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Transcriptomic Analysis of Four Cerianthid (Cnidaria, Ceriantharia) Venoms.

ABSTRACT: Tube anemones, or cerianthids, are a phylogenetically informative group of cnidarians with complex life histories, including a pelagic larval stage and tube-dwelling adult stage, both known to utilize venom in stinging-cell rich tentacles. Cnidarians are an entirely venomous group that utilize their proteinaceous-dominated toxins to capture prey and defend against predators, in addition to several other ecological functions, including intraspecific interactions. At present there are no studies describing the venom for any species within cerianthids. Given their unique development, ecology, and distinct phylogenetic-placement within Cnidaria, our objective is to evaluate the venom-like gene diversity of four species of cerianthids from newly collected transcriptomic data. We identified 525 venom-like genes between all four species. The venom-gene profile for each species was dominated by enzymatic protein and peptide families, which is consistent with previous findings in other cnidarian venoms. However, we found few toxins that are typical of sea anemones and corals, and furthermore, three of the four species express toxin-like genes closely related to potent pore-forming toxins in box jellyfish. Our study is the first to provide a survey of the putative venom composition of cerianthids and contributes to our general understanding of the diversity of cnidarian toxins.

SUBMITTER: Klompen AML

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7460484 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Transcriptomic Analysis of Four Cerianthid (Cnidaria, Ceriantharia) Venoms.

Klompen Anna M L AML Macrander Jason J Reitzel Adam M AM Stampar Sérgio N SN

Marine drugs 20200805 8

Tube anemones, or cerianthids, are a phylogenetically informative group of cnidarians with complex life histories, including a pelagic larval stage and tube-dwelling adult stage, both known to utilize venom in stinging-cell rich tentacles. Cnidarians are an entirely venomous group that utilize their proteinaceous-dominated toxins to capture prey and defend against predators, in addition to several other ecological functions, including intraspecific interactions. At present there are no studies d ...[more]

PMID: 32764303

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Project description:Venom based research is exploited to find novel candidates for the development of innovative pharmacological tools, drug candidates and new ingredients for cosmetic and agrochemical industries. Moreover, venomics, as a well-established approach in systems biology, helps to elucidate the genetic mechanisms of the production of such a great molecular biodiversity. Today the advances made in the proteomics, transcriptomics and bioinformatics fields, favor venomics, allowing the in depth study of complex matrices and the elucidation even of minor compounds present in minute biological samples. The present study illustrates a rapid and efficient method developed for the elucidation of venom composition based on NextGen mRNA sequencing of venom glands and LC-MS/MS venom proteome profiling. The analysis of the comprehensive data obtained was focused on cysteine rich peptide toxins from four spider species originating from phylogenetically distant families for comparison purposes. The studied species were Heteropoda davidbowie (Sparassidae), Poecilotheria formosa (Theraphosidae), Viridasius fasciatus (Viridasiidae) and Latrodectus mactans (Theridiidae). This led to a high resolution profiling of 284 characterized cysteine rich peptides, 111 of which belong to the Inhibitor Cysteine Knot (ICK) structural motif. The analysis of H. davidbowie venom revealed a high richness in term of venom diversity: 95 peptide sequences were identified; out of these, 32 peptides presented the ICK structural motif and could be classified in six distinct families. The profiling of P. formosa venom highlighted the presence of 126 peptide sequences, with 52 ICK toxins belonging to three structural distinct families. V. fasciatus venom was shown to contain 49 peptide sequences, out of which 22 presented the ICK structural motif and were attributed to five families. The venom of L. mactans, until now studied for its large neurotoxins (Latrotoxins), revealed the presence of 14 cysteine rich peptides, out of which five were ICK toxins belonging to the CSTX superfamily. This in depth profiling of distinct ICK peptide families identified across the four spider species highlighted the high conservation of these neurotoxins among spider families.

Project description:Sequences and structural attributes of mitochondrial genomes have played a critical role in the clarification of relationships among Cnidaria, a key phylum of early-diverging animals. Among the major lineages of Cnidaria, Ceriantharia ("tube anemones") remains one of the most enigmatic in terms of its phylogenetic position. We sequenced the mitochondrial genomes of two ceriantharians to see whether the complete organellar genome would provide more support for the phylogenetic placement of Ceriantharia. For both Isarachnanthus nocturnus and Pachycerianthus magnus, the mitochondrial gene sequences could not be assembled into a single circular genome. Instead, our analyses suggest that both species have mitochondrial genomes consisting of multiple linear fragments. Linear mitogenomes are characteristic of members of Medusozoa, one of the major lineages of Cnidaria, but are unreported for Anthozoa, which includes the Ceriantharia. The inferred number of fragments and variation in gene order between species is much greater within Ceriantharia than among the lineages of Medusozoa. We identify origins of replication for each of the five putative chromosomes of the Isarachnanthus nocturnus mitogenome and for each of the eight putative chromosomes of the Pachycerianthus magnus mitogenome. At 80,923 bp, I. nocturnus now holds the record for the largest animal mitochondrial genome reported to date. The novelty of the mitogenomic structure in Ceriantharia highlights the distinctiveness of this lineage but, because it appears to be both unique to and diverse within Ceriantharia, it is uninformative about the phylogenetic position of Ceriantharia relative to other Anthozoa. The presence of tRNAMet and tRNATrp in both ceriantharian mitogenomes supports a closer relationship between Ceriantharia and Hexacorallia than between Ceriantharia and any other cnidarian lineage, but phylogenetic analysis of the genes contained in the mitogenomes suggests that Ceriantharia is sister to a clade containing Octocorallia + Hexacorallia indicating a possible suppression of tRNATrp in Octocorallia.

Project description:BackgroundLike all cnidarians, the subclass Ceriantharia (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) is known for producing cnidocysts, which mainly serve for prey immobilization, predator defense, and locomotion.AimThe present study aimed to understand the variability of the cnidom, i.e., the inventory of all cnidocyst types, in the ceriantharians (tube anemones) Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis (10 individuals) and Cerianthus sp. (seven individuals).MethodsIn each individual, 30 intact cnidocysts of each identified type were measured in the following parts of tube anemones: marginal tentacles (four from each individual), labial tentacles (four from each individual), column, actinopharynx and metamesenteries. Each of these structures was divided into three levels (high, middle, and low) and the cnidom was analyzed. Statistical descriptive parameters (mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum) of the sizes of all types of cnidocysts were calculated. The normality of the data for cnidocyst length was assessed using a Shapiro-Wilk test (α = 0.05). Based on the acceptance or rejection of the normality, either linear models or generalized linear models were used to evaluate variations in cnidocyst lengths. The normality of the cnidocyst length was tested by Shapiro-Wilk, and due to its rejection, generalized linear mixed models were applied to test the cnidocyst lengths variations.ResultsThe analysis of Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis revealed 23 categories of cnidocysts, thereby expanding the understanding of its cnidome. The cnidoms of Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis and Cerianthus sp. presented intraspecific variations, both qualitatively and in the lengths of cnidocysts. The cnidoms of the two species studied also showed qualitative intra-individual variations between different levels (high, middle, low) within each structure of the tube anemone (tentacles, actinopharynx, column and metamesenteries). Some cnidocyst types, such as atrichs from the column of C. brasiliensis, presented a length gradient along the column, from larger lengths at the "low" level to smaller lengths at the "high" level.ConclusionsThe cnidom of a tube anemone could be better described if samples are taken at different levels of the structures, as observed in C. brasiliensis. In addition, we can conclude that the cnidocyst lengths of both C. brasiliensis and Cerianthus sp. present intraspecific variation, which is coincident with that observed in actiniarian sea anemones. Moreover, as main conclusion, this work also proved that individuals of tube anemone species could present qualitative intra-structure variations in both the cnidom and cnidocyst lengths. This characteristic appears as an exception in cnidom variations, and has so far not been recorded even in the most studied actiniarian sea anemones. Finally, the intra-structure cnidocyst variations could reveal different functions of the different levels of a particular body part of the organisms.

Project description:BackgroundScorpions are widely known for the neurotoxic effects of their venoms, which contain peptides affecting ionic channels. Although Colombia is recognized for its scorpion diversity, only a few studies are available describing the venom content.MethodsIn this descriptive study, we analyzed the MS/MS sequence, electrophoretic and chromatographic profile linked to a bioinformatics analysis of the scorpions Chactas reticulatus (Chactidae), Opisthacanthus elatus (Hormuridae), Centruroides edwardsii (Buthidae) and Tityus asthenes (Buthidae) from Colombia.ResultsEach scorpion showed a specific electrophoretic and chromatographic profile. The electrophoretic profiles indicate the presence of high molecular mass compounds in all venoms, with a predominance of low molecular mass compounds in the Buthidae species. Chromatographic profiles showed a similar pattern as the electrophoretic profiles. From the MS/MS analysis of the chromatographic collected fractions, we obtained internal peptide sequences corresponding to proteins reported in scorpions from the respective family of the analyzed samples. Some of these proteins correspond to neurotoxins affecting ionic channels, antimicrobial peptides and metalloproteinase-like fragments. In the venom of Tityus asthenes, the MSn analysis allowed the detection of two toxins affecting sodium channels covering 50% and 84% of the sequence respectively, showing 100% sequence similarity. Two sequences from Tityus asthenes showed sequence similarity with a phospholipase from Opisthacanthus cayaporum indicating the presence of this type of toxin in this species for the first time. One sequence matching a hypothetical secreted protein from Hottentotta judaicus was found in three of the studied venoms. We found that this protein is common in the Buthidae family whereas it has been reported in other families - such as Scorpionidae - and may be part of the evolutionary puzzle of venoms in these arachnids.ConclusionButhidae venoms from Colombia can be considered an important source of peptides similar to toxins affecting ionic channels. An interesting predicted antimicrobial peptide was detected in three of the analyzed venoms.

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Transcriptomic Analysis of Four Cerianthid (Cnidaria, Ceriantharia) Venoms.

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Transcriptomic Analysis of Four Cerianthid (Cnidaria, Ceriantharia) Venoms.

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