Toxicity in animals. Trends in evolution?

Mebs, Dietrich

doi:10.1016/s0041-0101(00)00155-0

Cited by 156 publications

(109 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…[78][79][80] However, the notion that evolutionary interactions between snakes and their prey may be responsible for variation in venom composition has been questioned. 81,82 Concluding Remarks. Intraspecific geographical venom variations represents a well-known phenomenon since more than 70 years ago, 83,84 and numerous authors have described difference in symptomatology after envenomation by snakes from the same species from different geographical origin.…”

Section: Research Articlesmentioning

confidence: 96%

Snake Venomics of the Lancehead Pitviper Bothrops asper: Geographic, Individual, and Ontogenetic Variations

et al. 2008

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We report the comparative proteomic characterization of the venoms of adult and newborn specimens of the lancehead pitviper Bothrops asper from two geographically isolated populations from the Caribbean and the Pacific versants of Costa Rica. The crude venoms were fractionated by reverse-phase HPLC, followed by analysis of each chromatographic fraction by SDS-PAGE, N-terminal sequencing, MALDI-TOF mass fingerprinting, and collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry of tryptic peptides. The two B. asper populations, separated since the late Miocene or early Pliocene (8-5 mya) by the Guanacaste Mountain Range, Central Mountain Range, and Talamanca Mountain Range, contain both identical and different (iso)enzymes from the PLA 2 , serine proteinase, and SVMP families. Using a similarity coefficient, we estimate that the similarity of venom proteins between the two B. asper populations may be around 52%. Compositional differences between venoms among different geographic regions may be due to evolutionary environmental pressure acting on isolated populations. To investigate venom variability among specimens from the two B. asper populations, the reverse-phase HPLC protein profiles of 15 venoms from Caribbean specimens and 11 venoms from snakes from Pacific regions were compared. Within each B. asper geographic populations, all major venom protein families appeared to be subjected to individual variations. The occurrence of intraspecific individual allopatric variability highlights the concept that a species, B. asper in our case, should be considered as a group of metapopulations. Analysis of pooled venoms of neonate specimens from Caribbean and Pacific regions with those of adult snakes from the same geographical habitat revealed prominent ontogenetic changes in both geographical populations. Major ontogenetic changes appear to be a shift from a PIII-SVMP-rich to a PI-SVMP-rich venom and the secretion in adults of a distinct set of PLA 2 molecules than in the neonates. In addition, the ontogenetic venom composition shift results in increasing venom complexity, indicating that the requirement for the venom to immobilize prey and initiate digestion may change with the size (age) of the snake. Besides ecological and taxonomical implications, the geographical venom variability reported here may have an impact in the treatment of bite victims and in the selection of specimens for antivenom production. The occurrence of intraspecies variability in the biochemical composition and symptomatology after envenomation by snakes from different gegraphical location and age has long been apreciated by herpetologist and toxinologists, though detailed comparative proteomic analysis are scarce. Our study represents the first detailed characterization of individual and ontogenetic venom protein profile variations in two geographical isolated B. asper populations, and highlights the necessity of using pooled venoms as a statistically representative venom for antivenom production.

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Section: Research Articlesmentioning

confidence: 96%

Snake Venomics of the Lancehead Pitviper Bothrops asper: Geographic, Individual, and Ontogenetic Variations

et al. 2008

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“…This latter strategy can be achieved by feeding on chemically protected prey or by entering into a symbiotic association with toxic micro-organisms (Mebs 2001). Sequestered compounds are taken from an exogenous source and used by the sequestering organisms as precursors of, among others, toxins, deterrents and pheromones (Duffey 1980;Eisner & Meinwald 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, an organism that actively accumulates toxic metabolites from another not only has to develop various adaptations to detoxify, accumulate and use xenobiotics (Duffey 1980), but also has to rely, at least temporarily, on a diet allowing it to reach a sufficient level of toxicity or to accommodate toxin-producing symbionts. Although the source of toxins is usually actively searched for by the sequester, cases of purely passive or opportunistic toxicity acquisitions have been reported: for example, contamination of fishes by toxin-producing micro-organisms (Mebs 2001) or sequestration of man-made pesticides (Eisner et al 1971).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such a series of characters is unlikely to frequently co-develop, and this is probably the reason that exogenous strategy is not more widespread. Nevertheless, the external acquisition of toxins and their subsequent use in chemical defence have convergently evolved in widely divergent animal lineages including birds (Dumbacher et al 2000), amphibians (Daly et al 1997), molluscs (Cimino & Ghiselin 1998), fishes and various aquatic (Mebs 2001) and terrestrial (Duffey 1980) arthropods. Chrysomelid leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) constitute a very large group of species (more than 30 000), each feeding on a restricted number of plant taxa.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dual chemical sequestration: a key mechanism in transitions among ecological specialization

Termonia

Pasteels²,

Windsor

et al. 2002

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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Platyphora leaf beetles form a vast group of tropical species each feeding on a restricted set of host plants and exhibiting bright coloration warning predators against their chemical protection. These beetles offer an exceptional opportunity for understanding the evolution of phytochemical sequestration. Indeed, qualitative studies of defensive secretions indicate that Platyphora species acquire toxicity via sequestration of plant secondary metabolites. All produce pentacyclic triterpene saponins from sequestered plant amyrins, but our analyses also indicate that many Platyphora species produce a dual chemical defence, that is, they are additionally protected by lycopsamine-type pyrolyzidine alkaloids that they also sequester from their host. This paper reports on the evolution of chemical defence and host affiliation in Platyphora leaf beetles as reconstructed on a molecular phylogeny of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. The analyses indicate that dual sequestration could be the key mechanistic means by which transitions among ecological specializations (i.e. restricted host-plant affiliations) are made possible.

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“…Some defensive compounds in animals are synthesized by the defended taxa or their symbionts, but others are sequestered from environmental sources, such as diet [11,12]. In the latter cases, feeding ecology may be important because diet can determine the level of chemical defence [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active foraging for toxic prey during gestation in a snake with maternal provisioning of sequestered chemical defences

Kojima

Mori

2015

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Many animals sequester dietary defensive compounds and incorporate them into the offspring, which protects the young against predation. One possible but poorly investigated question is whether females of such species actively prey upon toxic diets. The snake Rhabdophis tigrinus sequesters defensive steroids from toads consumed as prey; it also feeds on other amphibians. Females produce chemically armed offspring in direct proportion to their own level of toad-derived toxins by provisioning the toxins to their eggs. Our field observations of movements and stomach contents of radio-tracked R. tigrinus showed that gravid snakes preyed upon toads by actively foraging in the habitat of toads, even though toads were a scarce resource and toad-searching may incur potential costs. Our Y-maze experiments demonstrated that gravid females were more likely to trail the chemical cues of toads than were males or non-gravid females. These results showed behavioural switching in females and active foraging for scarce, toxic prey during gestation. Because exploitation of toads by gravid females results in their offspring being more richly endowed with prey-derived toxins, active foraging for toxic prey is expected to be an adaptive antipredator trait, which may enhance chemical defence in offspring.

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Toxicity in animals. Trends in evolution?

Cited by 156 publications

References 36 publications

Snake Venomics of the Lancehead Pitviper Bothrops asper: Geographic, Individual, and Ontogenetic Variations

Snake Venomics of the Lancehead Pitviper Bothrops asper: Geographic, Individual, and Ontogenetic Variations

Dual chemical sequestration: a key mechanism in transitions among ecological specialization

Active foraging for toxic prey during gestation in a snake with maternal provisioning of sequestered chemical defences

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