Dataset Information

Saddleback caterpillar venom proteomics

ABSTRACT: Limacodidae is a family of lepidopteran insects comprising more than 1,500 species, over half of which produce pain-inducing defensive venom components in the larval stage, but little is known about their venom. 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 confirmed 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 their geographic separation. One notable difference is the presence of RF-amide peptide toxins in A. stimulea venom. Synthetic versions of these RF-amide toxins displayed potent activation of the human neuropeptide FF1 receptor, insecticidal activity when injected into Drosophila melanogaster, and moderate ability to inhibit the larval development of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus. This study provides insights into venom evolution and toxin activity in Limacodidae, and will allow the synthetic production of A. stimulea peptide toxins towards functional and structural characterisation.

INSTRUMENT(S): TripleTOF 5600

ORGANISM(S): Acharia Stimulea

TISSUE(S): Venom Apparatus, Epidermal Cell

SUBMITTER: Mohaddeseh Goudarzi

LAB HEAD: Glenn F. King

PROVIDER: PXD039980 | Pride | 2023-06-01

REPOSITORIES: Pride

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Publications

Venom composition and bioactive RF-amide peptide toxins of the saddleback caterpillar, Acharia stimulea (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae).

Goudarzi Mohaddeseh H MH Eagles David A DA Lim Junxian J Biggs Kimberley A KA Kotze Andrew C AC Ruffell Angela P AP Fairlie David P DP King Glenn F GF Walker Andrew A AA

Biochemical pharmacology 20230516

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 i ...[more]

PMID: 37201876

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Project description:Background: Eusociality is widely considered to evolve through kin selection, where the reproductive success of an individual’s close relative is favored at the expense of its own. High genetic relatedness is thus considered a prerequisite for eusociality. While ants are textbook examples of eusocial animals, not all ants form colonies of closely related individuals. One such example is the ectatommine ant Rhytidoponera metallica, which predominantly forms predominantly queen-less colonies that have such a low intra-colony relatedness that they have been proposed to represent a transient, unstable form of eusociality. However, R. metallica is among the most abundant and widespread ants on the Australian continent. This apparent contrast provides an example of how inclusive fitness may not by itself explain the maintenance of eusociality and raises the question of what other selective advantages maintain their eusocial lifestyle. Results: We provide a comprehensive portrait of the venom of R. metallica and show that the colony-wide venom consists of a, for an ant, exceptionally high diversity of functionally distinct toxins. These toxins have evolved under strong positive selection, which is normally expected to reduce genetic variance. Yet, R. metallica exhibits remarkable intra-colony variation, with workers sharing only a relatively small proportion of toxins in their venoms. We also find that this variation is not due to the presence of chemical castes, but that it has a genetic foundation that is at least in part explained by toxin allelic diversity. Conclusions: Taken together, our results suggest that the toxin diversity contained in R. metallica colonies may be maintained by a form of group selection, which selects for colonies that can exploit more resources and defend against a wider range of predators. We propose that increased intra-colony genetic variance resulting from low kinship may itself provide a selective advantage in the form of an expanded pharmacological venom repertoire. These findings provide an example of how group selection on adaptive phenotypes may contribute to maintaining eusociality where a prerequisite for kin selection is diminished.

Dataset Information

Saddleback caterpillar venom proteomics

Publications

Venom composition and bioactive RF-amide peptide toxins of the saddleback caterpillar, Acharia stimulea (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae).

Similar Datasets

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