Venom Composition Does Not Vary Greatly Between Different Nematocyst Types Isolated from the Primary Tentacles of Olindias sambaquiensis (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa)

2019 ◽  
Vol 237 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam B. Doonan ◽  
Steven Lynham ◽  
Catherine Quinlan ◽  
Spike C. Ibiji ◽  
Carlos E. Winter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Venom Composition ◽  
Olindias Sambaquiensis

scholarly journals Hexapod Assassins’ Potion: Venom Composition and Bioactivity from the Eurasian Assassin Bug Rhynocoris iracundus

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 819
Author(s):  
Nicolai Rügen ◽  
Timothy P. Jenkins ◽  
Natalie Wielsch ◽  
Heiko Vogel ◽  
Benjamin-Florian Hempel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomedical Applications ◽  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Systemic Reactions ◽  
Venom Composition ◽  
Assassin Bug ◽  
Molecular Components ◽  
First Time ◽  
Tissue Digestion

Assassin bug venoms are potent and exert diverse biological functions, making them potential biomedical goldmines. Besides feeding functions on arthropods, assassin bugs also use their venom for defense purposes causing localized and systemic reactions in vertebrates. However, assassin bug venoms remain poorly characterized. We collected the venom from the assassin bug Rhynocoris iracundus and investigated its composition and bioactivity in vitro and in vivo. It caused lysis of murine neuroblastoma, hepatoma cells, and healthy murine myoblasts. We demonstrated, for the first time, that assassin bug venom induces neurolysis and suggest that it counteracts paralysis locally via the destruction of neural networks, contributing to tissue digestion. Furthermore, the venom caused paralysis and melanization of Galleria mellonella larvae and pupae, whilst also possessing specific antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, but not Listeria grayi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A combinatorial proteo-transcriptomic approach was performed to identify potential toxins responsible for the observed effects. We identified neurotoxic Ptu1, an inhibitory cystin knot (ICK) toxin homologous to ω-conotoxins from cone snails, cytolytic redulysins homologous to trialysins from hematophagous kissing bugs, and pore-forming hemolysins. Additionally, chitinases and kininogens were found and may be responsible for insecticidal and cytolytic activities. We demonstrate the multifunctionality and complexity of assassin bug venom, which renders its molecular components interesting for potential biomedical applications.

scholarly journals Tentacle Morphological Variation Coincides with Differential Expression of Toxins in Sea Anemones

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 452
Author(s):  
Lauren M. Ashwood ◽  
Michela L. Mitchell ◽  
Bruno Madio ◽  
David A. Hurwood ◽  
Glenn F. King ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Differential Expression ◽  
Morphological Variation ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
The Body ◽  
Sea Anemones ◽  
Tissue Specific ◽  
Venom Composition ◽  
Specific Manner ◽  
Branched Structures ◽  
Morphological Variants

Phylum Cnidaria is an ancient venomous group defined by the presence of cnidae, specialised organelles that serve as venom delivery systems. The distribution of cnidae across the body plan is linked to regionalisation of venom production, with tissue-specific venom composition observed in multiple actiniarian species. In this study, we assess whether morphological variants of tentacles are associated with distinct toxin expression profiles and investigate the functional significance of specialised tentacular structures. Using five sea anemone species, we analysed differential expression of toxin-like transcripts and found that expression levels differ significantly across tentacular structures when substantial morphological variation is present. Therefore, the differential expression of toxin genes is associated with morphological variation of tentacular structures in a tissue-specific manner. Furthermore, the unique toxin profile of spherical tentacular structures in families Aliciidae and Thalassianthidae indicate that vesicles and nematospheres may function to protect branched structures that host a large number of photosynthetic symbionts. Thus, hosting zooxanthellae may account for the tentacle-specific toxin expression profiles observed in the current study. Overall, specialised tentacular structures serve unique ecological roles and, in order to fulfil their functions, they possess distinct venom cocktails.

scholarly journals Diet Diversity in Carnivorous Terebrid Snails Is Tied to the Presence and Absence of a Venom Gland

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 108
Author(s):  
Juliette Gorson ◽  
Giulia Fassio ◽  
Emily S. Lau ◽  
Mandë Holford
Keyword(s):  
Venom Gland ◽  
Molecular Study ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Animal Evolution ◽  
Diet Diversity ◽  
Dietary Breadth ◽  
Venom Composition ◽  
Marine Snails ◽  
Predatory Strategy ◽  
Definition Of

Predator-prey interactions are thought to play a driving role in animal evolution, especially for groups that have developed venom as their predatory strategy. However, how the diet of venomous animals influences the composition of venom arsenals remains uncertain. Two prevailing hypotheses to explain the relationship between diet and venom composition focus on prey preference and the types of compounds in venom, and a positive correlation between dietary breadth and the number of compounds in venom. Here, we examined venom complexity, phylogenetic relationship, collection depth, and biogeography of the Terebridae (auger snails) to determine if repeated innovations in terebrid foregut anatomy and venom composition correspond to diet variation. We performed the first molecular study of the diet of terebrid marine snails by metabarcoding the gut content of 71 terebrid specimens from 17 species. Our results suggest that the presence or absence of a venom gland is strongly correlated with dietary breadth. Specifically, terebrid species without a venom gland displayed greater diversity in their diet. Additionally, we propose a revision of the definition of venom complexity in conoidean snails to more accurately capture the breadth of ecological influences. These findings suggest that prey diet is an important factor in terebrid venom evolution and diversification and further investigations of other understudied organisms, like terebrids, are needed to develop robust hypotheses in this area.

scholarly journals The medical threat of mamba envenoming in sub-Saharan Africa revealed by genus-wide analysis of venom composition, toxicity and antivenomics profiling of available antivenoms

2018 ◽  
Vol 172 ◽  
pp. 173-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart Ainsworth ◽  
Daniel Petras ◽  
Mikael Engmark ◽  
Roderich D. Süssmuth ◽  
Gareth Whiteley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Venom Composition ◽  
Sub Saharan

scholarly journals Variações morfológicas em Olindias sambaquiensis (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Limnomedusae) no litoral de Guaratuba, Paraná, Brasil

2006 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 879-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miodeli Nogueira Júnior ◽  
Maria A. Haddad
Keyword(s):  
Olindias Sambaquiensis

Olindias sambaquiensis Muller, 1861 (Olindiidae) é uma hidromedusa comum e abundante no litoral Sul do Brasil. Em contribuição ao estudo da espécie, variações morfológicas foram analisadas em 1092 exemplares coletados em águas costeiras de Guaratuba, Paraná. Em 70 (6,4%) indivíduos, foram reconhecidas alterações relacionadas ao número, forma e ramificações dos canais radiais e centrípetos, que resultaram, em diversos casos, em uma aparente mudança do padrão de simetria da espécie.

scholarly journals Evidence of piercing and sexual differences in venom composition in a sexual stinging scorpion (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Olguín-Pérez ◽  
Oscar F. Francke ◽  
Alejandro Carbajal-Saucedo
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Differences ◽  
Venom Composition

scholarly journals A therapeutic combination of two small molecule toxin inhibitors provides pancontinental preclinical efficacy against viper snakebite

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura-Oana Albulescu ◽  
Chunfang Xie ◽  
Stuart Ainsworth ◽  
Jaffer Alsolaiss ◽  
Edouard Crittenden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecules ◽  
Enzyme Inhibitors ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
Dual Inhibitor ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Venom Composition ◽  
Inhibitor Combination

AbstractSnakebite is a medical emergency causing high mortality and morbidity in rural tropical communities that typically experience delayed access to unaffordable therapeutics. Viperid snakes are responsible for the majority of envenomings, but extensive interspecific variation in venom composition dictates that different antivenom treatments are used in different parts of the world, resulting in clinical and fiscal snakebite management challenges. Here, we show that a number of repurposed Phase 2-approved small molecules are capable of broadly neutralizing distinct viper venom bioactivities in vitro by inhibiting different enzymatic toxin families. Furthermore, using multiple in vivo models of envenoming, we demonstrate that a single dose of a rationally-selected dual inhibitor combination consisting of marimastat and varespladib prevents lethality caused by venom from the most medically-important vipers of Africa, South Asia and Central America. Our findings strongly support the translation of combinations of safe and affordable enzyme inhibitors as novel broad-spectrum therapeutics for snakebite.

scholarly journals Proteomic Analysis of the Ontogenetic Variability in Plasma Composition of Juvenile and Adult Bothrops jararaca Snakes

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen de Morais-Zani ◽  
Kathleen Fernandes Grego ◽  
Aparecida Sadae Tanaka ◽  
Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Proteomic Analysis ◽  
2D Electrophoresis ◽  
Plasma Composition ◽  
Venom Composition ◽  
Bothrops Jararaca ◽  
Proteomic Approach ◽  
Adult Plasma ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Different Levels

The ontogenetic variability in venom composition of some snake genera, including Bothrops, as well as the biological implications of such variability and the search of new molecules that can neutralize the toxic components of these venoms have been the subject of many studies. Thus, considering the resistance of Bothrops jararaca to the toxic action of its own venom and the ontogenetic variability in venom composition described in this species, a comparative study of the plasma composition of juvenile and adult B. jararaca snakes was performed through a proteomic approach based on 2D electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, which allowed the identification of proteins that might be present at different levels during ontogenetic development. Among the proteins identified by mass spectrometry, antihemorrhagic factor Bj46a was found only in adult plasma. Moreover, two spots identified as phospholipase A2 inhibitors were significantly increased in juvenile plasma, which can be related to the higher catalytic PLA2 activity shown by juvenile venom in comparison to that of adult snakes. This work shows the ontogenetic variability of B. jararaca plasma, and that these changes can be related to the ontogenetic variability described in its venom.

A dipteran's sucker punch: Diverse venom composition of the robber flies

Toxicon ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 149 ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
Stephan Holger Drukewitz ◽  
Nico Fuhrmann ◽  
Alexander Blanke ◽  
Eivind Undheim ◽  
Björn Marcus von Reumont
Keyword(s):  
Venom Composition ◽  
Robber Flies

Are you what you eat? An investigation correlates diet and snake venom composition and function in Bothrops species

Toxicon ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 168 ◽  
pp. S14
Author(s):  
Nathália Da Costa Galizio ◽  
Caroline Serino-Silva ◽  
Weslei Da Silva Aguiar ◽  
Daniela Miki Hatakeyama ◽  
Lucas De Carvalho Francisco Alves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Snake Venom ◽  
Venom Composition ◽  
And Function
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document