A tail of two voltages: Proteomic comparison of the three electric organs of the electric eel

Abstract

Proteomic differences among three electric organs of electric eel reflect trade-offs between generating weak and strong voltages.

Electroreception, electrogenesis and electric signal evolution

“…However, this literature has expanded in other directions, including mechanisms of adult neurogenesis (Dunlap et al, 2016;Zupanc, 1999), the influence of steroid and peptide hormones on communication signals (Dunlap et al, 2013;Gavassa et al, 2013;Markham & Stoddard, 2013;Smith, 2013;Zakon & Dunlap, 1999) and the mechanisms of electrolocation, object imaging and perception, Nelson, 2011;Pedraja et al, 2014;Pereira & Caputi, 2010;von der Emde, 2012). Newly available proteonomic, transcriptomic and genomic tools have also enhanced our understanding of the molecular bases of electroreception (Bellono et al, 2017) and electrogenesis (Ching et al, 2016;Güth et al, 2013;Lamanna et al, 2015;Nagel et al, 2017;Pinch et al, 2016;Traeger et al, 2017;Zakon et al, 2008), as well as the convergent origins of myogenic electric organs in multiple vertebrate lineages (Arnegard et al, 2010b;Gallant et al, 2014;Thompson et al, 2014;Zakon, 2012;Zakon et al, 2006) In tandem with the development of weakly electric fishes as a neurobiological model, there has also been an increasing interest in the mormyroids and gymnotiforms as a model system in sensory ecology. These fishes offer enormous advantages for studying signalreceptor adaptations both because of the remarkable convergences in their electrogenic-electrosensory systems in response to similar sets of environmental conditions in African and Neotropical freshwaters and because of their shared nocturnal lifestyle.…”

“…However, this literature has expanded in other directions, including mechanisms of adult neurogenesis (Dunlap et al ., ; Zupanc, ), the influence of steroid and peptide hormones on communication signals (Dunlap et al ., ; Gavassa et al ., ; Markham & Stoddard, ; Smith, ; Zakon & Dunlap, ) and the mechanisms of electrolocation, object imaging and perception, (Caputi et al ., ; Nelson, ; Pedraja et al ., ; Pereira & Caputi, ; von der Emde, ). Newly available proteonomic, transcriptomic and genomic tools have also enhanced our understanding of the molecular bases of electroreception (Bellono et al ., ) and electrogenesis (Ching et al ., ; Güth et al ., ; Lamanna et al ., ; Nagel et al ., ; Pinch et al ., ; Traeger et al ., ; Zakon et al ., ), as well as the convergent origins of myogenic electric organs in multiple vertebrate lineages (Arnegard et al ., ; Gallant et al ., ; Thompson et al ., ; Zakon, ; Zakon et al ., ). Much of the neurobiological work on weakly electric fishes has focused on the following model species: Gnathonemus petersii (Günther 1862; Mormyridae), Gymnotus omarorum Richer‐de‐Forges, Crampton & Albert 2009 (Gymnotidae), Brachyhypopomus gauderio Giora & Malabarba 2009 (Hypopomidae), Sternopygus macrurus (Bloch & Schneider 1801) (Sternopygidae), Apteronotus albifrons (L. 1766) (Apteronotidae) and Apteronotus leptorhynchus (Ellis 1912) (Apteronotidae).…”

Studying convergent evolution to relate genotype to behavioral phenotype

“…In the past decade there has been a proliferation of genomics resources available for weakly electric fish (Gallant et al, 2014a(Gallant et al, , 2017Guth et al, 2013;Kim et al, 2009;Lamanna et al, 2014;Pinch et al, 2016;Swapna et al, 2018;Traeger et al, 2015Traeger et al, , 2017. A major goal of this work has been to understand how changes at the molecular level result in phenotypic changes at the organismal level.…”

The Pump-Leak/Donnan ion homeostasis strategies of skeletal muscle fibers and neurons

“…Symmorphosis (Fogarty and Sieck 2019), the evolutionary concept of economy of biological design, predicts that structural properties will be matched to functional demands. To analyze excitable cell ion homeostasis via a comparable conceptual filter, an ideal case would be the electric fish Electrophorus electricus (Gallant et al 2014;Catania 2015Catania , 2019, given its low-duty-cycle syncytial SMFs and (derived evolutionarily from them) 3 subclasses of high-duty-cycle syncytial electrocytes (Traeger et al 2017). Available molecular (e.g., Nav channels, Kv, pumps) and morphological data for both cell types (Ching et al 2015(Ching et al , 2016Thornhill et al 2003;Schwartz et al 1975;Marchado et al 1983) could be augmented with comparative proteomics (e.g., how much if any ClC-1 is expressed in electrocytes?).…”