Accessing novel conoidean venoms: Biodiverse lumun-lumun marine communities, an untapped biological and toxinological resource

Abstract

Cone snail venoms have yielded pharmacologically-active natural products of exceptional scientific interest. However, cone snails are a small minority of venomous molluscan biodiversity, the vast majority being tiny venomous morphospecies in the family Turridae. A novel method called lumun-lumun opens access to these micromolluscs and their venoms. Old fishing nets are anchored to the sea bottom for a period of 1-6 months and marine biotas rich in small molluscs are established. In a single lumun-lumun community, we found a remarkable gastropod biodiversity (155 morphospecies). Venomous predators belonging to the superfamily Conoidea (36 morphospecies) were the largest group, the majority being micromolluscs in the family Turridae.We carried out an initial analysis of the most abundant of the turrid morphospecies recovered, Clathurella (Lienardia) cincta (Dunker, 1871). In contrast to all cDNA clones characterized from cone snail venom ducts, one of the C. cincta clones identified encoded two different peptide precursors presumably translated from a single mRNA. The prospect of easily accessing so many different morphospecies of venomous marine snails raises intriguing toxinological possibilities: the 36 conoidean morphospecies in this one net alone have the potential to yield thousands of novel pharmacologically-active compounds.

Structure and activity of lobophorins from a turrid mollusk-associated Streptomyces sp

“…This method was also shown to be of utility in providing rapid access to diverse, novel, and bioactive venom peptides that might find therapeutic application. 11 Here, and in a recent report on structurally novel compounds, we show that this method also provides a third axis of biological and chemical diversity. Cultivation of bacteria associated with these mollusks affords novel compounds, some of which may have therapeutic potential.…”

“…We have employed an approach to easily access a large diversity of mollusks, lumun-lumun . 11 This method, invented and widely used by fishermen in the central Visayan region of the Philippines, involves placing bundles of nets ( lumun-lumun ) in the sea for 1–6 months. When the nets are harvested, they are found to contain a large abundance and diversity of micromollusks, which are valuable to collectors.…”

“…Ongoing research shows that, like cone snails, each turrid contains a wealth of novel venom peptides that are neuroactive and potentially have other activities. 11 …”

Not all spotted cats are leopards: evidence for a Hemilienardia ocellata species complex (Gastropoda: Conoidea: Raphitomidae)

“…This core dataset was supplemented by molecular-grade specimens obtained in 2008 in the Central Philippines (Cebu-Bohol area) from bulk lumun-lumun nets (Seronay et al 2010), and in the Society Islands in the course of the Moorea Biocode Project (http://mooreabiocode.org/). Live specimens for molecular analysis collected before 2012 were anaesthetized in an isotonic solution of MgCl 2 and fixed in 96% ethanol.…”

A family of excitatory peptide toxins from venomous crassispirine snails: Using Constellation Pharmacology to assess bioactivity

“…A second method is to tie together old discarded fishing nets into a tight bundle, drop the bundle at the bottom and leave it for a period of two weeks to 6 months. These bundled nets, called lumun-lumun (Seronay et al, 2010), then become an ecosystem settled by small marine invertebrates. The richness of the net community that develops depends on the density of planktonic larvae that settle in the net, which is largely determined by the prevailing currents.…”