Qualitative and Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Venoms from Mexican Rattlesnakes

Posted by
  Qualitative and Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Venoms from Mexican Rattlesnakes Abstract Despite the vast biodiversity of Mexican vipers, venom of endemic species has been barely studied. Here we analyzed the venom composition of three endemic species of rattlesnakes: Crotalus aquilus , C. triseriatus , and C. ravus . We used quantitative chromato-mass-spectrometry and compared venoms with C. molossus , a species commonly found in North America, in a comparative and phylogenetic framework. In total, we identified 165 proteins grouped in 19 main protein families, consistent with previous reports for viperid venoms. In C. aquilus and C. triseriatus , the most predominant protein-family type was Serine Proteases, and in C. triseriatus and C. molossus it was Snake Venom Metalloproteases. The Label-free quantification revealed a high proportion of Snake Venom Metalloproteases in C. aquilus , C. triseriatus , and C. molossus , reaching 28–47% of the total venom. In contrast, in ...

Diversity and Functionality of Bacteria Associated with Different Tissues of Spider Heteropoda venatoria Revealed through Integration of High-Throughput Sequencing and Culturomics Approaches

Posted by

 


Diversity and Functionality of Bacteria Associated with Different Tissues of Spider Heteropoda venatoria Revealed through Integration of High-Throughput Sequencing and Culturomics Approaches

Abstract

Spiders host a diverse range of bacteria in their guts and other tissues, which have been found to play a significant role in their fitness. This study aimed to investigate the community diversity and functional characteristics of spider-associated bacteria in four tissues of Heteropoda venatoria using HTS of the 16S rRNA gene and culturomics technologies, as well as the functional verification of the isolated strains. The results of HTS showed that the spider-associated bacteria in different tissues belonged to 34 phyla, 72 classes, 170 orders, 277 families, and 458 genera. Bacillus was found to be the most abundant bacteria in the venom gland, silk gland, and ovary, while Stenotrophomonas, Acinetobacter, and Sphingomonas were dominant in the gut microbiota. Based on the amplicon sequencing results, 21 distinct cultivation conditions were developed using culturomics to isolate bacteria from the ovary, gut, venom gland, and silk gland. A total of 119 bacterial strains, representing 4 phyla and 25 genera, with Bacillus and Serratia as the dominant genera, were isolated. Five strains exhibited high efficiency in degrading pesticides in the in vitro experiments. Out of the 119 isolates, 28 exhibited antibacterial activity against at least one of the tested bacterial strains, including the pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumanii, and Enterococcus faecalis. The study also identified three strains, GL312, PL211, and PL316, which exhibited significant cytotoxicity against MGC-803. The crude extract from the fermentation broth of strain PL316 was found to effectively induce apoptosis in MGC-803 cells. Overall, this study offers a comprehensive understanding of the bacterial community structure associated with H. venatoria. It also provides valuable insights into discovering novel antitumor natural products for gastric cancer and xenobiotic-degrading bacteria of spiders.

Zhao, L., Zhang, S., Xiao, R. et al. Diversity and Functionality of Bacteria Associated with Different Tissues of Spider Heteropoda venatoria Revealed through Integration of High-Throughput Sequencing and Culturomics Approaches. Microb Ecol 87, 67 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-024-02383-2