| Title |
Giant fish-killing water bug reveals ancient and dynamic venom evolution in Heteroptera
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, February 2018
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s00018-018-2768-1 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Andrew A. Walker, Maria José Hernández-Vargas, Gerardo Corzo, Bryan G. Fry, Glenn F. King |
| Abstract |
True Bugs (Insecta: Heteroptera) produce venom or saliva with diverse bioactivities depending on their feeding strategies. However, little is known about the molecular evolution of the venom toxins underlying these biological activities. We examined venom of the giant fish-killing water bug Lethocerus distinctifemur (Insecta: Belostomatidae) using infrared spectroscopy, transcriptomics, and proteomics. We report 132 venom proteins including putative enzymes, cytolytic toxins, and antimicrobial peptides. Over 73% (96 proteins) showed homology to venom proteins from assassin bugs (Reduviidae), including 21% (28 proteins from seven families) not known from other sources. These data suggest that numerous protein families were recruited into venom and diversified rapidly following the switch from phytophagy to predation by ancestral heteropterans, and then were retained over > 200 my of evolution. In contrast, trophic switches to blood-feeding (e.g. in Triatominae and Cimicidae) or reversions to plant-feeding (e.g., in Pentatomomorpha) were accompanied by rapid changes in the composition of venom/saliva, including the loss of many protein families. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 8 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 2 | 25% |
| Australia | 2 | 25% |
| Germany | 1 | 13% |
| Japan | 1 | 13% |
| Unknown | 2 | 25% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Scientists | 5 | 63% |
| Members of the public | 3 | 38% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 55 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 55 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 8 | 15% |
| Student > Master | 7 | 13% |
| Student > Bachelor | 6 | 11% |
| Other | 4 | 7% |
| Researcher | 4 | 7% |
| Other | 8 | 15% |
| Unknown | 18 | 33% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 13 | 24% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 11 | 20% |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 5% |
| Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 2 | 4% |
| Immunology and Microbiology | 2 | 4% |
| Other | 5 | 9% |
| Unknown | 19 | 35% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 8. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 18 September 2022.
All research outputs
#4,104,544
of 23,794,258 outputs
Outputs from Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences
#723
of 4,151 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#88,628
of 446,148 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences
#5
of 56 outputs
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So far Altmetric has tracked 4,151 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 6.0. This one has done well, scoring higher than 82% of its peers.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 56 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 91% of its contemporaries.