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Achimba F, Faezov B, Cohen B, Dunbrack R, Holford M. Targeting Dysregulated Ion Channels in Liver Tumors with Venom Peptides. Mol Cancer Ther 2024; 23:139-147. [PMID: 38015557 PMCID: PMC10831335 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-23-0256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The regulation of cellular processes by ion channels has become central to the study of cancer mechanisms. Designing molecules that can modify ion channels specific to tumor cells is a promising area of targeted drug delivery and therapy. Despite their potential in drug discovery, venom peptides-a group of natural products-have largely remained understudied and under-characterized. In general, venom peptides display high specificity and selectivity for their target ion channels. Therefore, they may represent an effective strategy for selectively targeting the dysregulation of ion channels in tumor cells. This review examines existing venom peptide therapies for different cancer types and focuses on the application of snail venom peptides in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of primary liver cancer worldwide. We provide insights into the mode of action of venom peptides that have been shown to target tumors. We also explore the benefit of using new computational methods like de novo protein structure prediction to screen venom peptides and identify potential druggable candidates. Finally, we summarize the role of cell culture, animal, and organoid models in developing effective therapies against HCC and highlight the need for creating models that represent the most disproportionately affected ethnicities in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Favour Achimba
- The PhD Program in Biochemistry, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York
- Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York
| | - Bulat Faezov
- Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russian Federation
| | - Brandon Cohen
- Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York
| | - Roland Dunbrack
- Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Mandë Holford
- The PhD Program in Biochemistry, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York
- Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York
- The PhD Program in Chemistry, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York
- The PhD Program in Biology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, The American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
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2
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Ringeval A, Farhat S, Fedosov A, Gerdol M, Greco S, Mary L, Modica MV, Puillandre N. DeTox: a pipeline for the detection of toxins in venomous organisms. Brief Bioinform 2024; 25:bbae094. [PMID: 38493344 PMCID: PMC10944572 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbae094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Venomous organisms have independently evolved the ability to produce toxins 101 times during their evolutionary history, resulting in over 200 000 venomous species. Collectively, these species produce millions of toxins, making them a valuable resource for bioprospecting and understanding the evolutionary mechanisms underlying genetic diversification. RNA-seq is the preferred method for characterizing toxin repertoires, but the analysis of the resulting data remains challenging. While early approaches relied on similarity-based mapping to known toxin databases, recent studies have highlighted the importance of structural features for toxin detection. The few existing pipelines lack an integration between these complementary approaches, and tend to be difficult to run for non-experienced users. To address these issues, we developed DeTox, a comprehensive and user-friendly tool for toxin research. It combines fast execution, parallelization and customization of parameters. DeTox was tested on published transcriptomes from gastropod mollusks, cnidarians and snakes, retrieving most putative toxins from the original articles and identifying additional peptides as potential toxins to be confirmed through manual annotation and eventually proteomic analysis. By integrating a structure-based search with similarity-based approaches, DeTox allows the comprehensive characterization of toxin repertoire in poorly-known taxa. The effect of the taxonomic bias in existing databases is minimized in DeTox, as mirrored in the detection of unique and divergent toxins that would have been overlooked by similarity-based methods. DeTox streamlines toxin annotation, providing a valuable tool for efficient identification of venom components that will enhance venom research in neglected taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan Ringeval
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sarah Farhat
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Alexander Fedosov
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
- Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P. O. Box 50007, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marco Gerdol
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Roma, Italy
| | - Samuele Greco
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Lou Mary
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Maria Vittoria Modica
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Roma, Italy
| | - Nicolas Puillandre
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
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3
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Goudarzi MH, Eagles DA, Lim J, Biggs KA, Kotze AC, Ruffell AP, Fairlie DP, King GF, Walker AA. Venom composition and bioactive RF-amide peptide toxins of the saddleback caterpillar, Acharia stimulea (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae). Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 213:115598. [PMID: 37201876 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Limacodidae is a family of lepidopteran insects comprising >1500 species. More than half of these species produce pain-inducing defensive venoms in the larval stage, but little is known about their venom toxins. Recently, we characterised proteinaceous toxins from the Australian limacodid caterpillar Doratifera vulnerans, but it is unknown if the venom of this species is typical of other Limacodidae. Here, we use single animal transcriptomics and venom proteomics to investigate the venom of an iconic limacodid, the North American saddleback caterpillar Acharia stimulea. We identified 65 venom polypeptides, grouped into 31 different families. Neurohormones, knottins, and homologues of the immune signaller Diedel make up the majority of A.stimulea venom, indicating strong similarities to D. vulnerans venom, despite the large geographic separation of these caterpillars. One notable difference is the presence of RF-amide peptide toxins in A. stimulea venom. Synthetic versions of one of these RF-amide toxins potently activated the human neuropeptide FF1 receptor, displayed insecticidal activity when injected into Drosophila melanogaster, and moderately inhibited larval development of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus. This study provides insights into the evolution and activity of venom toxins in Limacodidae, and provides a platform for future structure-function characterisation of A.stimulea peptide toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohaddeseh H Goudarzi
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - David A Eagles
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Junxian Lim
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Centre for Inflammation and Disease Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Kimberley A Biggs
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew C Kotze
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Angela P Ruffell
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - David P Fairlie
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Centre for Inflammation and Disease Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Andrew A Walker
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Protein and Peptide Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
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Seldeslachts A, Peigneur S, Mebs D, Tytgat J. Unraveling the venom chemistry with evidence for histamine as key regulator in the envenomation by caterpillar Automeris zaruma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:972442. [PMID: 36091066 PMCID: PMC9448982 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.972442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decades, envenomation by caterpillars of Automeris spp. became an increasing health problem in Latin America. Accidental contact with the stinging spines of these caterpillars cause acute local pain, itching, inflammation and skin rashes that persists for days. Even when the cause is obvious, the exact molecular mechanisms responsible for the observed symptoms are yet to be elucidated. Here, we describe for the first time, an active compound in the venom and the study of the bioactivity of the venom extracted from the spines of the caterpillar Automeris zaruma. Electrophysiological screening of a library of membrane proteins important for pain and itch enabled us to investigate and reveal the mode of action of the venom of A. zaruma. Further mass spectrometric analysis (Q-TOF-MS) made it possible to establish a link between the bioactivity and the components found in the venom. We show that the spine extract of A. zaruma contains histamine that potently activates the four types of the human histamine receptors (H1R, H2R, H3R and H4R) with a selectivity preference towards H3R and H4R. Furthermore, a modulation of the target MRGPRX2 was found. Together, these findings are the first to explain the symptomology of A. zaruma envenomation, enabling us a better understanding of caterpillar envenomation and predict that the hurdle of the scarce efficacy of the currently used antihistaminic drugs can be overcome by including H3R and H4R blockers in the clinical used medication. Such an approach might be used for other caterpillar envenomation in the world and represent a significant improvement for the well-being of the patient.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dietrich Mebs
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Jan Tytgat,
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Ramiro IBL, Bjørn-Yoshimoto WE, Imperial JS, Gajewiak J, Salcedo PF, Watkins M, Taylor D, Resager W, Ueberheide B, Bräuner-Osborne H, Whitby FG, Hill CP, Martin LF, Patwardhan A, Concepcion GP, Olivera BM, Safavi-Hemami H. Somatostatin venom analogs evolved by fish-hunting cone snails: From prey capture behavior to identifying drug leads. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabk1410. [PMID: 35319982 PMCID: PMC8942377 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abk1410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Somatostatin (SS) is a peptide hormone with diverse physiological roles. By investigating a deep-water clade of fish-hunting cone snails, we show that predator-prey evolution has generated a diverse set of SS analogs, each optimized to elicit specific systemic physiological effects in prey. The increased metabolic stability, distinct SS receptor activation profiles, and chemical diversity of the venom analogs make them suitable leads for therapeutic application, including pain, cancer, and endocrine disorders. Our findings not only establish the existence of SS-like peptides in animal venoms but also serve as a model for the synergy gained from combining molecular phylogenetics and behavioral observations to optimize the discovery of natural products with biomedical potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Bea L. Ramiro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen-N 2200, Denmark
- The Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
| | | | - Julita S. Imperial
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Joanna Gajewiak
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Paula Flórez Salcedo
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Maren Watkins
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Dylan Taylor
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - William Resager
- New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | - Hans Bräuner-Osborne
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen-Ø 2100, Denmark
| | - Frank G. Whitby
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Christopher P. Hill
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Laurent F. Martin
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Amol Patwardhan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Gisela P. Concepcion
- The Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
| | - Baldomero M. Olivera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Helena Safavi-Hemami
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen-N 2200, Denmark
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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6
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El-Sayed AM, Brown RL, Bunn B. N-(3-methylbutyl)butanamide: A novel amide in the venom of female social wasps, Vespula vulgaris. J Insect Physiol 2021; 135:104311. [PMID: 34592309 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In New Zealand's ancient Fuscospora spp. or beech forests, two invasive Vespula social wasps Vespula vulgaris (L.) and Vespula germanica (F.) have become significant problems, adversely affecting native birds and invertebrate biodiversity. The nature of chemical communication in these two species is poorly understood, and this work was undertaken to identify the behaviourally active compounds in the venom of the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris (L.). Venom was removed from the stings of both workers and females and analyzed by coupled gas chromatography/electroantennographic detection (GC/EAD) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Two compounds were present in the venom that consistently elicited EAD responses from the antennae of males and workers. Mass spectrometry analysis and syntheses of candidate structures revealed the structures to be N-(3-methylbutyl)acetamide (MBA) and N-(3-methylbutyl)butanamide (MBB). Gyne venom contains significantly larger amounts of MBA and MBB than worker venom. When these two compounds were tested in the field individually or as binary blends in combination with the known food odour (honeydew volatiles), only N-(3-methylbutyl)butanamide or blends containing this compound showed a strong repellent effect on workers to honeydew volatiles at all doses tested. This is the first report of the occurrence of N-(3-methylbutyl)butanamide in nature and the third amide to be identified in the venom of any social wasp. In addition, this work is the first to report the chemical analysis of the venom of V. vulgaris gyne. The repellency effect observed in this study of the venom compound suggests that our definition and understanding of the function of the alarm pheromone need to be reassessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashraf M El-Sayed
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Gerald Street, 7608 Lincoln, New Zealand.
| | - Robert L Brown
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, 54 Gerald Street, 7608 Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Barry Bunn
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Batchelar Road, 4474 Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Rodrigues CFB, Zdenek CN, Serino-Silva C, de Morais-Zani K, Grego KF, Bénard-Valle M, Neri-Castro E, Alagón A, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, Fry BG. BoaγPLI from Boa constrictor Blood is a Broad-Spectrum Inhibitor of Venom PLA 2 Pathophysiological Actions. J Chem Ecol 2021; 47:907-914. [PMID: 34165686 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-021-01289-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The use of venom in predation exerts a corresponding selection pressure for the evolution of venom resistance. One of the mechanisms related to venom resistance in animals (predators or prey of snakes) is the presence of molecules in the blood that can bind venom toxins, and inhibit their pharmacological effects. One such toxin type are venom phospholipase A2s (PLA2s), which have diverse effects including anticoagulant, myotoxic, and neurotoxic activities. BoaγPLI isolated from the blood of Boa constrictor has been previously shown to inhibit venom PLA2s that induced myotoxic and edematogenic activities. Recently, in addition to its previously described and very potent neurotoxic effect, the venoms of American coral snakes (Micrurus species) have been shown to have anticoagulant activity via PLA2 toxins. As coral snakes eat other snakes as a major part of their diet, neonate Boas could be susceptible to predation by this sympatric species. Thus, this work aimed to ascertain if BoaγPLI provided a protective effect against the anticoagulant toxicity of venom from the model species Micrurus laticollaris in addition to its ability shown previously against other toxin types. Using a STA R Max coagulation analyser robot to measure the effect upon clotting time, and TEG5000 thromboelastographers to measure the effect upon clot strength, we evaluated the ability of BoaγPLI to inhibit M. laticollaris venom. Our results indicate that BoaγPLI is efficient at inhibiting the M. laticollaris anticoagulant effect, reducing the time of coagulation (restoring them closer to non-venom control values) and increasing the clot strength (restoring them closer to non-venom control values). These findings demonstrate that endogenous PLA2 inhibitors in the blood of non-venomous snakes are multi-functional and provide broad resistance against a myriad of venom PLA2-driven toxic effects including coagulotoxicity, myotoxicity, and neurotoxicity. This novel form of resistance could be evidence of selective pressures caused by predation from venomous snakes and stresses the need for field-based research aimed to expand our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of such chemical arms race.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Fabri Bittencourt Rodrigues
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Interunidades Em Biotecnologia, USP, IPT e Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Christina N Zdenek
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Caroline Serino-Silva
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Interunidades Em Biotecnologia, USP, IPT e Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karen de Morais-Zani
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Interunidades Em Biotecnologia, USP, IPT e Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Melisa Bénard-Valle
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, 62210, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Edgar Neri-Castro
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, 62210, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Alagón
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, 62210, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Interunidades Em Biotecnologia, USP, IPT e Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bryan Grieg Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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Niklas B, Jankowska M, Gordon D, Béress L, Stankiewicz M, Nowak W. Interactions of Sea Anemone Toxins with Insect Sodium Channel-Insights from Electrophysiology and Molecular Docking Studies. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26051302. [PMID: 33670972 PMCID: PMC7957711 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal venoms are considered as a promising source of new drugs. Sea anemones release polypeptides that affect electrical activity of neurons of their prey. Voltage dependent sodium (Nav) channels are the common targets of Av1, Av2, and Av3 toxins from Anemonia viridis and CgNa from Condylactis gigantea. The toxins bind to the extracellular side of a channel and slow its fast inactivation, but molecular details of the binding modes are not known. Electrophysiological measurements on Periplaneta americana neuronal preparation revealed differences in potency of these toxins to increase nerve activity. Av1 and CgNa exhibit the strongest effects, while Av2 the weakest effect. Extensive molecular docking using a modern SMINA computer method revealed only partial overlap among the sets of toxins’ and channel’s amino acid residues responsible for the selectivity and binding modes. Docking positions support earlier supposition that the higher neuronal activity observed in electrophysiology should be attributed to hampering the fast inactivation gate by interactions of an anemone toxin with the voltage driven S4 helix from domain IV of cockroach Nav channel (NavPaS). Our modelling provides new data linking activity of toxins with their mode of binding in site 3 of NavPaS channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Niklas
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100 Torun, Poland
- Correspondence: (B.N.); (W.N.)
| | - Milena Jankowska
- Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (M.J.); (M.S.)
| | - Dalia Gordon
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel;
| | - László Béress
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinic of Immunology, Division of Experimental and Clinical Peptide Research, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Maria Stankiewicz
- Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (M.J.); (M.S.)
| | - Wieslaw Nowak
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100 Torun, Poland
- Correspondence: (B.N.); (W.N.)
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9
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Abd El-Aziz TM, Soares AG, Stockand JD. Advances in venomics: Modern separation techniques and mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2020; 1160:122352. [PMID: 32971366 PMCID: PMC8174749 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2020.122352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Snake venoms are complex chemical mixtures of biologically active proteins and non-protein components. Toxins have a wide range of targets and effects to include ion channels and membrane receptors, and platelet aggregation and platelet plug formation. Toxins target these effectors and effects at high affinity and selectivity. From a pharmacological perspective, snake venom compounds are a valuable resource for drug discovery and development. However, a major challenge to drug discovery using snake venoms is isolating and analyzing the bioactive proteins and peptides in these complex mixtures. Getting molecular information from complex mixtures such as snake venoms requires proteomic analyses, generally combined with transcriptomic analyses of venom glands. The present review summarizes current knowledge and highlights important recent advances in venomics with special emphasis on contemporary separation techniques and bioinformatics that have begun to elaborate the complexity of snake venoms. Several analytical techniques such as two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, RP-HPLC, size exclusion chromatography, ion exchange chromatography, MALDI-TOF-MS, and LC-ESI-QTOF-MS have been employed in this regard. The improvement of separation approaches such as multidimensional-HPLC, 2D-electrophoresis coupled to soft-ionization (MALDI and ESI) mass spectrometry has been critical to obtain an accurate picture of the startling complexity of venoms. In the case of bioinformatics, a variety of software tools such as PEAKS also has been used successfully. Such information gleaned from venomics is important to both predicting and resolving the biological activity of the active components of venoms, which in turn is key for the development of new drugs based on these venom components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarek Mohamed Abd El-Aziz
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900, USA; Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, El-Minia 61519, Egypt.
| | - Antonio G Soares
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900, USA
| | - James D Stockand
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900, USA
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10
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Mendel HC, Kaas Q, Muttenthaler M. Neuropeptide signalling systems - An underexplored target for venom drug discovery. Biochem Pharmacol 2020; 181:114129. [PMID: 32619425 PMCID: PMC7116218 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Neuropeptides are signalling molecules mainly secreted from neurons that act as neurotransmitters or peptide hormones to affect physiological processes and modulate behaviours. In humans, neuropeptides are implicated in numerous diseases and understanding their role in physiological processes and pathologies is important for therapeutic development. Teasing apart the (patho)physiology of neuropeptides remains difficult due to ligand and receptor promiscuity and the complexity of the signalling pathways. The current approach relies on a pharmacological toolbox of agonists and antagonists displaying high selectivity for independent receptor subtypes, with the caveat that only few selective ligands have been discovered or developed. Animal venoms represent an underexplored source for novel receptor subtype-selective ligands that could aid in dissecting human neuropeptide signalling systems. Multiple endogenous-like neuropeptides as well as peptides acting on neuropeptide receptors are present in venoms. In this review, we summarise current knowledge on neuropeptides and discuss venoms as a source for ligands targeting neuropeptide signalling systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen C Mendel
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Markus Muttenthaler
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Vienna, Austria.
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11
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Herzig V, Cristofori-Armstrong B, Israel MR, Nixon SA, Vetter I, King GF. Animal toxins - Nature's evolutionary-refined toolkit for basic research and drug discovery. Biochem Pharmacol 2020; 181:114096. [PMID: 32535105 PMCID: PMC7290223 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Venomous animals have evolved toxins that interfere with specific components of their victim's core physiological systems, thereby causing biological dysfunction that aids in prey capture, defense against predators, or other roles such as intraspecific competition. Many animal lineages evolved venom systems independently, highlighting the success of this strategy. Over the course of evolution, toxins with exceptional specificity and high potency for their intended molecular targets have prevailed, making venoms an invaluable and almost inexhaustible source of bioactive molecules, some of which have found use as pharmacological tools, human therapeutics, and bioinsecticides. Current biomedically-focused research on venoms is directed towards their use in delineating the physiological role of toxin molecular targets such as ion channels and receptors, studying or treating human diseases, targeting vectors of human diseases, and treating microbial and parasitic infections. We provide examples of each of these areas of venom research, highlighting the potential that venom molecules hold for basic research and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Herzig
- School of Science & Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia; Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia.
| | | | - Mathilde R Israel
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Samantha A Nixon
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Irina Vetter
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia.
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12
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel D Robinson
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia.
| | - Irina Vetter
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia; School of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia.
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13
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Yacoub T, Rima M, Karam M, Sabatier JM, Fajloun Z. Antimicrobials from Venomous Animals: An Overview. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25102402. [PMID: 32455792 PMCID: PMC7287856 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25102402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The inappropriate or excessive use of antimicrobial agents caused an emerging public health problem due to the resulting resistance developed by microbes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective antimicrobial strategies relying on natural agents with different mechanisms of action. Nature has been known to offer many bioactive compounds, in the form of animal venoms, algae, and plant extracts that were used for decades in traditional medicine. Animal venoms and secretions have been deeply studied for their wealth in pharmaceutically promising molecules. As such, they were reported to exhibit many biological activities of interest, such as antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the antimicrobial activities of crude animal venoms/secretions, and describe the peptides that are responsible of these activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Yacoub
- Department of Biology, University of Balamand, Kalhat, Al-Kurah, P.O. box 100 Tripoli, Lebanon; (T.Y.); (M.K.)
| | - Mohamad Rima
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS U7104, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France;
| | - Marc Karam
- Department of Biology, University of Balamand, Kalhat, Al-Kurah, P.O. box 100 Tripoli, Lebanon; (T.Y.); (M.K.)
| | - Jean-Marc Sabatier
- Université Aix-Marseille, Institut de NeuroPhysiopathologie, UMR 7051, Faculté de Médecine Secteur Nord, 51, Boulevard Pierre Dramard-CS80011, 13344-Marseille CEDEX 15, France
- Correspondence: (J.-M.S.); (Z.F.)
| | - Ziad Fajloun
- Faculty of Sciences 3, Lebanese University, Michel Slayman Tripoli Campus, Ras Maska 1352, Lebanon
- Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology (LBA3B), Azm Center for Research in Biotechnology and its Applications, Doctoral School for Sciences and Technology, Lebanese University, El Mittein Street, 1300 Tripoli, Lebanon
- Correspondence: (J.-M.S.); (Z.F.)
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14
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Bibic L, Herzig V, King GF, Stokes L. Development of High-Throughput Fluorescent-Based Screens to Accelerate Discovery of P2X Inhibitors from Animal Venoms. J Nat Prod 2019; 82:2559-2567. [PMID: 31532206 PMCID: PMC7123434 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.9b00410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Animal venoms can play an important role in drug discovery, as they are a rich source of evolutionarily tuned compounds that target a variety of ion channels and receptors. To date, there are six FDA-approved drugs derived from animal venoms, with recent work using high-throughput platforms providing a variety of new therapeutic candidates. However, high-throughput methods for screening animal venoms against purinoceptors, one of the oldest signaling receptor families, have not been reported. Here, we describe a variety of quantitative fluorescent-based high-throughput screening (HTS) cell-based assays for screening animal venoms against ligand-gated P2X receptors. A diverse selection of 180 venoms from arachnids, centipedes, hymenopterans, and cone snails were screened, analyzed, and validated, both analytically and pharmacologically. Using this approach, we performed screens against human P2X3, P2X4, and P2X7 using three different fluorescent-based dyes on stable cell lines and isolated the active venom components. Our HTS assays are performed in 96-well format and allow simultaneous screening of multiple venoms on multiple targets, improving testing characteristics while minimizing costs, specimen material, and testing time. Moreover, utilizing our assays and applying them to the other natural product libraries, rather than venoms, might yield other novel natural products that modulate P2X activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucka Bibic
- School
of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K.
| | - Volker Herzig
- Institute
for Molecular Bioscience, University of
Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Glenn F. King
- Institute
for Molecular Bioscience, University of
Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Leanne Stokes
- School
of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K.
- E-mail:
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15
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Morales Duque H, Campos Dias S, Franco OL. Structural and Functional Analyses of Cone Snail Toxins. Mar Drugs 2019; 17:md17060370. [PMID: 31234371 PMCID: PMC6628382 DOI: 10.3390/md17060370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cone snails are marine gastropod mollusks with one of the most powerful venoms in nature. The toxins, named conotoxins, must act quickly on the cone snails´ prey due to the fact that snails are extremely slow, reducing their hunting capability. Therefore, the characteristics of conotoxins have become the object of investigation, and as a result medicines have been developed or are in the trialing process. Conotoxins interact with transmembrane proteins, showing specificity and potency. They target ion channels and ionotropic receptors with greater regularity, and when interaction occurs, there is immediate physiological decompensation. In this review we aimed to evaluate the structural features of conotoxins and the relationship with their target types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Morales Duque
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília-DF 70.790-160, Brazil.
| | - Simoni Campos Dias
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília-DF 70.790-160, Brazil.
| | - Octávio Luiz Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília-DF 70.790-160, Brazil.
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande-MS 79.117-900, Brazil.
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16
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Tabakmakher VM, Krylov NA, Kuzmenkov AI, Efremov RG, Vassilevski AA. Kalium 2.0, a comprehensive database of polypeptide ligands of potassium channels. Sci Data 2019; 6:73. [PMID: 31133708 PMCID: PMC6536513 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-019-0074-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Potassium channels are the most diverse group of ion channels in humans. They take vital parts in numerous physiological processes and their malfunction gives rise to a range of pathologies. In addition to small molecules, there is a wide selection of several hundred polypeptide ligands binding to potassium channels, the majority of which have been isolated from animal venoms. Until recently, only scorpion toxins received focused attention being systematically assembled in the manually curated Kalium database, but there is a diversity of well-characterized potassium channel ligands originating from other sources. To address this issue, here we present the updated and improved Kalium 2.0 that covers virtually all known polypeptide ligands of potassium channels and reviews all available pharmacological data. In addition to an expansion, we have introduced several new features to the database including posttranslational modification annotation, indication of ligand mode of action, BLAST search, and possibility of data export.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin M Tabakmakher
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, 690950, Russia
| | - Nikolay A Krylov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, 101000, Russia
| | - Alexey I Kuzmenkov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Roman G Efremov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, 101000, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudny, Moscow Oblast, 141700, Russia
| | - Alexander A Vassilevski
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudny, Moscow Oblast, 141700, Russia.
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17
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Sarmiento BE, Santos Menezes LF, Schwartz EF. Insulin Release Mechanism Modulated by Toxins Isolated from Animal Venoms: From Basic Research to Drug Development Prospects. Molecules 2019; 24:E1846. [PMID: 31091684 PMCID: PMC6571724 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24101846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Venom from mammals, amphibians, snakes, arachnids, sea anemones and insects provides diverse sources of peptides with different potential medical applications. Several of these peptides have already been converted into drugs and some are still in the clinical phase. Diabetes type 2 is one of the diseases with the highest mortality rate worldwide, requiring specific attention. Diverse drugs are available (e.g., Sulfonylureas) for effective treatment, but with several adverse secondary effects, most of them related to the low specificity of these compounds to the target. In this context, the search for specific and high-affinity compounds for the management of this metabolic disease is growing. Toxins isolated from animal venom have high specificity and affinity for different molecular targets, of which the most important are ion channels. This review will present an overview about the electrical activity of the ion channels present in pancreatic β cells that are involved in the insulin secretion process, in addition to the diversity of peptides that can interact and modulate the electrical activity of pancreatic β cells. The importance of prospecting bioactive peptides for therapeutic use is also reinforced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Elena Sarmiento
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70910-900, Brazil.
| | - Luis Felipe Santos Menezes
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70910-900, Brazil.
| | - Elisabeth F Schwartz
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70910-900, Brazil.
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18
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Dobson JS, Zdenek CN, Hay C, Violette A, Fourmy R, Cochran C, Fry BG. Varanid Lizard Venoms Disrupt the Clotting Ability of Human Fibrinogen through Destructive Cleavage. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E255. [PMID: 31067768 PMCID: PMC6563220 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11050255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional activities of Anguimorpha lizard venoms have received less attention compared to serpent lineages. Bite victims of varanid lizards often report persistent bleeding exceeding that expected for the mechanical damage of the bite. Research to date has identified the blockage of platelet aggregation as one bleeding-inducing activity, and destructive cleavage of fibrinogen as another. However, the ability of the venoms to prevent clot formation has not been directly investigated. Using a thromboelastograph (TEG5000), clot strength was measured after incubating human fibrinogen with Heloderma and Varanus lizard venoms. Clot strengths were found to be highly variable, with the most potent effects produced by incubation with Varanus venoms from the Odatria and Euprepriosaurus clades. The most fibrinogenolytically active venoms belonged to arboreal species and therefore prey escape potential is likely a strong evolutionary selection pressure. The results are also consistent with reports of profusive bleeding from bites from other notably fibrinogenolytic species, such as V. giganteus. Our results provide evidence in favour of the predatory role of venom in varanid lizards, thus shedding light on the evolution of venom in reptiles and revealing potential new sources of bioactive molecules useful as lead compounds in drug design and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- James S Dobson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Christina N Zdenek
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Chris Hay
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Aude Violette
- Alphabiotoxine Laboratory sprl, Barberie 15, 7911 Montroeul-au-bois, Belgium.
| | - Rudy Fourmy
- Alphabiotoxine Laboratory sprl, Barberie 15, 7911 Montroeul-au-bois, Belgium.
| | - Chip Cochran
- Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA.
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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19
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Elias LG, Silva DB, Silva R, Peng YQ, Yang DR, Lopes NP, Pereira RAS. A comparative venomic fingerprinting approach reveals that galling and non-galling fig wasp species have different venom profiles. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207051. [PMID: 30408087 PMCID: PMC6224076 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The galling habit represents a complex type of interaction between insects and plants, ranging from antagonism to mutualism. The obligate pollination mutualism between Ficus and fig wasps relies strongly on the induction of galls in Ficus flowers, where wasps' offspring develop. Even though gall induction plays an important role in many insect-plant interactions, the mechanisms that trigger gall formation are still not completely known. Using a fingerprinting approach, we show here that venom protein profiles from galling fig wasps differ from the venom profiles of non-galling species, suggesting the secretion plays different roles according to the type of interaction it is involved in. Each studied cleptoparasitic species had a distinct venom profile, suggesting that cleptoparasitism in fig wasps covers a vast diversity of molecular interactions. Fig wasp venoms are mainly composed of peptides. No low molecular weight compounds were detected by UPLC-DAD-MS, suggesting that such compounds (e.g., IAA and cytokinines) are not involved in gall induction. The differences in venom composition observed between galling and non-galling fig wasp species bring new perspectives to the study of gall induction processes and the role of insect secretions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa G. Elias
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Denise B. Silva
- Laboratório de Produtos Naturais e Espectrometria de Massas (LaPNEM), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos (NPPNS), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Silva
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos (NPPNS), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Yan-Qiong Peng
- Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Da-Rong Yang
- Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Norberto P. Lopes
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos (NPPNS), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo A. S. Pereira
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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20
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Hofmann EP, Rautsaw RM, Strickland JL, Holding ML, Hogan MP, Mason AJ, Rokyta DR, Parkinson CL. Comparative venom-gland transcriptomics and venom proteomics of four Sidewinder Rattlesnake (Crotalus cerastes) lineages reveal little differential expression despite individual variation. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15534. [PMID: 30341342 PMCID: PMC6195556 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33943-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in gene expression can rapidly influence adaptive traits in the early stages of lineage diversification. Venom is an adaptive trait comprised of numerous toxins used for prey capture and defense. Snake venoms can vary widely between conspecific populations, but the influence of lineage diversification on such compositional differences are unknown. To explore venom differentiation in the early stages of lineage diversification, we used RNA-seq and mass spectrometry to characterize Sidewinder Rattlesnake (Crotalus cerastes) venom. We generated the first venom-gland transcriptomes and complementary venom proteomes for eight individuals collected across the United States and tested for expression differences across life history traits and between subspecific, mitochondrial, and phylotranscriptomic hypotheses. Sidewinder venom was comprised primarily of hemorrhagic toxins, with few cases of differential expression attributable to life history or lineage hypotheses. However, phylotranscriptomic lineage comparisons more than doubled instances of significant expression differences compared to all other factors. Nevertheless, only 6.4% of toxins were differentially expressed overall, suggesting that shallow divergence has not led to major changes in Sidewinder venom composition. Our results demonstrate the need for consensus venom-gland transcriptomes based on multiple individuals and highlight the potential for discrepancies in differential expression between different phylogenetic hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erich P Hofmann
- Clemson University, Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Rhett M Rautsaw
- Clemson University, Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Jason L Strickland
- Clemson University, Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
- University of Central Florida, Department of Biology, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA
| | - Matthew L Holding
- Clemson University, Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
- Florida State University, Department of Biological Science, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Michael P Hogan
- Florida State University, Department of Biological Science, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Andrew J Mason
- Clemson University, Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Darin R Rokyta
- Florida State University, Department of Biological Science, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Christopher L Parkinson
- Clemson University, Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA.
- Clemson University, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA.
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21
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Drug Development Gets Dangerous. EBioMedicine 2018; 35:1. [PMID: 30262177 PMCID: PMC6156702 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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22
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Klupczynska A, Pawlak M, Kokot ZJ, Matysiak J. Application of Metabolomic Tools for Studying Low Molecular-Weight Fraction of Animal Venoms and Poisons. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10080306. [PMID: 30042318 PMCID: PMC6116190 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10080306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Both venoms and poisonous secretions are complex mixtures that assist in defense, predation, communication, and competition in the animal world. They consist of variable bioactive molecules, such as proteins, peptides, salts and also metabolites. Metabolomics opens up new perspectives for the study of venoms and poisons as it gives an opportunity to investigate their previously unexplored low molecular-weight components. The aim of this article is to summarize the available literature where metabolomic technologies were used for examining the composition of animal venoms and poisons. The paper discusses only the low molecular-weight components of venoms and poisons collected from snakes, spiders, scorpions, toads, frogs, and ants. An overview is given of the analytical strategies used in the analysis of the metabolic content of the samples. We paid special attention to the classes of compounds identified in various venoms and poisons and potential applications of the small molecules (especially bufadienolides) discovered. The issues that should be more effectively addressed in the studies of animal venoms and poisons include challenges related to sample collection and preparation, species-related chemical diversity of compounds building the metabolome and a need of an online database that would enhance identification of small molecule components of these secretions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Klupczynska
- Department of Inorganic & Analytical Chemistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Grunwaldzka 6 Street, 60-780 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Pawlak
- Department of Inorganic & Analytical Chemistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Grunwaldzka 6 Street, 60-780 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Zenon J Kokot
- Department of Inorganic & Analytical Chemistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Grunwaldzka 6 Street, 60-780 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Jan Matysiak
- Department of Inorganic & Analytical Chemistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Grunwaldzka 6 Street, 60-780 Poznan, Poland.
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23
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Lee MR, Yoo WG, Kim YJ, Chung EJ, Cho SH, Ju JW. Venom allergen-like protein 28 in Clonorchis sinensis: four epitopes on its surface and the potential role of Cys124 for its conformational stability. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:2521-2530. [PMID: 29876859 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-5941-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Venom allergen-like (VAL) proteins are important to host-parasite interactions. We previously demonstrated that a Clonorchis sinensis VAL (CsVAL) protein-derived synthetic peptide suppresses allergic and inflammatory responses. However, little is known regarding the physicochemical and antigenic properties of CsVAL proteins. Here, we identified a novel 194 amino acid VAL protein, named C. sinensis VAL 28 (CsVAL28), and characterized its functional motifs and structural details as a new member of the CAP superfamily. Unlike members of the Schistosoma mansoni VAL (SmVAL) family, CsVAL28 has a single CAP1 motif and six highly conserved disulfide bond-forming cysteines. Tertiary models of wild-type CsVAL28 and mutants were built using SmVAL4 as template via homology modeling. Normal mode analysis predicted that disulfide bond breaking by mutation of cysteine 124 to serine would greatly affect protein mobility. Four major immunoreactive linear epitopes were identified in the surface-exposed region or its vicinity via epitope mapping, using sera from clonorchiasis patients and healthy controls. Our findings provide in-depth knowledge on the structure-function properties of VAL proteins and may help determine highly antigenic regions for developing new diagnostic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myoung-Ro Lee
- Division of Vectors and Parasitic Diseases, Center for Laboratory control of Infectious Diseases, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chungbuk, 28159, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Gi Yoo
- Division of Vectors and Parasitic Diseases, Center for Laboratory control of Infectious Diseases, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chungbuk, 28159, Republic of Korea
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu Jung Kim
- Division of Vectors and Parasitic Diseases, Center for Laboratory control of Infectious Diseases, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chungbuk, 28159, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Ju Chung
- Division of Vectors and Parasitic Diseases, Center for Laboratory control of Infectious Diseases, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chungbuk, 28159, Republic of Korea
| | - Shin-Hyeong Cho
- Division of Vectors and Parasitic Diseases, Center for Laboratory control of Infectious Diseases, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chungbuk, 28159, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Won Ju
- Division of Vectors and Parasitic Diseases, Center for Laboratory control of Infectious Diseases, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chungbuk, 28159, Republic of Korea.
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24
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Darwiche R, Lugo F, Drurey C, Varossieau K, Smant G, Wilbers RHP, Maizels RM, Schneiter R, Asojo OA. Crystal structure of Brugia malayi venom allergen-like protein-1 (BmVAL-1), a vaccine candidate for lymphatic filariasis. Int J Parasitol 2018; 48:371-378. [PMID: 29501266 PMCID: PMC5893361 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The vaccine candidate Brugia malayi venom allergen-like 1 protein (BmVAL-1) has three distinct binding cavities. The cavities are the central cavity; the sterol-binding caveolin-binding motif (CBM); and the palmitate-binding cavity. These cavities are connected by channels, which can accommodate water molecules, ions and small ligands. The channels explain how blocking divalent ions in the central cavity affects sterol binding in the distinct CBM cavity. BmVAL-1 has a glycosylated CBM, is an effective sterol transporter in vivo and binds cholesterol and palmitate in vitro.
Brugia malayi is a causative agent of lymphatic filariasis, a major tropical disease. The infective L3 parasite stage releases immunomodulatory proteins including the venom allergen-like proteins (VALs), which are members of the SCP/TAPS (Sperm-coating protein/Tpx/antigen 5/pathogenesis related-1/Sc7) superfamily. BmVAL-1 is a major target of host immunity with >90% of infected B. malayi microfilaraemic cases being seropositive for antibodies to BmVAL-1. This study is part of ongoing efforts to characterize the structures and functions of important B. malayi proteins. Recombinant BmVAL-1 was produced using a plant expression system, crystallized and the structure was solved by molecular replacement and refined to 2.1 Å, revealing the characteristic alpha/beta/alpha sandwich topology of eukaryotic SCP/TAPS proteins. The protein has more than 45% loop regions and these flexible loops connect the helices and strands, which are longer than predicted based on other parasite SCP/TAPS protein structures. The large central cavity of BmVAL-1 is a prototypical CRISP cavity with two histidines required to bind divalent cations. The caveolin-binding motif (CBM) that mediates sterol binding in SCP/TAPS proteins is large and open in BmVAL-1 and is N-glycosylated. N-glycosylation of the CBM does not affect the ability of BmVAL-1 to bind sterol in vitro. BmVAL-1 complements the in vivo sterol export phenotype of yeast mutants lacking their endogenous SCP/TAPS proteins. The in vitro sterol-binding affinity of BmVAL-1 is comparable with Pry1, a yeast sterol transporting SCP/TAPS protein. Sterol binding of BmVAL-1 is dependent on divalent cations. BmVAL-1 also has a large open palmitate-binding cavity, which binds palmitate comparably to tablysin-15, a lipid-binding SCP/TAPS protein. The central cavity, CBM and palmitate-binding cavity of BmVAL-1 are interconnected within the monomer with channels that can serve as pathways for water molecules, cations and small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabih Darwiche
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, CH 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Fernanda Lugo
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Claire Drurey
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Koen Varossieau
- Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Geert Smant
- Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud H P Wilbers
- Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Rick M Maizels
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Roger Schneiter
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, CH 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Oluwatoyin A Asojo
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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25
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Abstract
AIMS Radiolabeled Exendin-4 has been proposed as suitable imaging marker for pancreatic beta cell mass quantification mediated by Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R). However, noticeable species variations in basal pancreatic uptake as well as uptake reduction degree due to selective beta cell ablation were observed. METHODS In vitro and ex vivo autoradiography studies of pancreas were performed using [177Lu]Lu-DO3A-VS-Cys40-Exendin4, in order to investigate the mechanism of uptake as well as the islet uptake contrast in mouse, rat, pig, and non-human primate. The autoradiography results were compared to the in vivo pancreatic uptake as assessed by [68Ga]Ga-DO3A-VS-Cys40-Exendin4 Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in the same species. In vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo data formed the basis for calculating the theoretical in vivo contribution of each pancreatic compartment. RESULTS [177Lu]Lu-DO3A-VS-Cys40-Exendin4 displayed the highest islet-to-exocrine pancreas ratio (IPR) in rat (IPR 45) followed by non-human primate and mouse at similar levels (IPR approximately 5) while pigs exhibited negligible IPR (1.1). In vivo pancreas uptake was mainly GLP-1R mediated in all species, but the magnitude of uptake under basal physiology varied significantly in decreasing order: non-human primate, mouse, pig, and rat. The theoretical calculation of islet contribution to the total pancreatic PET signal predicted the in vivo observation of differences in pancreatic uptake of [68Ga]Ga-DO3A-VS-Cys40-Exendin4. CONCLUSIONS IPR as well as the exocrine GLP-1R density is the main determinants of the species variability in pancreatic uptake. Thus, the IPR in human is an important factor for assessing the potential of GLP-1R as an imaging biomarker for pancreatic beta cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olof Eriksson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 14C, 3tr, SE-751 83, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Ulrika Rosenström
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 14C, 3tr, SE-751 83, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ram K Selvaraju
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 14C, 3tr, SE-751 83, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Barbro Eriksson
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Irina Velikyan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 14C, 3tr, SE-751 83, Uppsala, Sweden.
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26
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Kimura H, Fujita N, Kanbe K, Matsuda H, Watanabe H, Arimitsu K, Fujimoto H, Hamamatsu K, Yagi Y, Ono M, Inagaki N, Saji H. Synthesis and biological evaluation of an 111In-labeled exendin-4 derivative as a single-photon emission computed tomography probe for imaging pancreatic β-cells. Bioorg Med Chem 2017; 25:5772-5778. [PMID: 28927802 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2017.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A non-invasive method of pancreatic β-cell mass measurement is needed to enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis of diabetes, facilitate the early diagnosis of this disease, and promote the development of novel therapeutics. Here, we described the synthesis of a novel indium-111 (111In) exendin-4 derivative, [Lys12(In-BnDTPA-Ahx)]exendin-4, through a process involving isothiocyanate-benzyl-DTPA (BnDTPA) and 6-aminohexanoic acid (Ahx) attached to an ɛ-amino group at the lysine-12 residue. We further evaluated the potential use of this derivative as a SPECT probe for pancreatic β-cell imaging. An in vitro binding assay revealed that [Lys12(natIn-BnDTPA-Ahx)]exendin-4 has a high affinity for GLP-1 receptors (IC50=0.43nM). In biodistribution experiments involving normal mice, high [Lys12(111In-BnDTPA-Ahx)]exendin-4 uptake was observed in the pancreas (21.8 ± 4.0%ID/g) and was maintained for 2h after injection. Pre-injection of excess exendin(9-39) markedly reduced the pancreatic uptake of [Lys12(111In-BnDTPA-Ahx)]exendin-4 (95.2%), indicating that the uptake of this tracer is specific and mediated by GLP-1 receptors. Ex vivo autoradiography experiments involving pancreatic sections from MIP-GFP mice confirmed the accumulation of [Lys12(111In-BnDTPA-Ahx)]exendin-4 in pancreatic β-cells. Finally, in mice, [Lys12(111In-BnDTPA-Ahx)]exendin-4 SPECT/CT yielded clear images of the pancreas at 30min post-injection. In conclusion, SPECT with [Lys12(111In-BnDTPA-Ahx)]exendin-4 enables to visualize β-cells in vivo non-invasively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Kimura
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 46-29, Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Department of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan.
| | - Naotaka Fujita
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kaori Kanbe
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 46-29, Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Matsuda
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 46-29, Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Research & Development Division, Arkray, Inc., Yousuien-nai, 59 Gansuin-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0008, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 46-29, Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Kenji Arimitsu
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 46-29, Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Department of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Fujimoto
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Keita Hamamatsu
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yusuke Yagi
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 46-29, Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Department of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ono
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 46-29, Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Nobuya Inagaki
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hideo Saji
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 46-29, Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
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27
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Koludarov I, Jackson TN, Brouw BOD, Dobson J, Dashevsky D, Arbuckle K, Clemente CJ, Stockdale EJ, Cochran C, Debono J, Stephens C, Panagides N, Li B, Manchadi MLR, Violette A, Fourmy R, Hendrikx I, Nouwens A, Clements J, Martelli P, Kwok HF, Fry BG. Enter the Dragon: The Dynamic and Multifunctional Evolution of Anguimorpha Lizard Venoms. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:E242. [PMID: 28783084 PMCID: PMC5577576 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9080242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
While snake venoms have been the subject of intense study, comparatively little work has been done on lizard venoms. In this study, we have examined the structural and functional diversification of anguimorph lizard venoms and associated toxins, and related these results to dentition and predatory ecology. Venom composition was shown to be highly variable across the 20 species of Heloderma, Lanthanotus, and Varanus included in our study. While kallikrein enzymes were ubiquitous, they were also a particularly multifunctional toxin type, with differential activities on enzyme substrates and also ability to degrade alpha or beta chains of fibrinogen that reflects structural variability. Examination of other toxin types also revealed similar variability in their presence and activity levels. The high level of venom chemistry variation in varanid lizards compared to that of helodermatid lizards suggests that venom may be subject to different selection pressures in these two families. These results not only contribute to our understanding of venom evolution but also reveal anguimorph lizard venoms to be rich sources of novel bioactive molecules with potential as drug design and development lead compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Koludarov
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Timothy Nw Jackson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
- Australian Venom Research Unit, School of Biomedical Sciences, Level 2 Medical Building, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - Bianca Op den Brouw
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - James Dobson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Daniel Dashevsky
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Kevin Arbuckle
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK.
| | - Christofer J Clemente
- University of the Sunshine Coast, School of Science and Engineering, Sippy Downs, Queensland 4558, Australia.
| | | | - Chip Cochran
- Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA.
| | - Jordan Debono
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Carson Stephens
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia.
| | - Nadya Panagides
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Bin Li
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau.
| | | | - Aude Violette
- Alphabiotoxine Laboratory sprl, Barberie 15, 7911 Montroeul-au-bois, Belgium.
| | - Rudy Fourmy
- Alphabiotoxine Laboratory sprl, Barberie 15, 7911 Montroeul-au-bois, Belgium.
| | - Iwan Hendrikx
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Amanda Nouwens
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Queenslnd, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Judith Clements
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia.
| | | | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau.
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.
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28
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Tong F. Preparation of exenatide-loaded linear poly(ethylene glycol)-brush poly(l-lysine) block copolymer: potential implications on diabetic nephropathy. Int J Nanomedicine 2017; 12:4663-4678. [PMID: 28721043 PMCID: PMC5500490 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s136646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The poly(ethylene glycol)-b-brush poly(l-lysine) polymer (PEG-b-(PELG50-g-PLL3)) was synthesized and evaluated as a nanocarrier for prolonging delivery of exenatide through the abdominal subcutaneous injection route. The isoelectric point of exenatide was 4.86, and exenatide could combine with PEG-b-(PELG50-g-PLL3) polymers via electrostatic interactions at pH 7.4. This polymer was a good candidate for achieving prolonged drug delivery for exenatide, considering its high molecular weight. Besides the physicochemical characterization of the polymer, in vitro and in vivo applications were researched as a sustained exenatide delivery system. In the in vitro release research, 20.16%-76.88% of total exenatide was released from the PEG-b-(PELG50-g-PLL3) polymer within 7 days. The synthesized block-brush polymers and exenatide-block-brush polymers were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle size instrument, and scanning electron microscopy. The best formulation was selected for in vivo experimentation to achieve blood glucose control in diabetic rat models using free exenatide as the control. The hypoglycemic action of the formulation following subcutaneous injection in diabetic rats lasted 7 days, and the results indicated that exenatide-block-brush polymers demonstrate enhanced long-acting hypoglycemic action. Besides the hypoglycemic action, exenatide-block-brush polymers significantly alleviated diabetic nephropathy via improving renal function, decreasing oxidative stress injury, decreasing urinary albumin excretion rate, mitigating albumin/creatinine ratio, reducing blood lipids, abating kidney index, weakening apoptosis, and downregulating expression of connective tissue growth factor. All of the results suggested that PEG-b-(PELG50-g-PLL3) polymers could be used as potential exenatide nanocarriers, with efficient encapsulation and sustained release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Tong
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Provincial Key Discipline of Pharmacology, Jiaxing University Medical College, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
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29
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Koole C, Reynolds CA, Mobarec JC, Hick C, Sexton PM, Sakmar TP. Genetically encoded photocross-linkers determine the biological binding site of exendin-4 peptide in the N-terminal domain of the intact human glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R). J Biol Chem 2017; 292:7131-7144. [PMID: 28283573 PMCID: PMC5409479 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.779496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) is a key therapeutic target in the management of type II diabetes mellitus, with actions including regulation of insulin biosynthesis and secretion, promotion of satiety, and preservation of β-cell mass. Like most class B G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), there is limited knowledge linking biological activity of the GLP-1R with the molecular structure of an intact, full-length, and functional receptor·ligand complex. In this study, we have utilized genetic code expansion to site-specifically incorporate the photoactive amino acid p-azido-l-phenylalanine (azF) into N-terminal residues of a full-length functional human GLP-1R in mammalian cells. UV-mediated photolysis of azF was then carried out to induce targeted photocross-linking to determine the proximity of the azido group in the mutant receptor with the peptide exendin-4. Cross-linking data were compared directly with the crystal structure of the isolated N-terminal extracellular domain of the GLP-1R in complex with exendin(9-39), revealing both similarities as well as distinct differences in the mode of interaction. Generation of a molecular model to accommodate the photocross-linking constraints highlights the potential influence of environmental conditions on the conformation of the receptor·peptide complex, including folding dynamics of the peptide and formation of dimeric and higher order oligomeric receptor multimers. These data demonstrate that crystal structures of isolated receptor regions may not give a complete reflection of peptide/receptor interactions and should be combined with additional experimental constraints to reveal peptide/receptor interactions occurring in the dynamic, native, and full-length receptor state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Koole
- From the Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Signal Transduction, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065
| | - Christopher A Reynolds
- the School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - Juan C Mobarec
- the School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Hick
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia, and
| | - Patrick M Sexton
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia, and
| | - Thomas P Sakmar
- From the Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Signal Transduction, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065,
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30
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ThanThan S, Asada Y, Saito T, Ochiiwa K, Zhao H, Naing SW, Kuwayama H. Oxyntomodulin analog and exendin-4 derivative lower plasma glucose in cattle. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2017; 59:30-36. [PMID: 27888738 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2016.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The present study was undertaken with the aim of examining whether and how exendin-4 (1-3) fragment, ie, Ex-4 (1-3) fragment, contributes to the regulation of glucose. An analog of oxyntomodulin (OXM) ([Gly2, Glu3]-OXM), a glucagon analog ([Gly2, Glu3]-glucagon), and two derivatives of Ex-4 (glucandin and [Gly2, Glu3]-glucandin) were synthesized by substituting with Gly2, Glu3 at the N-terminuses of OXM and glucagon and/or by attaching Ex-4 (30-39) amide at the C-terminus of glucagon. Effects of these peptides on plasma insulin and glucose concentrations were investigated in cattle by conducting 3 in vivo experiments. In all 3 experiments, 0.1% BSA saline was injected as a control. In experiment 1, glucandin (amino acid sequence was glucagon [1-29]-Ex-4 [30-39] amide) and [Gly2, Glu3]-glucandin were injected at the dose rates of 5 μg/kg BW in 4-mo-old Holstein steers. Results showed that glucoregulatory effects of glucandin were similar to those of glucagon. [Gly2, Glu3]-glucandin stimulated insulin secretion at 2 to 10 min and lowered glucose concentrations at 15 to 75 min. Experiment 2 was carried out to better understand the glucose-lowering potency of [Gly2, Glu3]-glucandin, in comparison with Ex-4 and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), using 4.5-mo-old Holstein steers. [Gly2, Glu3]-glucandin was injected at dose rates of 0.3 μg/kg BW, 1.0 μg/kg BW, 3.2 μg/kg BW, and 6.4 μg/kg BW. Ex-4 and GLP-1 were injected at dose rates of 0.3 μg/kg BW. Results showed that the insulinotropic and glucose-lowering effects of [Gly2, Glu3]-glucandin were not as potent as for Ex-4 and GLP-1, and the minimum effective dose of [Gly2, Glu3]-glucandin to regulate plasma glucose concentrations was 3.2 μg/kg BW. In experiment 3, [Gly2, Glu3]-OXM and [Gly2, Glu3]-glucagon were injected at dose rates of 5 μg/kg BW in 5-mo-old Holstein steers. Both [Gly2, Glu3]-OXM and [Gly2, Glu3]-glucagon increased insulin concentration. [Gly2, Glu3]-OXM potently lowered plasma glucose, but [Gly2, Glu3]-glucagon did not change it. In summary, our findings clearly demonstrate that Ex-4 (1-3) fragment contributes to the regulation of glucose. [Gly2, Glu3]-OXM and [Gly2, Glu3]-glucandin are insulinotropic and glucose-lowering peptides. It was of interest that the substitution of the first 3 amino acids of OXM with Ex-4 (1-3) could reverse the upregulation of glucose by OXM into downregulation of glucose. In lowering glycemia, [Gly2, Glu3]-OXM seemed almost as effective as Ex-4, and [Gly2, Glu3]-glucandin was less profound than Ex-4. These findings contributed new insights into the hormonal regulation of glucose in ruminants. The action of [Gly2, Glu3]-OXM and [Gly2, Glu3]-glucandin might provide an advantage in glycemic control of insulin resistance in cattle and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- S ThanThan
- Department of Life Science and Agriculture, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
| | - Y Asada
- Department of Life Science and Agriculture, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
| | - T Saito
- Department of Life Science and Agriculture, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
| | - K Ochiiwa
- Department of Life Science and Agriculture, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
| | - H Zhao
- Department of Life Science and Agriculture, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
| | - S W Naing
- Department of Life Science and Agriculture, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
| | - H Kuwayama
- Department of Life Science and Agriculture, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan.
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Xie B, Huang Y, Baumann K, Fry BG, Shi Q. From Marine Venoms to Drugs: Efficiently Supported by a Combination of Transcriptomics and Proteomics. Mar Drugs 2017; 15:md15040103. [PMID: 28358320 PMCID: PMC5408249 DOI: 10.3390/md15040103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The potential of marine natural products to become new drugs is vast; however, research is still in its infancy. The chemical and biological diversity of marine toxins is immeasurable and as such an extraordinary resource for the discovery of new drugs. With the rapid development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), it has been much easier and faster to identify more toxins and predict their functions with bioinformatics pipelines, which pave the way for novel drug developments. Here we provide an overview of related bioinformatics pipelines that have been supported by a combination of transcriptomics and proteomics for identification and function prediction of novel marine toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Xie
- Venomics Research Group, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.
| | - Yu Huang
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI, Shenzhen 518083, China.
| | - Kate Baumann
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Bryan Grieg Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Qiong Shi
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI, Shenzhen 518083, China.
- BGI Shenzhen Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Fisheries, BGI, Shenzhen 518083, China.
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Sai W, Tian H, Yang K, Tang D, Bao J, Ge Y, Song X, Zhang Y, Luo C, Gao X, Yao W. Systematic Design of Trypsin Cleavage Site Mutated Exendin4-Cysteine 1, an Orally Bioavailable Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18030578. [PMID: 28282854 PMCID: PMC5372594 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18030578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 02/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Exendin-4 is a strong therapeutic candidate for the treatment of metabolic syndrome. Related receptor agonist drugs have been on the market since 2005. However, technical limitations and the pain caused by subcutaneous injection have severely limited patient compliance. The goal of the study is to investigate a biologically active exendin-4 analog could be administered orally. Using intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests, we discovered that exendin4-cysteine administered by oral gavage had a distinct hypoglycemic effect in C57BL/6J mice. Using Rosetta Design and Amber, we designed and screened a series of exendin4-cysteine analogs to identify those that retained biological activity while resisting trypsin digestion. Trypsin Cleavage Site Mutated Exendin4-cysteine 1 (TSME-1), an analog whose bioactivity was similar to exendin-4 and was almost completely resistant to trypsin, was screened out. In addition, TSME-1 significantly normalized the blood glucose levels and the availability of TSME-1 was significantly higher than that of exendin-4 and exendin4-cysteine. Collectively orally administered TSME-1, a trypsin-resistant exendin-4 analog obtained by the system, is a strong candidate for future treatments of type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Sai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Hong Tian
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Kangmin Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Daoqi Tang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Jinxiao Bao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Yang Ge
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Xiaoda Song
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Yu Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Cheng Luo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Xiangdong Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Wenbing Yao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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Richter S, Helm C, Meunier FA, Hering L, Campbell LI, Drukewitz SH, Undheim EAB, Jenner RA, Schiavo G, Bleidorn C. Comparative analyses of glycerotoxin expression unveil a novel structural organization of the bloodworm venom system. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:64. [PMID: 28259138 PMCID: PMC5336659 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-0904-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We present the first molecular characterization of glycerotoxin (GLTx), a potent neurotoxin found in the venom of the bloodworm Glycera tridactyla (Glyceridae, Annelida). Within the animal kingdom, GLTx shows a unique mode of action as it can specifically up-regulate the activity of Cav2.2 channels (N-type) in a reversible manner. The lack of sequence information has so far hampered a detailed understanding of its mode of action. RESULTS Our analyses reveal three ~3.8 kb GLTx full-length transcripts, show that GLTx represents a multigene family, and suggest it functions as a dimer. An integrative approach using transcriptomics, quantitative real-time PCR, in situ hybridization, and immunocytochemistry shows that GLTx is highly expressed exclusively in four pharyngeal lobes, a previously unrecognized part of the venom apparatus. CONCLUSIONS Our results overturn a century old textbook view on the glycerid venom system, suggesting that it is anatomically and functionally much more complex than previously thought. The herein presented GLTx sequence information constitutes an important step towards the establishment of GLTx as a versatile tool to understand the mechanism of synaptic function, as well as the mode of action of this novel neurotoxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandy Richter
- Institute of Biology - Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, London, SW7 5BD UK
| | - Conrad Helm
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, N-5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Frederic A. Meunier
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, 4072 QLD Australia
| | - Lars Hering
- Institute of Biology - Department of Zoology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Straße 40, D-34132 Kassel, Germany
| | - Lahcen I. Campbell
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, London, SW7 5BD UK
- The European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) - Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD UK
| | - Stephan H. Drukewitz
- Institute of Biology - Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Eivind A. B. Undheim
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, 4072 QLD Australia
| | - Ronald A. Jenner
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, London, SW7 5BD UK
| | - Giampietro Schiavo
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience & Movement Disorders, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | - Christoph Bleidorn
- Institute of Biology - Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Calle José Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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Mendonça A, Paula MC, Fernandes WD, Andrade LHC, Lima SM, Antonialli-Junior WF. Variation in Venoms of Polybia Paulista Von Ihering and Polybia Occidentalis Olivier (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), Assessed by the FTIR-PAS Technique. Neotrop Entomol 2017; 46:8-17. [PMID: 27457373 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-016-0426-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Wasps are able to synthesize toxic compounds known as venoms, which form a part of a mechanism to overcome prey and also to defend their colonies. Study of the compounds that constitute these substances is essential in order to understand how this defense mechanism evolved, since there is evidence that the venoms can vary both intra- and interspecifically. Some studies have used liquid and gas chromatography as a reliable technique to analyze these compounds. However, the use of Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) to analyze the variations in venom's chemical profile has been proposed recently. This study evaluated whether the FTIR-PAS technique is effective for assessing the role of environmental factors on intra- and interspecific differences in the venom of the wasps Polybia paulista Von Ihering and Polybia occidentalis Olivier by FTIR-PAS. The colonies were collected in three municipalities of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, in different types of environments. The results showed that the venoms of P. paulista and P. occidentalis differed significantly in profile. In addition, the intraspecific differences in the venom's chemical profile of P. paulista are related to the type of environment where they nested, regardless of the geographical distance between the nests. The FTIR-PAS technique proved to be reliable and effective to evaluate the variations in the venom's chemical profile in social wasps.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Mendonça
- Univ Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
- Lab de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
| | - M C Paula
- Univ Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, MS, Brasil
- Lab de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - W D Fernandes
- Univ Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - L H C Andrade
- Grupo de Espectroscopia Óptica e Fototérmica, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - S M Lima
- Grupo de Espectroscopia Óptica e Fototérmica, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - W F Antonialli-Junior
- Univ Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, MS, Brasil
- Lab de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
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Turchetto J, Sequeira AF, Ramond L, Peysson F, Brás JLA, Saez NJ, Duhoo Y, Blémont M, Guerreiro CIPD, Quinton L, De Pauw E, Gilles N, Darbon H, Fontes CMGA, Vincentelli R. High-throughput expression of animal venom toxins in Escherichia coli to generate a large library of oxidized disulphide-reticulated peptides for drug discovery. Microb Cell Fact 2017; 16:6. [PMID: 28095880 PMCID: PMC5242012 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-016-0617-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal venoms are complex molecular cocktails containing a wide range of biologically active disulphide-reticulated peptides that target, with high selectivity and efficacy, a variety of membrane receptors. Disulphide-reticulated peptides have evolved to display improved specificity, low immunogenicity and to show much higher resistance to degradation than linear peptides. These properties make venom peptides attractive candidates for drug development. However, recombinant expression of reticulated peptides containing disulphide bonds is challenging, especially when associated with the production of large libraries of bioactive molecules for drug screening. To date, as an alternative to artificial synthetic chemical libraries, no comprehensive recombinant libraries of natural venom peptides are accessible for high-throughput screening to identify novel therapeutics. RESULTS In the accompanying paper an efficient system for the expression and purification of oxidized disulphide-reticulated venom peptides in Escherichia coli is described. Here we report the development of a high-throughput automated platform, that could be adapted to the production of other families, to generate the largest ever library of recombinant venom peptides. The peptides were produced in the periplasm of E. coli using redox-active DsbC as a fusion tag, thus allowing the efficient formation of correctly folded disulphide bridges. TEV protease was used to remove fusion tags and recover the animal venom peptides in the native state. Globally, within nine months, out of a total of 4992 synthetic genes encoding a representative diversity of venom peptides, a library containing 2736 recombinant disulphide-reticulated peptides was generated. The data revealed that the animal venom peptides produced in the bacterial host were natively folded and, thus, are putatively biologically active. CONCLUSIONS Overall this study reveals that high-throughput expression of animal venom peptides in E. coli can generate large libraries of recombinant disulphide-reticulated peptides of remarkable interest for drug discovery programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Turchetto
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Aix-Marseille Université, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), Marseille, France
| | - Ana Filipa Sequeira
- CIISA-Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
- NZYtech Genes & Enzymes, Campus do Lumiar, Estrada do paço do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Laurie Ramond
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Aix-Marseille Université, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), Marseille, France
| | - Fanny Peysson
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Aix-Marseille Université, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), Marseille, France
| | - Joana L. A. Brás
- NZYtech Genes & Enzymes, Campus do Lumiar, Estrada do paço do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Natalie J. Saez
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Aix-Marseille Université, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), Marseille, France
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072 Australia
| | - Yoan Duhoo
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Aix-Marseille Université, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), Marseille, France
| | - Marilyne Blémont
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Aix-Marseille Université, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), Marseille, France
| | | | - Loic Quinton
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, B6c University of Liège, MolSys-Quartier Agora, Allée du six Aout 11, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Edwin De Pauw
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, B6c University of Liège, MolSys-Quartier Agora, Allée du six Aout 11, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Gilles
- CEA/DRF/iBiTecS, Service d’Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hervé Darbon
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Aix-Marseille Université, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), Marseille, France
| | - Carlos M. G. A. Fontes
- CIISA-Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
- NZYtech Genes & Enzymes, Campus do Lumiar, Estrada do paço do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Renaud Vincentelli
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Aix-Marseille Université, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), Marseille, France
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Abstract
Objective: To evaluate available literature characterizing the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, drug interactions, efficacy, and safety of exenatide in patients with type 2 diabetes. Data Sources: A PubMed database search (1966–May 2006) was conducted, using exenatide as the search term. The manufacturer's prescribing information was also used. Study Selection and Data Extraction: English-language articles were selected and data were extracted with a focus on clinical outcomes associated with the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. Data Synthesis: Exenatide exerts a glucoregulatory effect by various mechanisms including secretion of glucose-dependent insulin, suppression of inappropriately high glucagon levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, delayed gastric emptying, and reduction of food intake. In placebo-controlled clinical studies, plasma exenatide concentrations appeared to exhibit dose-proportional kinetics, reaching peak plasma levels between 2 and 3 hours after a single subcutaneous injection. Exenatide's elimination half-life ranged from 3.3 to 4.0 hours, and the time to reach maximum concentration was about 2 hours. Interactions between exenatide and agents such as digoxin and lisinopril were not considered significant. In Phase III trials, exenatide demonstrated significant reduction of hemoglobin A1c levels from baseline and compared with placebo after 30 weeks of treatment in patients unable to achieve optimal glycemic control with metformin, a sulfonylurea, or oral combination therapy (0.4–0.9%). Patients' weight decreased with exenatide (0.9–2.8 kg), but adverse gastrointestinal (GI) events were common. Exenatide combined with thiazolidonediones, D-phenylalanine derivatives, meglitinides, or alpha glucosidase inhibitors has not been studied. Conclusions: Clinical trials have demonstrated that exenatide improves glycemic control when added to sulfonylureas and metformin, and it may be an alternative to insulin glargine in patients requiring additional therapy. Hypoglycemia has been encountered in clinical trials of exenatide, especially upon initiation of therapy with sulfonylureas (not with metformin); close patient monitoring is therefore recommended. Further studies should assess the impact of exenatide on clinical outcomes such as micro- and macrovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bong Kyu Yoo
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University, Kyungsan, Kyungbuk, Korea.
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Vétillard A, Bouzid W. [Ants: a chemical library of anticancer molecules]. Biol Aujourdhui 2016; 210:119-25. [PMID: 27687602 DOI: 10.1051/jbio/2016021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Animal venoms are complex mixtures containing simple organic molecules, proteins, peptides, and other bioactive elements with extraordinary biological properties associated with their ability to act on a number of molecular receptors in the process of incapacitating their target organisms. In such a context, arthropod venoms are invaluable sources of bioactive substances, with therapeutic interest but the limited availability of some venom such as those from ants, has restricted the potential that these biomolecules could represent. We investigated for the first time transcriptomic expression from the ant species Tetramorium bicarinatum. Four hundred randomly selected clones from cDNA libraries were sequenced and a total of 374 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were generated. Based on the results of BLAST searches, these sequences were clustered and assembled into 269 contigs. About 72% (269) of these matched BLASTx hits with an interesting diversity and unusual abundance of cellular transcripts (48%) related to gene and protein expression reflecting the specialization of this tissue. In addition, transcripts encoding transposases were relatively highly expressed (14%). It may be that transposable elements are present and that their presence accounts for some of the variation in venom toxins. About twenty per cent of the ESTs were categorized as putative toxins, the major part represented by allergens (48% of the total venom toxins) such as pilosulin 5, sol i 3 and Myp p I and II. Several contigs encoding enzymes, including zinc-metalloproteases (17%) that are likely involved in the processing and activation of venom proteins/peptides, were also identified from the library. In addition, a number of sequences (8%) had no significant similarity to any known sequence which indicates a potential source of for the discovery of new toxins. In order to provide a global insight on the transcripts expressed in the venom gland of the Brazilian ant species Tetramorium bicarinatum and to unveil the potential of their products, high-throughput expressed sequence tags were generated using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. A total of 212 371 758 pairs of quality-filtered, 100-base-pair Illumina reads were obtained. The de novo assemblies yielded 36 042 contigs for which 27 873 have at least one predicted ORF among which 59.77% produce significant hits in the available databases. The investigation of the read mapping toxin class revealed and confirmed a high diversification with the major part consistent with the classical hymenopteran venom protein signature represented by venom allergen (33.3%) followed by a diverse toxin-expression profile including several distinct isoforms of phospholipase A1 and A2, venom serine protease, hyaluronidase, protease inhibitor and secapin. Moreover, our results revealed for the first time the presence of toxin-like peptides that have been previously identified from unrelated venomous animals such as waprin-like (snakes) and agatoxins (spiders and conus). These studies provide a first insight of the gene expression scenario of the venom gland of T. bicarinatum which might contribute to acquiring a more comprehensive view about the origin and functional diversity of venom proteins of this ant. Based on such results, we conducted cytotoxic tests from the crude venom of T.bicarinatum ant and reported toxic effect on tumoral cells lines from one of the fifth of the most frequently occurring cancers with a 3-year survival rate of only 30%. In such a context, new therapeutic strategies are essential and the discovery of new molecules in ant venom could be one possible avenue. Thus our project aims to characterize, from the crude venom of T.bicarinatum, the molecule(s) which have potential anti-cancerous toxicity as well as their mechanisms of action.
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Abstract
Animal venoms are complex chemical cocktails, comprising a wide range of biologically active reticulated peptides that target with high selectivity and efficacy a variety of enzymes, membrane receptors, ion channels...Venoms can therefore be seen as large natural libraries of biologically active molecules that are continuously selected and highly refined by the evolution process, up to the point where every molecule is endowed with pharmacological properties that are highly valuable in the context of human use and drug development. Therefore, venom exploration constitutes a prerequisite to drug discovery. However, mass spectrometry and transcriptomics via NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) studies have shown the presence of up to 1000 peptides in the venom of single species of cone snails and spiders. Therefore the global animal venom resource can be seen as a collection of more than 50 to 100 000 000 peptides and proteins of which only ~5000 are known. That extraordinary "Eldorado" of bio-optimized compounds justifies the development of more global and cutting-edge strategies and technologies to explore this resource more efficiently than actually. De novo developed approaches and recently obtained results will be described.
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Cuthbertson DJ, Banks M, Khoo B, Antwi K, Christ E, Campbell F, Raraty M, Wild D. Application of Ga(68) -DOTA-exendin-4 PET/CT to localize an occult insulinoma. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2016; 84:789-91. [PMID: 26562613 DOI: 10.1111/cen.12973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D J Cuthbertson
- Neuroendocrine Tumour Group, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, UK.
| | - M Banks
- Neuroendocrine Tumour Group, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, UK
| | - B Khoo
- ENETS Centre of Excellence, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - K Antwi
- Clinic of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - E Christ
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - F Campbell
- LCL Department of Cellular Pathology, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - M Raraty
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - D Wild
- Clinic of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Suntravat M, Uzcategui NL, Atphaisit C, Helmke TJ, Lucena SE, Sánchez EE, Acosta AR. Gene expression profiling of the venom gland from the Venezuelan mapanare (Bothrops colombiensis) using expressed sequence tags (ESTs). BMC Mol Biol 2016; 17:7. [PMID: 26944950 PMCID: PMC4779267 DOI: 10.1186/s12867-016-0059-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bothrops colombiensis is a highly dangerous pit viper and responsible for over 70% of snakebites in Venezuela. Although the composition in B. colombiensis venom has been identified using a proteome analysis, the venom gland transcriptome is currently lacking. RESULTS We constructed a cDNA library from the venom gland of B. colombiensis, and a set of 729 high quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs) was identified. A total number of 344 ESTs (47.2% of total ESTs) was related to toxins. The most abundant toxin transcripts were metalloproteinases (37.5%), phospholipases A2s (PLA2, 29.7%), and serine proteinases (11.9%). Minor toxin transcripts were linked to waprins (5.5%), C-type lectins (4.1%), ATPases (2.9%), cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISP, 2.3%), snake venom vascular endothelium growth factors (svVEGF, 2.3%), L-amino acid oxidases (2%), and other putative toxins (1.7%). While 160 ESTs (22% of total ESTs) coded for translation proteins, regulatory proteins, ribosomal proteins, elongation factors, release factors, metabolic proteins, and immune response proteins. Other proteins detected in the transcriptome (87 ESTs, 11.9% of total ESTs) were undescribed proteins with unknown functions. The remaining 138 (18.9%) cDNAs had no match with known GenBank accessions. CONCLUSION This study represents the analysis of transcript expressions and provides a physical resource of unique genes for further study of gene function and the development of novel molecules for medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montamas Suntravat
- National Natural Toxins Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A and M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, USA.
| | - Néstor L Uzcategui
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Ultraestructura, Instituto Anatómico de la Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
| | - Chairat Atphaisit
- National Natural Toxins Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A and M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, USA.
| | - Thomas J Helmke
- National Natural Toxins Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A and M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, USA.
| | - Sara E Lucena
- National Natural Toxins Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A and M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, USA.
| | - Elda E Sánchez
- National Natural Toxins Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A and M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, USA.
| | - Alexis Rodríguez Acosta
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Ultraestructura, Instituto Anatómico de la Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
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Liu Y, Wang G, Zhang H, Ma Y, Lang L, Jacobson O, Kiesewetter DO, Zhu L, Gao S, Ma Q, Chen X. Stable Evans Blue Derived Exendin-4 Peptide for Type 2 Diabetes Treatment. Bioconjug Chem 2016; 27:54-8. [PMID: 26641886 PMCID: PMC5219937 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.5b00625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, it is very important to develop therapeutics with prolonged circulation half-life. Exendin-4 is a glucagon like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist that has been modified in different ways for imaging insulinoma and for treating type-2 diabetes. In this work, we synthesized a maleimide derivative of truncated Evans blue dye (MEB-C3-Mal) to conjugate with (Cys(40))exendin-4 to obtain a highly stable MEB-C3-(Cys(40))exendin-4 (denoted as Abextide II). Through in situ binding with endogenous albumin, Abextide II lowers blood glucose level and prolongs the hypoglycemic effect in a type 2 diabetes mouse model more than the FDA approved Albiglutide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130033, China
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Guohao Wang
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Huimin Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Ying Ma
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Lixin Lang
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Orit Jacobson
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Dale O. Kiesewetter
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Lei Zhu
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Shi Gao
- China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130033, China
| | - Qingjie Ma
- China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130033, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
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Xin Y, Jiang X, Wang Y, Su X, Sun M, Zhang L, Tan Y, Wintergerst KA, Li Y, Li Y. Insulin-Producing Cells Differentiated from Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro Ameliorate Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Hyperglycemia. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0145838. [PMID: 26756576 PMCID: PMC4710504 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The two major obstacles in the successful transplantation of islets for diabetes treatment are inadequate supply of insulin-producing tissue and immune rejection. Induction of the differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) into insulin-producing cells (IPCs) for autologous transplantation may alleviate those limitations. METHODS hMSCs were isolated and induced to differentiate into IPCs through a three-stage differentiation protocol in a defined media with high glucose, nicotinamide, and exendin-4. The physiological characteristics and functions of IPCs were then evaluated. Next, about 3 × 10(6) differentiated cells were transplanted into the renal sub-capsular space of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nude mice. Graft survival and function were assessed by immunohistochemistry, TUNEL staining and measurements of blood glucose levels in the mice. RESULTS The differentiated IPCs were characterized by Dithizone (DTZ) positive staining, expression of pancreatic β-cell markers, and human insulin secretion in response to glucose stimulation. Moreover, 43% of the IPCs showed L-type Ca2+ channel activity and similar changes in intracellular Ca2+ in response to glucose stimulation as that seen in pancreatic β-cells in the process of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Transplantation of functional IPCs into the renal subcapsular space of STZ-induced diabetic nude mice ameliorated the hyperglycemia. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that transplanted IPCs sustainably expressed insulin, c-peptide, and PDX-1 without apparent apoptosis in vivo. CONCLUSIONS IPCs derived from hMSCs in vitro can ameliorate STZ-induced diabetic hyperglycemia, which indicates that these hMSCs may be a promising approach to overcome the limitations of islet transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xin
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, University of Louisville, Wendy L. Novak Diabetes Care Center, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Xin Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yishu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xuejin Su
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Meiyu Sun
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lihong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yi Tan
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, University of Louisville, Wendy L. Novak Diabetes Care Center, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Kupper A. Wintergerst
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, University of Louisville, Wendy L. Novak Diabetes Care Center, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- * E-mail: (Yan Li); (Yulin Li)
| | - Yulin Li
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- * E-mail: (Yan Li); (Yulin Li)
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Calvete
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Bruno Lomonte
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
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Hou S, Li C, Huan Y, Liu S, Liu Q, Sun S, Jiang Q, Jia C, Shen Z. Effects of E2HSA, a Long-Acting Glucagon Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist, on Glycemic Control and Beta Cell Function in Spontaneous Diabetic db/db Mice. J Diabetes Res 2015; 2015:817839. [PMID: 26351642 PMCID: PMC4553314 DOI: 10.1155/2015/817839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2015] [Revised: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists such as exendin-4 have been widely used but their short half-life limits their therapeutic value. The recombinant protein, E2HSA, is a novel, long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist generated by the fusion of exendin-4 with human serum albumin. In mouse pancreatic NIT-1 cells, E2HSA activated GLP-1 receptor with similar efficacy as exendin-4. After single-dose administration in ICR mice, E2HSA showed prolonged glucose lowering effects which lasted up to four days and extended inhibition on gastric emptying for at least 72 hours. Chronic E2HSA treatment in db/db mice significantly improved glucose tolerance, reduced elevated nonfasting and fasting plasma glucose levels, and also decreased HbA1c levels. E2HSA also increased insulin secretion and decreased body weight and appetite. Furthermore, immunofluorescence analysis showed that E2HSA increased β-cell area, improved islet morphology, and reduced β-cell apoptosis. In accordance with the promotion of β-cell function and survival, E2HSA upregulated genes such as Irs2, Pdx-1, Nkx6.1, and MafA and downregulated the expression levels of FoxO1 and proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins. In conclusion, with prolonged glucose lowering effects and promoting β-cell function and survival, the fusion protein, E2HSA, is a promising new therapeutic for once weekly treatment of type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaocong Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Caina Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yi Huan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Shuainan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Quan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Sujuan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Qian Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Chunming Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Zhufang Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
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De Marco Almeida F, de Castro Pimenta AM, Oliveira MC, De Lima ME. Venoms, toxins and derivatives from the Brazilian fauna: valuable sources for drug discovery. Sheng Li Xue Bao 2015; 67:261-270. [PMID: 26109299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Animal venoms have been widely investigated throughout the world. The great number of biotechnological articles as well as patent applications in the field of drug discovery based on these compounds indicates how important the source is. This review presents a list of the most studied Brazilian venomous animal species and shows the most recent patent applications filed from 2000 to 2013, which comprise Brazilian venoms, toxins and derivatives. We analyze the data according to the species, the type of products claimed and the nationality of the inventors. Fifty-five patent applications were found, involving 8 genera. Crotalus, Lachesis, Bothrops and Loxosceles represented 78% of the patent applications. The other 22% were represented by Phoneutria, Tityus, Acanthoscurria and Phyllomedusa. Most of the inventions (42%) involved anticancer, immunomodulator or antimicrobial drugs, while 13% involved anti-venoms and vaccines, 11% involved hypotensive compositions, 9% involved antinociceptive and/or anti-inflammatory compositions, and the other 25% involved methods, kits or compositions for various purposes. Brazilian inventors filed 49% of the patent applications, but other countries, mainly the United States of America, Germany, Russia and France, also filed patent applications claiming products comprising venoms, toxins and/or derivatives from the Brazilian fauna. Brazil holds an important number of patent applications which mostly belong to universities and research institutes, but the pharmaceutical industry in this field is still weak in Brazil. Although, Brazilian venomous animal species have been reported in drug discovery throughout the world, many species remain to be explored as valuable and promising tools for drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flávia De Marco Almeida
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Animal Venoms and Toxins, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Adriano Monteiro de Castro Pimenta
- Laboratory of Animal Venoms and Toxins, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Mônica Cristina Oliveira
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Maria Elena De Lima
- Laboratory of Animal Venoms and Toxins, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
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Liao S, Liang Y, Zhang Z, Li J, Wang J, Wang X, Dou G, Zhang Z, Liu K. In vitro metabolic stability of exendin-4: pharmacokinetics and identification of cleavage products. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0116805. [PMID: 25723538 PMCID: PMC4344207 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the metabolic stability and cleavage sites of exendin-4 in rat tissue homogenates, as well as to identify the types of proteases involved in exendin-4 degradation. The stability of exendin-4 in kidney and liver homogenates from rats was evaluated using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) with gradient elution. Furthermore, we used a combination of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and LC-ESI-MS/MS to identify the structures of the major degradation products of exendin-4, and peptidase inhibitors were used to characterize exendin-4 degradation in rat liver and kidney homogenates and to identify the proteases involved in exendin-4 metabolism. Exendin-4 had a half-life of 7.8 and 100.9 min in the kidney and liver homogenate, respectively. The enzymes most likely to be involved in the degradation of exendin-4 were aminopeptidases, serineproteases, and metalloproteases. Exendin-4(15-39) and exendin-4(16-39) were the predominant direct exendin-4 metabolites in the kidney, and the main product of exendin-4 metabolism in the liver was exendin-4(12-39). Our results indicated that the metabolism of exendin-4 involved an initial endoproteolytic cleavage and subsequent exoproteolytic digestion. The degradation of exendin-4 in the kidney and liver homogenates followed distinct patterns, and the primary cleavage sites of exendin-4 degradation in rat kidney homogenates were located after AA-14, and -15, whereas those in rat liver homogenates were located after AA-11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Liao
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100850, PR China
| | - Yuanjun Liang
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100850, PR China
| | - Zhiwei Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100850, PR China
| | - Jinglai Li
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100850, PR China
| | - Juan Wang
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100850, PR China
| | - Xiaoying Wang
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100850, PR China
| | - Guifang Dou
- Beijing Institute of Transfusion Medicine, 27 Taiping Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100850, PR China
| | - Zhenqing Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100850, PR China
- * E-mail: (KLL); (ZQZ)
| | - Keliang Liu
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100850, PR China
- * E-mail: (KLL); (ZQZ)
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Wang S, Li B, Li C, Cui W, Miao L. Potential Renoprotective Agents through Inhibiting CTGF/CCN2 in Diabetic Nephropathy. J Diabetes Res 2015; 2015:962383. [PMID: 26421309 PMCID: PMC4572424 DOI: 10.1155/2015/962383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Revised: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The development and progression of DN might involve multiple factors. Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2, originally known as CTGF) is the one which plays a pivotal role. Therefore, increasing attention is being paid to CCN2 as a potential therapeutic target for DN. Up to date, there are also many drugs or agents which have been shown for their protective effects against DN via different mechanisms. In this review, we only focus on the potential renoprotective therapeutic agents which can specifically abolish CCN2 expression or nonspecifically inhibit CCN2 expression for retarding the development and progression of DN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songyan Wang
- Department of Nephrology, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
- Department of Nephrology, Jilin Province People's Hospital, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Bing Li
- Department of Nephrology, Jilin Province People's Hospital, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Chunguang Li
- Department of Urology, The 2nd Hospital of Changchun, Changchun 130061, China
| | - Wenpeng Cui
- Department of Nephrology, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Lining Miao
- Department of Nephrology, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
- *Lining Miao:
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Koludarov I, Jackson TNW, Sunagar K, Nouwens A, Hendrikx I, Fry BG. Fossilized venom: the unusually conserved venom profiles of Heloderma species (beaded lizards and gila monsters). Toxins (Basel) 2014; 6:3582-95. [PMID: 25533521 PMCID: PMC4280549 DOI: 10.3390/toxins6123582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Revised: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Research into snake venoms has revealed extensive variation at all taxonomic levels. Lizard venoms, however, have received scant research attention in general, and no studies of intraclade variation in lizard venom composition have been attempted to date. Despite their iconic status and proven usefulness in drug design and discovery, highly venomous helodermatid lizards (gila monsters and beaded lizards) have remained neglected by toxinological research. Proteomic comparisons of venoms of three helodermatid lizards in this study has unravelled an unusual similarity in venom-composition, despite the long evolutionary time (~30 million years) separating H. suspectum from the other two species included in this study (H. exasperatum and H. horridum). Moreover, several genes encoding the major helodermatid toxins appeared to be extremely well-conserved under the influence of negative selection (but with these results regarded as preliminary due to the scarcity of available sequences). While the feeding ecologies of all species of helodermatid lizard are broadly similar, there are significant morphological differences between species, which impact upon relative niche occupation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Koludarov
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, the University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Timothy N W Jackson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, the University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Kartik Sunagar
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, the Alexander Silberman Institute for Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
| | - Amanda Nouwens
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Iwan Hendrikx
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, the University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, the University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
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von Reumont BM, Campbell LI, Jenner RA. Quo vadis venomics? A roadmap to neglected venomous invertebrates. Toxins (Basel) 2014; 6:3488-551. [PMID: 25533518 PMCID: PMC4280546 DOI: 10.3390/toxins6123488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Venomics research is being revolutionized by the increased use of sensitive -omics techniques to identify venom toxins and their transcripts in both well studied and neglected venomous taxa. The study of neglected venomous taxa is necessary both for understanding the full diversity of venom systems that have evolved in the animal kingdom, and to robustly answer fundamental questions about the biology and evolution of venoms without the distorting effect that can result from the current bias introduced by some heavily studied taxa. In this review we draw the outlines of a roadmap into the diversity of poorly studied and understood venomous and putatively venomous invertebrates, which together represent tens of thousands of unique venoms. The main groups we discuss are crustaceans, flies, centipedes, non-spider and non-scorpion arachnids, annelids, molluscs, platyhelminths, nemerteans, and echinoderms. We review what is known about the morphology of the venom systems in these groups, the composition of their venoms, and the bioactivities of the venoms to provide researchers with an entry into a large and scattered literature. We conclude with a short discussion of some important methodological aspects that have come to light with the recent use of new -omics techniques in the study of venoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lahcen I Campbell
- Department of Life Sciences, the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD London, UK.
| | - Ronald A Jenner
- Department of Life Sciences, the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD London, UK.
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West GM, Willard FS, Sloop KW, Showalter AD, Pascal BD, Griffin PR. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor ligand interactions: structural cross talk between ligands and the extracellular domain. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105683. [PMID: 25180755 PMCID: PMC4152014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) in pancreatic β-cells potentiates insulin production and is a current therapeutic target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Like other class B G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the GLP-1R contains an N-terminal extracellular ligand binding domain. N-terminal truncations on the peptide agonist generate antagonists capable of binding to the extracellular domain, but not capable of activating full length receptor. The main objective of this study was to use Hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) to identify how the amide hydrogen bonding network of peptide ligands and the extracellular domain of GLP-1R (nGLP-1R) were altered by binding interactions and to then use this platform to validate direct binding events for putative GLP-1R small molecule ligands. The HDX studies presented here for two glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) peptide ligands indicates that the antagonist exendin-4[9-39] is significantly destabilized in the presence of nonionic detergents as compared to the agonist exendin-4. Furthermore, HDX can detect stabilization of exendin-4 and exendin-4[9-39] hydrogen bonding networks at the N-terminal helix [Val19 to Lys27] upon binding to the N-terminal extracellular domain of GLP-1R (nGLP-1R). In addition we show hydrogen bonding network stabilization on nGLP-1R in response to ligand binding, and validate direct binding events with the extracellular domain of the receptor for putative GLP-1R small molecule ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham M. West
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Francis S. Willard
- Quantitative Biology, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Kyle W. Sloop
- Endocrine Discovery, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Aaron D. Showalter
- Endocrine Discovery, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Bruce D. Pascal
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
- Informatics Core, The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Patrick R. Griffin
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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