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Lin S, Li XW, Liu JL, Ou-Yang YY, Zhang B, Zhao SJ, Chai XQ, Ma YL, Liu J. The immune response mechanism of Nilaparvata lugens against a combined infection of rice ragged stunt virus and Metarhizium anisopliae. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2024; 80:1193-1205. [PMID: 37888855 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies of brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, showed that carrying the plant pathogenic virus, rice ragged stunt virus (RRSV), enhanced the lethality of the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae (YTTR). The underlying mechanism for this was not established but a serine protease cascade was hypothesized to be involved. RESULTS Two immune response genes, NlKPI and NlVenomase, were identified and shown to be involved. The synthesized double-strand RNA (dsRNA) techniques used in this study to explore gene function revealed that treatment with dsRNA to silence either gene led to a higher BPH mortality from M. anisopliae infection than the dsRNA control treatment. NlKPI and NlVenomase play vital roles in BPH immunity to defend against alien pathogens. Both genes participate in the immune response process of BPH against co-infection with RRSV and M. anisopliae YTTR by regulating the expression of antimicrobial peptides and phenoloxidase activity. CONCLUSION Our study provided new targets for BPH biocontrol and laid a solid foundation for further research on the interaction of virus-insect-EPF (entomopathogenic fungus). © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Control of Insect Pests (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xue-Wen Li
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Control of Insect Pests (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jian-Li Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Control of Insect Pests (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yu-Ying Ou-Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Control of Insect Pests (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Bang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Control of Insect Pests (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shu-Jiao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Control of Insect Pests (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xue-Qing Chai
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Control of Insect Pests (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yong-le Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Control of Insect Pests (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Futures Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, Australia
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Nishiduka ES, Lomazi RL, da Silva PI, Tashima AK. Identification of Peptides in Spider Venom Using Mass Spectrometry. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2758:331-340. [PMID: 38549023 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3646-6_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Spider venoms are composed of hundreds of proteins and peptides. Several of these venom toxins are cysteine-rich peptides in the mass range of 3-9 kDa. Small peptides (<3 kDa) can be fully characterized by mass spectrometry analysis, while proteins are generally identified by the bottom-up approach in which proteins are first digested with trypsin to generate shorter peptides for MS/MS characterization. In general, it is sufficient for protein identification to sequence two or more peptides, but for venom peptidomics it is desirable to completely elucidate peptide sequences and the number of disulfide bonds in the molecules. In this chapter, we describe a methodology to completely sequence and determine the number of disulfide bonds of spider venom peptides in the mass range of 3-9 kDa by multiple enzyme digestion, mass spectrometry of native and digested peptides, de novo analysis, and sequence overlap alignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika S Nishiduka
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael L Lomazi
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Pedro I da Silva
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alexandre K Tashima
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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Xiao X, Luo X, Huang C, Feng X, Wu M, Lu M, Kuang J, Peng S, Guo Y, Zhang Z, Hu Z, Zhou X, Chen M, Liu Z. Transcriptome analysis reveals the peptide toxins diversity of Macrothele palpator venom. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126577. [PMID: 37648132 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Spider venom is a large pharmacological repertoire of different bioactive peptide toxins. However, obtaining crude venom from some spiders is challenging. Thus, studying individual toxins through venom purification is a daunting task. In this study, we constructed the cDNA library and transcriptomic sequencing from the Macrothele palpator venom glands. Subsequently, 718 high-quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were identified, and grouped into three categories, including 449 toxin-like (62.53 %), 136 cellular component (18.94 %) and 133 non-matched (18.52 %) based on the gene function annotation. Additionally, 112 non-redundant toxin-like peptides were classified into 13 families (families A-M) based on their sequence homology and cysteine framework. Bioinformatics analysis revealed a high sequence similarity between families A-J and the toxins from Macrothele gigas in the NR database. In contrast, families K-M had a generally low sequence homology with known spider peptide toxins and unpredictable biological functions. Taken together, this study adds many new members to the spider toxin superfamily and provides a basis for identifying various potential biological tools in M. palpator venom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xiao
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Peptide and small molecule drug R&D plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaoqing Luo
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Peptide and small molecule drug R&D plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Cuiling Huang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Xujun Feng
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Peptide and small molecule drug R&D plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Meijing Wu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Peptide and small molecule drug R&D plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Minjuan Lu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Peptide and small molecule drug R&D plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Jiating Kuang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Siyi Peng
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Yingmei Guo
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Zixuan Zhang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Zhaotun Hu
- Key Laboratory of Research and Utilization of Ethnomedicinal Plant Resources of Hunan Province, College of Biological and Food Engineering, Huaihua College, Huaihua, Hunan 418008, China
| | - Xi Zhou
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Peptide and small molecule drug R&D plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China.
| | - Minzhi Chen
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Peptide and small molecule drug R&D plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China.
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Peptide and small molecule drug R&D plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China.
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Nolasco M, Mariano DOC, Pimenta DC, Biondi I, Branco A. Proteomic analyses of venom from a Spider Hawk, Pepsis decorata. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2023; 29:e20220090. [PMID: 37965483 PMCID: PMC10642949 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2022-0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The composition of the venom from solitary wasps is poorly known, although these animals are considered sources of bioactive substances. Until the present moment, there is only one proteomic characterization of the venom of wasps of the family Pompilidae and this is the first proteomic characterization for the genus Pepsis. Methods To elucidate the components of Pepsis decorata venom, the present work sought to identify proteins using four different experimental conditions, namely: (A) crude venom; (B) reduced and alkylated venom; (C) trypsin-digested reduced and alkylated venom, and; (D) chymotrypsin-digested reduced and alkylated venom. Furthermore, three different mass spectrometers were used (Ion Trap-Time of Flight, Quadrupole-Time of Flight, and Linear Triple Quadruple). Results Proteomics analysis revealed the existence of different enzymes related to the insect's physiology in the venom composition. Besides toxins, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), hyaluronidase, and Kunitz-type inhibitors were also identified. Conclusion The data showed that the venom of Pepsis decorata is mostly composed of proteins involved in the metabolism of arthropods, as occurs in parasitic wasps, although some classical toxins were recorded, and among them, for the first time, ACE was found in the venom of solitary wasps. This integrative approach expanded the range of compounds identified in protein analyses, proving to be efficient in the proteomic characterization of little-known species. It is our understanding that the current work will provide a solid base for future studies dealing with other Hymenoptera venoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Nolasco
- Graduate Program in Biotechnology, Department of Biological Sciences, State University of Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, BA, Brazil
| | - Douglas O. C. Mariano
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Daniel C. Pimenta
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ilka Biondi
- Laboratory of Venomous Animals and Herpetology. Biology Department, State University of Feira de Santana - UEFS, Feira de Santana, BA, Brazil
| | - Alexsandro Branco
- Phytochemistry Laboratory, Health Department, State University of Feira de Santana - UEFS, Feira de Santana, BA, Brazil
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The Molecular Composition of Peptide Toxins in the Venom of Spider Lycosa coelestis as Revealed by cDNA Library and Transcriptomic Sequencing. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:toxins15020143. [PMID: 36828457 PMCID: PMC9959208 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15020143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In the so-called "struggle for existence" competition, the venomous animals developed a smart and effective strategy, envenomation, for predation and defense. Biochemical analysis revealed that animal venoms are chemical pools of proteinase, peptide toxins, and small organic molecules with various biological activities. Of them, peptide toxins are of great molecular diversity and possess the capacity to modulate the activity of ion channels, the second largest group of drug targets expressed on the cell membrane, which makes them a rich resource for developing peptide drug pioneers. The spider Lycosa coelestis (L. coelestis) commonly found in farmland in China is a dominant natural enemy of agricultural pests; however, its venom composition and activity were never explored. Herein, we conducted cDNA library and transcriptomic sequencing of the venom gland of L. coelestis, which identified 1131 high-quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs), grouped into three categories denoted as toxin-like ESTs (597, 52.79%), cellular component ESTs (357, 31.56%), and non-matched ESTs (177, 15.65%). These toxin-like ESTs encode 98 non-reductant toxins, which are artificially divided into 11 families based on their sequence homology and cysteine frameworks (2-14 cysteines forming 1-7 disulfide bonds to stabilize the toxin structure). Furthermore, RP-HPLC purification combined with off-line MALDI-TOF analysis have detected 147 different peptides physically existing in the venom of L. coelestis. Electrophysiology analysis confirmed that the venom preferably inhibits the voltage-gated calcium channels in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. Altogether, the present study has added a great lot of new members to the spider toxin superfamily and built the foundation for characterizing novel active peptides in the L. coelestis venom.
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Neto OBS, Valladão R, Coelho GR, Dias R, Pimenta DC, Lopes AR. Spiders' digestive system as a source of trypsin inhibitors: functional activity of a member of atracotoxin structural family. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2389. [PMID: 36765114 PMCID: PMC9918498 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29576-y] [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: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Spiders are important predators of insects and their venoms play an essential role in prey capture. Spider venoms have several potential applications as pharmaceutical compounds and insecticides. However, transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of the digestive system (DS) of spiders show that DS is also a rich source of new peptidase inhibitor molecules. Biochemical, transcriptomic and proteomic data of crude DS extracts show the presence of molecules with peptidase inhibitor potential in the spider Nephilingis cruentata. Therefore, the aims of this work were to isolate and characterize molecules with trypsin inhibitory activity. The DS of fasting adult females was homogenized under acidic conditions and subjected to heat treatment. After that, samples were submitted to ion exchange batch and high-performance reverse-phase chromatography. The fractions with trypsin inhibitory activity were confirmed by mass spectrometry, identifying six molecules with inhibitory potential. The inhibitor NcTI (Nephilingis cruentata trypsin inhibitor) was kinetically characterized, showing a KD value of 30.25 nM ± 8.13. Analysis of the tertiary structure by molecular modeling using Alpha-Fold2 indicates that the inhibitor NcTI structurally belongs to the MIT1-like atracotoxin family. This is the first time that a serine peptidase inhibitory function is attributed to this structural family and the inhibitor reactive site residue is identified. Sequence analysis indicates that these molecules may be present in the DS of other spiders and could be associated to the inactivation of prey trypsin (serine peptidase) ingested by the spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Bento Silva Neto
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, 05503900, Brazil.,Programa Interunidades (USP, Instituto Butantan, IPT) de pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508000, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Valladão
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, 05503900, Brazil.,Programa Interunidades (USP, Instituto Butantan, IPT) de pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508000, Brazil
| | | | - Renata Dias
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiás, Brazil
| | | | - Adriana Rios Lopes
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, 05503900, Brazil. .,Programa Interunidades (USP, Instituto Butantan, IPT) de pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508000, Brazil.
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Megaly AMA, Miyashita M, Abdel-Wahab M, Nakagawa Y, Miyagawa H. Molecular Diversity of Linear Peptides Revealed by Transcriptomic Analysis of the Venom Gland of the Spider Lycosa poonaensis. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14120854. [PMID: 36548751 PMCID: PMC9788040 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14120854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider venom is a complex mixture of bioactive components. Previously, we identified two linear peptides in Lycosa poonaensis venom using mass spectrometric analysis and predicted the presence of more linear peptides therein. In this study, a transcriptomic analysis of the L. poonaensis venom gland was conducted to identify other undetermined linear peptides in the venom. The results identified 87 contigs encoding peptides and proteins in the venom that were similar to those in other spider venoms. The number of contigs identified as neurotoxins was the highest, and 15 contigs encoding 17 linear peptide sequences were identified. Seven peptides that were representative of each family were chemically synthesized, and their biological activities were evaluated. All peptides showed significant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, although their selectivity for bacterial species differed. All peptides also exhibited paralytic activity against crickets, but none showed hemolytic activity. The secondary structure analysis based on the circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that all these peptides adopt an amphiphilic α-helical structure. Their activities appear to depend on the net charge, the arrangement of basic and acidic residues, and the hydrophobicity of the peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alhussin Mohamed Abdelhakeem Megaly
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assuit 71524, Egypt
| | - Masahiro Miyashita
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Correspondence:
| | - Mohammed Abdel-Wahab
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assuit 71524, Egypt
| | - Yoshiaki Nakagawa
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Hisashi Miyagawa
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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Shen C, Zhang M, Liang H, He J, Zhang B, Liang B. Gene cloning and functional study of PmKSPI from Pinctada fucata martensii. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 131:1157-1165. [PMID: 36400373 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2022.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitors (KSPI) are a family of serine protease inhibitors (SPIs) and are extensively found in animals, plants, and microbes. SPI can inhibit proteases that may be harmful or unwanted to its cells. Here, a four-domain Kunitz-type SPI, PmKSPI, was cloned by RACE in the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii. The full-length cDNA sequence of PmKSPI was 1318 bp, including the 5' UTR (25 bp), the 3' UTR (96 bp) and ORF (1197 bp). Homology analysis indicated that PmKSPI had the highest resemblance (30.14%) with its homolog in Crassostrea gigas. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that PmKSPI clustered with homologs in other molluscs. We found that PmKSPI mRNA expression in P. f. martensii was distributed in all six tissues, with the highest level in the mantle, and almost no expression in other tissues. After PAMPs challenge, expression of PmKSPI mRNA in the mantle was significantly up-regulated. The recombinant protein rPmKSPI significantly inhibited the growth of 5 kinds of Gram-negative bacteria but had little effect on Gram-positive bacterial activity. Transmission electron microscopy showed that plasmolysis occurred in two Gram-negative bacteria species when treated with rPmKSPI. rPmKSPI may thus have a bactericidal effect by destroying the bacterial cell membrane or cell walls and releasing its contents. Therefore, our results suggest that PmKSPI is tightly associated with the immunological defence of P. f. martensii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghao Shen
- Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China
| | - Meizhen Zhang
- Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China
| | - Haiying Liang
- Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China.
| | - Junjun He
- Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China
| | - Bidan Liang
- Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China
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A Factor XIa Inhibitor Engineered from Banded Krait Venom Toxin: Efficacy and Safety in Rodent Models of Arterial and Venous Thrombosis. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10071679. [PMID: 35884984 PMCID: PMC9312835 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10071679] [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: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Activated factor XI (FXIa) is an important antithrombotic drug target. Clinical and pre-clinical data have demonstrated that its inhibition attenuates thrombosis with minimal risk of excessive bleeding. We isolated Fasxiator from the venom of banded krait Bungarus fasciatus and subsequently engineered FasxiatorN17R,L19E, with improved affinity (Ki = 0.9 nM) and selectivity towards FXIa. Here, we assess the in vivo efficacy and bleeding risk of rFasxiatorN17R, L19E in pre-clinical animal models. Rats injected intravenously (i.v.) with bolus rFasxiatorN17R, L19E showed the specific in vivo attenuation of the intrinsic coagulation pathway, lasting for at least 60 min. We performed the in vivo dose-ranging experiments for rFasxiatorN17R, L19E as follows: FeCl3-induced carotid artery occlusion in rats (arterial thrombosis); inferior vena cava ligation in mice (venous thrombosis); tail bleeding time in both rats and mice (bleeding risk). Head-to-head comparisons were made using therapeutic dosages of unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for arterial and venous thrombosis, respectively. In the arterial thrombosis model, 2 mg/kg i.v. rFasxiatorN17R,L19E achieved a similar antithrombotic efficacy to that of UFH, with >3-fold lower bleeding time. In the venous thrombosis model, the 10 mg/kg subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of rFasxiatorN17R,L19E achieved similar efficacy and bleeding levels to those of LMWH enoxaparin. Overall, rFasxiatorN17R,L19E represents a promising molecule for the development of FXIa-targeting anticoagulants.
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Chen H, Siu SWI, Wong CTT, Qiu J, Cheung AKK, Lee SMY. Anti-epileptic Kunitz-like peptides discovered in the branching coral Acropora digitifera through transcriptomic analysis. Arch Toxicol 2022; 96:2589-2608. [PMID: 35604417 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-022-03311-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Approximately 50 million people are suffering from epilepsy worldwide. Corals have been used for treating epilepsy in traditional Chinese medicine, but the mechanism of this treatment is unknown. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome of the branching coral Acropora digitifera and obtained its Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), EuKaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG) and Gene Ontology (GO) annotation. Combined with multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis, we discovered three polypeptides, we named them AdKuz1, AdKuz2 and AdKuz3, from A. digitifera that showed a close relationship to Kunitz-type peptides. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation indicated that AdKuz1 to 3 could interact with GABAA receptor but AdKuz2-GABAA remained more stable than others. The biological experiments showed that AdKuz1 and AdKuz2 exhibited an anti-inflammatory effect by decreasing the aberrant level of nitric oxide (NO), IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β induced by LPS in BV-2 cells. In addition, the pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced epileptic effect on zebrafish was remarkably suppressed by AdKuz1 and AdKuz2. AdKuz2 particularly showed superior anti-epileptic effects compared to the other two peptides. Furthermore, AdKuz2 significantly decreased the expression of c-fos and npas4a, which were up-regulated by PTZ treatment. In addition, AdKuz2 reduced the synthesis of glutamate and enhanced the biosynthesis of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). In conclusion, the results indicated that AdKuz2 may affect the synthesis of glutamate and GABA and enhance the activity of the GABAA receptor to inhibit the symptoms of epilepsy. We believe, AdKuz2 could be a promising anti-epileptic agent and its mechanism of action should be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanbin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.,Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shirley Weng In Siu
- Institute of Science and Environment, University of Saint Joseph, Macao, China
| | - Clarence Tsun Ting Wong
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jianwen Qiu
- Department of Biology and Hong Kong Branch of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Alex Kwok-Kuen Cheung
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Simon Ming Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China. .,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
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11
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Verdes A, Taboada S, Hamilton BR, Undheim EAB, Sonoda GG, Andrade SCS, Morato E, Isabel Marina A, Cárdenas CA, Riesgo A. Evolution, expression patterns and distribution of novel ribbon worm predatory and defensive toxins. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6580756. [PMID: 35512366 PMCID: PMC9132205 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribbon worms are active predators that use an eversible proboscis to inject venom into their prey and defend themselves with toxic epidermal secretions. Previous work on nemertean venom has largely focused on just a few species and has not investigated the different predatory and defensive secretions in detail. Consequently, our understanding of the composition and evolution of ribbon worm venoms is still very limited. Here, we present a comparative study of nemertean venom combining RNA-seq differential gene expression analyses of venom-producing tissues, tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomics of toxic secretions, and mass spectrometry imaging of proboscis sections, to shed light onto the composition and evolution of predatory and defensive toxic secretions in Antarctonemertes valida. Our analyses reveal a wide diversity of putative defensive and predatory toxins with tissue-specific gene expression patterns and restricted distributions to the mucus and proboscis proteomes respectively, suggesting that ribbon worms produce distinct toxin cocktails for predation and defense. Our results also highlight the presence of numerous lineage-specific toxins, indicating that venom evolution is highly divergent across nemerteans, producing toxin cocktails that might be finely tuned to subdue different prey. Our data also suggest that the hoplonemertean proboscis is a highly specialized predatory organ that seems to be involved in a variety of biological functions besides predation, including secretion and sensory perception. Overall, our results advance our knowledge into the diversity and evolution of nemertean venoms and highlight the importance of combining different types of data to characterize toxin composition in understudied venomous organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Verdes
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN), CSIC, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Sergi Taboada
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK.,Departament of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Brett R Hamilton
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Gabriel G Sonoda
- Departmento de Genética e Biología Evolutiva, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sonia C S Andrade
- Departmento de Genética e Biología Evolutiva, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Esperanza Morato
- CBMSO Protein Chemistry Facility, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel Marina
- CBMSO Protein Chemistry Facility, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - César A Cárdenas
- Departamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno, Punta Arenas, Chile.,Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Santiago, Chile
| | - Ana Riesgo
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN), CSIC, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
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12
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Marinaccio L, Stefanucci A, Scioli G, Della Valle A, Zengin G, Cichelli A, Mollica A. Peptide Human Neutrophil Elastase Inhibitors from Natural Sources: An Overview. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23062924. [PMID: 35328340 PMCID: PMC8954713 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23062924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Elastases are a broad group of enzymes involved in the lysis of elastin, the main component of elastic fibres. They are produced and released in the human body, mainly by neutrophils and the pancreas. The imbalance between elastase activity and its endogenous inhibitors can cause different illnesses due to their excessive activity. The main aim of this review is to provide an overview of the latest advancements on the identification, structures and mechanisms of action of peptide human neutrophil elastase inhibitors isolated from natural sources, such as plants, animals, fungi, bacteria and sponges. The discovery of new elastase inhibitors could have a great impact on the pharmaceutical development of novel drugs through the optimization of the natural lead compounds. Bacteria produce mainly cyclic peptides, while animals provide for long and linear amino acid sequences. Despite their diverse natural sources, these elastase inhibitors show remarkable IC50 values in a range from nM to μM values, thus representing an interesting starting point for the further development of potent bioactive compounds on human elastase enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenza Marinaccio
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (L.M.); (G.S.); (A.D.V.); (A.M.)
| | - Azzurra Stefanucci
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (L.M.); (G.S.); (A.D.V.); (A.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0871-3554906
| | - Giuseppe Scioli
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (L.M.); (G.S.); (A.D.V.); (A.M.)
| | - Alice Della Valle
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (L.M.); (G.S.); (A.D.V.); (A.M.)
| | - Gokhan Zengin
- Department of Biology, Science Faculty, Selcuk University, Konya 42130, Turkey;
| | - Angelo Cichelli
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy;
| | - Adriano Mollica
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (L.M.); (G.S.); (A.D.V.); (A.M.)
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13
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Liao Z, Tang X, Chen W, Jiang X, Chen Z, He K, Li Q, Duan Z, He X, Kamau PM, Lv L, Zhang Z, Rong M, Lv Q, Lai R. Shrew's venom quickly causes circulation disorder, analgesia and hypokinesia. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:35. [PMID: 34989866 PMCID: PMC11071750 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-04116-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Multiple representatives of eulipotyphlan mammals such as shrews have oral venom systems. Venom facilitates shrews to hunt and/or hoard preys. However, little is known about their venom composition, and especially the mechanism to hoard prey in comatose states for meeting their extremely high metabolic rates. A toxin (BQTX) was identified from venomous submaxillary glands of the shrew Blarinella quadraticauda. BQTX is specifically distributed and highly concentrated (~ 1% total protein) in the organs. BQTX shares structural and functional similarities to toxins from snakes, wasps and snails, suggesting an evolutional relevancy of venoms from mammalians and non-mammalians. By potentiating thrombin and factor-XIIa and inhibiting plasmin, BQTX induces acute hypertension, blood coagulation and hypokinesia. It also shows strong analgesic function by inhibiting elastase. Notably, the toxin keeps high plasma stability with a 16-h half-life in-vivo, which likely extends intoxication to paralyze or immobilize prey hoarded fresh for later consumption and maximize foraging profit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyi Liao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiaopeng Tang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Wenlin Chen
- No.1 Department of Breast Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University & Yunnan Tumor Hospital, kunming, 650000, Yunnan, China
| | - Xuelong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhongzheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Kai He
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Quan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Zilei Duan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiaoqin He
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Peter Muiruri Kamau
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, Yunnan, China
| | - Longbao Lv
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhiye Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Mingqiang Rong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Qiumin Lv
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Ren Lai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China.
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14
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Gremski LH, Matsubara FH, da Justa HC, Schemczssen-Graeff Z, Baldissera AB, Schluga PHDC, Leite IDO, Boia-Ferreira M, Wille ACM, Senff-Ribeiro A, Veiga SS. Brown spider venom toxins: what are the functions of astacins, serine proteases, hyaluronidases, allergens, TCTP, serpins and knottins? J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2021; 27:e20200188. [PMID: 34377142 PMCID: PMC8314928 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2020-0188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Accidents caused by the bites of brown spiders (Loxosceles) generate a clinical condition that often includes a threatening necrotic skin lesion near the bite site along with a remarkable inflammatory response. Systemic disorders such as hemolysis, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure may occur, but are much less frequent than the local damage. It is already known that phospholipases D, highly expressed toxins in Loxosceles venom, can induce most of these injuries. However, this spider venom has a great range of toxins that probably act synergistically to enhance toxicity. The other protein classes remain poorly explored due to the difficulty in obtaining sufficient amounts of them for a thorough investigation. They include astacins (metalloproteases), serine proteases, knottins, translationally controlled tumor proteins (TCTP), hyaluronidases, allergens and serpins. It has already been shown that some of them, according to their characteristics, may participate to some extent in the development of loxoscelism. In addition, all of these toxins present potential application in several areas. The present review article summarizes information regarding some functional aspects of the protein classes listed above, discusses the directions that could be taken to materialize a comprehensive investigation on each of these toxins as well as highlights the importance of exploring the full venom repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiza Helena Gremski
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Hanna Câmara da Justa
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ana Carolina Martins Wille
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology and Genetics, State University of Ponta Grossa (UEPG), Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - Andrea Senff-Ribeiro
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Silvio Sanches Veiga
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR, Brazil
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15
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Qokoyi NK, Masamba P, Kappo AP. Proteins as Targets in Anti-Schistosomal Drug Discovery and Vaccine Development. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:762. [PMID: 34358178 PMCID: PMC8310332 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9070762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteins hardly function in isolation; they form complexes with other proteins or molecules to mediate cell signaling and control cellular processes in various organisms. Protein interactions control mechanisms that lead to normal and/or disease states. The use of competitive small molecule inhibitors to disrupt disease-relevant protein-protein interactions (PPIs) holds great promise for the development of new drugs. Schistosome invasion of the human host involves a variety of cross-species protein interactions. The pathogen expresses specific proteins that not only facilitate the breach of physical and biochemical barriers present in skin, but also evade the immune system and digestion of human hemoglobin, allowing for survival in the host for years. However, only a small number of specific protein interactions between the host and parasite have been functionally characterized; thus, in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms of these interactions is a key component in the development of new treatment methods. Efforts are now focused on developing a schistosomiasis vaccine, as a proposed better strategy used either alone or in combination with Praziquantel to control and eliminate this disease. This review will highlight protein interactions in schistosomes that can be targeted by specific PPI inhibitors for the design of an alternative treatment to Praziquantel.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Abidemi Paul Kappo
- Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology (MBSB) Group, Department of Biochemistry, Kingsway Campus, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa; (N.K.Q.); (P.M.)
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16
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Kim BY, Lee KS, Lee KY, Yoon HJ, Jin BR. Anti-fibrinolytic activity of a metalloprotease inhibitor from bumblebee (Bombus ignitus) venom. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2021; 245:109042. [PMID: 33838314 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2021.109042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Bee venom is a mixture of bioactive components that include proteases and protease inhibitors. A metalloprotease inhibitor has been predicted to be a bumblebee-specific toxin in the venom proteome of Bombus terrestris; however, the identification and functional roles of bee venom metalloprotease inhibitors have not been previously determined. In this study, we identified a bumblebee (B. ignitus) venom metalloprotease inhibitor (BiVMPI) that exhibits anti-fibrinolytic activity. BiVMPI contains a trypsin inhibitor-like cysteine-rich domain that exhibits similarity to inducible metalloprotease inhibitor. Using an anti-BiVMPI antibody raised against a recombinant BiVMPI protein produced in baculovirus-infected insect cells, the presence of BiVMPI in the venom gland and secreted venom of B. ignitus worker bees was confirmed. The recombinant BiVMPI protein demonstrated inhibitory activity against a metalloprotease, trypsin, chymotrypsin, protease K, and plasmin, but not subtilisin A, elastase, or thrombin. Additionally, the recombinant BiVMPI bound to plasmin and inhibited the plasmin-mediated degradation of fibrin, demonstrating an anti-fibrinolytic role for BiVMPI as a bee venom metalloprotease inhibitor. Our results provide the first evidence for the identification and anti-fibrinolytic activity of a metalloprotease inhibitor from bee venom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yeon Kim
- College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang Sik Lee
- College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Yong Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biology, National Academy of Agricultural Science, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Joo Yoon
- Department of Agricultural Biology, National Academy of Agricultural Science, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea.
| | - Byung Rae Jin
- College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Republic of Korea.
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17
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Analysis of High Molecular Mass Compounds from the Spider Pamphobeteus verdolaga Venom Gland. A Transcriptomic and MS ID Approach. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13070453. [PMID: 34209760 PMCID: PMC8309857 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13070453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, spider venom research focuses on the neurotoxic activity of small peptides. In this study, we investigated high-molecular-mass compounds that have either enzymatic activity or housekeeping functions present in either the venom gland or venom of Pamphobeteus verdolaga. We used proteomic and transcriptomic-assisted approaches to recognize the proteins sequences related to high-molecular-mass compounds present in either venom gland or venom. We report the amino acid sequences (partial or complete) of 45 high-molecular-mass compounds detected by transcriptomics showing similarity to other proteins with either enzymatic activity (i.e., phospholipases A2, kunitz-type, hyaluronidases, and sphingomyelinase D) or housekeeping functions involved in the signaling process, glucanotransferase function, and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity. MS/MS analysis showed fragments exhibiting a resemblance similarity with different sequences detected by transcriptomics corresponding to sphingomyelinase D, hyaluronidase, lycotoxins, cysteine-rich secretory proteins, and kunitz-type serine protease inhibitors, among others. Additionally, we report a probably new protein sequence corresponding to the lycotoxin family detected by transcriptomics. The phylogeny analysis suggested that P. verdolaga includes a basal protein that underwent a duplication event that gave origin to the lycotoxin proteins reported for Lycosa sp. This approach allows proposing an evolutionary relationship of high-molecular-mass proteins among P. verdolaga and other spider species.
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18
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Peptides and Peptidomimetics as Inhibitors of Enzymes Involved in Fibrillar Collagen Degradation. MATERIALS 2021; 14:ma14123217. [PMID: 34200889 PMCID: PMC8230458 DOI: 10.3390/ma14123217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Collagen fibres degradation is a complex process involving a variety of enzymes. Fibrillar collagens, namely type I, II, and III, are the most widely spread collagens in human body, e.g., they are responsible for tissue fibrillar structure and skin elasticity. Nevertheless, the hyperactivity of fibrotic process and collagen accumulation results with joints, bone, heart, lungs, kidneys or liver fibroses. Per contra, dysfunctional collagen turnover and its increased degradation leads to wound healing disruption, skin photoaging, and loss of firmness and elasticity. In this review we described the main enzymes participating in collagen degradation pathway, paying particular attention to enzymes degrading fibrillar collagen. Therefore, collagenases (MMP-1, -8, and -13), elastases, and cathepsins, together with their peptide and peptidomimetic inhibitors, are reviewed. This information, related to the design and synthesis of new inhibitors based on peptide structure, can be relevant for future research in the fields of chemistry, biology, medicine, and cosmeceuticals.
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Identification of Novel Toxin Genes from the Stinging Nettle Caterpillar Parasa lepida (Cramer, 1799): Insights into the Evolution of Lepidoptera Toxins. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12050396. [PMID: 33946702 PMCID: PMC8145965 DOI: 10.3390/insects12050396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Many caterpillar species can produce toxins that cause harmful reactions to humans, varying from mild irritation to death. Currently, there is very limited knowledge about caterpillar toxin diversity, because only a few species have been investigated. We used the transcriptome technique to identify candidate toxin genes from the nettle caterpillar Parasa lepida (Cramer, 1799). It is a common pest of oil palm, coconut, and mango in South and South-East Asia, which can cause severe pain and allergic responses to those in contact with them. We reported 168 candidate toxin genes. Most of them are members of the toxin genes families commonly recruited in animal venoms such as serine protease and serine protease inhibitors. However, we identified 21 novel genes encoding knottin-like peptides expressed at a high level in the transcriptome. Their predicted 3D structures are similar to neurotoxins in scorpion and tarantula. Our study suggests that P. lepida venom contains diverse toxin proteins that potentially cause allergic reactions and pain. This study sheds light on the hidden diversity of toxin proteins in caterpillar lineage, which could be future fruitful new drug sources. Abstract Many animal species can produce venom for defense, predation, and competition. The venom usually contains diverse peptide and protein toxins, including neurotoxins, proteolytic enzymes, protease inhibitors, and allergens. Some drugs for cancer, neurological disorders, and analgesics were developed based on animal toxin structures and functions. Several caterpillar species possess venoms that cause varying effects on humans both locally and systemically. However, toxins from only a few species have been investigated, limiting the full understanding of the Lepidoptera toxin diversity and evolution. We used the RNA-seq technique to identify toxin genes from the stinging nettle caterpillar, Parasa lepida (Cramer, 1799). We constructed a transcriptome from caterpillar urticating hairs and reported 34,968 unique transcripts. Using our toxin gene annotation pipeline, we identified 168 candidate toxin genes, including protease inhibitors, proteolytic enzymes, and allergens. The 21 P. lepida novel Knottin-like peptides, which do not show sequence similarity to any known peptide, have predicted 3D structures similar to tarantula, scorpion, and cone snail neurotoxins. We highlighted the importance of convergent evolution in the Lepidoptera toxin evolution and the possible mechanisms. This study opens a new path to understanding the hidden diversity of Lepidoptera toxins, which could be a fruitful source for developing new drugs.
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20
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Klompen AML, Macrander J, Reitzel AM, Stampar SN. Transcriptomic Analysis of Four Cerianthid (Cnidaria, Ceriantharia) Venoms. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:md18080413. [PMID: 32764303 PMCID: PMC7460484 DOI: 10.3390/md18080413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tube anemones, or cerianthids, are a phylogenetically informative group of cnidarians with complex life histories, including a pelagic larval stage and tube-dwelling adult stage, both known to utilize venom in stinging-cell rich tentacles. Cnidarians are an entirely venomous group that utilize their proteinaceous-dominated toxins to capture prey and defend against predators, in addition to several other ecological functions, including intraspecific interactions. At present there are no studies describing the venom for any species within cerianthids. Given their unique development, ecology, and distinct phylogenetic-placement within Cnidaria, our objective is to evaluate the venom-like gene diversity of four species of cerianthids from newly collected transcriptomic data. We identified 525 venom-like genes between all four species. The venom-gene profile for each species was dominated by enzymatic protein and peptide families, which is consistent with previous findings in other cnidarian venoms. However, we found few toxins that are typical of sea anemones and corals, and furthermore, three of the four species express toxin-like genes closely related to potent pore-forming toxins in box jellyfish. Our study is the first to provide a survey of the putative venom composition of cerianthids and contributes to our general understanding of the diversity of cnidarian toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. L. Klompen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Ave., Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Jason Macrander
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28262, USA; (J.M.); (A.M.R.)
- Department of Biology, Florida Southern College, 111 Lake Hollingsworth, Drive Lakeland, FL 33801, USA
| | - Adam M. Reitzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28262, USA; (J.M.); (A.M.R.)
| | - Sérgio N. Stampar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP), FCL, Assis, SP 19806, Brazil;
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21
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Mishra M. Evolutionary Aspects of the Structural Convergence and Functional Diversification of Kunitz-Domain Inhibitors. J Mol Evol 2020; 88:537-548. [PMID: 32696206 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-020-09959-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Kunitz-type domains are ubiquitously found in natural systems as serine protease inhibitors or animal toxins in venomous animals. Kunitz motif is a cysteine-rich peptide chain of ~ 60 amino acid residues with alpha and beta fold, stabilized by three conserved disulfide bridges. An extensive dataset of amino acid variations is found on sequence analysis of various Kunitz peptides. Kunitz peptides show diverse biological activities like inhibition of proteases of other classes and/or adopting a new function of blocking or modulating the ion channels. Based on the amino acid residues at the functional site of various Kunitz-type inhibitors, it is inferred that this 'flexibility within the structural rigidity' is responsible for multiple biological activities. Accelerated evolution of functional sites in response to the co-evolving molecular targets of the hosts of venomous animals or parasites, gene sharing, and gene duplication have been discussed as the most likely mechanisms responsible for the functional heterogeneity of Kunitz-domain inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manasi Mishra
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, 201314, India.
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22
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Ahmad S, Saleem M, Riaz N, Lee YS, Diri R, Noor A, Almasri D, Bagalagel A, Elsebai MF. The Natural Polypeptides as Significant Elastase Inhibitors. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:688. [PMID: 32581778 PMCID: PMC7291377 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human neutrophil elastase (HNE) is a major cause of the destruction of tissues in cases of several different chronic andinflammatory diseases. Overexpression of the elastase enzyme plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of various diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute respiratory distress syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, the rare disease cyclic hematopoiesis (or cyclic neutropenia), infections, sepsis, cystic fibrosis, myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury and asthma, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Human neutrophil elastase is secreted by human neutrophils due to different stimuli. Medicine-based inhibition of the over-activation of neutrophils or production and activity of elastase have been suggested to mend inflammatory diseases. Although the development of new elastase inhibitors is an essential strategy for treating the different inflammatory diseases, it has been a challenge to specifically target the activity of elastase because of its overlapping functions with those of other serine proteases. This review article highlights the reported natural polypeptides as potential inhibitors of elastase enzyme. The mechanism of action, structural features, and activity of the polypeptides have also been correlated wherever they were available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabir Ahmad
- Department of Chemistry, Baghdad-ul-Jadeed Campus, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan.,Department of Chemistry, Post-Graduate College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Saleem
- Department of Chemistry, Baghdad-ul-Jadeed Campus, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Naheed Riaz
- Department of Chemistry, Baghdad-ul-Jadeed Campus, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Yong Sup Lee
- Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences & Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Reem Diri
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Noor
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Diena Almasri
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alaa Bagalagel
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mahmoud Fahmi Elsebai
- Department of Natural Products and Alternative Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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23
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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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Identification and Characterization of ShSPI, a Kazal-Type Elastase Inhibitor from the Venom of Scolopendra Hainanum. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11120708. [PMID: 31817486 PMCID: PMC6950245 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11120708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Elastase is a globular glycoprotein and belongs to the chymotrypsin family. It is involved in several inflammatory cascades on the basis of cleaving the important connective tissue protein elastin, and is strictly regulated to a balance by several endogenous inhibitors. When elastase and its inhibitors are out of balance, severe diseases will develop, especially those involved in the cardiopulmonary system. Much attention has been attracted in seeking innovative elastase inhibitors and various advancements have been taken on clinical trials of these inhibitors. Natural functional peptides from venomous animals have been shown to have anti-protease properties. Here, we identified a kazal-type serine protease inhibitor named ShSPI from the cDNA library of the venom glands of Scolopendra hainanum. ShSPI showed significant inhibitory effects on porcine pancreatic elastase and human neutrophils elastase with Ki values of 225.83 ± 20 nM and 12.61 ± 2 nM, respectively. Together, our results suggest that ShSPI may be an excellent candidate to develop a drug for cardiopulmonary diseases.
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Steinmetzer T, Pilgram O, Wenzel BM, Wiedemeyer SJA. Fibrinolysis Inhibitors: Potential Drugs for the Treatment and Prevention of Bleeding. J Med Chem 2019; 63:1445-1472. [PMID: 31658420 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Hyperfibrinolytic situations can lead to life-threatening bleeding, especially during cardiac surgery. The approved antifibrinolytic agents such as tranexamic acid, ε-aminocaproic acid, 4-aminomethylbenzoic acid, and aprotinin were developed in the 1960s without the structural insight of their respective targets. Crystal structures of the main antifibrinolytic targets, the lysine binding sites on plasminogen's kringle domains, and plasmin's serine protease domain greatly contributed to the structure-based drug design of novel inhibitor classes. Two series of ligands targeting the lysine binding sites have been recently described, which are more potent than the most-widely used antifibrinolytic agent, tranexamic acid. Furthermore, four types of promising active site inhibitors of plasmin have been developed: tranexamic acid conjugates targeting the S1 pocket and primed sites, substrate-analogue linear homopiperidylalanine-containing 4-amidinobenzylamide derivatives, macrocyclic inhibitors addressing nonprimed binding regions, and bicyclic 14-mer SFTI-1 analogues blocking both, primed and nonprimed binding sites of plasmin. Furthermore, several allosteric plasmin inhibitors based on heparin mimetics have been developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Steinmetzer
- Department of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry , Philipps University Marburg , Marbacher Weg 6 , D-35032 Marburg , Germany
| | - Oliver Pilgram
- Department of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry , Philipps University Marburg , Marbacher Weg 6 , D-35032 Marburg , Germany
| | - Benjamin M Wenzel
- Department of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry , Philipps University Marburg , Marbacher Weg 6 , D-35032 Marburg , Germany
| | - Simon J A Wiedemeyer
- Department of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry , Philipps University Marburg , Marbacher Weg 6 , D-35032 Marburg , Germany
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26
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Kazemi SM, Sabatier JM. Venoms of Iranian Scorpions (Arachnida, Scorpiones) and Their Potential for Drug Discovery. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24142670. [PMID: 31340554 PMCID: PMC6680535 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24142670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Scorpions, a characteristic group of arthropods, are among the earliest diverging arachnids, dating back almost 440 million years. One of the many interesting aspects of scorpions is that they have venom arsenals for capturing prey and defending against predators, which may play a critical role in their evolutionary success. Unfortunately, however, scorpion envenomation represents a serious health problem in several countries, including Iran. Iran is acknowledged as an area with a high richness of scorpion species and families. The diversity of the scorpion fauna in Iran is the subject of this review, in which we report a total of 78 species and subspecies in 19 genera and four families. We also list some of the toxins or genes studied from five species, including Androctonus crassicauda, Hottentotta zagrosensis, Mesobuthus phillipsi, Odontobuthus doriae, and Hemiscorpius lepturus, in the Buthidae and Hemiscorpiidae families. Lastly, we review the diverse functions of typical toxins from the Iranian scorpion species, including their medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Mahdi Kazemi
- Zagros Herpetological Institute, No 12, Somayyeh 14 Avenue, 3715688415 Qom, Iran.
| | - Jean-Marc Sabatier
- Institute of NeuroPhysiopathology, UMR 7051, Faculté de Médecine Secteur Nord, 51, Boulevard Pierre Dramard-CS80011, 13344-Marseille Cedex 15, France
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28
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The Dual Prey-Inactivation Strategy of Spiders-In-Depth Venomic Analysis of Cupiennius salei. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11030167. [PMID: 30893800 PMCID: PMC6468893 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11030167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Most knowledge of spider venom concerns neurotoxins acting on ion channels, whereas proteins and their significance for the envenomation process are neglected. The here presented comprehensive analysis of the venom gland transcriptome and proteome of Cupiennius salei focusses on proteins and cysteine-containing peptides and offers new insight into the structure and function of spider venom, here described as the dual prey-inactivation strategy. After venom injection, many enzymes and proteins, dominated by α-amylase, angiotensin-converting enzyme, and cysteine-rich secretory proteins, interact with main metabolic pathways, leading to a major disturbance of the cellular homeostasis. Hyaluronidase and cytolytic peptides destroy tissue and membranes, thus supporting the spread of other venom compounds. We detected 81 transcripts of neurotoxins from 13 peptide families, whereof two families comprise 93.7% of all cysteine-containing peptides. This raises the question of the importance of the other low-expressed peptide families. The identification of a venom gland-specific defensin-like peptide and an aga-toxin-like peptide in the hemocytes offers an important clue on the recruitment and neofunctionalization of body proteins and peptides as the origin of toxins.
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29
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Proteomic Analysis of Novel Components of Nemopilema nomurai Jellyfish Venom: Deciphering the Mode of Action. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11030153. [PMID: 30857234 PMCID: PMC6468547 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11030153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, proliferation of jellyfish has become a severe matter in many coastal areas around the world. Jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai is one of the most perilous organisms and leads to significant deleterious outcomes such as harm to the fishery, damage the coastal equipment, and moreover, its envenomation can be hazardous to the victims. Till now, the components of Nemopilema nomurai venom (NnV) are unknown owing to scant transcriptomics and genomic data. In the current research, we have explored a proteomic approach to identify NnV components and their interrelation with pathological effects caused by the jellyfish sting. Altogether, 150 proteins were identified, comprising toxins and other distinct proteins that are substantial in nematocyst genesis and nematocyte growth by employing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI/TOF/MS). The identified toxins are phospholipase A2, phospholipase D Li Sic Tox beta IDI, a serine protease, putative Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor, disintegrin and metalloproteinase, hemolysin, leukotoxin, three finger toxin MALT0044C, allergens, venom prothrombin activator trocarin D, tripeptide Gsp 9.1, and along with other toxin proteins. These toxins are relatively well characterized in the venoms of other poisonous species to induce pathogenesis, hemolysis, inflammation, proteolysis, blood coagulation, cytolysis, hemorrhagic activity, and type 1 hypersensitivity, suggesting that these toxins in NnV can also cause similar deleterious consequences. Our proteomic works indicate that NnV protein profile represents valuable source which leads to better understanding the clinical features of the jellyfish stings. As one of the largest jellyfish in the world, Nemopilema nomurai sting is considered to be harmful to humans due to its potent toxicity. The identification and functional characterization of its venom components have been poorly described and are beyond our knowledge. Here is the first report demonstrating the methodical overview of NnV proteomics research, providing significant information to understand the mechanism of NnV envenomation. Our proteomics findings can provide a platform for novel protein discovery and development of practical ways to deal with jellyfish stings on human beings.
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30
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Structural studies of plasmin inhibition. Biochem Soc Trans 2019; 47:541-557. [DOI: 10.1042/bst20180211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Plasminogen (Plg) is the zymogen form of the serine protease plasmin (Plm), and it plays a crucial role in fibrinolysis as well as wound healing, immunity, tissue remodeling and inflammation. Binding to the targets via the lysine-binding sites allows for Plg activation by plasminogen activators (PAs) present on the same target. Cellular uptake of fibrin degradation products leads to apoptosis, which represents one of the pathways for cross-talk between fibrinolysis and tissue remodeling. Therapeutic manipulation of Plm activity plays a vital role in the treatments of a range of diseases, whereas Plm inhibitors are used in trauma and surgeries as antifibrinolytic agents. Plm inhibitors are also used in conditions such as angioedema, menorrhagia and melasma. Here, we review the rationale for the further development of new Plm inhibitors, with a particular focus on the structural studies of the active site inhibitors of Plm. We compare the binding mode of different classes of inhibitors and comment on how it relates to their efficacy, as well as possible future developments.
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Kaur S, Devi A, Saikia B, Doley R. Expression and characterization of Flavikunin: A Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor identified in the venom gland cDNA library of Bungarus flaviceps. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2018; 33:e22273. [PMID: 30536558 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.22273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 10/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Trancriptomic analysis of the venom gland cDNA library of Bungarus flaviceps revealed Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor as one of the major venom protein families with three groups A, B, C. One of the group B isoforms named Flavikunin, which lacked an extra cysteine residue involved in disulfide bond formation in β-bungarotoxin, was synthesized, cloned, and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. To decipher the structure-function relationship, the P1 residue of Flavikunin, histidine, was mutated to alanine and arginine. Purified wild-type and mutant Flavikunins were screened against serine proteases-thrombin, factor Xa, trypsin, chymotrypsin, plasmin, and elastase. The wild-type and mutant Flavikunin (H∆R) inhibited plasmin with an IC 50 of 0.48 and 0.35 µM, respectively. The in-silico study showed that P1 residue of wild-type and mutant (H∆R) Flavikunin interacted with S1' and S1 site of plasmin, respectively. Thus, histidine at the P1 position was found to be involved in plasmin inhibition with mild anticoagulant activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simran Kaur
- Molecular Toxinology Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, India
| | - Arpita Devi
- Molecular Toxinology Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, India
| | - Bhaskarjyoti Saikia
- Molecular Toxinology Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, India
| | - Robin Doley
- Molecular Toxinology Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, India
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Huang L, Wang Z, Yu N, Li J, Liu Z. Toxin diversity revealed by the venom gland transcriptome of Pardosa pseudoannulata, a natural enemy of several insect pests. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2018; 28:172-182. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Borges MH, Andrich F, Lemos PH, Soares TG, Menezes TN, Campos FV, Neves LX, Castro-Borges W, Figueiredo SG. Combined proteomic and functional analysis reveals rich sources of protein diversity in skin mucus and venom from the Scorpaena plumieri fish. J Proteomics 2018; 187:200-211. [PMID: 30098406 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The biological activities observed upon envenomation by Scorpaena plumieri could be linked to both the venom and the skin mucus. Through a proteomic/functional approach we analyzed protein composition and biological activities of the venom and skin mucus. We identified 885 proteins: 722 in the Venomous Apparatus extracts (Sp-VAe) and 391 in the Skin Mucus extract (Sp-SMe), with 494 found exclusively in Sp-VAe, being named S. plumieri Venom Proteins (Sp-VP), while 228 were found in both extracts. The majority of the many proteins identified were not directly related to the biological activities reported here. Nevertheless, some were classified as toxins/potentially interesting molecules: lectins, proteases and protease inhibitors were detected in both extracts, while the pore-forming toxin and hyaluronidase were associated with Sp-VP. Proteolytic and anti-microbial activities were linked to both extracts, while the main toxic activities - cardiovascular, inflammatory, hemolytic and nociceptive - were elicited only by Sp-VAe. Our study provided a clear picture on the composition of the skin mucus and the venom. We also show that the classic effects observed upon envenomation are produced by molecules from the venomous gland. Our results add to the growing catalogue of scorpaeniform fish venoms and their skin mucus proteins. SIGNIFICANCE In this study a large number of proteins - including classical and non-classical toxins - were identified in the venomous apparatus and the skin mucus extracts of the Scorpaena plumieri fish through shotgun proteomic approach. It was shown that the toxic effects observed upon envenomation are elicited by molecules originated from the venomous gland. These results add to the growing catalogue of scorpaeniform fish venoms and their skin mucus proteins - so scarcely explored when compared to the venoms and bioactive components of terrestrial animals. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD009983.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márcia H Borges
- Laboratório de Proteômica, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Filipe Andrich
- Laboratório de Química de Proteínas, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Pedro H Lemos
- Laboratório de Química de Proteínas, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Thiago G Soares
- Laboratório de Proteômica, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thiago N Menezes
- Laboratório de Química de Proteínas, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Fabiana V Campos
- Laboratório de Química de Proteínas, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Leandro X Neves
- Laboratório de Enzimologia e Proteômica, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - William Castro-Borges
- Laboratório de Enzimologia e Proteômica, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Suely G Figueiredo
- Laboratório de Química de Proteínas, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil.
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Santibáñez-López CE, Ontano AZ, Harvey MS, Sharma PP. Transcriptomic Analysis of Pseudoscorpion Venom Reveals a Unique Cocktail Dominated by Enzymes and Protease Inhibitors. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:E207. [PMID: 29783636 PMCID: PMC5983263 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10050207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptomic and genomic analyses have illuminated the diversity of venoms in three of the four venomous arachnid orders (scorpions, spiders, and ticks). To date, no venom gland transcriptome analysis has been available for pseudoscorpions, the fourth venomous arachnid lineage. To redress this gap, we sequenced an mRNA library generated from the venom glands of the species Synsphyronus apimelus (Garypidae). High-throughput sequencing by the Illumina protocol, followed by de novo assembly, resulted in a total of 238,331 transcripts. From those, we annotated 131 transcripts, which code for putative peptides/proteins with similar sequences to previously reported venom components available from different arachnid species in protein databases. Transcripts putatively coding for enzymes showed the richest diversity, followed by other venom components such as peptidase inhibitors, cysteine-rich peptides, and thyroglobulin 1-like peptides. Only 11 transcripts were found that code for putatively low molecular mass spider toxins. This study constitutes the first report of the diversity of components within pseudoscorpion venom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E Santibáñez-López
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 3000, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México C.P. 04510, Mexico.
| | - Andrew Z Ontano
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Mark S Harvey
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, Western Australia 6986, Australia.
| | - Prashant P Sharma
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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Serine protease inhibitors containing a Kunitz domain: their role in modulation of host inflammatory responses and parasite survival. Microbes Infect 2018; 20:606-609. [PMID: 29355617 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Proteins containing a Kunitz domain have the typical serine protease inhibition function ranging from sea anemone to man. Protease inhibitors play major roles in infection, inflammation disorders and cancer. This review discusses the role of serine proteases containing a Kunitz domain in immunomodulation induced by helminth parasites. Helminth parasites are associated with protection from inflammatory conditions. Therefore, interest has raised whether worm parasites or their products hold potential as drugs for treatment of immunological disorders. Finally, we also propose the use of recombinant SmKI-1 from Schistosoma mansoni as a potential therapeutic molecule to treat inflammatory diseases.
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Bendre AD, Ramasamy S, Suresh CG. Analysis of Kunitz inhibitors from plants for comprehensive structural and functional insights. Int J Biol Macromol 2018; 113:933-943. [PMID: 29499268 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.02.148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Legume Kunitz type trypsin inhibitor (KTI) family is one of the most versatile families of proteins. A typical KTI features a single peptide folded in β-trefoil manner, with the molecular weight about 20-22kDa and two disulphide bonds. The members are known to inhibit a wide range of serpins proteases at the same time many of them possess unique features. Copaifera langsdorffii Trypsin inhibitor (CTI) has a β-trefoil fold made up of two non-covalently bound polypeptide chains with only a single disulfide bridge. Delonix regia Trypsin inhibitor (DrTI) has one amino acid insertion between P1 and P2 of the reactive site distorting its conformation. Bauhinia bauhinioides Cruzipain inhibitor (BbCI) has a conservative β-trefoil fold but lacks disulfide bonds. Such subtle differences in structures make Kunitz inhibitors different from other inhibitor families. Most of the studies on these inhibitors are focused towards their proposed role in defense from insect pests and wounding but their exact physiological role in nature is still uncharted. Thus, it would be very interesting to closely analyze the structural details of these inhibitors in order to ascertain their biological role and other fascinating applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameya D Bendre
- Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-NCL campus, Pune 411008, India
| | - Sureshkumar Ramasamy
- Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India.
| | - C G Suresh
- Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India
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Lomazi RL, Nishiduka ES, Silva PI, Tashima AK. Identification of Peptides in Spider Venom Using Mass Spectrometry. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1719:359-367. [PMID: 29476524 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7537-2_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Spider venoms are composed of hundreds of proteins and peptides. Several of these venom toxins are cysteine-rich peptides in the mass range of 3-9 kDa. Small peptides (<3 kDa) can be fully characterized by mass spectrometry analysis, while proteins are generally identified by the bottom-up approach in which proteins are first digested with trypsin to generate shorter peptides for MS/MS characterization. In general, it is sufficient for protein identification to sequence two or more peptides, but for venom peptidomics it is desirable to completely elucidate peptide sequences and the number of disulfide bonds in the molecules. In this chapter we describe a methodology to completely sequence and determine the number of disulfide bonds of spider venom peptides in the mass range of 3-9 kDa by multiple enzyme digestion, mass spectrometry of native and digested peptides, de novo analysis, and sequence overlap alignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael L Lomazi
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Erika S Nishiduka
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Pedro I Silva
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alexandre K Tashima
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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Verdes A, Simpson D, Holford M. Are Fireworms Venomous? Evidence for the Convergent Evolution of Toxin Homologs in Three Species of Fireworms (Annelida, Amphinomidae). Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:249-268. [PMID: 29293976 PMCID: PMC5778601 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphinomids, more commonly known as fireworms, are a basal lineage of marine annelids characterized by the presence of defensive dorsal calcareous chaetae, which break off upon contact. It has long been hypothesized that amphinomids are venomous and use the chaetae to inject a toxic substance. However, studies investigating fireworm venom from a morphological or molecular perspective are scarce and no venom gland has been identified to date, nor any toxin characterized at the molecular level. To investigate this question, we analyzed the transcriptomes of three species of fireworms-Eurythoe complanata, Hermodice carunculata, and Paramphinome jeffreysii-following a venomics approach to identify putative venom compounds. Our venomics pipeline involved de novo transcriptome assembly, open reading frame, and signal sequence prediction, followed by three different homology search strategies: BLAST, HMMER sequence, and HMMER domain. Following this pipeline, we identified 34 clusters of orthologous genes, representing 13 known toxin classes that have been repeatedly recruited into animal venoms. Specifically, the three species share a similar toxin profile with C-type lectins, peptidases, metalloproteinases, spider toxins, and CAP proteins found among the most highly expressed toxin homologs. Despite their great diversity, the putative toxins identified are predominantly involved in three major biological processes: hemostasis, inflammatory response, and allergic reactions, all of which are commonly disrupted after fireworm stings. Although the putative fireworm toxins identified here need to be further validated, our results strongly suggest that fireworms are venomous animals that use a complex mixture of toxins for defense against predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Verdes
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College Belfer Research Center, and The Graduate Center, Program in Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, City University of New York
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York
- Departamento de Biología (Zoología), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
| | - Danny Simpson
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine
| | - Mandë Holford
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College Belfer Research Center, and The Graduate Center, Program in Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, City University of New York
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University
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Patel S. A critical review on serine protease: Key immune manipulator and pathology mediator. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 2017; 45:579-591. [PMID: 28236540 PMCID: PMC7126602 DOI: 10.1016/j.aller.2016.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Proteolytic activity is fundamental to survival, so it is not surprising that all living organisms have proteases, especially seine protease. This enzyme in its numerous isoforms and homologues, constitutes the quintessential offence and defence factors, in the form of surface proteins, secreted molecules, gut digestive enzymes, venom in specialised glands or plant latex, among other manifestations. Occurring as trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, collagenase, thrombin, subtilisin etc., it mediates a diverse array of functions, including pathological roles as inflammatory, coagulatory to haemorrhagic. This review emphasizes that despite the superficial differences in mechanisms, most health issues, be they infectious, allergic, metabolic, or neural have a common conduit. This enzyme, in its various glycosylated forms leads to signal misinterpretations, wreaking havoc. However, organisms are endowed with serine protease inhibitors which might restrain this ubiquitous yet deleterious enzyme. Hence, serine proteases-driven pathogenesis and antagonising role of inhibitors is the focal point of this critical review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca L. Ware
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, Leicester LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Martin R. Luck
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, Leicester LE12 5RD, UK
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41
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Lee KS, Kim BY, Yoon HJ, Choi YS, Jin BR. Secapin, a bee venom peptide, exhibits anti-fibrinolytic, anti-elastolytic, and anti-microbial activities. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 63:27-35. [PMID: 27208884 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Revised: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Bee venom contains a variety of peptide constituents that have various biological, toxicological, and pharmacological actions. However, the biological actions of secapin, a venom peptide in bee venom, remain largely unknown. Here, we provide the evidence that Asiatic honeybee (Apis cerana) secapin (AcSecapin-1) exhibits anti-fibrinolytic, anti-elastolytic, and anti-microbial activities. The recombinant mature AcSecapin-1 peptide was expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells. AcSecapin-1 functions as a serine protease inhibitor-like peptide that has inhibitory effects against plasmin, elastases, microbial serine proteases, trypsin, and chymotrypsin. Consistent with these functions, AcSecapin-1 inhibited the plasmin-mediated degradation of fibrin to fibrin degradation products, thus indicating the role of AcSecapin-1 as an anti-fibrinolytic agent. AcSecapin-1 also inhibited both human neutrophil and porcine pancreatic elastases. Furthermore, AcSecapin-1 bound to bacterial and fungal surfaces and exhibited anti-microbial activity against fungi and gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Taken together, our data demonstrated that the bee venom peptide secapin has multifunctional roles as an anti-fibrinolytic agent during fibrinolysis and an anti-microbial agent in the innate immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang Sik Lee
- College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Dong-A University, Busan 604-714, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo Yeon Kim
- College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Dong-A University, Busan 604-714, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Joo Yoon
- Department of Agricultural Biology, National Academy of Agricultural Science, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Soo Choi
- Department of Agricultural Biology, National Academy of Agricultural Science, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung Rae Jin
- College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Dong-A University, Busan 604-714, Republic of Korea.
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42
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Smith D, Tikhonova IG, Jewhurst HL, Drysdale OC, Dvořák J, Robinson MW, Cwiklinski K, Dalton JP. Unexpected Activity of a Novel Kunitz-type Inhibitor: INHIBITION OF CYSTEINE PROTEASES BUT NOT SERINE PROTEASES. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:19220-34. [PMID: 27422822 PMCID: PMC5016662 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.724344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Kunitz-type (KT) protease inhibitors are low molecular weight proteins classically defined as serine protease inhibitors. We identified a novel secreted KT inhibitor associated with the gut and parenchymal tissues of the infective juvenile stage of Fasciola hepatica, a helminth parasite of medical and veterinary importance. Unexpectedly, recombinant KT inhibitor (rFhKT1) exhibited no inhibitory activity toward serine proteases but was a potent inhibitor of the major secreted cathepsin L cysteine proteases of F. hepatica, FhCL1 and FhCL2, and of human cathepsins L and K (Ki = 0.4-27 nm). FhKT1 prevented the auto-catalytic activation of FhCL1 and FhCL2 and formed stable complexes with the mature enzymes. Pulldown experiments from adult parasite culture medium showed that rFhKT1 interacts specifically with native secreted FhCL1, FhCL2, and FhCL5. Substitution of the unusual P1 Leu15 within the exposed reactive loop of FhKT1 for the more commonly found Arg (FhKT1Leu15/Arg15) had modest adverse effects on the cysteine protease inhibition but conferred potent activity against the serine protease trypsin (Ki = 1.5 nm). Computational docking and sequence analysis provided hypotheses for the exclusive binding of FhKT1 to cysteine proteases, the importance of the Leu15 in anchoring the inhibitor into the S2 active site pocket, and the inhibitor's selectivity toward FhCL1, FhCL2, and human cathepsins L and K. FhKT1 represents a novel evolutionary adaptation of KT protease inhibitors by F. hepatica, with its prime purpose likely in the regulation of the major parasite-secreted proteases and/or cathepsin L-like proteases of its host.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Irina G Tikhonova
- School of Pharmacy, Medical Biology Centre, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Jan Dvořák
- From the School of Biological Sciences and
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43
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Borges MH, Figueiredo SG, Leprevost FV, De Lima ME, Cordeiro MDN, Diniz MR, Moresco J, Carvalho PC, Yates JR. Venomous extract protein profile of Brazilian tarantula Grammostola iheringi : searching for potential biotechnological applications. J Proteomics 2016; 136:35-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2016.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2015] [Revised: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Vivas J, Ibarra C, Salazar AM, Neves-Ferreira AGC, Sánchez EE, Perales J, Rodríguez-Acosta A, Guerrero B. Purification and characterization of tenerplasminin-1, a serine peptidase inhibitor with antiplasmin activity from the coral snake (Micrurus tener tener) venom. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2016; 179:107-15. [PMID: 26419785 PMCID: PMC4729579 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2015.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
A plasmin inhibitor, named tenerplasminin-1 (TP1), was isolated from Micrurus tener tener (Mtt) venom. It showed a molecular mass of 6542Da, similarly to Kunitz-type serine peptidase inhibitors. The amidolytic activity of plasmin (0.5nM) on synthetic substrate S-2251 was inhibited by 91% following the incubation with TP1 (1nM). Aprotinin (2nM) used as the positive control of inhibition, reduced the plasmin amidolytic activity by 71%. Plasmin fibrinolytic activity (0.05nM) was inhibited by 67% following incubation with TP1 (0.1nM). The degradation of fibrinogen chains induced by plasmin, trypsin or elastase was inhibited by TP1 at a 1:2, 1:4 and 1:20 enzyme:inhibitor ratio, respectively. On the other hand, the proteolytic activity of crude Mtt venom on fibrinogen chains, previously attributed to metallopeptidases, was not abolished by TP1. The tPA-clot lysis assay showed that TP1 (0.2nM) acts like aprotinin (0.4nM) inducing a delay in lysis time and lysis rate which may be associated with the inhibition of plasmin generated from the endogenous plasminogen activation. TP1 is the first serine protease plasmin-like inhibitor isolated from Mtt snake venom which has been characterized in relation to its mechanism of action, formation of a plasmin:TP1 complex and therapeutic potential as anti-fibrinolytic agent, a biological characteristic of great interest in the field of biomedical research. They could be used to regulate the fibrinolytic system in pathologies such as metastatic cancer, parasitic infections, hemophilia and other hemorrhagic syndromes, in which an intense fibrinolytic activity is observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeilyn Vivas
- Laboratorio de Fisiopatología, Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela
| | - Carlos Ibarra
- Laboratorio de Fisiopatología, Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela
| | - Ana M Salazar
- Laboratorio de Fisiopatología, Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela
| | | | - Elda E Sánchez
- National Natural Toxins Research Center and Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX, USA
| | - Jonás Perales
- Laboratorio de Toxinologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alexis Rodríguez-Acosta
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Ultraestructura, Instituto Anatómico de la Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Belsy Guerrero
- Laboratorio de Fisiopatología, Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela.
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Ranasinghe SL, Fischer K, Zhang W, Gobert GN, McManus DP. Cloning and Characterization of Two Potent Kunitz Type Protease Inhibitors from Echinococcus granulosus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0004268. [PMID: 26645974 PMCID: PMC4672886 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus is responsible for cystic echinococcosis (CE), a cosmopolitan disease which imposes a significant burden on the health and economy of affected communities. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms whereby E. granulosus is able to survive in the hostile mammalian host environment, avoiding attack by host enzymes and evading immune responses, but protease inhibitors released by the parasite are likely implicated. We identified two nucleotide sequences corresponding to secreted single domain Kunitz type protease inhibitors (EgKIs) in the E. granulosus genome, and their cDNAs were cloned, bacterially expressed and purified. EgKI-1 is highly expressed in the oncosphere (egg) stage and is a potent chymotrypsin and neutrophil elastase inhibitor that binds calcium and reduced neutrophil infiltration in a local inflammation model. EgKI-2 is highly expressed in adult worms and is a potent inhibitor of trypsin. As powerful inhibitors of mammalian intestinal proteases, the EgKIs may play a pivotal protective role in preventing proteolytic enzyme attack thereby ensuring survival of E. granulosus within its mammalian hosts. EgKI-1 may also be involved in the oncosphere in host immune evasion by inhibiting neutrophil elastase and cathepsin G once this stage is exposed to the mammalian blood system. In light of their key roles in protecting E. granulosus from host enzymatic attack, the EgKI proteins represent potential intervention targets to control CE. This is important as new public health measures against CE are required, given the inefficiencies of available drugs and the current difficulties in its treatment and control. In addition, being a small sized highly potent serine protease inhibitor, and an inhibitor of neutrophil chemotaxis, EgKI-1 may have clinical potential as a novel anti-inflammatory therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiwanthi L. Ranasinghe
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Katja Fischer
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Wenbao Zhang
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
- Clinical Medical Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Geoffrey N. Gobert
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Donald P. McManus
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
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46
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A new Kunitz-type plasmin inhibitor from scorpion venom. Toxicon 2015; 106:7-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2015.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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47
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Bathige SDNK, Umasuthan N, Godahewa GI, Jayasinghe JDHE, Whang I, Noh JK, Lee J. A homolog of Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor from rock bream, Oplegnathus fasciatus: Molecular insights and transcriptional modulation in response to microbial and PAMP stimulation, and tissue injury. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 46:285-291. [PMID: 26162478 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2015.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Serine proteases and their inhibitors play vital roles in diverse biological processes. In this study, we identified and characterized cDNA coding for a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor (SPI), which we designated as RbKSPI, in a commercially important species, rock bream. The full-length cDNA sequence of RbKSPI consisted of 2452 bp with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1521 bp encoding a polypeptide of 507 amino acid (aa) residues. In the RbKSPI protein, MANEC, PKD, LDLa, and two Kunitz domains responsible for various functions were identified as characteristic features. Homology analysis revealed that RbKSPI shared the highest identity with the Kunitz homolog in Takifugu rubripes (77.6%). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that RbKSPI clusters with other teleostean KSPIs. In tissue-specific expression analysis, RbKSPI transcripts were detected in all the tested tissues, with the highest expression in gill tissue, followed by kidney and intestine. The mRNA expression of RbKSPI significantly increased in blood cells upon stimulation with two strains of bacteria (Edwardsiella tarda and Streptococcus iniae) and two pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs; LPS and poly I:C). Meanwhile, down-regulated expression of RbKSPI was observed in response to tissue injury. Collectively, these results suggest that the RbKSPI may be involved in essential immune defense against microbial pathogens and in the wound-healing process.
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Affiliation(s)
- S D N K Bathige
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, School of Marine Biomedical Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju Self-Governing Province 690-756, Republic of Korea; Fish Vaccine Research Center, Jeju National University, Jeju Self-Governing Province 690-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Navaneethaiyer Umasuthan
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, School of Marine Biomedical Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju Self-Governing Province 690-756, Republic of Korea; Fish Vaccine Research Center, Jeju National University, Jeju Self-Governing Province 690-756, Republic of Korea
| | - G I Godahewa
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, School of Marine Biomedical Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju Self-Governing Province 690-756, Republic of Korea; Fish Vaccine Research Center, Jeju National University, Jeju Self-Governing Province 690-756, Republic of Korea
| | - J D H E Jayasinghe
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, School of Marine Biomedical Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju Self-Governing Province 690-756, Republic of Korea; Fish Vaccine Research Center, Jeju National University, Jeju Self-Governing Province 690-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Ilson Whang
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, School of Marine Biomedical Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju Self-Governing Province 690-756, Republic of Korea; Fish Vaccine Research Center, Jeju National University, Jeju Self-Governing Province 690-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Koo Noh
- Genetics & Breeding Research Center, National Fisheries Research & Development Institute, Geoje 656-842, Republic of Korea
| | - Jehee Lee
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, School of Marine Biomedical Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju Self-Governing Province 690-756, Republic of Korea; Fish Vaccine Research Center, Jeju National University, Jeju Self-Governing Province 690-756, Republic of Korea.
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48
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Ranasinghe SL, Fischer K, Gobert GN, McManus DP. Functional expression of a novel Kunitz type protease inhibitor from the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:408. [PMID: 26238343 PMCID: PMC4524284 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1022-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomes are able to survive for prolonged periods in the blood system, despite continuous contact with coagulatory factors and mediators of the host immune system. Protease inhibitors likely play a critical role in host immune modulation thereby promoting parasite survival in this extremely hostile environment. Even though Kunitz type serine protease inhibitors have been shown to play important physiological functions in a range of organisms these proteins are less well characterised in parasitic helminths. METHODS We have cloned one gene sequence from S. mansoni, Smp_147730 (SmKI-1) which is coded for single domain Kunitz type protease inhibitor, E. coli-expressed and purified. Immunolocalisation and western blotting was carried out using affinity purified polyclonal anti-SmKI-1 murine antibodies to determine SmKI-1 expression in the parasite. Protease inhibitor assays and coagulation assays were performed to evaluate the functional roles of SmKI-1. RESULTS SmKI-1 is localised in the tegument of adult worms and the sub-shell region of eggs. Furthermore, this Kunitz protein is secreted into the host in the ES products of the adult worm. Recombinant SmKI-1 inhibited mammalian trypsin, chymotrypsin, neutrophil elastase, FXa and plasma kallikrein with IC50 values of 35 nM, 61 nM, 56 nM, 142 nM and 112 nM, respectively. However, no inhibition was detected for pancreatic elastase or cathepsin G. SmKI-1 (4 μM) delayed blood clot formation, reflected in an approximately three fold increase in activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time. CONCLUSIONS We have functionally characterised the first Kunitz type protease inhibitor (SmKI-1) from S. mansoni and show that it has anti-inflammatory and anti-coagulant properties. SmKI-1 is one of a number of putative Kunitz proteins in schistosomes that have presumably evolved as an adaptation to protect these parasites from the defence mechanisms of their mammalian hosts. As such they may represent novel vaccine candidates and/or drug targets for schistosomiasis control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiwanthi L Ranasinghe
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. .,School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Katja Fischer
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Geoffrey N Gobert
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Donald P McManus
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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49
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Kumaresan V, Harikrishnan R, Arockiaraj J. A potential Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor involves in kinetics of protease inhibition and bacteriostatic activity. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 42:430-438. [PMID: 25433138 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2014.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Revised: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/21/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor (KSPI) is a pancreatic secretary trypsin inhibitor which involves in various cellular component regulations including development and defense process. In this study, we have characterized a KSPI cDNA sequence of freshwater striped murrel fish Channa striatus (Cs) at molecular level. Cellular location analysis predicted that the CsKSPI was an extracellular protein. The domain analysis showed that the CsKSPI contains a Kazal domain at 47-103 along with its family signature between 61 and 83. Phylogenetically, CsKSPI is closely related to KSPI from Maylandia zebra and formed a sister group with mammals. The 2D structure of CsKSPI showed three α-helical regions which are connected with random coils, one helix at signal sequence and two at the Kazal domain region. The relative gene expression showed that the CsKSPI was highly expressed in gills and its expression was induced upon fungus (Aphanomyces invadans), bacteria (Aeromonas hydrophila) and poly I:C (a viral analogue) challenge. The CsKSPI recombinant protein was produced to characterize and study the CsKSPI gene specific functions. The recombinant CsKSPI strongly inhibited trypsin compared to other tested proteases. The results of the kinetic activity of CsKSPI against trypsin was V(max)s = 1.62 nmol/min, K(M)s = 0.21 mM and K(i)s = 15.37 nM. Moreover, the recombinant CsKSPI inhibited the growth of Gram-negative bacteria A. hydrophila at 20 μM and Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis at the MIC50 of 15 μM. Overall, the study indicated that the CsKSPI was a potential trypsin inhibitor which involves in antimicrobial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkatesh Kumaresan
- Division of Fisheries Biotechnology & Molecular Biology, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM University, Kattankulathur, 603 203 Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ramaswamy Harikrishnan
- Department of Zoology, Pachaiyappa's College for Men, Kanchipuram 631 501, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jesu Arockiaraj
- Division of Fisheries Biotechnology & Molecular Biology, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM University, Kattankulathur, 603 203 Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
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50
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Kim NH, Hwang BK. Pepper pathogenesis-related protein 4c is a plasma membrane-localized cysteine protease inhibitor that is required for plant cell death and defense signaling. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 81:81-94. [PMID: 25335438 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 10/05/2014] [Accepted: 10/15/2014] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv) type III effector AvrBsT triggers programmed cell death (PCD) and activates the hypersensitive response (HR) in plants. Here, we isolated and identified the plasma membrane localized pathogenesis-related (PR) protein 4c gene (CaPR4c) from pepper (Capsicum annuum) leaves undergoing AvrBsT-triggered HR cell death. CaPR4c encodes a protein with a signal peptide and a Barwin domain. Recombinant CaPR4c protein expressed in Escherichia coli exhibited cysteine protease-inhibitor activity and ribonuclease (RNase) activity. Subcellular localization analyses revealed that CaPR4c localized to the plasma membrane in plant cells. CaPR4c expression was rapidly and specifically induced by avirulent Xcv (avrBsT) infection. Transient expression of CaPR4c caused HR cell death in pepper leaves, which was accompanied by enhanced accumulation of H2 O2 and significant induction of some defense-response genes. Deletion of the signal peptide from CaPR4c abolished the induction of HR cell death, indicating a requirement for plasma membrane localization of CaPR4c for HR cell death. CaPR4c silencing in pepper disrupted both basal and AvrBsT-triggered resistance responses, and enabled Xcv proliferation in infected leaves. H2 O2 accumulation, cell-death induction, and defense-response gene expression were distinctly reduced in CaPR4c-silenced pepper. CaPR4c overexpression in transgenic Arabidopsis plants conferred greater resistance against infection by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis. These results collectively suggest that CaPR4c plays an important role in plant cell death and defense signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nak Hyun Kim
- Laboratory of Molecular Plant Pathology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 136-713, Korea
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