title: Gene structure, regulatory control, and evolution of black widow venom latrotoxins.
abstract: Black widow venom contains α-latrotoxin, infamous for causing intense pain. Combining 33 kb of Latrodectus hesperus genomic DNA with RNA-Seq, we characterized the α-latrotoxin gene and discovered a paralog, 4.5 kb downstream. Both paralogs exhibit venom gland specific transcription, and may be regulated post-transcriptionally via musashi-like proteins. A 4 kb intron interrupts the α-latrotoxin coding sequence, while a 10 kb intron in the 3' UTR of the paralog may cause non-sense-mediated decay. Phylogenetic analysis confirms these divergent latrotoxins diversified through recent tandem gene duplications. Thus, latrotoxin genes have more complex structures, regulatory controls, and sequence diversity than previously proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Kanaka Varun
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Bhere
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Haney
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Nadia A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Ayoub
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, MA, USA. Electronic address: Jessica_Garb@uml.edu.
authors.forename: Jessica E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Garb
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001740:Black Widow Spider / Q000235:genetics*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013111:Spider Venoms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D013111:Spider Venoms; C020763:alpha-latrotoxin
keywords: Genomics; Latrodectus; Molecular evolution; Neurosecretion; Venom; α-Latrotoxin