1
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Lone JB, Long JZ, Svensson KJ. Size matters: the biochemical logic of ligand type in endocrine crosstalk. LIFE METABOLISM 2024; 3:load048. [PMID: 38425548 PMCID: PMC10904031 DOI: 10.1093/lifemeta/load048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The endocrine system is a fundamental type of long-range cell-cell communication that is important for maintaining metabolism, physiology, and other aspects of organismal homeostasis. Endocrine signaling is mediated by diverse blood-borne ligands, also called hormones, including metabolites, lipids, steroids, peptides, and proteins. The size and structure of these hormones are fine-tuned to make them bioactive, responsive, and adaptable to meet the demands of changing environments. Why has nature selected such diverse ligand types to mediate communication in the endocrine system? What is the chemical, signaling, or physiologic logic of these ligands? What fundamental principles from our knowledge of endocrine communication can be applied as we continue as a field to uncover additional new circulating molecules that are claimed to mediate long-range cell and tissue crosstalk? This review provides a framework based on the biochemical logic behind this crosstalk with respect to their chemistry, temporal regulation in physiology, specificity, signaling actions, and evolutionary development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jameel Barkat Lone
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jonathan Z. Long
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Katrin J. Svensson
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305, USA
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2
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Guo Q, Huang M, Li M, Chen J, Cheng S, Ma L, Gao B. Diversity and Evolutionary Analysis of Venom Insulin Derived from Cone Snails. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:34. [PMID: 38251250 PMCID: PMC10819828 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16010034] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Cone snails possess a diverse array of novel peptide toxins, which selectively target ion channels and receptors in the nervous and cardiovascular systems. These numerous novel peptide toxins are a valuable resource for future marine drug development. In this review, we compared and analyzed the sequence diversity, three-dimensional structural variations, and evolutionary aspects of venom insulin derived from different cone snail species. The comparative analysis reveals that there are significant variations in the sequences and three-dimensional structures of venom insulins from cone snails with different feeding habits. Notably, the venom insulin of some piscivorous cone snails exhibits a greater similarity to humans and zebrafish insulins. It is important to emphasize that these venom insulins play a crucial role in the predatory strategies of these cone snails. Furthermore, a phylogenetic tree was constructed to trace the lineage of venom insulin sequences, shedding light on the evolutionary interconnections among cone snails with diverse diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Guo
- 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; (Q.G.); (M.H.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.C.)
| | - 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; (Q.G.); (M.H.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.C.)
| | - 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; (Q.G.); (M.H.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Jiao Chen
- 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; (Q.G.); (M.H.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Shuanghuai Cheng
- 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; (Q.G.); (M.H.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Linlin Ma
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD), School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - 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; (Q.G.); (M.H.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.C.)
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3
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Fedosov A, Tucci CF, Kantor Y, Farhat S, Puillandre N. Collaborative Expression: Transcriptomics of Conus virgo Suggests Contribution of Multiple Secretory Glands to Venom Production. J Mol Evol 2023; 91:837-853. [PMID: 37962577 PMCID: PMC10730640 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-023-10139-8] [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: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Venomous marine gastropods of the family Conidae are among the most diversified predators in marine realm-in large due to their complex venoms. Besides being a valuable source of bioactive neuropeptides conotoxins, cone-snails venoms are an excellent model for molecular evolution studies, addressing origin of key innovations. However, these studies are handicapped by scarce current knowledge on the tissues involved in venom production, as it is generally assumed the sole prerogative of the venom gland (VG). The role of other secretory glands that are present in all Conus species (salivary gland, SG) or only in some species (accessory salivary gland, ASG) remains poorly understood. Here, for the first time, we carry out a detailed analysis of the VG, SG, and ASG transcriptomes in the vermivorous Conus virgo. We detect multiple transcripts clusters in both the SG and ASG, whose annotations imply venom-related functions. Despite the subsets of transcripts highly-expressed in the VG, SG, and ASG being very distinct, SG expresses an L-, and ASG-Cerm08-, and MEFRR- superfamily conotoxins, all previously considered specific for VG. We corroborate our results with the analysis of published SG and VG transcriptomes from unrelated fish-hunting C. geographus, and C. striatus, possibly fish-hunting C. rolani, and worm-hunting Conus quercinus. In spite of low expression levels of conotoxins, some other specific clusters of putative venom-related peptides are present and may be highly expressed in the SG of these species. Further functional studies are necessary to determine the role that these peptides play in envenomation. In the meantime, our results show importance of routine multi-tissue sampling both for accurate interpretation of tissue-specific venom composition in cone-snails, and for better understanding origin and evolution of venom peptides genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Fedosov
- Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, 10405, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 51, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Carmen Federica Tucci
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 51, 75005, Paris, France
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Yuri Kantor
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 51, 75005, Paris, France
- A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 33 Leninski Prospect, Moscow, 119071, Russian Federation
| | - Sarah Farhat
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 51, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Puillandre
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 51, 75005, Paris, France
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4
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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] [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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5
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Venom composition and pain-causing toxins of the Australian great carpenter bee Xylocopa aruana. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22168. [PMID: 36550366 PMCID: PMC9780326 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26867-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Most species of bee are capable of delivering a defensive sting which is often painful. A solitary lifestyle is the ancestral state of bees and most extant species are solitary, but information on bee venoms comes predominantly from studies on eusocial species. In this study we investigated the venom composition of the Australian great carpenter bee, Xylocopa aruana Ritsema, 1876. We show that the venom is relatively simple, composed mainly of one small amphipathic peptide (XYTX1-Xa1a), with lesser amounts of an apamin homologue (XYTX2-Xa2a) and a venom phospholipase-A2 (PLA2). XYTX1-Xa1a is homologous to, and shares a similar mode-of-action to melittin and the bombilitins, the major components of the venoms of the eusocial Apis mellifera (Western honeybee) and Bombus spp. (bumblebee), respectively. XYTX1-Xa1a and melittin directly activate mammalian sensory neurons and cause spontaneous pain behaviours in vivo, effects which are potentiated in the presence of venom PLA2. The apamin-like peptide XYTX2-Xa2a was a relatively weak blocker of small conductance calcium-activated potassium (KCa) channels and, like A. mellifera apamin and mast cell-degranulating peptide, did not contribute to pain behaviours in mice. While the composition and mode-of-action of the venom of X. aruana are similar to that of A. mellifera, the greater potency, on mammalian sensory neurons, of the major pain-causing component in A. mellifera venom may represent an adaptation to the distinct defensive pressures on eusocial Apidae.
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6
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Gao B, Huang Y, Peng C, Lin B, Liao Y, Bian C, Yang J, Shi Q. High-Throughput Prediction and Design of Novel Conopeptides for Biomedical Research and Development. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2022; 2022:9895270. [PMID: 37850131 PMCID: PMC10521759 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9895270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cone snail venoms have been considered a valuable treasure for international scientists and businessmen, mainly due to their pharmacological applications in development of marine drugs for treatment of various human diseases. To date, around 800 Conus species are recorded, and each of them produces over 1,000 venom peptides (termed as conopeptides or conotoxins). This reflects the high diversity and complexity of cone snails, although most of their venoms are still uncharacterized. Advanced multiomics (such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics) approaches have been recently developed to mine diverse Conus venom samples, with the main aim to predict and identify potentially interesting conopeptides in an efficient way. Some bioinformatics techniques have been applied to predict and design novel conopeptide sequences, related targets, and their binding modes. This review provides an overview of current knowledge on the high diversity of conopeptides and multiomics advances in high-throughput prediction of novel conopeptide sequences, as well as molecular modeling and design of potential drugs based on the predicted or validated interactions between these toxins and their molecular targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingmiao Gao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570102, China
| | - Yu Huang
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518081, China
| | - Chao Peng
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518081, China
- BGI-Marine Research Institute for Biomedical Technology, Shenzhen Huahong Marine Biomedicine Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518119, China
| | - Bo Lin
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570102, China
| | - Yanling Liao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570102, China
| | - Chao Bian
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518081, China
| | - Jiaan Yang
- Research and Development Department, Micro Pharmtech Ltd., Wuhan, Hubei 430075, China
| | - Qiong Shi
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518081, China
- BGI-Marine Research Institute for Biomedical Technology, Shenzhen Huahong Marine Biomedicine Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518119, China
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7
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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] [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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8
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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] [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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9
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Xiong X, Blakely A, Kim JH, Menting JG, Schäfer IB, Schubert HL, Agrawal R, Gutmann T, Delaine C, Zhang YW, Artik GO, Merriman A, Eckert D, Lawrence MC, Coskun Ü, Fisher SJ, Forbes BE, Safavi-Hemami H, Hill CP, Chou DHC. Symmetric and asymmetric receptor conformation continuum induced by a new insulin. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:511-519. [PMID: 35289328 PMCID: PMC9248236 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-00981-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Cone snail venoms contain a wide variety of bioactive peptides, including insulin-like molecules with distinct structural features, binding modes and biochemical properties. Here, we report an active humanized cone snail venom insulin with an elongated A chain and a truncated B chain, and use cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and protein engineering to elucidate its interactions with the human insulin receptor (IR) ectodomain. We reveal how an extended A chain can compensate for deletion of B-chain residues, which are essential for activity of human insulin but also compromise therapeutic utility by delaying dissolution from the site of subcutaneous injection. This finding suggests approaches to developing improved therapeutic insulins. Curiously, the receptor displays a continuum of conformations from the symmetric state to a highly asymmetric low-abundance structure that displays coordination of a single humanized venom insulin using elements from both of the previously characterized site 1 and site 2 interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochun Xiong
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Alan Blakely
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jin Hwan Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - John G Menting
- WEHI, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ingmar B Schäfer
- Department of Structural Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Munich, Germany
| | - Heidi L Schubert
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Rahul Agrawal
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Theresia Gutmann
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden, Helmholtz Zentrum München, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Carlie Delaine
- Discipline of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Yi Wolf Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Gizem Olay Artik
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden, Helmholtz Zentrum München, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Membrane Biochemistry and Lipid Research, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Allanah Merriman
- Discipline of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Debbie Eckert
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Michael C Lawrence
- WEHI, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ünal Coskun
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden, Helmholtz Zentrum München, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Membrane Biochemistry and Lipid Research, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Simon J Fisher
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Briony E Forbes
- Discipline of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Christopher P Hill
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Danny Hung-Chieh Chou
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
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10
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Chase K, Watkins M, Safavi-Hemami H, Olivera BM. Integrating Venom Peptide Libraries Into a Phylogenetic and Broader Biological Framework. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:784419. [PMID: 35265668 PMCID: PMC8899473 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.784419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The venomous marine snails are conventionally divided into three groups, the cone snails (family Conidae), the auger snails (family Terebridae) and the turrids (formerly all assigned to a single family, Turridae). In this study, a library of venom peptides from species conventionally assigned to the genus Turris was correlated to a phylogenetic analysis. Nucleotide sequences of multiple genes from transcriptomes were used to assess the phylogenetic relationships across a diverse set of species. The resulting tree shows that as conventionally defined, the conoidean genus Turris, is polyphyletic. We describe a new genus, Purpuraturris gen. nov., that comprises the outlier species. In addition to morphological distinctions, molecular data reveal that this group is divergent from Turris sensu stricto. The correlation between phylogenetic information and a family of peptide sequences was used to highlight those peptides mostly likely to be unique and intimately associated with biological diversity. The plethora of peptide sequences available requires two prioritization decisions: which subset of peptides to initially characterize, and after these are characterized, which to comprehensively investigate for potential biomedical applications such as drug developments. Life Science Identifiers: urn:lsid:zoobank.org; pub: 60D46561-28F0-4C39-BAC4-66DC8B4EAEA4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Chase
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Maren Watkins
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Biochemistry, 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
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11
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A peptide toxin in ant venom mimics vertebrate EGF-like hormones to cause long-lasting hypersensitivity in mammals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2112630119. [PMID: 35131940 PMCID: PMC8851504 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112630119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The targeting of mammalian ErbB receptor signaling by a venom toxin to cause hypersensitivity is a mode of action that has not previously been described. Natural selection of a defensive toxin to target ErbB signaling provides compelling independent evidence for a fundamental role of this receptor and its ligands in mammalian pain. The evolution of a toxin in ant venom to mimic a vertebrate nociceptive hormone serves as an example of both convergent evolution and molecular mimicry, illustrating how natural selection can shape the gene product of one organism to resemble that of another. Venoms are excellent model systems for studying evolutionary processes associated with predator–prey interactions. Here, we present the discovery of a peptide toxin, MIITX2-Mg1a, which is a major component of the venom of the Australian giant red bull ant Myrmecia gulosa and has evolved to mimic, both structurally and functionally, vertebrate epidermal growth factor (EGF) peptide hormones. We show that Mg1a is a potent agonist of the mammalian EGF receptor ErbB1, and that intraplantar injection in mice causes long-lasting hypersensitivity of the injected paw. These data reveal a previously undescribed venom mode of action, highlight a role for ErbB receptors in mammalian pain signaling, and provide an example of molecular mimicry driven by defensive selection pressure.
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12
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Abalde S, Dutertre S, Zardoya R. A Combined Transcriptomics and Proteomics Approach Reveals the Differences in the Predatory and Defensive Venoms of the Molluscivorous Cone Snail Cylinder ammiralis (Caenogastropoda: Conidae). Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13090642. [PMID: 34564647 PMCID: PMC8472973 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13090642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Venoms are complex mixtures of proteins that have evolved repeatedly in the animal kingdom. Cone snail venoms represent one of the best studied venom systems. In nature, this venom can be dynamically adjusted depending on its final purpose, whether to deter predators or hunt prey. Here, the transcriptome of the venom gland and the proteomes of the predation-evoked and defensive venoms of the molluscivorous cone snail Cylinder ammiralis were catalogued. A total of 242 venom-related transcripts were annotated. The conotoxin superfamilies presenting more different peptides were O1, O2, T, and M, which also showed high expression levels (except T). The three precursors of the J superfamily were also highly expressed. The predation-evoked and defensive venoms showed a markedly distinct profile. A total of 217 different peptides were identified, with half of them being unique to one venom. A total of 59 peptides ascribed to 23 different protein families were found to be exclusive to the predatory venom, including the cono-insulin, which was, for the first time, identified in an injected venom. A total of 43 peptides from 20 protein families were exclusive to the defensive venom. Finally, comparisons of the relative abundance (in terms of number of peptides) of the different conotoxin precursor superfamilies showed that most of them present similar abundance regardless of the diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Abalde
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain;
- Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativägen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
- Correspondence:
| | | | - Rafael Zardoya
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain;
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13
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Abstract
My path to research in neuropharmacology has been a coalescing of my training as a molecular biologist and my intense interest in an esoteric group of animals, the fish-hunting cone snails. Attempting to bridge these two disparate worlds has led me to an idiosyncratic career as a pharmacologist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baldomero M Olivera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA;
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14
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Lin Z, Torres JP, Watkins M, Paguigan N, Niu C, Imperial JS, Tun J, Safavi-Hemami H, Finol-Urdaneta RK, Neves JLB, Espino S, Karthikeyan M, Olivera BM, Schmidt EW. Non-Peptidic Small Molecule Components from Cone Snail Venoms. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:655981. [PMID: 34054536 PMCID: PMC8155685 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.655981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Venomous molluscs (Superfamily Conoidea) comprise a substantial fraction of tropical marine biodiversity (>15,000 species). Prior characterization of cone snail venoms established that bioactive venom components used to capture prey, defend against predators and for competitive interactions were relatively small, structured peptides (10–35 amino acids), most with multiple disulfide crosslinks. These venom components (“conotoxins, conopeptides”) have been widely studied in many laboratories, leading to pharmaceutical agents and probes. In this review, we describe how it has recently become clear that to varying degrees, cone snail venoms also contain bioactive non-peptidic small molecule components. Since the initial discovery of genuanine as the first bioactive venom small molecule with an unprecedented structure, a broad set of cone snail venoms have been examined for non-peptidic bioactive components. In particular, a basal clade of cone snails (Stephanoconus) that prey on polychaetes produce genuanine and many other small molecules in their venoms, suggesting that this lineage may be a rich source of non-peptidic cone snail venom natural products. In contrast to standing dogma in the field that peptide and proteins are predominantly used for prey capture in cone snails, these small molecules also contribute to prey capture and push the molecular diversity of cone snails beyond peptides. The compounds so far characterized are active on neurons and thus may potentially serve as leads for neuronal diseases. Thus, in analogy to the incredible pharmacopeia resulting from studying venom peptides, these small molecules may provide a new resource of pharmacological agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenjian Lin
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Joshua P Torres
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Maren Watkins
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Noemi Paguigan
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Changshan Niu
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Julita S Imperial
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Jortan Tun
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States.,Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rocio K Finol-Urdaneta
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jorge L B Neves
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, CIIMAR/ CIMAR, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Samuel Espino
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Manju Karthikeyan
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Baldomero M Olivera
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Eric W Schmidt
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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15
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Abstract
Snails can provide a considerable variety of bioactive compounds for cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, useful for the development of new formulations with less toxicity and post effects compared to regular compounds used for the purpose. Compounds from crude extract, mucus, slime consist of glycans, polypeptides, proteins, etc., and can be used for curing diseases like viral lesions, warts, and different dermal problems. Some particular uses of snails involve treating post-traumatic stress. Micro RNA of Lymnaea stagnalis, was known to be responsible for the development of long-term memory and treatment of Alzheimer's and Dementia like diseases. This review explores the application of various bioactive compounds from snails with its potential as new translational medicinal and cosmetic applications. Snail bioactive compounds like ω-MVIIA, μ-SIIIA, μO-MrVIB, Xen2174, δ-EVIA, α-Vc1.1, σ-GVIIA, Conantokin-G, and Contulakin-G, conopeptides can be used for the development of anti-cancer drugs. These compounds target the innate immunity and improve the defense system of humans and provide protection against these life-threatening health concerns.AbbreviationsFDA: Food and Drug Administration; UTI: urinal tract infection; nAChRs: nicotinic acetylcholine receptors; NMDA: N-methyl-D-aspartate; CNS: central nervous system; CAR T: chimeric antigen receptors therapy; Micro RNA: micro ribonucleic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varun Dhiman
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, DharamshalaDharamshala, India
| | - Deepak Pant
- School of Chemical Sciences, Central University of Haryana, Mahendragarh, Haryana, India
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16
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Torres JP, Lin Z, Watkins M, Salcedo PF, Baskin RP, Elhabian S, Safavi-Hemami H, Taylor D, Tun J, Concepcion GP, Saguil N, Yanagihara AA, Fang Y, McArthur JR, Tae HS, Finol-Urdaneta RK, Özpolat BD, Olivera BM, Schmidt EW. Small-molecule mimicry hunting strategy in the imperial cone snail, Conus imperialis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/11/eabf2704. [PMID: 33712468 PMCID: PMC7954447 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf2704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Venomous animals hunt using bioactive peptides, but relatively little is known about venom small molecules and the resulting complex hunting behaviors. Here, we explored the specialized metabolites from the venom of the worm-hunting cone snail, Conus imperialis Using the model polychaete worm Platynereis dumerilii, we demonstrate that C. imperialis venom contains small molecules that mimic natural polychaete mating pheromones, evoking the mating phenotype in worms. The specialized metabolites from different cone snails are species-specific and structurally diverse, suggesting that the cones may adopt many different prey-hunting strategies enabled by small molecules. Predators sometimes attract prey using the prey's own pheromones, in a strategy known as aggressive mimicry. Instead, C. imperialis uses metabolically stable mimics of those pheromones, indicating that, in biological mimicry, even the molecules themselves may be disguised, providing a twist on fake news in chemical ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P Torres
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Zhenjian Lin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
| | - Maren Watkins
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Paula Flórez Salcedo
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Robert P Baskin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Shireen Elhabian
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, School of Computing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen DK-2200, Denmark
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Dylan Taylor
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jortan Tun
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Gisela P Concepcion
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
| | - Noel Saguil
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Angel A Yanagihara
- Department of Tropical Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Yixin Fang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jeffrey R McArthur
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Han-Shen Tae
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Rocio K Finol-Urdaneta
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | | | - Baldomero M Olivera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Eric W Schmidt
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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17
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Turner A, Kaas Q, Craik DJ. Hormone-like conopeptides - new tools for pharmaceutical design. RSC Med Chem 2020; 11:1235-1251. [PMID: 34095838 PMCID: PMC8126879 DOI: 10.1039/d0md00173b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Conopeptides are a diverse family of peptides found in the venoms of marine cone snails and are used in prey capture and host defence. Because of their potent activity on a range of mammalian targets they have attracted interest as leads in drug design. Until recently most focus had been on studying conopeptides having activity at ion channels and related neurological targets but, with recent discoveries that some conopeptides might play hormonal roles, a new area of conopeptide research has opened. In this article we first summarize the canonical pharmaceutical families of Conus venom peptides and then focus on new research relating to hormone-like conopeptides and their potential applications. Finally, we briefly examine methods of chemically stabilizing conopeptides to improve their pharmacological properties. A summary is presented of conopeptides in clinical trials and a call for future work on hormone-like conopeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlin Turner
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
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18
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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: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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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19
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Bjørn-Yoshimoto WE, Ramiro IBL, Yandell M, McIntosh JM, Olivera BM, Ellgaard L, Safavi-Hemami H. Curses or Cures: A Review of the Numerous Benefits Versus the Biosecurity Concerns of Conotoxin Research. Biomedicines 2020; 8:E235. [PMID: 32708023 PMCID: PMC7460000 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8080235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Conotoxins form a diverse group of peptide toxins found in the venom of predatory marine cone snails. Decades of conotoxin research have provided numerous measurable scientific and societal benefits. These include their use as a drug, diagnostic agent, drug leads, and research tools in neuroscience, pharmacology, biochemistry, structural biology, and molecular evolution. Human envenomations by cone snails are rare but can be fatal. Death by envenomation is likely caused by a small set of toxins that induce muscle paralysis of the diaphragm, resulting in respiratory arrest. The potency of these toxins led to concerns regarding the potential development and use of conotoxins as biological weapons. To address this, various regulatory measures have been introduced that limit the use and access of conotoxins within the research community. Some of these regulations apply to all of the ≈200,000 conotoxins predicted to exist in nature of which less than 0.05% are estimated to have any significant toxicity in humans. In this review we provide an overview of the many benefits of conotoxin research, and contrast these to the perceived biosecurity concerns of conotoxins and research thereof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walden E. Bjørn-Yoshimoto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark; (W.E.B.-Y.); (I.B.L.R.)
| | - Iris Bea L. Ramiro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark; (W.E.B.-Y.); (I.B.L.R.)
| | - Mark Yandell
- Eccles Institute of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
- Utah Center for Genetic Discovery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - J. Michael McIntosh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; (J.M.M.); (B.M.O.)
- George E. Whalen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT 84148, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
| | - Baldomero M. Olivera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; (J.M.M.); (B.M.O.)
| | - Lars Ellgaard
- Department of Biology, Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark;
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark; (W.E.B.-Y.); (I.B.L.R.)
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; (J.M.M.); (B.M.O.)
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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20
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Lu A, Watkins M, Li Q, Robinson SD, Concepcion GP, Yandell M, Weng Z, Olivera BM, Safavi-Hemami H, Fedosov AE. Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals Extraordinary Diversity of Venom Peptides in Unexplored Predatory Gastropods of the Genus Clavus. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:684-700. [PMID: 32333764 PMCID: PMC7259678 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Predatory gastropods of the superfamily Conoidea number over 12,000 living species. The evolutionary success of this lineage can be explained by the ability of conoideans to produce complex venoms for hunting, defense, and competitive interactions. Whereas venoms of cone snails (family Conidae) have become increasingly well studied, the venoms of most other conoidean lineages remain largely uncharacterized. In the present study, we present the venom gland transcriptomes of two species of the genus Clavus that belong to the family Drilliidae. Venom gland transcriptomes of two specimens of Clavus canalicularis and two specimens of Clavus davidgilmouri were analyzed, leading to the identification of a total of 1,176 putative venom peptide toxins (drillipeptides). Based on the combined evidence of secretion signal sequence identity, entire precursor similarity search (BLAST), and the orthology inference, putative Clavus toxins were assigned to 158 different gene families. The majority of identified transcripts comprise signal, pro-, mature peptide, and post-regions, with a typically short (<50 amino acids) and cysteine-rich mature peptide region. Thus, drillipeptides are structurally similar to conotoxins. However, convincing homology with known groups of Conus toxins was only detected for very few toxin families. Among these are Clavus counterparts of Conus venom insulins (drillinsulins), porins (drilliporins), and highly diversified lectins (drillilectins). The short size of most drillipeptides and structural similarity to conotoxins were unexpected, given that most related conoidean gastropod families (Terebridae and Turridae) possess longer mature peptide regions. Our findings indicate that, similar to conotoxins, drillipeptides may represent a valuable resource for future pharmacological exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiping Lu
- Department of Central Laboratory, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital of Tongji University, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Qing Li
- Eccles Institute of Human Genetics, University of Utah
- High-Throughput Genomics and Bioinformatic Analysis Shared Resource, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
| | | | - Gisela P Concepcion
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Mark Yandell
- Eccles Institute of Human Genetics, University of Utah
- Utah Center for Genetic Discovery, University of Utah
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Department of Central Laboratory, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital of Tongji University, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School
| | | | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexander E Fedosov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
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21
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Caruana NJ, Strugnell JM, Finn J, Faou P, Plummer KM, Cooke IR. Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of the Slime and Ventral Mantle Glands of the Striped Pyjama Squid ( Sepioloidea lineolata). J Proteome Res 2020; 19:1491-1501. [PMID: 32091901 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.9b00738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Cephalopods are known to produce an extensive range of secretions including ink, mucus, and venom. Sepiadariidae, a family of small, benthic bobtail squids, are notable for the high volume of viscous slime they emit when stressed. One species, Sepioloidea lineolata (striped pyjama squid), is covered with glands along the perimeter of the ventral mantle, and these structures are hypothesized to be the source of its slime. Using label-free quantitative proteomics, we analyzed five tissue types (dorsal and ventral mantle muscle, dorsal and ventral epithelium, and ventral mantle glands) and the slime from four individuals. In doing so, we were able to determine the relationship between the slime and the tissues as well as highlight proteins that were specifically identified within the slime and ventral mantle glands. A total of 28 proteins were identified to be highly enriched in slime, and these were composed of peptidases and protease inhibitors. Seven of these proteins contained predicted signal peptides, indicating classical secretion, with four proteins having no identifiable domains or similarity to any known proteins. The ventral mantle glands also appear to be the tissue with the closest overall proteomic composition to the slime; therefore, it is likely that the slime originates, at least in part, from these glands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikeisha J Caruana
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Jan M Strugnell
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia.,Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Julian Finn
- Sciences, Museums Victoria, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia
| | - Pierre Faou
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Kim M Plummer
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, AgriBio, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Ira R Cooke
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia.,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
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22
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Venom Diversity and Evolution in the Most Divergent Cone Snail Genus Profundiconus. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11110623. [PMID: 31661832 PMCID: PMC6891753 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11110623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Profundiconus is the most divergent cone snail genus and its unique phylogenetic position, sister to the rest of the family Conidae, makes it a key taxon for examining venom evolution and diversity. Venom gland and foot transcriptomes of Profundiconus cf. vaubani and Profundiconus neocaledonicus were de novo assembled, annotated, and analyzed for differential expression. One hundred and thirty-seven venom components were identified from P. cf. vaubani and 82 from P. neocaledonicus, with only four shared by both species. The majority of the transcript diversity was composed of putative peptides, including conotoxins, profunditoxins, turripeptides, insulin, and prohormone-4. However, there were also a significant percentage of other putative venom components such as chymotrypsin and L-rhamnose-binding lectin. The large majority of conotoxins appeared to be from new gene superfamilies, three of which are highly different from previously reported venom peptide toxins. Their low conotoxin diversity and the type of insulin found suggested that these species, for which no ecological information are available, have a worm or molluscan diet associated with a narrow dietary breadth. Our results indicate that Profundiconus venom is highly distinct from that of other cone snails, and therefore important for examining venom evolution in the Conidae family.
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23
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Jin AH, Muttenthaler M, Dutertre S, Himaya SWA, Kaas Q, Craik DJ, Lewis RJ, Alewood PF. Conotoxins: Chemistry and Biology. Chem Rev 2019; 119:11510-11549. [PMID: 31633928 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The venom of the marine predatory cone snails (genus Conus) has evolved for prey capture and defense, providing the basis for survival and rapid diversification of the now estimated 750+ species. A typical Conus venom contains hundreds to thousands of bioactive peptides known as conotoxins. These mostly disulfide-rich and well-structured peptides act on a wide range of targets such as ion channels, G protein-coupled receptors, transporters, and enzymes. Conotoxins are of interest to neuroscientists as well as drug developers due to their exquisite potency and selectivity, not just against prey but also mammalian targets, thereby providing a rich source of molecular probes and therapeutic leads. The rise of integrated venomics has accelerated conotoxin discovery with now well over 10,000 conotoxin sequences published. However, their structural and pharmacological characterization lags considerably behind. In this review, we highlight the diversity of new conotoxins uncovered since 2014, their three-dimensional structures and folds, novel chemical approaches to their syntheses, and their value as pharmacological tools to unravel complex biology. Additionally, we discuss challenges and future directions for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai-Hua Jin
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Markus Muttenthaler
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia.,Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry , University of Vienna , 1090 Vienna , Austria
| | - Sebastien Dutertre
- Département des Acides Amines, Peptides et Protéines, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5247, Université Montpellier 2-Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique , Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron , Place Eugène Bataillon , 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5 , France
| | - S W A Himaya
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Richard J Lewis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Paul F Alewood
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane Queensland 4072 , Australia
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24
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Katayama H, Nagasawa H. Chemical synthesis of N-glycosylated insulin-like androgenic gland factor from the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. J Pept Sci 2019; 25:e3215. [PMID: 31515898 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Crustacean insulin-like androgenic gland factor (IAG) of Macrobrachium rosenbergii, a heterodimeric peptide having both four disulfide bonds and an N-linked glycan, was synthesized by the combination of solid-phase peptide synthesis and the regioselective disulfide formation reactions. The disulfide isomer of IAG could also be synthesized by the same manner. The conformational analysis of these peptides by circular dichroism (CD) spectral measurement indicated that the disulfide bond arrangement affected the peptide conformation in IAG. On the other hand, the N-linked glycan attached at A chain showed no effect on CD spectra of IAG. This is the first report for the chemical synthesis of insulin-like heterodimeric glycopeptide having three interchain disulfides, and the synthetic strategy shown here might be useful for the synthesis of other glycosylated four-disulfide insulin-like peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidekazu Katayama
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, School of Engineering, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Nagasawa
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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25
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Ahorukomeye P, Disotuar MM, Gajewiak J, Karanth S, Watkins M, Robinson SD, Flórez Salcedo P, Smith NA, Smith BJ, Schlegel A, Forbes BE, Olivera B, Hung-Chieh Chou D, Safavi-Hemami H. Fish-hunting cone snail venoms are a rich source of minimized ligands of the vertebrate insulin receptor. eLife 2019; 8:41574. [PMID: 30747102 PMCID: PMC6372279 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The fish-hunting marine cone snail Conus geographus uses a specialized venom insulin to induce hypoglycemic shock in its prey. We recently showed that this venom insulin, Con-Ins G1, has unique characteristics relevant to the design of new insulin therapeutics. Here, we show that fish-hunting cone snails provide a rich source of minimized ligands of the vertebrate insulin receptor. Insulins from C. geographus, Conus tulipa and Conus kinoshitai exhibit diverse sequences, yet all bind to and activate the human insulin receptor. Molecular dynamics reveal unique modes of action that are distinct from any other insulins known in nature. When tested in zebrafish and mice, venom insulins significantly lower blood glucose in the streptozotocin-induced model of diabetes. Our findings suggest that cone snails have evolved diverse strategies to activate the vertebrate insulin receptor and provide unique insight into the design of novel drugs for the treatment of diabetes. Insulin is a hormone critical for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels in humans. When the insulin system becomes faulty, blood sugar levels become too high, which can lead to diabetes. At the moment, the only effective treatment for one of the major types of diabetes are daily insulin injections. However, designing fast-acting insulin drugs has remained a challenge. Insulin molecules form clusters (so-called hexamers) that first have to dissolve in the body to activate the insulin receptor, which plays a key role in regulating the blood sugar levels throughout the body. This can take time and can therefore delay the blood-sugar control. In 2015, researchers discovered that the fish-hunting cone snail Conus geographus uses a specific type of insulin to capture its prey – fish. The cone snail releases insulin into the surrounding water and then engulfs its victim with its mouth. This induces dangerously low blood sugar levels in the fish and so makes them an easy target. Unlike the human version, the snail insulin does not cluster, and despite structural differences, can bind to the human insulin receptor. Now, Ahorukomeye, Disotuar et al. – including some of the authors involved in the previous study – wanted to find out whether other fish-hunting cone snails also make insulins and if they differed from the one previously discovered in C. geographus. The insulin molecules were extracted and analyzed, and the results showed that the three cone snail species had different versions of insulin – but none of them formed clusters. Ahorukomeye, Disotuar et al. further revealed that the snail insulins could bind to the human insulin receptors and could also reverse high blood sugar levels in fish and mouse models of the disease. This research may help guide future studies looking into developing fast-acting insulin drugs for diabetic patients. A next step will be to fully understand how snail insulins can be active at the human receptor without forming clusters. Cone snails solved this problem millions of years ago and by understanding how they have done this, researchers are hoping to redesign current diabetic therapeutics. Since the snail insulins do not form clusters and should act faster than currently available insulin drugs, they may lead to better or new diabetes treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Ahorukomeye
- Department of Biology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Maria M Disotuar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Joanna Gajewiak
- Department of Biology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Santhosh Karanth
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States.,Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, College of Health, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Maren Watkins
- Department of Biology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Samuel D Robinson
- Department of Biology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Paula Flórez Salcedo
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Nicholas A Smith
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Brian J Smith
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Amnon Schlegel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States.,Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States.,Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, College of Health, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Briony E Forbes
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia
| | - Baldomero Olivera
- Department of Biology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Danny Hung-Chieh Chou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
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26
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Cherif--Feildel M, Berthelin CH, Rivière G, Favrel P, Kellner K. Data for evolutive analysis of insulin related peptides in bilaterian species. Data Brief 2019; 22:546-550. [PMID: 30627605 PMCID: PMC6321970 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.12.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In bilaterian species, the amino acid sequence conservation between Insulin related peptides is relatively low except for the cysteine residues involved in the disulphide bonds. In the A chain, the conserved cystein residues are included in a signature motif. Investigating the variations in this motif would give insight into the phylogenetic history of the family. The table presented in this paper contains a large set of insulin-related peptides in bilateral phylogenetic groups (deuterostomian, ecdysozoan, lophotrochozoan). NCBI databases in silico wide screening combined with bibliographic researches provided a framework for identifying and categorising the structural characteristics of these insulin related peptides. The dataset includes NCBI IDs of each sequence with hyperlinks to FASTA format. Moreover, the structural type (α, β or γ), the A chain motif, the total number of cysteins, the C peptide cleavage mode and the potential additional domains (D or E) are specified for each sequence. The data are associated with the research article "Molecular evolution and functional characterisation of insulin-related peptides in molluscs: contributions of Crassostrea gigas genomic and transcriptomic-wide screening" [1]. The table presented here can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/w4gr8zcpk5.4#file-21c0f6a5-a3e3-4a15-86e0-e5a696458866.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kristell Kellner
- Normandy University, Caen, France. University of Caen Normandie, Unity Biology of Organisms and Aquatic Ecosystems (BOREA), MNHN, Sorbonne University, UCN, CNRS, IRD, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen, France
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27
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Cherif-Feildel M, Heude Berthelin C, Adeline B, Rivière G, Favrel P, Kellner K. Molecular evolution and functional characterisation of insulin related peptides in molluscs: Contributions of Crassostrea gigas genomic and transcriptomic-wide screening. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 271:15-29. [PMID: 30389328 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Insulin Related Peptides (IRPs) belong to the insulin superfamily and possess a typical structure with two chains, B and A, linked by disulphide bonds. As the sequence conservation is usually low between members, IRPs are classified according to the number and position of their disulphide bonds. In molluscan species, the first IRPs identified, named Molluscan Insulin-related Peptides (MIPs), exhibit four disulphide bonds. The genomic and transcriptomic data screening in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Mollusc, Bivalvia) allowed us to identify six IRP sequences belonging to three structural groups. Cg-MIP1 to 4 have the typical structure of MIPs with four disulphide bonds. Cg-ILP has three disulphide bonds like vertebrate Insulin-Like Peptides (ILPs). The last one, Cg-MILP7 has a significant homology with Drosophila ILP7 (DILP7) associated with two additional cysteines allowing the formation of a fourth disulphide bond. The phylogenetic analysis points out that ILPs may be the most ancestral form. Moreover, it appears that ILP7 orthologs are probably anterior to lophotrochozoa and ecdysozoa segregation. In order to investigate the diversity of physiological functions of the oyster IRPs, we combine in silico expression data, qPCR measurements and in situ hybridization. The Cg-ilp transcript, mainly detected in the digestive gland and in the gonadal area, is potentially involved in the control of digestion and gametogenesis. The expression of Cg-mip4 is mainly associated with the larval development. The Cg-mip transcript shared by the Cg-MIP1, 2 and 3, is mainly expressed in visceral ganglia but its expression was also observed in the gonads of mature males. This pattern suggested the key roles of IRPs in the control of sexual reproduction in molluscan species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëva Cherif-Feildel
- Normandy University, Caen, France; University of Caen Normandie, Unity Biology of Organisms and Aquatic Ecosystems (BOREA), MNHN, Sorbonne University, UCN, CNRS, IRD, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen, France
| | - Clothilde Heude Berthelin
- Normandy University, Caen, France; University of Caen Normandie, Unity Biology of Organisms and Aquatic Ecosystems (BOREA), MNHN, Sorbonne University, UCN, CNRS, IRD, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen, France
| | - Beatrice Adeline
- Normandy University, Caen, France; University of Caen Normandie, Unity Biology of Organisms and Aquatic Ecosystems (BOREA), MNHN, Sorbonne University, UCN, CNRS, IRD, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen, France
| | - Guillaume Rivière
- Normandy University, Caen, France; University of Caen Normandie, Unity Biology of Organisms and Aquatic Ecosystems (BOREA), MNHN, Sorbonne University, UCN, CNRS, IRD, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen, France
| | - Pascal Favrel
- Normandy University, Caen, France; University of Caen Normandie, Unity Biology of Organisms and Aquatic Ecosystems (BOREA), MNHN, Sorbonne University, UCN, CNRS, IRD, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen, France
| | - Kristell Kellner
- Normandy University, Caen, France; University of Caen Normandie, Unity Biology of Organisms and Aquatic Ecosystems (BOREA), MNHN, Sorbonne University, UCN, CNRS, IRD, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen, France.
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28
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Fu Y, Li C, Dong S, Wu Y, Zhangsun D, Luo S. Discovery Methodology of Novel Conotoxins from Conus Species. Mar Drugs 2018; 16:md16110417. [PMID: 30380764 PMCID: PMC6266589 DOI: 10.3390/md16110417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Revised: 10/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cone snail venoms provide an ideal resource for neuropharmacological tools and drug candidates discovery, which have become a research hotspot in neuroscience and new drug development. More than 1,000,000 natural peptides are produced by cone snails, but less than 0.1% of the estimated conotoxins has been characterized to date. Hence, the discovery of novel conotoxins from the huge conotoxin resources with high-throughput and sensitive methods becomes a crucial key for the conotoxin-based drug development. In this review, we introduce the discovery methodology of new conotoxins from various Conus species. It focuses on obtaining full N- to C-terminal sequences, regardless of disulfide bond connectivity through crude venom purification, conotoxin precusor gene cloning, venom duct transcriptomics, venom proteomics and multi-omic methods. The protocols, advantages, disadvantages, and developments of different approaches during the last decade are summarized and the promising prospects are discussed as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Fu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources, Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Cheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources, Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Shuai Dong
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources, Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Yong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources, Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Dongting Zhangsun
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources, Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Sulan Luo
- Key Laboratory for Marine Drugs of Haikou, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
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29
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Katayama H, Mukainakano T, Kogure J, Ohira T. Chemical synthesis of the crustacean insulin-like peptide with four disulfide bonds. J Pept Sci 2018; 24:e3132. [PMID: 30346100 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Among the insulin-family peptides, two additional cysteine residues other than six conserved cysteines are sometimes found in invertebrate insulin-like peptides (ILPs), although the synthetic method for such four disulfide ILPs has not yet been well established. In this study, we synthesized a crustacean insulin-like androgenic gland factor with four disulfides by the regioselective disulfide bond formation reactions using four orthogonal Cys-protecting groups. Its disulfide isomer could be also synthesized by the same method, indicating that the synthetic strategy developed in this study might be useful for the synthesis of other four disulfide ILPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidekazu Katayama
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, School of Engineering, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Japan
| | - Takafumi Mukainakano
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, School of Engineering, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Japan
| | - Junya Kogure
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University, Hiratsuka, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Ohira
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University, Hiratsuka, Japan
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30
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Prashanth JR, Dutertre S, Lewis RJ. Pharmacology of predatory and defensive venom peptides in cone snails. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2018; 13:2453-2465. [PMID: 29090697 DOI: 10.1039/c7mb00511c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cone snails are predatory gastropods whose neurotoxic venom peptides (conotoxins) have been extensively studied for pharmacological probes, venom evolution mechanisms and potential therapeutics. Conotoxins have a wide range of structural and functional classes that continue to undergo accelerated evolution that underlies the rapid expansion of the genus over their short evolutionary history. A number of pharmacological classes, driven by separately evolved defensive and predatory venoms, have been hypothesised to facilitate shifts in prey that exemplify the adaptability of cone snails. Here we provide an overview of these pharmacological families and discuss their ecological roles and evolutionary impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jutty Rajan Prashanth
- Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, 4072, Australia.
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31
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Phuong MA, Mahardika GN. Targeted Sequencing of Venom Genes from Cone Snail Genomes Improves Understanding of Conotoxin Molecular Evolution. Mol Biol Evol 2018; 35:1210-1224. [PMID: 29514313 PMCID: PMC5913681 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
To expand our capacity to discover venom sequences from the genomes of venomous organisms, we applied targeted sequencing techniques to selectively recover venom gene superfamilies and nontoxin loci from the genomes of 32 cone snail species (family, Conidae), a diverse group of marine gastropods that capture their prey using a cocktail of neurotoxic peptides (conotoxins). We were able to successfully recover conotoxin gene superfamilies across all species with high confidence (> 100× coverage) and used these data to provide new insights into conotoxin evolution. First, we found that conotoxin gene superfamilies are composed of one to six exons and are typically short in length (mean = ∼85 bp). Second, we expanded our understanding of the following genetic features of conotoxin evolution: 1) positive selection, where exons coding the mature toxin region were often three times more divergent than their adjacent noncoding regions, 2) expression regulation, with comparisons to transcriptome data showing that cone snails only express a fraction of the genes available in their genome (24-63%), and 3) extensive gene turnover, where Conidae species varied from 120 to 859 conotoxin gene copies. Finally, using comparative phylogenetic methods, we found that while diet specificity did not predict patterns of conotoxin evolution, dietary breadth was positively correlated with total conotoxin gene diversity. Overall, the targeted sequencing technique demonstrated here has the potential to radically increase the pace at which venom gene families are sequenced and studied, reshaping our ability to understand the impact of genetic changes on ecologically relevant phenotypes and subsequent diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Phuong
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Gusti N Mahardika
- Animal Biomedical and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Udayana University Bali, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
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32
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Li Q, Barghi N, Lu A, Fedosov AE, Bandyopadhyay PK, Lluisma AO, Concepcion GP, Yandell M, Olivera BM, Safavi-Hemami H. Divergence of the Venom Exogene Repertoire in Two Sister Species of Turriconus. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 9:2211-2225. [PMID: 28922871 PMCID: PMC5604253 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Conus comprises approximately 700 species of venomous marine cone snails that are highly efficient predators of worms, snails, and fish. In evolutionary terms, cone snails are relatively young with the earliest fossil records occurring in the Lower Eocene, 55 Ma. The rapid radiation of cone snail species has been accompanied by remarkably high rates of toxin diversification. To shed light on the molecular mechanisms that accompany speciation, we investigated the toxin repertoire of two sister species, Conus andremenezi and Conus praecellens, that were until recently considered a single variable species. A total of 196 and 250 toxin sequences were identified in the venom gland transcriptomes of C. andremenezi and C. praecellens belonging to 25 and 29 putative toxin gene superfamilies, respectively. Comparative analysis with closely (Conus tribblei and Conus lenavati) and more distantly related species (Conus geographus) suggests that speciation is associated with significant diversification of individual toxin genes (exogenes) whereas the expression pattern of toxin gene superfamilies within lineages remains largely conserved. Thus, changes within individual toxin sequences can serve as a sensitive indicator for recent speciation whereas changes in the expression pattern of gene superfamilies are likely to reflect more dramatic differences in a species' interaction with its prey, predators, and competitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Li
- Eccles Institute of Human Genetics, University of Utah
| | - Neda Barghi
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.,Institute für Populationsgenetik, Vetmeduni, Vienna, 1210, Austria
| | - Aiping Lu
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Alexander E Fedosov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Arturo O Lluisma
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.,Philippine Genome Center, University of the Philippines, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Gisela P Concepcion
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.,Philippine Genome Center, University of the Philippines, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Mark Yandell
- Eccles Institute of Human Genetics, University of Utah.,USTAR Center for Genetic Discovery, University of Utah
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33
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Venomics of Remipede Crustaceans Reveals Novel Peptide Diversity and Illuminates the Venom's Biological Role. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:toxins9080234. [PMID: 28933727 PMCID: PMC5577568 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9080234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the first integrated proteomic and transcriptomic investigation of a crustacean venom. Remipede crustaceans are the venomous sister group of hexapods, and the venom glands of the remipede Xibalbanus tulumensis express a considerably more complex cocktail of proteins and peptides than previously thought. We identified 32 venom protein families, including 13 novel peptide families that we name xibalbins, four of which lack similarities to any known structural class. Our proteomic data confirm the presence in the venom of 19 of the 32 families. The most highly expressed venom components are serine peptidases, chitinase and six of the xibalbins. The xibalbins represent Inhibitory Cystine Knot peptides (ICK), a double ICK peptide, peptides with a putative Cystine-stabilized α-helix/β-sheet motif, a peptide similar to hairpin-like β-sheet forming antimicrobial peptides, two peptides related to different hormone families, and four peptides with unique structural motifs. Remipede venom components represent the full range of evolutionary recruitment frequencies, from families that have been recruited into many animal venoms (serine peptidases, ICKs), to those having a very narrow taxonomic range (double ICKs), to those unique for remipedes. We discuss the most highly expressed venom components to shed light on their possible functional significance in the predatory and defensive use of remipede venom, and to provide testable ideas for any future bioactivity studies.
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Robinson SD, Safavi-Hemami H. Venom peptides as pharmacological tools and therapeutics for diabetes. Neuropharmacology 2017; 127:79-86. [PMID: 28689026 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease caused by a deficiency in production of insulin by the beta cells of the pancreas (type 1 diabetes, T1D), or by partial deficiency of insulin production and the ineffectiveness of the insulin produced (type 2 diabetes, T2D). Animal venoms are a unique source of compounds targeting ion channels and receptors in the nervous and cardiovascular systems. In recent years, several venom peptides have also emerged as pharmacological tools and therapeutics for T1D and T2D. Some of these peptides act directly as mimics of endogenous metabolic hormones while others act on ion channels expressed in pancreatic beta cells. Here, we provide an overview of the discovery of these venom peptides, their mechanisms of action in the context of diabetes, and their therapeutic potential for the treatment of this disease. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Venom-derived Peptides as Pharmacological Tools.'
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel D Robinson
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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Olivera BM, Raghuraman S, Schmidt EW, Safavi-Hemami H. Linking neuroethology to the chemical biology of natural products: interactions between cone snails and their fish prey, a case study. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:717-735. [PMID: 28551870 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1183-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
From a biological perspective, a natural product can be defined as a compound evolved by an organism for chemical interactions with another organism including prey, predator, competitor, pathogen, symbiont or host. Natural products hold tremendous potential as drug leads and have been extensively studied by chemists and biochemists in the pharmaceutical industry. However, the biological purpose for which a natural product evolved is rarely addressed. By focusing on a well-studied group of natural products-venom components from predatory marine cone snails-this review provides a rationale for why a better understanding of the evolution, biology and biochemistry of natural products will facilitate both neuroscience and the potential for drug leads. The larger goal is to establish a new sub-discipline in the broader field of neuroethology that we refer to as "Chemical Neuroethology", linking the substantial work carried out by chemists on natural products with accelerating advances in neuroethology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eric W Schmidt
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA. .,Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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The Venom Repertoire of Conus gloriamaris (Chemnitz, 1777), the Glory of the Sea. Mar Drugs 2017; 15:md15050145. [PMID: 28531118 PMCID: PMC5450551 DOI: 10.3390/md15050145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The marine cone snail Conus gloriamaris is an iconic species. For over two centuries, its shell was one of the most prized and valuable natural history objects in the world. Today, cone snails have attracted attention for their remarkable venom components. Many conotoxins are proving valuable as research tools, drug leads, and drugs. In this article, we present the venom gland transcriptome of C. gloriamaris, revealing this species' conotoxin repertoire. More than 100 conotoxin sequences were identified, representing a valuable resource for future drug discovery efforts.
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