconiini species in captivity, each on a single species-specific host plant as larvae, and compared them to individuals collected in the wild to ascertain whether the variation in CG content observed in the field might be the result of differences in host plant availability. Three of these species were reared as larvae on the same host plant, Passiflora riparia, to further test how species, sex, and age affected the type and amount of different defensive CGs, and how they affected the ratio of synthesized to sequestered compounds. Then, focusing on the generalist species Heliconius numata, we specifically explored variation in chemical profiles as a result of the host plant consumed by caterpillars and their brood line, using rearing experiments carried out on two naturally co-occurring host plants with differing CG profiles. Our results show significant differences in both the amount of synthesized and sequestered compounds between butterflies reared in captivity and those collected in the field. We also found a significant effect of species and an effect of sex in some, but not all, species. We show that chemical defences in H. numata continue to increase throughout their life, likely because of continued biosynthesis, and we suggest that variation in the amount of synthesized CGs in this species does not appear to stem from larval host plants, although this warrants further study. Interestingly, we detected a significant effect of brood lines, consistent with heritability influencing CG concentrations in H. numata. Altogether, our results point to multiple factors resulting in chemical defence variation in Heliconiini butterflies and highlight the overlooked effect of synthesis capabilities, which may be genetically determined to some extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ombeline Sculfort
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-Université, EPHE, Université Des Antilles, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France. .,Unité Molécules de Communication Et Adaptations Des Micro-Organismes (MCAM), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 57 rue Cuvier (BP 54), 75005, Paris, France. .,Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions Des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, 97300, Cayenne, France.
| | - Melanie McClure
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-Université, EPHE, Université Des Antilles, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.,Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions Des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, 97300, Cayenne, France
| | - Bastien Nay
- Unité Molécules de Communication Et Adaptations Des Micro-Organismes (MCAM), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 57 rue Cuvier (BP 54), 75005, Paris, France.,Laboratoire de Synthèse Organique, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, ENSTA, Route de Saclay, 91128, Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-Université, EPHE, Université Des Antilles, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-Université, EPHE, Université Des Antilles, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
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Klompen AML, Kayal E, Collins AG, Cartwright P. Phylogenetic and Selection Analysis of an Expanded Family of Putatively Pore-Forming Jellyfish Toxins (Cnidaria: Medusozoa). Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6248095. [PMID: 33892512 PMCID: PMC8214413 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many jellyfish species are known to cause a painful sting, but box jellyfish (class Cubozoa) are a well-known danger to humans due to exceptionally potent venoms. Cubozoan toxicity has been attributed to the presence and abundance of cnidarian-specific pore-forming toxins called jellyfish toxins (JFTs), which are highly hemolytic and cardiotoxic. However, JFTs have also been found in other cnidarians outside of Cubozoa, and no comprehensive analysis of their phylogenetic distribution has been conducted to date. Here, we present a thorough annotation of JFTs from 147 cnidarian transcriptomes and document 111 novel putative JFTs from over 20 species within Medusozoa. Phylogenetic analyses show that JFTs form two distinct clades, which we call JFT-1 and JFT-2. JFT-1 includes all known potent cubozoan toxins, as well as hydrozoan and scyphozoan representatives, some of which were derived from medically relevant species. JFT-2 contains primarily uncharacterized JFTs. Although our analyses detected broad purifying selection across JFTs, we found that a subset of cubozoan JFT-1 sequences are influenced by gene-wide episodic positive selection compared with homologous toxins from other taxonomic groups. This suggests that duplication followed by neofunctionalization or subfunctionalization as a potential mechanism for the highly potent venom in cubozoans. Additionally, published RNA-seq data from several medusozoan species indicate that JFTs are differentially expressed, spatially and temporally, between functionally distinct tissues. Overall, our findings suggest a complex evolutionary history of JFTs involving duplication and selection that may have led to functional diversification, including variability in toxin potency and specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M L Klompen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA
| | - Ehsan Kayal
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Sorbonne Université, CNRS, FR2424, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Place Georges Teissier, 29680, Roscoff, France
| | - Allen G Collins
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,National Systematics Laboratory of NOAA's Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Paulyn Cartwright
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA
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Surm JM, Moran Y. Insights into how development and life-history dynamics shape the evolution of venom. EvoDevo 2021; 12:1. [PMID: 33413660 PMCID: PMC7791878 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-020-00171-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Venomous animals are a striking example of the convergent evolution of a complex trait. These animals have independently evolved an apparatus that synthesizes, stores, and secretes a mixture of toxic compounds to the target animal through the infliction of a wound. Among these distantly related animals, some can modulate and compartmentalize functionally distinct venoms related to predation and defense. A process to separate distinct venoms can occur within and across complex life cycles as well as more streamlined ontogenies, depending on their life-history requirements. Moreover, the morphological and cellular complexity of the venom apparatus likely facilitates the functional diversity of venom deployed within a given life stage. Intersexual variation of venoms has also evolved further contributing to the massive diversity of toxic compounds characterized in these animals. These changes in the biochemical phenotype of venom can directly affect the fitness of these animals, having important implications in their diet, behavior, and mating biology. In this review, we explore the current literature that is unraveling the temporal dynamics of the venom system that are required by these animals to meet their ecological functions. These recent findings have important consequences in understanding the evolution and development of a convergent complex trait and its organismal and ecological implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim M Surm
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401, Jerusalem, Israel.
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Toxin-like neuropeptides in the sea anemone Nematostella unravel recruitment from the nervous system to venom. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:27481-27492. [PMID: 33060291 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2011120117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The sea anemone Nematostella vectensis (Anthozoa, Cnidaria) is a powerful model for characterizing the evolution of genes functioning in venom and nervous systems. Although venom has evolved independently numerous times in animals, the evolutionary origin of many toxins remains unknown. In this work, we pinpoint an ancestral gene giving rise to a new toxin and functionally characterize both genes in the same species. Thus, we report a case of protein recruitment from the cnidarian nervous to venom system. The ShK-like1 peptide has a ShKT cysteine motif, is lethal for fish larvae and packaged into nematocysts, the cnidarian venom-producing stinging capsules. Thus, ShK-like1 is a toxic venom component. Its paralog, ShK-like2, is a neuropeptide localized to neurons and is involved in development. Both peptides exhibit similarities in their functional activities: They provoke contraction in Nematostella polyps and are toxic to fish. Because ShK-like2 but not ShK-like1 is conserved throughout sea anemone phylogeny, we conclude that the two paralogs originated due to a Nematostella-specific duplication of a ShK-like2 ancestor, a neuropeptide-encoding gene, followed by diversification and partial functional specialization. ShK-like2 is represented by two gene isoforms controlled by alternative promoters conferring regulatory flexibility throughout development. Additionally, we characterized the expression patterns of four other peptides with structural similarities to studied venom components and revealed their unexpected neuronal localization. Thus, we employed genomics, transcriptomics, and functional approaches to reveal one venom component, five neuropeptides with two different cysteine motifs, and an evolutionary pathway from nervous to venom system in Cnidaria.
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Admoni Y, Kozlovski I, Lewandowska M, Moran Y. TATA Binding Protein (TBP) Promoter Drives Ubiquitous Expression of Marker Transgene in the Adult Sea Anemone Nematostella vectensis. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E1081. [PMID: 32948049 PMCID: PMC7565589 DOI: 10.3390/genes11091081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nematostella vectensis has emerged as one as the most established models of the phylum Cnidaria (sea anemones, corals, hydroids and jellyfish) for studying animal evolution. The availability of a reference genome and the relative ease of culturing and genetically manipulating this organism make it an attractive model for addressing questions regarding the evolution of venom, development, regeneration and other interesting understudied questions. We and others have previously reported the use of tissue-specific promoters for investigating the function of a tissue or a cell type of interest in vivo. However, to our knowledge, genetic regulators at the whole organism level have not been reported yet. Here we report the identification and utilization of a ubiquitous promoter to drive a wide and robust expression of the fluorescent protein mCherry. We generated animals containing a TATA binding protein (TBP) promoter upstream of the mCherry gene. Flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy revealed expression of mCherry in diverse cell types, accounting for more than 90% of adult animal cells. Furthermore, we detected a stable mCherry expression at different life stages and throughout generations. This tool will expand the existing experimental toolbox to facilitate genetic engineering and functional studies at the whole organism level.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel; (Y.A.); (I.K.); (M.L.)
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Walker AA, Robinson SD, Hamilton BF, Undheim EAB, King GF. Deadly Proteomes: A Practical Guide to Proteotranscriptomics of Animal Venoms. Proteomics 2020; 20:e1900324. [PMID: 32820606 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201900324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Animal venoms are renowned for their toxicity, biochemical complexity, and as a source of compounds with potential applications in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Polypeptides underlie much of the pharmacology of animal venoms, and elucidating these arsenals of polypeptide toxins-known as the venom proteome or venome-is an important step in venom research. Proteomics is used for the identification of venom toxins, determination of their primary structure including post-translational modifications, as well as investigations into the physiology underlying their production and delivery. Advances in proteomics and adjacent technologies has led to a recent upsurge in publications reporting venom proteomes. Improved mass spectrometers, better proteomic workflows, and the integration of next-generation sequencing of venom-gland transcriptomes and venomous animal genomes allow quicker and more accurate profiling of venom proteomes with greatly reduced starting material. Technologies such as imaging mass spectrometry are revealing additional insights into the mechanism, location, and kinetics of venom toxin production. However, these numerous new developments may be overwhelming for researchers designing venom proteome studies. Here, the field of venom proteomics is reviewed and some practical solutions for simplifying mass spectrometry workflows to study animal venoms are offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew A Walker
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Samuel D Robinson
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Brett F Hamilton
- Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.,Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.,Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, NTNU, Trondheim, 7491, Norway.,Department of Bioscience, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, 0316, Norway
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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Sachkova MY, Macrander J, Surm JM, Aharoni R, Menard-Harvey SS, Klock A, Leach WB, Reitzel AM, Moran Y. Some like it hot: population-specific adaptations in venom production to abiotic stressors in a widely distributed cnidarian. BMC Biol 2020; 18:121. [PMID: 32907568 PMCID: PMC7488265 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00855-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In cnidarians, antagonistic interactions with predators and prey are mediated by their venom, whose synthesis may be metabolically expensive. The potentially high cost of venom production has been hypothesized to drive population-specific variation in venom expression due to differences in abiotic conditions. However, the effects of environmental factors on venom production have been rarely demonstrated in animals. Here, we explore the impact of specific abiotic stresses on venom production of distinct populations of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis (Actiniaria, Cnidaria) inhabiting estuaries over a broad geographic range where environmental conditions such as temperatures and salinity vary widely. RESULTS We challenged Nematostella polyps with heat, salinity, UV light stressors, and a combination of all three factors to determine how abiotic stressors impact toxin expression for individuals collected across this species' range. Transcriptomics and proteomics revealed that the highly abundant toxin Nv1 was the most downregulated gene under heat stress conditions in multiple populations. Physiological measurements demonstrated that venom is metabolically costly to produce. Strikingly, under a range of abiotic stressors, individuals from different geographic locations along this latitudinal cline modulate differently their venom production levels. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that abiotic stress results in venom regulation in Nematostella. Together with anecdotal observations from other cnidarian species, our results suggest this might be a universal phenomenon in Cnidaria. The decrease in venom production under stress conditions across species coupled with the evidence for its high metabolic cost in Nematostella suggests downregulation of venom production under certain conditions may be highly advantageous and adaptive. Furthermore, our results point towards local adaptation of this mechanism in Nematostella populations along a latitudinal cline, possibly resulting from distinct genetics and significant environmental differences between their habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Y Sachkova
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Jason Macrander
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
- Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL, USA
| | - Joachim M Surm
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Reuven Aharoni
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shelcie S Menard-Harvey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Amy Klock
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Whitney B Leach
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Adam M Reitzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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A tentacle for every occasion: comparing the hunting tentacles and sweeper tentacles, used for territorial competition, in the coral Galaxea fascicularis. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:548. [PMID: 32770938 PMCID: PMC7430897 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06952-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Coral reefs are among the most diverse, complex and densely populated marine ecosystems. To survive, morphologically simple and sessile cnidarians have developed mechanisms to catch prey, deter predators and compete with adjacent corals for space, yet the mechanisms underlying these functions are largely unknown. Here, we characterize the histology, toxic activity and gene expression patterns in two different types of tentacles from the scleractinian coral Galaxea fascilcularis – catch tentacles (CTs), used to catch prey and deter predators, and sweeper tentacles (STs), specialized tentacles used for territorial aggression. Results STs exhibit more mucocytes and higher expression of mucin genes than CTs, and lack the ectodermal cilia used to deliver food to the mouth and remove debris. STs and CTs also express different sensory rhodopsin-like g-protein coupled receptors, suggesting they may employ different sensory pathways. Each tentacle type has a different complement of stinging cells (nematocytes), and the expression in the two tentacles of genes encoding structural nematocyte proteins suggests the stinging cells develop within the tentacles. CTs have higher neurotoxicity to blowfly larvae and hemolytic activity compared to the STs, consistent with a role in prey capture. In contrast, STs have higher phospholipase A2 activity, which we speculate may have a role in inducing tissue damage during territorial aggression. The expression of genes encoding cytolytic toxins (actinoporins) and phospholipases also differs between the tentacle types. Conclusions These results show that the same organism utilizes two distinct tentacle types, each equipped with a different venom apparatus and toxin composition, for prey capture and defense and for territorial aggression.
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Klompen AML, Macrander J, Reitzel AM, Stampar SN. Transcriptomic Analysis of Four Cerianthid (Cnidaria, Ceriantharia) Venoms. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:md18080413. [PMID: 32764303 PMCID: PMC7460484 DOI: 10.3390/md18080413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tube anemones, or cerianthids, are a phylogenetically informative group of cnidarians with complex life histories, including a pelagic larval stage and tube-dwelling adult stage, both known to utilize venom in stinging-cell rich tentacles. Cnidarians are an entirely venomous group that utilize their proteinaceous-dominated toxins to capture prey and defend against predators, in addition to several other ecological functions, including intraspecific interactions. At present there are no studies describing the venom for any species within cerianthids. Given their unique development, ecology, and distinct phylogenetic-placement within Cnidaria, our objective is to evaluate the venom-like gene diversity of four species of cerianthids from newly collected transcriptomic data. We identified 525 venom-like genes between all four species. The venom-gene profile for each species was dominated by enzymatic protein and peptide families, which is consistent with previous findings in other cnidarian venoms. However, we found few toxins that are typical of sea anemones and corals, and furthermore, three of the four species express toxin-like genes closely related to potent pore-forming toxins in box jellyfish. Our study is the first to provide a survey of the putative venom composition of cerianthids and contributes to our general understanding of the diversity of cnidarian toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. L. Klompen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Ave., Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Jason Macrander
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28262, USA; (J.M.); (A.M.R.)
- Department of Biology, Florida Southern College, 111 Lake Hollingsworth, Drive Lakeland, FL 33801, USA
| | - Adam M. Reitzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28262, USA; (J.M.); (A.M.R.)
| | - Sérgio N. Stampar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP), FCL, Assis, SP 19806, Brazil;
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Casewell NR, Jackson TNW, Laustsen AH, Sunagar K. Causes and Consequences of Snake Venom Variation. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2020; 41:570-581. [PMID: 32564899 PMCID: PMC7116101 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2020.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Snake venoms are mixtures of toxins that vary extensively between and within snake species. This variability has serious consequences for the management of the world’s 1.8 million annual snakebite victims. Advances in ‘omic’ technologies have empowered toxinologists to comprehensively characterize snake venom compositions, unravel the molecular mechanisms that underpin venom variation, and elucidate the ensuing functional consequences. In this review, we describe how such mechanistic processes have resulted in suites of toxin isoforms that cause diverse pathologies in human snakebite victims and we detail how variation in venom composition can result in treatment failure. Finally, we outline current therapeutic approaches designed to circumvent venom variation and deliver next-generation treatments for the world’s most lethal neglected tropical disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
| | - Timothy N W Jackson
- Australian Venom Research Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andreas H Laustsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Kartik Sunagar
- Evolutionary Venomics Laboratory, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, Karnataka, India
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45
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Zancolli G, Casewell NR. Venom Systems as Models for Studying the Origin and Regulation of Evolutionary Novelties. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:2777-2790. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
A central goal in biology is to determine the ways in which evolution repeats itself. One of the most remarkable examples in nature of convergent evolutionary novelty is animal venom. Across diverse animal phyla, various specialized organs and anatomical structures have evolved from disparate developmental tissues to perform the same function, that is, produce and deliver a cocktail of potent molecules to subdue prey or predators. Venomous organisms therefore offer unique opportunities to investigate the evolutionary processes of convergence of key adaptive traits, and the molecular mechanisms underlying the emergence of novel genes, cells, and tissues. Indeed, some venomous species have already proven to be highly amenable as models for developmental studies, and recent work with venom gland organoids provides manipulatable systems for directly testing important evolutionary questions. Here, we provide a synthesis of the current knowledge that could serve as a starting point for the establishment of venom systems as new models for evolutionary and molecular biology. In particular, we highlight the potential of various venomous species for the study of cell differentiation and cell identity, and the regulatory dynamics of rapidly evolving, highly expressed, tissue-specific, gene paralogs. We hope that this review will encourage researchers to look beyond traditional study organisms and consider venom systems as useful tools to explore evolutionary novelties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Zancolli
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Ashwood LM, Norton RS, Undheim EAB, Hurwood DA, Prentis PJ. Characterising Functional Venom Profiles of Anthozoans and Medusozoans within Their Ecological Context. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:E202. [PMID: 32283847 PMCID: PMC7230708 DOI: 10.3390/md18040202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This review examines the current state of knowledge regarding toxins from anthozoans (sea anemones, coral, zoanthids, corallimorphs, sea pens and tube anemones). We provide an overview of venom from phylum Cnidaria and review the diversity of venom composition between the two major clades (Medusozoa and Anthozoa). We highlight that the functional and ecological context of venom has implications for the temporal and spatial expression of protein and peptide toxins within class Anthozoa. Understanding the nuances in the regulation of venom arsenals has been made possible by recent advances in analytical technologies that allow characterisation of the spatial distributions of toxins. Furthermore, anthozoans are unique in that ecological roles can be assigned using tissue expression data, thereby circumventing some of the challenges related to pharmacological screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M. Ashwood
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Raymond S. Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Eivind A. B. Undheim
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David A. Hurwood
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
- Institute of Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Peter J. Prentis
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
- Institute of Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
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Mitchell ML, Tonkin-Hill GQ, Morales RAV, Purcell AW, Papenfuss AT, Norton RS. Tentacle Transcriptomes of the Speckled Anemone (Actiniaria: Actiniidae: Oulactis sp.): Venom-Related Components and Their Domain Structure. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 22:207-219. [PMID: 31981004 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-020-09945-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Cnidarians are one of the oldest known animal lineages (ca. 700 million years), with a unique envenomation apparatus to deliver a potent mixture of peptides and proteins. Some peptide toxins from cnidarian venom have proven therapeutic potential. Here, we use a transcriptomic/proteomic strategy to identify sequences with similarity to known venom protein families in the tentacles of the endemic Australian 'speckled anemone' (Oulactis sp.). Illumina RNASeq data were assembled de novo. Annotated sequences in the library were verified by cross-referencing individuals' transcriptomes or protein expression evidence from LC-MS/MS data. Sequences include pore-forming toxins, phospholipases, peptidases, neurotoxins (sodium and potassium channel modulators), cysteine-rich secretory proteins and defensins (antimicrobial peptides). Fewer than 4% of the sequences in the library occurred across the three individuals examined, demonstrating high sequence variability of an individual's arsenal. We searched for actinoporins in Oulactis sp. to assess sequence similarity to the only described toxins (OR-A and -G) for this genus and examined the domain architecture of venom-related peptides and proteins. The novel putative actinoporin of Oulactis sp. has a greater similarity to other species in the Actiniidae family than to O. orientalis. Venom-related sequences have an architecture that occurs in single, repeat or multi-domain combinations of venom-related (e.g. ShK-like) and non-venom (e.g. whey acid protein) domains. This study has produced the first transcriptomes for an endemic Australian sea anemone species and the genus Oulactis, while identifying nearly 400 novel venom-related peptides and proteins for future structural and functional analyses and venom evolution studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela L Mitchell
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia.
- Sciences Department, Museum Victoria, G.P.O. Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia.
- Queensland Museum, P.O. Box 3000, South Brisbane, Queensland, 4101, Australia.
- Bioinformatics Division, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia.
| | - Gerry Q Tonkin-Hill
- Bioinformatics Division, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Rodrigo A V Morales
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
- CSL Limited, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Anthony W Purcell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Anthony T Papenfuss
- Bioinformatics Division, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Raymond S Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
- ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
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48
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Jaimes-Becerra A, Gacesa R, Doonan LB, Hartigan A, Marques AC, Okamura B, Long PF. "Beyond Primary Sequence"-Proteomic Data Reveal Complex Toxins in Cnidarian Venoms. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 59:777-785. [PMID: 31225595 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Venomous animals can deploy toxins for both predation and defense. These dual functions of toxins might be expected to promote the evolution of new venoms and alteration of their composition. Cnidarians are the most ancient venomous animals but our present understanding of their venom diversity is compromised by poor taxon sampling. New proteomic data were therefore generated to characterize toxins in venoms of a staurozoan, a hydrozoan, and an anthozoan. We then used a novel clustering approach to compare venom diversity in cnidarians to other venomous animals. Comparison of the presence or absence of 32 toxin protein families indicated venom composition did not vary widely among the 11 cnidarian species studied. Unsupervised clustering of toxin peptide sequences suggested that toxin composition of cnidarian venoms is just as complex as that in many venomous bilaterians, including marine snakes. The adaptive significance of maintaining a complex and relatively invariant venom remains unclear. Future study of cnidarian venom diversity, venom variation with nematocyst types and in different body regions are required to better understand venom evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Jaimes-Becerra
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Matão, Trav. 14, 101, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Ranko Gacesa
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Centre Groningen, Postbus 30.001, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands
| | - Liam B Doonan
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Ashlie Hartigan
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Antonio C Marques
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Matão, Trav. 14, 101, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Beth Okamura
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Paul F Long
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Matão, Trav. 14, 101, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil.,Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK.,¶Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580, B16, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
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49
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Kitahara MV, Jaimes‐Becerra A, Gamero‐Mora E, Padilla G, Doonan LB, Ward M, Marques AC, Morandini AC, Long PF. Reciprocal transplantation of the heterotrophic coral Tubastraea coccinea (Scleractinia: Dendrophylliidae) between distinct habitats did not alter its venom toxin composition. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1794-1803. [PMID: 32128117 PMCID: PMC7042732 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tubastraea coccinea is an azooxanthellate coral species recorded in the Indian and Atlantic oceans and is presently widespread in the southwestern Atlantic with an alien status for Brazil. T. coccinea outcompete other native coral species by using a varied repertoire of biological traits. For example, T. coccinea has evolved potent venom capable of immobilizing and digesting zooplankton prey. Diversification and modification of venom toxins can provide potential adaptive benefits to individual fitness, yet acquired alteration of venom composition in cnidarians is poorly understood as the adaptive flexibility affecting toxin composition in these ancient lineages has been largely ignored. We used quantitative high-throughput proteomics to detect changes in toxin expression in clonal fragments of specimens collected and interchanged from two environmentally distinct and geographically separate study sites. Unexpectedly, despite global changes in protein expression, there were no changes in the composition and abundance of toxins from coral fragments recovered from either site, and following clonal transplantation between sites. There were also no apparent changes to the cnidome (cnidae) and gross skeletal or soft tissue morphologies of the specimens. These results suggest that the conserved toxin complexity of T. coccinea co-evolved with innovation of the venom delivery system, and its morphological development and phenotypic expression are not modulated by habitat pressures over short periods of time. The adaptive response of the venom trait to specific predatory regimes, however, necessitates further consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo V. Kitahara
- Departamento de Ciências do MarUniversidade Federal de São PauloSantosBrazil
- Centro de Biologia Marinha (CEBIMar)Universidade de São PauloSão SebastiãoBrazil
| | - Adrian Jaimes‐Becerra
- Departamento de ZoologiaInstituto de BiociênciasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Edgar Gamero‐Mora
- Departamento de ZoologiaInstituto de BiociênciasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Gabriel Padilla
- Departmento de MicrobiologiaInstituto de Ciências BiomédicasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Liam B. Doonan
- School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical SciencesFaculty of Life Sciences & MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Antonio C. Marques
- Departamento de ZoologiaInstituto de BiociênciasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - André C. Morandini
- Departamento de ZoologiaInstituto de BiociênciasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Paul F. Long
- School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical SciencesFaculty of Life Sciences & MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Faculdade de Ciências FarmacêuticasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
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50
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Barkan NP, Chevalier M, Pradervand JN, Guisan A. Alteration of Bumblebee Venom Composition toward Higher Elevation. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 12:toxins12010004. [PMID: 31861682 PMCID: PMC7020474 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Venomous animals use venom, a complex biofluid composed of unique mixtures of proteins and peptides, for either predation or defense. Bumblebees, which occur in various habitats due to their unique thermoregulatory properties, mainly use venom for defense. Herein, we conducted an exploratory analysis of the venom composition of a bumblebee species (Bombus pascuorum) along an elevation gradient in the western Swiss Alps using shot-gun proteomic approaches to assess whether their defense mechanism varies along the gradient. The gradient was characterized by high temperatures and low humidity at low elevations and low temperatures and high humidity at high elevations. Venom composition is changing along the elevation gradient, with proteomic variation in the abundances of pain-inducing and allergenic proteins. In particular, the abundance of phospholipase A2-like, the main component of bumblebee venom, gradually decreases toward higher elevation (lower temperature), suggesting venom alteration and thus a decrease in bumblebee defense towards harsher environments. Larger datasets may complement this study to validate the observed novel trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nezahat Pınar Barkan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland; (N.P.B.); (M.C.)
| | - Mathieu Chevalier
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland; (N.P.B.); (M.C.)
| | - Jean-Nicolas Pradervand
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Valais Field Station, Rue du Rhône 11, CH-1950 Sion, Switzerland;
| | - Antoine Guisan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland; (N.P.B.); (M.C.)
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Géopolis, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +41-(0)21-692-42-54
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