Morphological Analysis Reveals a Compartmentalized Duct in the Venom Apparatus of the Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi)

Schmidtberg, Henrike; Reumont, Björn M. von; Lemke, Sarah; Vilcinskas, Andreas; Lüddecke, Tim

doi:10.3390/toxins13040270

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…To evaluate the difference of smaller molecular proteins, further analysis by Tricine-PAGE was performed and showed HN-EVs to be largely in the molecular weight range of 9.5–35 kDa ( Figure 3 B). It has been shown that venom components can be transported into the gland lumen via EVs [ 27 ]. The protein profile of EVs in our study appears to be similar to that of the whole venom, though with different molecular weight distributions.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Exosomes are released into the extracellular environment upon fusion of multi-vesicular bodies (MVBs) with the plasma membrane [ 28 ]. The apical portion of the glandular epithelium cells is rich in secretory vesicles, according to structural and ultrastructural descriptions of the venom glands of Loxosceles intermedia [ 23 ], Cupiennius salei [ 24 ], Agelena labyrinthica [ 25 ], Vitalius dubius [ 26 ], and Argiope bruennichi [ 27 ]. In this study, transmission electron microscopy revealed the MVB structure in the glandular epithelium cells of the Ornithoctonus hainana venom gland, as well as an exosome-like vesicle structure in the lumen.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, although vesicle secretion has been observed in spider venom glands [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], the biological characteristics of these secretory EVs are still unknown. Therefore, we used morphological analysis and LC-MS/MS–based proteomics strategies to investigate the origin and characteristics of the Ornithoctonus hainana venom extracellular vesicles (HN-EVs).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Origin and Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles Present in the Spider Venom of Ornithoctonus hainana

Xun¹,

Wang²,

Yang³

et al. 2021

Toxins

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Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles, are membranous vesicles released from nearly all cellular types. They contain various bioactive molecules, and their molecular composition varies depending on their cellular origin. As research into venomous animals has progressed, EVs have been discovered in the venom of snakes and parasitic wasps. Although vesicle secretion in spider venom glands has been observed, these secretory vesicles’ origin and biological properties are unknown. In this study, the origin of the EVs from Ornithoctonus hainana venom was observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Ornithoctonus hainana venom extracellular vesicles (HN-EVs) were isolated and purified by density gradient centrifugation. HN-EVs possess classic membranous vesicles with a size distribution ranging from 50 to 150 nm and express the arthropod EV marker Tsp29Fb. The LC-MS/MS analysis identified a total of 150 proteins, which were divided into three groups according to their potential function: conservative vesicle transport-related proteins, virulence-related proteins, and other proteins of unknown function. Functionally, HN-EVs have hyaluronidase activity and inhibit the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by affecting the cytoskeleton and cell cycle. Overall, this study investigates the biological characteristics of HN-EVs for the first time and sheds new light on the envenomation process of spider venom.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Origin and Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles Present in the Spider Venom of Ornithoctonus hainana

Xun¹,

Wang²,

Yang³

et al. 2021

Toxins

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“…Uncontrolled microbial infection in such an environment could lead to rapid replication and potentially lethal infections. The gland is connected to the chelicerae by a venom duct [ 42 , 43 ]. The envenomation of targets (attackers or prey) therefore provides an opportunity for inoculation with microbes that could develop into an infection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional Profiling of the A-Family of Venom Peptides from the Wolf Spider Lycosa shansia

Lüddecke

Dersch

Schulte

et al. 2023

Toxins

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The venoms of spiders from the RTA (retro-lateral tibia apophysis) clade contain diverse short linear peptides (SLPs) that offer a rich source of therapeutic candidates. Many of these peptides have insecticidal, antimicrobial and/or cytolytic activities, but their biological functions are unclear. Here, we explore the bioactivity of all known members of the A-family of SLPs previously identified in the venom of the Chinese wolf spider (Lycosa shansia). Our broad approach included an in silico analysis of physicochemical properties and bioactivity profiling for cytotoxic, antiviral, insecticidal and antibacterial activities. We found that most members of the A-family can form α-helices and resemble the antibacterial peptides found in frog poison. The peptides we tested showed no cytotoxic, antiviral or insecticidal activities but were able to reduce the growth of bacteria, including clinically relevant strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Listeria monocytogenes. The absence of insecticidal activity may suggest that these peptides have no role in prey capture, but their antibacterial activity may help to defend the venom gland against infection.

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“…In case of the established snake venom gland organoids, the utilization of a mammalian growth factor cocktail seemingly allows a virtual indefinite culturing ( Post et al, 2020 ). The compartmentalized nature of venom systems, in which distinct areas produce different components of the venom, are also maintained in venom gland organoids ( Tayo et al, 2010 ; Hu et al, 2011 ; Undheim et al, 2014 ; Valente et al, 2018 ; Post et al, 2020 ; Schmidtberg et al, 2021 ). Furthermore, given that organoids faithfully produce venom components, they can be used to culture venom glands from animals that are difficult to study even by venomics, to obtain larger amounts of venom for functional analysis.…”

Section: How Synthetic Biology Enables Access To Venom Gene Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Venom biotechnology: casting light on nature’s deadliest weapons using synthetic biology

Lüddecke

Paas

Harris

et al. 2023

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.

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Venoms are complex chemical arsenals that have evolved independently many times in the animal kingdom. Venoms have attracted the interest of researchers because they are an important innovation that has contributed greatly to the evolutionary success of many animals, and their medical relevance offers significant potential for drug discovery. During the last decade, venom research has been revolutionized by the application of systems biology, giving rise to a novel field known as venomics. More recently, biotechnology has also made an increasing impact in this field. Its methods provide the means to disentangle and study venom systems across all levels of biological organization and, given their tremendous impact on the life sciences, these pivotal tools greatly facilitate the coherent understanding of venom system organization, development, biochemistry, and therapeutic activity. Even so, we lack a comprehensive overview of major advances achieved by applying biotechnology to venom systems. This review therefore considers the methods, insights, and potential future developments of biotechnological applications in the field of venom research. We follow the levels of biological organization and structure, starting with the methods used to study the genomic blueprint and genetic machinery of venoms, followed gene products and their functional phenotypes. We argue that biotechnology can answer some of the most urgent questions in venom research, particularly when multiple approaches are combined together, and with other venomics technologies.

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Morphological Analysis Reveals a Compartmentalized Duct in the Venom Apparatus of the Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi)

Cited by 8 publications

References 55 publications

Origin and Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles Present in the Spider Venom of Ornithoctonus hainana

Origin and Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles Present in the Spider Venom of Ornithoctonus hainana

Functional Profiling of the A-Family of Venom Peptides from the Wolf Spider Lycosa shansia

Venom biotechnology: casting light on nature’s deadliest weapons using synthetic biology

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