Lachesana tarabaevi, an expert in membrane-active toxins.
In the present study, we show that venom of the ant spider Lachesana tarabaevi is unique in terms of molecular composition and toxicity. Whereas venom of most spiders studied is rich in disulfide-containing neurotoxic peptides, L. tarabaevi relies on the production of linear (no disulfide bridges) cytolytic polypeptides. We performed full-scale peptidomic examination of L. tarabaevi venom supported by cDNA library analysis. As a result, we identified several dozen components, and a majority (∼80% of total venom protein) exhibited membrane-active properties. In total, 33 membrane-interacting polypeptides (length of 18-79 amino acid residues) comprise five major groups: repetitive polypeptide elements (Rpe), latarcins (Ltc), met-lysines (MLys), cyto-insectotoxins (CIT) and latartoxins (LtTx). Rpe are short (18 residues) amphiphilic molecules that are encoded by the same genes as antimicrobial peptides Ltc 4a and 4b. Isolation of Rpe confirms the validity of the iPQM (inverted processing quadruplet motif) proposed to mark the cleavage sites in spider toxin precursors that are processed into several mature chains. MLys (51 residues) present 'idealized' amphiphilicity when modelled in a helical wheel projection with sharply demarcated sectors of hydrophobic, cationic and anionic residues. Four families of CIT (61-79 residues) are the primary weapon of the spider, accounting for its venom toxicity. Toxins from the CIT 1 and 2 families have a modular structure consisting of two shorter Ltc-like peptides. We demonstrate that in CIT 1a, these two parts act in synergy when they are covalently linked. This finding supports the assumption that CIT have evolved through the joining of two shorter membrane-active peptides into one larger molecule.
Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia.
Alexey I
AI
Kuzmenkov
Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia.
Maria Y
MY
Sachkova
Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia.
Sergey I
SI
Kovalchuk
Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia.
Eugene V
EV
Grishin
Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia avas@ibch.ru.
Alexander A
AA
Vassilevski
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D005260:Female; D007306:Insecticides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008970:Molecular Weight; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D058493:Sarcophagidae / Q000187:drug effects; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013111:Spider Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D013112:Spiders
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007306:Insecticides; D013111:Spider Venoms
EST database; antimicrobial peptide; cytolytic peptide; insecticide; membrane-active peptide; spider toxin