Characterization of the interrelationship between transcriptomes, miRNomes and proteomes from the venom glands of Bothrops fonsecai and Bothrops cotiara

• Grant number: 18/26520-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: March 01, 2019
• End date: September 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Animal Genetics
• Agreement: NSF - Dimensions of Biodiversity and BIOTA
• Principal Investigator: Inácio de Loiola Meirelles Junqueira de Azevedo
• Grantee: Pedro Gabriel Nachtigall
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 16/50127-5 - Dimensions US-BIOTA São Paulo: scales of biodiversity: integrated studies of snake venom evolution and function across multiple levels of diversity, AP.BTA.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/04988-0 - Characterization and comparison of promoter and enhancer regions of toxin genes between two populations of Agkistrodon piscivorus using RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and CUT&RUN sequencing methods, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Differences in venom composition produced by different snake species can result from distinct regulatory mechanisms occurring in each species. It is known that changes in expression levels of components of genetic regulatory networks are responsible for phenotypic differences. Recently, few studies showed that miRNAs can be related to modulation of the differential venom composition in ontogenetic shifting in adults and juveniles of snakes belonging to the Genus Crotalus and Hydrophis. Then, all these data together suggest that post-transcriptional modulation play key roles on venom composition and production. Despite these studies, comparative analysis among species focusing to identify regulatory elements and patterns that led to venom composition are still scarce. A study using proteome analysis reported differences in venom composition in Bothrops fonsecai and B.cotiara, despite the genetic similarity due to the recent divergence time between both species. In this sense, we will integrate data from transcriptome, miRNome and proteome analysis of B. fonsecai and B. cotiara, to identify miRNAs and their binding sites related to the differences in venom composition in snake species. Additionally, we will also check for putative elements in 5'UTR, such as uORFs, that can be involved in the increasing or decreasing of specific protein levels. The comparative analysis will help to bring insights into the modulatory components of the GRNs that shape the venom production in snakes.

Scientific publications

(7)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SCHRAMER, TRISTAN D.; RAUTSAW, RHETT M.; BAYONA-SERRANO, JUAN DAVID; NYSTROM, GUNNAR S.; WEST, TAYLOR R.; ORTIZ-MEDINA, JAVIER A.; SABIDO-ALPUCHE, BIANCA; MENESES-MILLAN, MARCOS; BORJA, MIGUEL; JUNQUEIRA-DE-AZEVEDO, INACIO L. M.; et al. n integrative view of the toxic potential of Conophis lineatus (Dipsadidae: Xenodontinae), a medically relevant rear-fanged snak. Toxicon, v. 205, p. 38-52, JAN 2022. (16/50127-5, 18/26520-4)

NACHTIGALL, PEDRO G.; RAUTSAW, RHETT M.; ELLSWORTH, SCHYLER A.; MASON, ANDREW J.; ROKYTA, DARIN R.; PARKINSON, CHRISTOPHER L.; JUNQUEIRA-DE-AZEVEDO, INACIO L. M.. ToxCodAn: a new toxin annotator and guide to venom gland transcriptomics. BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS, v. 22, n. 5, SEP 2021. (16/50127-5, 18/26520-4)

NACHTIGALL, PEDRO G.; GRAZZIOTIN, FELIPE G.; JUNQUEIRA-DE-AZEVEDO, INACIO L. M.. MITGARD: an automated pipeline for mitochondrial genome assembly in eukaryotic species using RNA-seq data. BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS, v. 22, n. 5, SEP 2021. (13/07467-1, 16/50127-5, 18/26520-4)

NACHTIGALL, PEDRO G.; FREITAS-DE-SOUSA, LUCIANA A.; MASON, ANDREW J.; MOURA-DA-SILVA, ANA M.; GRAZZIOTIN, FELIPE G.; JUNQUEIRA-DE-AZEVEDO, INACIO L. M.. Differences in PLA(2) Constitution Distinguish the Venom of Two Endemic Brazilian Mountain Lanceheads, Bothrops cotiara and Bothrops fonsecai. TOXINS, v. 14, n. 4, p. 25-pg., 2022-04-01. (18/26520-4, 13/07467-1, 16/50127-5)

DE OLIVEIRA, LEONARDO; NACHTIGALL, PEDRO GABRIEL; VIALLA, VINCENT LOUIS; CAMPOS, POLLYANNA F.; DA COSTA-NEVES, ADRIANA; ZAHER, HUSSAM; DA SILVA JR, NELSON JORGE; GRAZZIOTIN, FELIPE G.; WILKINSON, MARK; JUNQUEIRA-DE-AZEVEDO, INACIO L. M.. Comparing morphological and secretory aspects of cephalic glands among the New World coral snakes brings novel insights on their biological roles. Toxicon, v. 234, p. 20-pg., 2023-10-01. (18/09301-7, 16/50127-5, 18/26520-4)

FREITAS-DE-SOUSA, LUCIANA A.; NACHTIGALL, PEDRO G.; FORTES-JUNIOR, JOSE A.; HOLDING, MATTHEW L.; NYSTROM, GUNNAR S.; ELLSWORTH, SCHYLER A.; GUIMARIES, NORANATHAN C.; TIOYAMA, EMILLY; ORTIZ, FLORA; SILVA, BRUNO R.; et al. Size Matters: An Evaluation of the Molecular Basis of Ontogenetic Modifications in the Composition of Bothrops jararacussu Snake Venom. TOXINS, v. 12, n. 12, DEC 2020. (18/25749-8, 18/08589-7, 18/15753-8, 18/26520-4, 16/50127-5, 17/24546-3)

ALMEIDA, DIEGO DANTAS; VIALA, VINCENT LOUIS; NACHTIGALL, PEDRO GABRIEL; BROE, MICHAEL; GIBBS, H. LISLE; SERRANO, SOLANGE MARIA DE TOLEDO; MOURA-DA-SILVA, ANA MARIA; HO, PAULO LEE; NISHIYAMA-JR, MILTON YUTAKA; JUNQUEIRA-DE-AZEVEDO, INACIO L. M.. Tracking the recruitment and evolution of snake toxins using the evolutionary context provided by the Bothrops jararaca genome. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, v. 118, n. 20, MAY 18 2021. (16/50127-5, 13/07467-1, 15/03509-7, 12/00177-5, 18/26520-4)