title: Comparative study of the toxic effects of Chrysaora quinquecirrha (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) and Chironex fleckeri (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) venoms using cell-based assays.
abstract: The venoms of jellyfish cause toxic effects in diverse biological systems that can trigger local and systemic reactions. In this study, the cytotoxic and cytolytic effects of Chrysaora quinquecirrha and Chironex fleckeri venoms were assessed and compared using three in vitro assays. Venoms from both species were cytotoxic to fish gill cells and rat cardiomyocytes, and cytolytic in sheep erythrocytes. Both venoms decreased cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner; however, the greatest difference in venom potencies was observed in the fish gill cell line, wherein C. fleckeri was 12.2- (P = 0.0005) and 35.7-fold (P < 0.0001) more potently cytotoxic than C. quinquecirrha venom with 30 min and 120 min cell exposure periods, respectively. Gill cells and rat cardiomyocytes exposed to venoms showed morphological changes characterised by cell shrinkage, clumping and detachment. The cytotoxic effects of venoms may be caused by a group of toxic proteins that have been previously identified in C. fleckeri and other cubozoan jellyfish species. In this study, proteins homologous to CfTX-1 and CfTX-2 toxins from C. fleckeri and CqTX-A toxin from Chironex yamaguchii were identified in C. quinquecirrha venom using tandem mass spectrometry. The presence and relative abundance of these proteins may explain the differences in venom potency between cubozoan and scyphozoan jellyfish and may reflect their importance in the action of venoms.
authors.affiliation: Australian Venom Research Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia; Cardiovascular Therapeutics Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. Electronic address: d.poncegarcia@student.unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Dalia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ponce
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Marine Science, P. M. B. No 3, Townsville Mail Centre, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia. Electronic address: d.brinkman@aims.gov.au.
authors.forename: Diane L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Brinkman
authors.affiliation: Australian Venom Research Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. Electronic address: Karen.luna@ime.fraunhofer.de.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Luna-Ramírez
authors.affiliation: Australian Venom Research Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia; Cardiovascular Therapeutics Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. Electronic address: cewright@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Christine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia. Electronic address: Juan.DorantesAranda@utas.edu.au.
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Dorantes-Aranda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003064:Cnidarian Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D037462:Cubozoa; D005399:Fishes; D005880:Gills / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects; D040901:Proteomics; D051381:Rats; D037401:Scyphozoa; D012756:Sheep; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D003064:Cnidarian Venoms
keywords: Cell line; CfTX; Chironex fleckeri; Chrysaora quinquecirrha; Jellyfish; Venom