| Autor: |
Espino, Samuel, Watkins, Maren, Probst, Rodolfo, Koch, Thomas Lund, Chase, Kevin, Imperial, Julita, Robinson, Samuel D, Salcedo, Paula Flórez, Taylor, Dylan, Gajewiak, Joanna, Yandell, Mark, Safavi-Hemami, Helena, Olivera, Baldomero M |
| Předmět: |
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| Zdroj: |
Molecular Biology & Evolution; Nov2024, Vol. 41 Issue 11, p1-15, 15p |
| Abstrakt: |
Mollusk-hunting (molluscivorous) cone snails belong to a monophyletic group in Conus , a genus of venomous marine snails. The molluscivorous lineage evolved from ancestral worm-hunting (vermivorous) snails ∼18 Ma. To enable the shift to a molluscivorous lifestyle, molluscivorous cone snails must solve biological problems encountered when hunting other gastropods, namely: (i) preventing prey escape and (ii) overcoming the formidable defense of the prey in the form of the molluscan shell, a problem unique to molluscivorous Conus. Here, we show that χ-conotoxins, peptides exclusively expressed in the venoms of molluscivorous Conus , provide solutions to the above problems. Injecting χ-conotoxins into the gastropod mollusk Aplysia californica results in impaired locomotion and uncoordinated hyperactivity. Impaired locomotion impedes escape, and a hyperactive snail will likely emerge from its shell, negating the protection the shell provides. Thus, χ-conotoxins are an evolutionary innovation that accompanied the emergence of molluscivory in Conus and provide solutions to problems posed by hunting other snails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Databáze: |
Complementary Index |
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