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Kim YJ, Jo Y, Lee SE, Kim J, Choi JP, Lee N, Won H, Woo DH, Yum S. Synthetic ShK-like Peptide from the Jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai Has Human Voltage-Gated Potassium-Channel-Blocking Activity. Mar Drugs 2024; 22:217. [PMID: 38786608 DOI: 10.3390/md22050217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
We identified a new human voltage-gated potassium channel blocker, NnK-1, in the jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai based on its genomic information. The gene sequence encoding NnK-1 contains 5408 base pairs, with five introns and six exons. The coding sequence of the NnK-1 precursor is 894 nucleotides long and encodes 297 amino acids containing five presumptive ShK-like peptides. An electrophysiological assay demonstrated that the fifth peptide, NnK-1, which was chemically synthesized, is an effective blocker of hKv1.3, hKv1.4, and hKv1.5. Multiple-sequence alignment with cnidarian Shk-like peptides, which have Kv1.3-blocking activity, revealed that three residues (3Asp, 25Lys, and 34Thr) of NnK-1, together with six cysteine residues, were conserved. Therefore, we hypothesized that these three residues are crucial for the binding of the toxin to voltage-gated potassium channels. This notion was confirmed by an electrophysiological assay with a synthetic peptide (NnK-1 mu) where these three peptides were substituted with 3Glu, 25Arg, and 34Met. In conclusion, we successfully identified and characterized a new voltage-gated potassium channel blocker in jellyfish that interacts with three different voltage-gated potassium channels. A peptide that interacts with multiple voltage-gated potassium channels has many therapeutic applications in various physiological and pathophysiological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Ji Kim
- Department of Advanced Toxicology Research, Korea Institute of Toxicology (KIT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
- Human and Environmental Toxicology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Yejin Jo
- Ecological Risk Research Division, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Geoje 53201, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Eun Lee
- Research Animal Resource Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungeun Kim
- Personal Genomics Institute (PGI), Genome Research Foundation (GRF), Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Pil Choi
- Personal Genomics Institute (PGI), Genome Research Foundation (GRF), Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Nayoung Lee
- Ecological Risk Research Division, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Geoje 53201, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyokyoung Won
- Ecological Risk Research Division, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Geoje 53201, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Ho Woo
- Department of Advanced Toxicology Research, Korea Institute of Toxicology (KIT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
- Human and Environmental Toxicology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungshic Yum
- Ecological Risk Research Division, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Geoje 53201, Republic of Korea
- KIOST School, University of Science and Technology, Geoje 53201, Republic of Korea
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Chen Q, Xu N, Zhao C, He Y, Kam SHT, Wu X, Huang P, Yang M, Wong CTT, Radis-Baptista G, Tang B, Fan G, Gong G, Lee SMY. A new invertebrate NPY-like polypeptide, ZoaNPY, from the Zoanthus sociatus, as a novel ligand of human NPY Y2 receptor rescues vascular insufficiency via PLC/PKC and Src- FAK-dependent signaling pathways. Pharmacol Res 2024; 203:107173. [PMID: 38580186 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Our recent multi-omics studies have revealed rich sources of novel bioactive proteins and polypeptides from marine organisms including cnidarians. In the present study, we initially conducted a transcriptomic analysis to review the composition profile of polypeptides from Zoanthus sociatus. Then, a newly discovered NPY-like polypeptide-ZoaNPY was selected for further in silico structural, binding and virtually pharmacological studies. To evaluate the pro-angiogenic effects of ZoaNPY, we employed an in vitro HUVECs model and an in vivo zebrafish model. Our results indicate that ZoaNPY, at 1-100 pmol, enhances cell survival, migration and tube formation in the endothelial cells. Besides, treatment with ZoaNPY could restore a chemically-induced vascular insufficiency in zebrafish embryos. Western blot results demonstrated the application of ZoaNPY could increase the phosphorylation of proteins related to angiogenesis signaling including PKC, PLC, FAK, Src, Akt, mTOR, MEK, and ERK1/2. Furthermore, through molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) verification, ZoaNPY was shown to directly and physically interact with NPY Y2 receptor. In view of this, all evidence showed that the pro-angiogenic effects of ZoaNPY involve the activation of NPY Y2 receptor, thereby activating the Akt/mTOR, PLC/PKC, ERK/MEK and Src- FAK-dependent signaling pathways. Furthermore, in an excision wound model, the treatment with ZoaNPY was shown to accelerate the wound healing process in mice. Our findings provide new insights into the discovery and development of novel pro-angiogenic drugs derived from NPY-like polypeptides in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Chen
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China; State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao
| | - Nan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao
| | - Chen Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao
| | - Yulin He
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | - Sandy Hio Tong Kam
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao
| | - Xue Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao
| | - Pan Huang
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China
| | - Min Yang
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China
| | - Clarence Tsun Ting Wong
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | | | - Benqin Tang
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China; Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | - Guangyi Fan
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China
| | - Guiyi Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China; Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China.
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China; Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China.
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Hoepner CM, Stewart ZK, Qiao R, Fobert EK, Prentis PJ, Colella A, Chataway T, Burke da Silva K, Abbott CA. Proteotransciptomics of the Most Popular Host Sea Anemone Entacmaea quadricolor Reveals Not All Toxin Genes Expressed by Tentacles Are Recruited into Its Venom Arsenal. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:85. [PMID: 38393163 PMCID: PMC10893224 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16020085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
While the unique symbiotic relationship between anemonefishes and sea anemones is iconic, it is still not fully understood how anemonefishes can withstand and thrive within the venomous environment of their host sea anemone. In this study, we used a proteotranscriptomics approach to elucidate the proteinaceous toxin repertoire from the most common host sea anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor. Although 1251 different toxin or toxin-like RNA transcripts were expressed in E. quadricolor tentacles (0.05% of gene clusters, 1.8% of expression) and 5375 proteins were detected in milked venom, only 4% of proteins detected in venom were putative toxins (230), and they only represent on average 14% of the normalised protein expression in the milked venom samples. Thus, most proteins in milked venom do not appear to have a toxin function. This work raises the perils of defining a dominant venom phenotype based on transcriptomics data alone in sea anemones, as we found that the dominant venom phenotype differs between the transcriptome and proteome abundance data. E. quadricolor venom contains a mixture of toxin-like proteins of unknown and known function. A newly identified toxin protein family, Z3, rich in conserved cysteines of unknown function, was the most abundant at the RNA transcript and protein levels. The venom was also rich in toxins from the Protease S1, Kunitz-type and PLA2 toxin protein families and contains toxins from eight venom categories. Exploring the intricate venom toxin components in other host sea anemones will be crucial for improving our understanding of how anemonefish adapt to the venomous environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassie M. Hoepner
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Zachary K. Stewart
- Centre for Agriculture and Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
| | - Robert Qiao
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Emily K. Fobert
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Peter J. Prentis
- Centre for Agriculture and Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
| | - Alex Colella
- Flinders Proteomics Facility, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Tim Chataway
- Flinders Proteomics Facility, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Karen Burke da Silva
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Catherine A. Abbott
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
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Sanches K, Ashwood LM, Olushola-Siedoks AAM, Wai DCC, Rahman A, Shakeel K, Naseem MU, Panyi G, Prentis PJ, Norton RS. Structure-function relationships in ShKT domain peptides: ShKT-Ts1 from the sea anemone Telmatactis stephensoni. Proteins 2024; 92:192-205. [PMID: 37794633 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Diverse structural scaffolds have been described in peptides from sea anemones, with the ShKT domain being a common scaffold first identified in ShK toxin from Stichodactyla helianthus. ShK is a potent blocker of voltage-gated potassium channels (KV 1.x), and an analog, ShK-186 (dalazatide), has completed Phase 1 clinical trials in plaque psoriasis. The ShKT domain has been found in numerous other species, but only a tiny fraction of ShKT domains has been characterized functionally. Despite adopting the canonical ShK fold, some ShKT peptides from sea anemones inhibit KV 1.x, while others do not. Mutagenesis studies have shown that a Lys-Tyr (KY) dyad plays a key role in KV 1.x blockade, although a cationic residue followed by a hydrophobic residue may also suffice. Nevertheless, ShKT peptides displaying an ShK-like fold and containing a KY dyad do not necessarily block potassium channels, so additional criteria are needed to determine whether new ShKT peptides might show activity against potassium channels. In this study, we used a combination of NMR and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to assess the potential activity of a new ShKT peptide. We determined the structure of ShKT-Ts1, from the sea anemone Telmatactis stephensoni, examined its tissue localization, and investigated its activity against a range of ion channels. As ShKT-Ts1 showed no activity against KV 1.x channels, we used MD simulations to investigate whether solvent exposure of the dyad residues may be informative in rationalizing and potentially predicting the ability of ShKT peptides to block KV 1.x channels. We show that either a buried dyad that does not become exposed during MD simulations, or a partially exposed dyad that becomes buried during MD simulations, correlates with weak or absent activity against KV 1.x channels. Therefore, structure determination coupled with MD simulations, may be used to predict whether new sequences belonging to the ShKT family may act as potassium channel blockers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karoline Sanches
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lauren M Ashwood
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Dorothy C C Wai
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Arfatur Rahman
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kashmala Shakeel
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Muhammad Umair Naseem
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gyorgy Panyi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - 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
| | - Raymond S Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Xia Z, He D, Wu Y, Kwok HF, Cao Z. Scorpion venom peptides: Molecular diversity, structural characteristics, and therapeutic use from channelopathies to viral infections and cancers. Pharmacol Res 2023; 197:106978. [PMID: 37923027 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Animal venom is an important evolutionary innovation in nature. As one of the most representative animal venoms, scorpion venom contains an extremely diverse set of bioactive peptides. Scorpion venom peptides not only are 'poisons' that immobilize, paralyze, kill, or dissolve preys but also become important candidates for drug development and design. Here, the review focuses on the molecular diversity of scorpion venom peptides, their typical structural characteristics, and their multiple therapeutic or pharmaceutical applications in channelopathies, viral infections and cancers. Especially, the group of scorpion toxin TRPTx targeting transient receptor potential (TRP) channels is systematically summarized and worthy of attention because TRP channels play a crucial role in the regulation of homeostasis and the occurrence of diseases in human. We also further establish the potential relationship between the molecular characteristics and functional applications of scorpion venom peptides to provide a research basis for modern drug development and clinical utilization of scorpion venom resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Xia
- School of Biological and Food Processing Engineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian, China
| | - Dangui He
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao; Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao
| | - Yingliang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao; Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao.
| | - Zhijian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Bio-drug Research Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
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Li W, Li Z, Yang X, Wang X, Yang M, Huang C, He Y. Transcriptome analysis reveals salivary gland-specific neuropeptide signaling genes in the predatory stink bug, Picromerus lewisi. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1270751. [PMID: 37841314 PMCID: PMC10570428 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1270751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Predatory stink bugs derive from phytophagous stink bugs and evolved enhanced predation skills. Neuropeptides are a diverse class of ancient signaling molecules that regulate physiological processes and behavior in animals, including stink bugs. Neuropeptide evolution might be important for the development of predation because neuropeptides can be converted to venoms that impact prey. However, information on neuropeptide signaling genes in predatory stink bugs is lacking. In the present study, neuropeptide signaling genes of Picromerus lewisi, an important predatory stink bug and an effective biological agent, were comprehensively identified by transcriptome analysis, with a total of 59 neuropeptide precursor genes and 58 potential neuropeptide receptor genes found. In addition, several neuropeptides and their receptors enriched in salivary glands of P. lewisi were identified. The present study and subsequent functional research contribute to an in-depth understanding of the biology and behavior of the predatory bugs and can provide basic information for the development of better pest management strategies, possibly including neuropeptide receptors as insecticide targets and salivary gland derived venom toxins as novel killing moleculars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhong Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, China
| | - Zhimo Li
- Guizhou Provincial Tobacco Company Zunyi Branch, Zunyi, China
| | - Xiang Yang
- Guizhou Provincial Tobacco Company Zunyi Branch, Zunyi, China
| | - Xinyi Wang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingwei Yang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chunyang Huang
- Guizhou Provincial Tobacco Company Zunyi Branch, Zunyi, China
| | - Yueping He
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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8
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Koch TL, Torres JP, Baskin RP, Salcedo PF, Chase K, Olivera BM, Safavi-Hemami H. A toxin-based approach to neuropeptide and peptide hormone discovery. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1176662. [PMID: 37720554 PMCID: PMC10501145 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1176662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptide hormones and neuropeptides form a diverse class of bioactive secreted molecules that control essential processes in animals. Despite breakthroughs in peptide discovery, many signaling peptides remain undiscovered. Recently, we demonstrated the use of somatostatin-mimicking toxins from cone snails to identify the invertebrate ortholog of somatostatin. Here, we show that this toxin-based approach can be systematically applied to discover other unknown secretory peptides that are likely to have signaling function. Using large sequencing datasets, we searched for homologies between cone snail toxins and secreted proteins from the snails' prey. We identified and confirmed expression of five toxin families that share strong similarities with unknown secretory peptides from mollusks and annelids and in one case also from ecdysozoans. Based on several lines of evidence we propose that these peptides likely act as signaling peptides that serve important physiological functions. Indeed, we confirmed that one of the identified peptides belongs to the family of crustacean hyperglycemic hormone, a peptide not previously observed in Spiralia. We propose that this discovery pipeline can be broadly applied to other systems in which one organism has evolved molecules to manipulate the physiology of another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Lund Koch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Joshua P. Torres
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Robert P. Baskin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Paula Flórez Salcedo
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Kevin Chase
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Baldomero M. Olivera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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9
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Goudarzi MH, Eagles DA, Lim J, Biggs KA, Kotze AC, Ruffell AP, Fairlie DP, King GF, Walker AA. Venom composition and bioactive RF-amide peptide toxins of the saddleback caterpillar, Acharia stimulea (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae). Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 213:115598. [PMID: 37201876 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Limacodidae is a family of lepidopteran insects comprising >1500 species. More than half of these species produce pain-inducing defensive venoms in the larval stage, but little is known about their venom toxins. Recently, we characterised proteinaceous toxins from the Australian limacodid caterpillar Doratifera vulnerans, but it is unknown if the venom of this species is typical of other Limacodidae. Here, we use single animal transcriptomics and venom proteomics to investigate the venom of an iconic limacodid, the North American saddleback caterpillar Acharia stimulea. We identified 65 venom polypeptides, grouped into 31 different families. Neurohormones, knottins, and homologues of the immune signaller Diedel make up the majority of A.stimulea venom, indicating strong similarities to D. vulnerans venom, despite the large geographic separation of these caterpillars. One notable difference is the presence of RF-amide peptide toxins in A. stimulea venom. Synthetic versions of one of these RF-amide toxins potently activated the human neuropeptide FF1 receptor, displayed insecticidal activity when injected into Drosophila melanogaster, and moderately inhibited larval development of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus. This study provides insights into the evolution and activity of venom toxins in Limacodidae, and provides a platform for future structure-function characterisation of A.stimulea peptide toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohaddeseh H Goudarzi
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - David A Eagles
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Junxian Lim
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Centre for Inflammation and Disease Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Kimberley A Biggs
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew C Kotze
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Angela P Ruffell
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - David P Fairlie
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Centre for Inflammation and Disease Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Andrew A Walker
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
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10
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Ashwood LM, Elnahriry KA, Stewart ZK, Shafee T, Naseem MU, Szanto TG, van der Burg CA, Smith HL, Surm JM, Undheim EAB, Madio B, Hamilton BR, Guo S, Wai DCC, Coyne VL, Phillips MJ, Dudley KJ, Hurwood DA, Panyi G, King GF, Pavasovic A, Norton RS, Prentis PJ. Genomic, functional and structural analyses elucidate evolutionary innovation within the sea anemone 8 toxin family. BMC Biol 2023; 21:121. [PMID: 37226201 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01617-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ShK toxin from Stichodactyla helianthus has established the therapeutic potential of sea anemone venom peptides, but many lineage-specific toxin families in Actiniarians remain uncharacterised. One such peptide family, sea anemone 8 (SA8), is present in all five sea anemone superfamilies. We explored the genomic arrangement and evolution of the SA8 gene family in Actinia tenebrosa and Telmatactis stephensoni, characterised the expression patterns of SA8 sequences, and examined the structure and function of SA8 from the venom of T. stephensoni. RESULTS We identified ten SA8-family genes in two clusters and six SA8-family genes in five clusters for T. stephensoni and A. tenebrosa, respectively. Nine SA8 T. stephensoni genes were found in a single cluster, and an SA8 peptide encoded by an inverted SA8 gene from this cluster was recruited to venom. We show that SA8 genes in both species are expressed in a tissue-specific manner and the inverted SA8 gene has a unique tissue distribution. While the functional activity of the SA8 putative toxin encoded by the inverted gene was inconclusive, its tissue localisation is similar to toxins used for predator deterrence. We demonstrate that, although mature SA8 putative toxins have similar cysteine spacing to ShK, SA8 peptides are distinct from ShK peptides based on structure and disulfide connectivity. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide the first demonstration that SA8 is a unique gene family in Actiniarians, evolving through a variety of structural changes including tandem and proximal gene duplication and an inversion event that together allowed SA8 to be recruited into the venom of T. stephensoni.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Ashwood
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia.
- Cancer Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia.
| | - Khaled A Elnahriry
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Zachary K Stewart
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Thomas Shafee
- Department of Animal Plant & Soil Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Muhammad Umair Naseem
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tibor G Szanto
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Chloé A van der Burg
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Hayden L Smith
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Joachim M Surm
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Blindern, PO Box 1066, 0316, Oslo, Norway
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Bruno Madio
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Brett R Hamilton
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Shaodong Guo
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Dorothy C C Wai
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Victoria L Coyne
- Research Infrastructure, Central Analytical Research Facility, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Matthew J Phillips
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Kevin J Dudley
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Research Infrastructure, Central Analytical Research Facility, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - David A Hurwood
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Gyorgy Panyi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- ARC Centre for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Ana Pavasovic
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 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 Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
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11
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [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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12
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Laugesen SH, Chou DHC, Safavi-Hemami H. Unconventional insulins from predators and pathogens. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:688-697. [PMID: 35761080 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01068-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Insulin and its related peptides are found throughout the animal kingdom, in which they serve diverse functions. This includes regulation of glucose homeostasis, neuronal development and cognition. The surprising recent discovery that venomous snails evolved specialized insulins to capture fish demonstrated the nefarious use of this hormone in nature. Because of their streamlined role in predation, these repurposed insulins exhibit unique characteristics that have unraveled new aspects of the chemical ecology and structural biology of this important hormone. Recently, insulins were also reported in other venomous predators and pathogenic viruses, demonstrating the broader use of insulin by one organism to manipulate the physiology of another. In this Review, we provide an overview of the discovery and biomedical application of repurposed insulins and other hormones found in nature and highlight several unique insights gained from these unusual compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Danny Hung-Chieh Chou
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. .,Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. .,School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
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13
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Verdes A, Taboada S, Hamilton BR, Undheim EAB, Sonoda GG, Andrade SCS, Morato E, Isabel Marina A, Cárdenas CA, Riesgo A. Evolution, expression patterns and distribution of novel ribbon worm predatory and defensive toxins. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6580756. [PMID: 35512366 PMCID: PMC9132205 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribbon worms are active predators that use an eversible proboscis to inject venom into their prey and defend themselves with toxic epidermal secretions. Previous work on nemertean venom has largely focused on just a few species and has not investigated the different predatory and defensive secretions in detail. Consequently, our understanding of the composition and evolution of ribbon worm venoms is still very limited. Here, we present a comparative study of nemertean venom combining RNA-seq differential gene expression analyses of venom-producing tissues, tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomics of toxic secretions, and mass spectrometry imaging of proboscis sections, to shed light onto the composition and evolution of predatory and defensive toxic secretions in Antarctonemertes valida. Our analyses reveal a wide diversity of putative defensive and predatory toxins with tissue-specific gene expression patterns and restricted distributions to the mucus and proboscis proteomes respectively, suggesting that ribbon worms produce distinct toxin cocktails for predation and defense. Our results also highlight the presence of numerous lineage-specific toxins, indicating that venom evolution is highly divergent across nemerteans, producing toxin cocktails that might be finely tuned to subdue different prey. Our data also suggest that the hoplonemertean proboscis is a highly specialized predatory organ that seems to be involved in a variety of biological functions besides predation, including secretion and sensory perception. Overall, our results advance our knowledge into the diversity and evolution of nemertean venoms and highlight the importance of combining different types of data to characterize toxin composition in understudied venomous organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Verdes
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN), CSIC, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Sergi Taboada
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK.,Departament of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Brett R Hamilton
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Gabriel G Sonoda
- Departmento de Genética e Biología Evolutiva, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sonia C S Andrade
- Departmento de Genética e Biología Evolutiva, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Esperanza Morato
- CBMSO Protein Chemistry Facility, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel Marina
- CBMSO Protein Chemistry Facility, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - César A Cárdenas
- Departamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno, Punta Arenas, Chile.,Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Santiago, Chile
| | - Ana Riesgo
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN), CSIC, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
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14
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Koch TL, Ramiro IBL, Flórez Salcedo P, Engholm E, Jensen KJ, Chase K, Olivera BM, Bjørn-Yoshimoto WE, Safavi-Hemami H. Reconstructing the Origins of the Somatostatin and Allatostatin-C Signaling Systems Using the Accelerated Evolution of Biodiverse Cone Snail Toxins. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:msac075. [PMID: 35383850 PMCID: PMC9048919 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatostatin and its related peptides (SSRPs) form an important family of hormones with diverse physiological roles. The ubiquitous presence of SSRPs in vertebrates and several invertebrate deuterostomes suggests an ancient origin of the SSRP signaling system. However, the existence of SSRP genes outside of deuterostomes has not been established, and the evolutionary history of this signaling system remains poorly understood. Our recent discovery of SSRP-like toxins (consomatins) in venomous marine cone snails (Conus) suggested the presence of a related signaling system in mollusks and potentially other protostomes. Here, we identify the molluscan SSRP-like signaling gene that gave rise to the consomatin family. Following recruitment into venom, consomatin genes experienced strong positive selection and repeated gene duplications resulting in the formation of a hyperdiverse family of venom peptides. Intriguingly, the largest number of consomatins was found in worm-hunting species (>400 sequences), indicating a homologous system in annelids, another large protostome phylum. Consistent with this, comprehensive sequence mining enabled the identification of SSRP-like sequences (and their corresponding orphan receptor) in annelids and several other protostome phyla. These results established the existence of SSRP-like peptides in many major branches of bilaterians and challenge the prevailing hypothesis that deuterostome SSRPs and protostome allatostatin-C are orthologous peptide families. Finally, having a large set of predator-prey SSRP sequences available, we show that although the cone snail's signaling SSRP-like genes are under purifying selection, the venom consomatin genes experience rapid directional selection to target receptors in a changing mix of prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Lund Koch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen-N 2200, Denmark
| | - Iris Bea L. Ramiro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen-N 2200, Denmark
| | | | - Ebbe Engholm
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen-N 2200, Denmark
- Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 1871, Denmark
| | - Knud Jørgen Jensen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 1871, Denmark
| | - Kevin Chase
- School of Biological Sciences, 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 Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen-N 2200, Denmark
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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15
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Abstract
Covering: 2020This review covers the literature published in 2020 for marine natural products (MNPs), with 757 citations (747 for the period January to December 2020) referring to compounds isolated from marine microorganisms and phytoplankton, green, brown and red algae, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms, mangroves and other intertidal plants and microorganisms. The emphasis is on new compounds (1407 in 420 papers for 2020), together with the relevant biological activities, source organisms and country of origin. Pertinent reviews, biosynthetic studies, first syntheses, and syntheses that led to the revision of structures or stereochemistries, have been included. A meta analysis of bioactivity data relating to new MNPs reported over the last five years is also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony R Carroll
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. .,Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Brent R Copp
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rohan A Davis
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.,School of Enivironment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Robert A Keyzers
- Centre for Biodiscovery, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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16
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Americus B, Hams N, Klompen AML, Alama-Bermejo G, Lotan T, Bartholomew JL, Atkinson SD. The cnidarian parasite Ceratonova shasta utilizes inherited and recruited venom-like compounds during infection. PeerJ 2022; 9:e12606. [PMID: 35003924 PMCID: PMC8684318 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cnidarians are the most ancient venomous organisms. They store a cocktail of venom proteins inside unique stinging organelles called nematocysts. When a cnidarian encounters chemical and physical cues from a potential threat or prey animal, the nematocyst is triggered and fires a harpoon-like tubule to penetrate and inject venom into the prey. Nematocysts are present in all Cnidaria, including the morphologically simple Myxozoa, which are a speciose group of microscopic, spore-forming, obligate parasites of fish and invertebrates. Rather than predation or defense, myxozoans use nematocysts for adhesion to hosts, but the involvement of venom in this process is poorly understood. Recent work shows some myxozoans have a reduced repertoire of venom-like compounds (VLCs) relative to free-living cnidarians, however the function of these proteins is not known. Methods We searched for VLCs in the nematocyst proteome and a time-series infection transcriptome of Ceratonova shasta, a myxozoan parasite of salmonid fish. We used four parallel approaches to detect VLCs: BLAST and HMMER searches to preexisting cnidarian venom datasets, the machine learning tool ToxClassifier, and structural modeling of nematocyst proteomes. Sequences that scored positive by at least three methods were considered VLCs. We then mapped their time-series expressions in the fish host and analyzed their phylogenetic relatedness to sequences from other venomous animals. Results We identified eight VLCs, all of which have closely related sequences in other myxozoan datasets, suggesting a conserved venom profile across Myxozoa, and an overall reduction in venom diversity relative to free-living cnidarians. Expression of the VLCs over the 3-week fish infection varied considerably: three sequences were most expressed at one day post-exposure in the fish’s gills; whereas expression of the other five VLCs peaked at 21 days post-exposure in the intestines, coinciding with the formation of mature parasite spores with nematocysts. Expression of VLC genes early in infection, prior to the development of nematocysts, suggests venoms in C. shasta have been repurposed to facilitate parasite invasion and proliferation within the host. Molecular phylogenetics suggested some VLCs were inherited from a cnidarian ancestor, whereas others were more closely related to sequences from venomous non-Cnidarian organisms and thus may have gained qualities of venom components via convergent evolution. The presence of VLCs and their differential expression during parasite infection enrich the concept of what functions a “venom” can have and represent targets for designing therapeutics against myxozoan infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Americus
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Nicole Hams
- Columbia River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Vancouver, Washington, United States of America
| | - Anna M L Klompen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Gema Alama-Bermejo
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America.,Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tamar Lotan
- Marine Biology Department, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Jerri L Bartholomew
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Stephen D Atkinson
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
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17
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Thiel D, Guerra LAY, Franz-Wachtel M, Hejnol A, Jékely G. Nemertean, brachiopod and phoronid neuropeptidomics reveals ancestral spiralian signalling systems. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:4847-4866. [PMID: 34272863 PMCID: PMC8557429 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides are diverse signaling molecules in animals commonly acting through G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Neuropeptides and their receptors underwent extensive diversification in bilaterians and the relationships of many peptide–receptor systems have been clarified. However, we lack a detailed picture of neuropeptide evolution in lophotrochozoans as in-depth studies only exist for mollusks and annelids. Here, we analyze peptidergic systems in Nemertea, Brachiopoda, and Phoronida. We screened transcriptomes from 13 nemertean, 6 brachiopod, and 4 phoronid species for proneuropeptides and neuropeptide GPCRs. With mass spectrometry from the nemertean Lineus longissimus, we validated several predicted peptides and identified novel ones. Molecular phylogeny combined with peptide-sequence and gene-structure comparisons allowed us to comprehensively map spiralian neuropeptide evolution. We found most mollusk and annelid peptidergic systems also in nemerteans, brachiopods, and phoronids. We uncovered previously hidden relationships including the orthologies of spiralian CCWamides to arthropod agatoxin-like peptides and of mollusk APGWamides to RGWamides from annelids, with ortholog systems in nemerteans, brachiopods, and phoronids. We found that pleurin neuropeptides previously only found in mollusks are also present in nemerteans and brachiopods. We also identified cases of gene family duplications and losses. These include a protostome-specific expansion of RFamide/Wamide signaling, a spiralian expansion of GnRH-related peptides, and duplications of vasopressin/oxytocin before the divergence of brachiopods, phoronids, and nemerteans. This analysis expands our knowledge of peptidergic signaling in spiralians and other protostomes. Our annotated data set of nearly 1,300 proneuropeptide sequences and 600 GPCRs presents a useful resource for further studies of neuropeptide signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Thiel
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, UK.,Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Mirita Franz-Wachtel
- Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Hejnol
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, 5006, Norway
| | - Gáspár Jékely
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, UK
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18
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Walker AA, Robinson SD, Paluzzi JV, Merritt DJ, Nixon SA, Schroeder CI, Jin J, Goudarzi MH, Kotze AC, Dekan Z, Sombke A, Alewood PF, Fry BG, Epstein ME, Vetter I, King GF. Production, composition, and mode of action of the painful defensive venom produced by a limacodid caterpillar, Doratifera vulnerans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2023815118. [PMID: 33893140 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023815118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Venoms have evolved independently several times in Lepidoptera. Limacodidae is a family with worldwide distribution, many of which are venomous in the larval stage, but the composition and mode of action of their venom is unknown. Here, we use imaging technologies, transcriptomics, proteomics, and functional assays to provide a holistic picture of the venom system of a limacodid caterpillar, Doratifera vulnerans Contrary to dogma that defensive venoms are simple in composition, D. vulnerans produces a complex venom containing 151 proteinaceous toxins spanning 59 families, most of which are peptides <10 kDa. Three of the most abundant families of venom peptides (vulnericins) are 1) analogs of the adipokinetic hormone/corazonin-related neuropeptide, some of which are picomolar agonists of the endogenous insect receptor; 2) linear cationic peptides derived from cecropin, an insect innate immune peptide that kills bacteria and parasites by disrupting cell membranes; and 3) disulfide-rich knottins similar to those that dominate spider venoms. Using venom fractionation and a suite of synthetic venom peptides, we demonstrate that the cecropin-like peptides are responsible for the dominant pain effect observed in mammalian in vitro and in vivo nociception assays and therefore are likely to cause pain after natural envenomations by D. vulnerans Our data reveal convergent molecular evolution between limacodids, hymenopterans, and arachnids and demonstrate that lepidopteran venoms are an untapped source of novel bioactive peptides.
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19
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Pinaud S, Tetreau G, Poteaux P, Galinier R, Chaparro C, Lassalle D, Portet A, Simphor E, Gourbal B, Duval D. New Insights Into Biomphalysin Gene Family Diversification in the Vector Snail Biomphalaria glabrata. Front Immunol 2021; 12:635131. [PMID: 33868258 PMCID: PMC8047071 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.635131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Aerolysins initially characterized as virulence factors in bacteria are increasingly found in massive genome and transcriptome sequencing data from metazoans. Horizontal gene transfer has been demonstrated as the main way of aerolysin-related toxins acquisition in metazoans. However, only few studies have focused on their potential biological functions in such organisms. Herein, we present an extensive characterization of a multigene family encoding aerolysins - named biomphalysin - in Biomphalaria glabrata snail, the intermediate host of the trematode Schistosoma mansoni. Our results highlight that duplication and domestication of an acquired bacterial toxin gene in the snail genome result in the acquisition of a novel and diversified toxin family. Twenty-three biomphalysin genes were identified. All are expressed and exhibited a tissue-specific expression pattern. An in silico structural analysis was performed to highlight the central role played by two distinct domains i) a large lobe involved in the lytic function of these snail toxins which constrained their evolution and ii) a small lobe which is structurally variable between biomphalysin toxins and that matched to various functional domains involved in moiety recognition of targets cells. A functional approach suggests that the repertoire of biomphalysins that bind to pathogens, depends on the type of pathogen encountered. These results underline a neo-and sub-functionalization of the biomphalysin toxins, which have the potential to increase the range of effectors in the snail’s immune arsenal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvain Pinaud
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France.,CNRS, IFREMER, University of Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Guillaume Tetreau
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France.,CNRS, IFREMER, University of Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Pierre Poteaux
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France.,CNRS, IFREMER, University of Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Richard Galinier
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France.,CNRS, IFREMER, University of Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Cristian Chaparro
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France.,CNRS, IFREMER, University of Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Damien Lassalle
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France.,CNRS, IFREMER, University of Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Anaïs Portet
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France.,CNRS, IFREMER, University of Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Elodie Simphor
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France.,CNRS, IFREMER, University of Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Benjamin Gourbal
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France.,CNRS, IFREMER, University of Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - David Duval
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France.,CNRS, IFREMER, University of Montpellier, Perpignan, France
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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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21
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Krishnarjuna B, Sunanda P, Villegas-Moreno J, Csoti A, A V Morales R, Wai DCC, Panyi G, Prentis P, Norton RS. A disulfide-stabilised helical hairpin fold in acrorhagin I: An emerging structural motif in peptide toxins. J Struct Biol 2020; 213:107692. [PMID: 33387653 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2020.107692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Acrorhagin I (U-AITX-Aeq5a) is a disulfide-rich peptide identified in the aggressive organs (acrorhagi) of the sea anemone Actinia equina. Previous studies (Toxicon 2005, 46:768-74) found that the peptide is toxic in crabs, although the structural and functional properties of acrorhagin I have not been reported. In this work, an Escherichia coli (BL21 strain) expression system was established for the preparation of 13C,15N-labelled acrorhagin I, and the solution structure was determined using NMR spectroscopy. Structurally, acrorhagin I is similar to B-IV toxin from the marine worm Cerebratulus lacteus (PDB id 1VIB), with a well-defined helical hairpin structure stabilised by four intramolecular disulfide bonds. The recombinant peptide was tested in patch-clamp electrophysiology assays against voltage-gated potassium and sodium channels, and in bacterial and fungal growth inhibitory assays and haemolytic assays. Acrorhagin I was not active against any of the ion channels tested and showed no activity in functional assays, indicating that this peptide may possess a different biological function. Metal ion interaction studies using NMR spectroscopy showed that acrorhagin I bound zinc and nickel, suggesting that its function might be modulated by metal ions or that it may be involved in regulating metal ion levels and their transport. The similarity between the structure of acrorhagin I and that of B-IV toxin from a marine worm suggests that this fold may prove to be a recurring motif in disulfide-rich peptides from marine organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bankala Krishnarjuna
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Punnepalli Sunanda
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Jessica Villegas-Moreno
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Centro de Investigaciones Químicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Agota Csoti
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; MTA-DE-NAP B Ion Channel Structure-Function Research Group, RCMM, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Rodrigo A V Morales
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Dorothy C C Wai
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Gyorgy Panyi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; MTA-DE-NAP B Ion Channel Structure-Function Research Group, RCMM, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Peter Prentis
- School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Raymond S Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
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