Qualitative and Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Venoms from Mexican Rattlesnakes

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  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 ...

The Potential Implications of Sex-Specific Differences in the Intestinal Bacteria of the Overwintering Wolf Spider Pardosa astrigera (Araneae: Lycosidae)

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The Potential Implications of Sex-Specific Differences in the Intestinal Bacteria of the Overwintering Wolf Spider Pardosa astrigera (Araneae: Lycosidae)

Abstract

Gut microbiota can promote the resistance of host arthropods to low-temperature stress. Female Pardosa astrigera have a lower anti-freeze compound level and weaker resistance to cold temperatures than the males in winter, which implies that their intestinal bacteria may be different during overwintering. This study primarily compared the intestinal bacterial communities between the two sexes of P. astrigera in a temperate region using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Our findings indicated that the Chao1 and Shannon indices of intestinal bacteria in females were significantly higher than those in males, while the Simpson index in females was significantly lower than that in males. The male intestinal bacterial community was characterized by Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota at the phylum level and by Pseudomonas and Rhodococcus at the genus level, with total relative abundances of 89.58% and 85.22%, respectively, which were also significantly higher than those in females, whose total relative abundances were 47.49% and 43.68%, respectively. In contrast, the total relative abundances of Bacteroidota and Firmicutes were significantly lower in males (4.26% and 4.75%, respectively) than in females (26.25% and 22.31%, respectively). Noteworthy divergences in bacterial communities were also found through an LEfSe analysis between females and males. Additionally, the results of the PICRUSt2 analysis showed that six out of eleven level-2 pathways related to key metabolic functions were significantly (or marginally significantly) higher in females than males, and five other level-2 pathways were significantly (or marginally significantly) lower in females than males. Our results imply that significant gender differences exist in intestinal bacterial communities of overwintering P. astrigera. We suggest that Pseudomonas versuta (belonging to Proteobacteria) and Rhodococcus erythropolis (belonging to Actinobacteriota) may have the potential to play key roles in overwintering P. astrigera.

Li, Ningkun, Quan Yuan, Yaru Qi, Pengfeng Wu, Shuyan Cui, and Guo Zheng. 2024. "The Potential Implications of Sex-Specific Differences in the Intestinal Bacteria of the Overwintering Wolf Spider Pardosa astrigera (Araneae: Lycosidae)" Insects 15, no. 7: 490. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15070490