背景:整合素和金属蛋白酶(ADAM)家族,也称为金属蛋白酶/整合素/富含半胱氨酸(MDC)蛋白,包括参与关键生物过程的分泌分子和跨膜分子,如细胞迁移,附着力,和信号。本研究旨在研究在蝎子半蝎子的毒腺转录组中鉴定的整合素和金属蛋白酶蛋白的进化关系和结构特征。
方法:使用生物信息学工具,我们分析了开放阅读框架,保守的图案,和主要的,次要,和这些蛋白质的三级结构。五种蛋白质,鉴定了命名为HLDs-Met1、HLDisMet2、HLDisMet3、HLDisMet4和HLDisMet5。它们预测的3-D结构在正常范围内(Z-评分在-4至-9之间)。
结果:系统发育分析表明,HLDisMet1与来自各种蜘蛛物种的蛋白质具有相似性(Nephilapilipes,Argiopebruennichi,Araneus心室,和马达加斯加三环),HLDisMet2与蝎子中央雕塑,HLDs-Met4与蝎子Tityusserrulatus,和HLDisMet5与几种蛇物种(Pythonbivittatus,毒蛇anatolicaSenliki,原虫,和眼镜蛇)。
结论:这些发现强调了HLDisMet蛋白与其他有毒物种中发现的蛋白之间的显着相似性,表明毒液成分的复杂多样的进化途径。观察到的跨物种保护可能表明了一种趋同的进化策略,不同物种独立开发相似的毒液成分以适应相似的生态位或猎物类型。这项研究强调了毒液多样化的进化意义及其在理解不同物种毒液生物学方面的潜在应用。
BACKGROUND: The
Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase (ADAM) family, also known as the metalloproteinase/
disintegrin/cysteine-rich (MDC) proteins, includes both secreted and transmembrane molecules involved in critical biological processes, such as cell migration, adhesion, and signaling. This study aimed to investigate the evolutionary relationships and structural characteristics of
disintegrin and metalloproteinase proteins identified in the venom gland transcriptome of the scorpion Hemiscorpius lepturus.
METHODS: Using bioinformatics tools, we analyzed the open reading frame, conserved motifs, and primary, secondary, and tertiary structures of these proteins. Five proteins, named HLDis- Met1, HLDisMet2, HLDisMet3, HLDisMet4, and HLDisMet5, were identified. Their predicted 3- D structures were within normal ranges (Z-score between -4 to -9).
RESULTS: Phylogenetic analysis revealed that HLDisMet1 shares similarities with proteins from various spider species (Nephila pilipes, Argiope bruennichi, Araneus ventricosus, and Trichonephila inaurata madagascariensis), HLDisMet2 with the scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus, HLDis- Met4 with the scorpion Tityus serrulatus, and HLDisMet5 with several snake species (Python bivittatus, Vipera anatolica senliki, Protobothrops mucrosquamatus, and Naja naja).
CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the significant similarities between HLDisMet proteins and those found in other venomous species, suggesting a complex and diverse evolutionary pathway for venom components. The cross-species conservation observed may indicate a convergent evolutionary strategy, where different species independently develop similar venom components to adapt to similar ecological niches or prey types. This study highlights the evolutionary significance of venom diversification and its potential applications in understanding venom biology across different species.