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 ...

Elevated Temperatures Disrupt Wolbachia-Induced Feminisation and Reshape Microbial Community Dynamics Across Generations in a Spider Host

Posted by

 


Elevated Temperatures Disrupt Wolbachia-Induced Feminisation and Reshape Microbial Community Dynamics Across Generations in a Spider Host

ABSTRACT

Longitudinal microbial interactions within a host are challenging to study, leading to a focus on constructed microbial communities in vitro settings. Here, we take advantage of a naturally defined microbial community within a spider host to study how elevated temperatures influence microbial dynamics and phenotypes across host generations. The spider Mermessus fradeorum hosts up to five endosymbionts, including a Wolbachia strain, W1, which induces feminisation, causing genetic males to develop as phenotypic females, skewing sex ratios and promoting symbiont spread. Despite this, Wolbachia 1 persists at intermediate frequencies in wild populations. We hypothesised that elevated temperatures might reduce penetration of the feminisation phenotype, potentially by altering symbiont dynamics and maternal transmission. We exposed spiderlings co-infected with Wolbachia 1 to elevated temperatures for one generation and measured feminisation rate, symbiont transmission, and titre across three generations. Feminisation was unaffected in the exposed (F1) generation but declined in subsequent generations (F2, F3) that were not directly exposed. This multigenerational effect was linked to shifts in symbiont community dynamics: low feminisation coincided with high abundance of one symbiont, Rickettsiella, a decline in Wolbachia 1 transmission, and complete loss of another symbiont, Tisiphia. Our findings demonstrate how environmental history shapes the evolutionary stability of microbial communities and their induced phenotype in their natural host.

Mackevicius-Dubickaja, V., White, J. A., Williams, E. E., Klement, E., Gottlieb, Y., & Doremus, M. R. (2026). Elevated Temperatures Disrupt Wolbachia-Induced Feminisation and Reshape Microbial Community Dynamics Across Generations in a Spider Host. Molecular Ecology, 35(9), e70371. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.70371