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A Comprehensive Multi-Omic Approach Reveals a Simple Venom in a Diet Generalist, the Northern Short-Tailed Shrew, Blarina brevicauda

Hanf, Zachery R
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555176292214023

Abstract Details

2019, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology.
Venom is often comprised of a mixture of proteins derived from duplication events of regulatory genes that have undergone positive selection and neofunctionalization. Proteins operating in venom are often designed to disrupt some physiological process in prey organisms, and thus, in venomous organisms who prey on multiple divergent prey with differing physiologies, it is hypothesized that venom complexity should mirror dietary complexity. Blarina brevicauda, the northern-short tailed shrew, is a venomous mammal which has been observed to eat a variety of prey from widely divergent taxa. However, there have only been two proteins that have been implicated as having toxic properties isolated from this venom system. Given that venom is typically comprised of many toxic proteins and that B. brevicauda possesses a very broad diet, herein we investigate using a multi-omic approach to determine whether B. brevicauda’s venom is more complex than is currently understood. We generated a de novo transcriptome assembly of the submaxillary gland using both short-read and long-range sequencing data, assembled a reference B. brevicauda genome, and also sequenced the salivary proteome for these shrews. We report that despite containing a complex diet, B. brevicauda’s venom system is likely limited to BLTX, PLA2, and proenkephalin (Soricidin). Additionally, we find that KLK1 duplications are more extensive than previously realized, and that duplication events of these genes may have come from a distant shrew ancestor. Finally, we find two proteins that may be functioning as endogenous defense mechanisms and have high probability of counteracting the self-harming effects of BLTX. Taken together and with the lack of major dietary change in B. brevicauda from other non-venomous shrews, these results suggest that venom may serve as an accessory adaptation to its greater prey capture method. Further functional assays for all venom proteins on both vertebrate and invertebrate prey would provide further insight into the ecological relevance of venom in this species, and possibly other venomous Eulipotyphlan species.
Andreas Chavez (Advisor)
H. Lisle Gibbs (Committee Member)
Marymegan Daly (Committee Member)
53 p.
Bioinformatics; Biology; Evolution and Development

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Citations

  • Hanf, Z. R. (2019). A Comprehensive Multi-Omic Approach Reveals a Simple Venom in a Diet Generalist, the Northern Short-Tailed Shrew, Blarina brevicauda [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555176292214023

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hanf, Zachery. A Comprehensive Multi-Omic Approach Reveals a Simple Venom in a Diet Generalist, the Northern Short-Tailed Shrew, Blarina brevicauda . 2019. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555176292214023.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hanf, Zachery. "A Comprehensive Multi-Omic Approach Reveals a Simple Venom in a Diet Generalist, the Northern Short-Tailed Shrew, Blarina brevicauda ." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555176292214023

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1555176292214023
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.