Evolution of Conus peptide toxins: Analysis of Conus californicus Reeve, 1844

Abstract

Conus species are characterized by their hyperdiverse toxins, encoded by a few gene superfamilies. Our phylogenies of the genus, based on mitochondrial genes, confirm previous results that C. californicus is highly divergent from all other species. Genetic and biochemical analysis of their venom peptides comprise the fifteen most abundant conopeptides and over 50 mature cDNA transcripts from the venom duct. Although C. californicus venom retains many of the general properties of other Conus species, they share only half of the toxin gene superfamilies found in other Conus species. Thus, in these two lineages, approximately half of the rapidly diversifying gene superfamilies originated after an early Tertiary split. Such results demonstrate that, unlike endogenously acting gene families, these genes are likely to be significantly more restricted in their phylogenetic distribution. In concordance with the evolutionary duistance of C. californicus from other species, there are aspects of prey-capture behavior and prey preferences of this species that diverges significantly from all other Conus.

Distinct Disulfide Isomers of μ-Conotoxins KIIIA and KIIIB Block Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels

“…32 μ-KIIIB shared an identical amino acid sequence with μ-KIIIA, but included an additional two residues at the N-terminus as follows: Asn-Gly.…”

High Conopeptide Diversity in Conus tribblei Revealed Through Analysis of Venom Duct Transcriptome Using Two High-Throughput Sequencing Platforms

“…High-throughput sequencing can achieve higher sequencing depth and greater coverage of transcriptome so that even rare transcripts with low expression levels can be identified, providing a more accurate resolution of the conopeptide diversity in cone snails. In fact, identification of diverse conopeptides is not limited to the species in the major clade of Conus ; the survey of the Conus californicus venom duct showed significant conopeptide diversity in this phylogenetically distant species (Biggs et al 2010; Elliger et al 2011). Thus, identification of conopeptides in distinct clades of Conus will facilitate understanding the evolution and diversification mechanisms of the conopeptide genes.…”

Thermoregulatory behaviour and thermal tolerance of three species of Conidae in the Eastern Pacific and Gulf of California coasts of Baja California, Mexico

“…Adults grow up to 25 mm long, and this species inhabits the lowest intertidal and shallow subtidal areas from 0 m to 12 m deep, attached to seagrass Phyllospadix scouleri (Hook, 1838). They are diurnal and prey on bivalves, cephalopods, crustaceans, fish, opisthobranchs, polychaetes and other snails; scavenger behaviour has also been described for this species (Saunders & Wolfson 1961;Kohn 1998;Stewart & Gilly 2005;Biggs et al 2010).…”