Effects of Predator-Prey Interactions on Predator Traits: Differentiation of Diets and Venoms of a Marine Snail

Weese, David; Duda, Thomas F.

doi:10.3390/toxins11050299

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…We suggest that an adaptive explanation for this lies in a greater variety of targets of different sensitivities present in the prey of highly generalist predators, and hence a greater variety of (functional) types of toxins may be more likely to act on whichever prey is envenomed at the time. This finding is broadly consistent with the results of the Jackson et al paper which inspired the current study [36], and also with previous work looking at intraspecific variation across three populations of the cone snail Conus miliaris in which diet breadth, but not individual diet items, was associated with expression and differentiation of toxin genes [53].…”

Section: Does Diet Diversity Predict the Diversity Of Toxicological Asupporting

confidence: 92%

Coevolution of Snake Venom Toxic Activities and Diet: Evidence that Ecological Generalism Favours Toxicological Diversity

Davies

Arbuckle

2019

Toxins

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Snake venom evolution is typically considered to be predominantly driven by diet-related selection pressures. Most evidence for this is based on lethality to prey and non-prey species and on the identification of prey specific toxins. Since the broad toxicological activities (e.g., neurotoxicity, coagulotoxicity, etc.) sit at the interface between molecular toxinology and lethality, these classes of activity may act as a key mediator in coevolutionary interactions between snakes and their prey. Indeed, some recent work has suggested that variation in these functional activities may be related to diet as well, but previous studies have been limited in geographic and/or taxonomic scope. In this paper, we take a phylogenetic comparative approach to investigate relationships between diet and toxicological activity classes on a global scale across caenophidian snakes, using the clinically oriented database at toxinology.com. We generally find little support for specific prey types selecting for particular toxicological effects except that reptile-feeders are more likely to be neurotoxic. We find some support for endothermic prey (with higher metabolic rates) influencing toxic activities, but differently from previous suggestions in the literature. More broadly, we find strong support for a general effect of increased diversity of prey on the diversity of toxicological effects of snake venom. Hence, we provide evidence that selection pressures on the toxicological activities of snake venom has largely been driven by prey diversity rather than specific types of prey. These results complement and extend previous work to suggest that specific matching of venom characteristics to prey may occur at the molecular level and translate into venom lethality, but the functional link between those two is not constrained to a particular toxicological route.

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Section: Does Diet Diversity Predict the Diversity Of Toxicological Asupporting

confidence: 92%

Coevolution of Snake Venom Toxic Activities and Diet: Evidence that Ecological Generalism Favours Toxicological Diversity

Davies

Arbuckle

2019

Toxins

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“…S6). Thus, the feeding biology of C. imperialis is more complex than previously recorded ( 24 – 26 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…P. dumerilii is one of the few polychaete model systems used in biological research ( 24 ), and it is consumed by worm-hunting cones ( 25 , 26 ). To determine whether P. dumerilii would provide a suitable model, we reinvestigated this question using a validated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach that has been recently applied to worm-hunting cones ( 26 ). The stomach contents of four specimens from Hawaii and the Philippines were investigated, leading to PCR products from Phyllodocida, the same order encompassing P. dumerilii (fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small-molecule mimicry hunting strategy in the imperial cone snail, Conus imperialis

et al. 2021

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Venomous animals hunt using bioactive peptides, but relatively little is known about venom small molecules and the resulting complex hunting behaviors. Here, we explored the specialized metabolites from the venom of the worm-hunting cone snail, Conus imperialis. Using the model polychaete worm Platynereis dumerilii, we demonstrate that C. imperialis venom contains small molecules that mimic natural polychaete mating pheromones, evoking the mating phenotype in worms. The specialized metabolites from different cone snails are species-specific and structurally diverse, suggesting that the cones may adopt many different prey-hunting strategies enabled by small molecules. Predators sometimes attract prey using the prey’s own pheromones, in a strategy known as aggressive mimicry. Instead, C. imperialis uses metabolically stable mimics of those pheromones, indicating that, in biological mimicry, even the molecules themselves may be disguised, providing a twist on fake news in chemical ecology.

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“…For example, while the venoms of some spiders such as members of the funnel-web spider genus Hadronyche (Hexathelidae) may contain over a thousand unique venom components [133], this diversity does not appear to be universal across spiders but is dependent on the degree of specialization on particular prey [136]. Dietary breadth also appears to have an effect on the structural diversity contained within cone snail venoms [137,138], and is known to have a streamlining effect on venoms of snakes [139,140]. In addition, the venoms of centipedes may differ in complexity by an order of magnitude [10,141,142], including between species that are considered opportunistic generalist predators that feed on a wide range of prey.…”

Section: Ecological Function and Venom Complexitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Diversity of Venom: The Importance of Behavior and Venom System Morphology in Understanding Its Ecology and Evolution

Schendel

Rash

Jenner

et al. 2019

Toxins

170

192

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Venoms are one of the most convergent of animal traits known, and encompass a much greater taxonomic and functional diversity than is commonly appreciated. This knowledge gap limits the potential of venom as a model trait in evolutionary biology. Here, we summarize the taxonomic and functional diversity of animal venoms and relate this to what is known about venom system morphology, venom modulation, and venom pharmacology, with the aim of drawing attention to the importance of these largely neglected aspects of venom research. We find that animals have evolved venoms at least 101 independent times and that venoms play at least 11 distinct ecological roles in addition to predation, defense, and feeding. Comparisons of different venom systems suggest that morphology strongly influences how venoms achieve these functions, and hence is an important consideration for understanding the molecular evolution of venoms and their toxins. Our findings also highlight the need for more holistic studies of venom systems and the toxins they contain. Greater knowledge of behavior, morphology, and ecologically relevant toxin pharmacology will improve our understanding of the evolution of venoms and their toxins, and likely facilitate exploration of their potential as sources of molecular tools and therapeutic and agrochemical lead compounds.

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Effects of Predator-Prey Interactions on Predator Traits: Differentiation of Diets and Venoms of a Marine Snail

Cited by 9 publications

References 63 publications

Coevolution of Snake Venom Toxic Activities and Diet: Evidence that Ecological Generalism Favours Toxicological Diversity

Coevolution of Snake Venom Toxic Activities and Diet: Evidence that Ecological Generalism Favours Toxicological Diversity

Small-molecule mimicry hunting strategy in the imperial cone snail, Conus imperialis

The Diversity of Venom: The Importance of Behavior and Venom System Morphology in Understanding Its Ecology and Evolution

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