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Recently, jellyfish venom has gained attention as a promising reservoir of pharmacologically active compounds, with potential applications in new drug development. In this investigation, novel peptides, isolated from the hydrolysates of Nemopilema nomurai jellyfish venom (NnV), demonstrate potent inhibitory activities against angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). Proteolytic enzymes-specifically, papain and protamex-were utilized for the hydrolysis under optimized enzymatic conditions, determined by assessing the degree of hydrolysis through the ninhydrin test. Comparative analyses revealed that papain treatment exhibited a notably higher degree of NnV hydrolysis compared to protamex treatment. ACE inhibitory activity was quantified using ACE kit-WST, indicating a substantial inhibitory effect of 76.31% for the papain-digested NnV crude hydrolysate, which was validated by captopril as a positive control. The separation of the NnV-hydrolysate using DEAE sepharose weak-anion-exchange chromatography revealed nine peaks under a 0-1 M NaCl stepwise gradient, with peak no. 3 displaying the highest ACE inhibition of 96%. The further purification of peak no. 3 through ODS-C18 column reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography resulted in five sub-peaks (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, and 3.5), among which 3.2 exhibited the most significant inhibitory activity of 95.74%. The subsequent analysis of the active peak (3.2) using MALDI-TOF/MS identified two peptides with distinct molecular weights of 896.48 and 1227.651. The peptide sequence determined by MS/MS analysis revealed them as IVGRPLANG and IGDEPRHQYL. The docking studies of the two ACE-inhibitory peptides for ACE molecule demonstrated a binding affinity of -51.4 ± 2.5 and -62.3 ± 3.3 using the HADDOCK scoring function.

The effects of enhanced late I Na , a persistent component of the Na + channel current, on the intracellular ion dynamics and the automaticity of the pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes were studied with fluorescent microscopy. Anemonia viridis toxin II (ATX- II), an enhancer of late I Na , caused increases in the basal Na + and Ca 2+ concentrations, increases in the number of Ca 2+ sparks and Ca 2+ waves, and the generation of repetitive Ca 2+ transients. These phenomena were inhibited by eleclazine, a blocker of the late I Na ; SEA0400, an inhibitor of the Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger (NCX); H89, a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor; and KN-93, a Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) inhibitor. These results suggest that enhancement of late I Na in the pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes causes disturbance of the intracellular ion environment through activation of the NCX and Ca 2+ -dependent enzymes. Such mechanisms are probably involved in the ectopic electrical activity of the pulmonary vein myocardium.

The giant jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai sting can cause local and systemic reactions; however, comparative analysis of the tentacle extract (TE) and nematocyst venom extract (NV), and its toxicity, mechanism, and potential intervention are still limited. This study compared venom from TE and NV for their composition, toxicity, and efficacy in vitro and in vivo used RAW264.7 cells and ICR mice. A total of 239 and 225 toxin proteins were identified in TE and NV by proteomics, respectively. Pathological analysis revealed that TE and NV caused heart and liver damage through apoptosis, necrosis, and inflammation, while TE exhibited higher toxicity ex vivo and in vivo. Biochemical markers indicated TE and NV elevated creatine kinase, lactatedehydrogenase, and aspartate aminotransferase, with the TE group showing a more significant increase. Transcriptomics and Western blotting indicated both venoms increased cytokines expression and MAPK signaling pathways. Additionally, 1 mg/kg PACOCF3 (the phospholipase A2 inhibitor) improved survival from 16.7% to 75% in mice. Our results indicate that different extraction methods impact venom activities, tentacle autolysis preserves toxin proteins and their toxicity, and PACOCF3 is a potential antidote, which establishes a good extraction method of jellyfish venom, expands our understanding of jellyfish toxicity, mechanism, and provides a promising intervention.

The relative lack of marine venom could be attributed to the difficulty in dealing with venomous marine animals. Moreover, the venom of marine animals consists of various bioactive molecules, many of which are proteins with unique properties. In this study, we investigated the potential toxic proteins of jellyfish collected for ligand screening to understand the mechanism of the toxic effects of jellyfish. Since taxonomic identification is problematic due to the lack of proper keys, we conducted morphological and molecular mitochondrial DNA sequencing from COI and ITS regions. The venom extract from nematocysts found along the bell margins was used for protein characterization using SDS-gel electrophoresis and nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Ligand screening for the most potent toxin and antibacterial and cytotoxicity assays were carried out. The phylogenetic tree showed distinct clustering from other Catostylus sp. The proteomic analysis revealed venom with many bioactive proteins. Only 13 venom proteins were identified with molecular weights ranging from 4318 to 184,923 Da, exhibiting the venom's complexity. The overall toxin protein composition of Catostylus sp. venom was dominated by potassium channel toxin alpha-KTx. Molecular docking of toxin alpha-KTx 1.13 revealed high specificity towards the human voltage-gated potassium channel Kv3 with a high fitness score and a minimum energy barrier of -17.9 kcal/mol. Disc diffusion and cytotoxicity assays revealed potent antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae with no cytotoxicity. Further studies on detailed characterization and therapeutic potentials are warranted.

Background: Amiodarone (AMIO) is an antiarrhythmic drug with the pKa in the physiological range. Here, we explored how mild extracellular pH (pHe) changes shape the interaction of AMIO with atrial tissue and impact its pharmacological properties in the classical model of sea anemone sodium channel neurotoxin type 2 (ATX) induced late sodium current (I Na-Late ) and arrhythmias., Method: Isolated atrial cardiomyocytes from male Wistar rats and human embryonic kidney cells expressing SCN5A Na + channels were used for patch-clamp experiments. Isolated right atria (RA) and left atria (LA) tissue were used for bath organ experiments., Results: A more acidophilic pHe caused negative inotropic effects on isolated RA and LA atrial tissue, without modification of the pharmacological properties of AMIO. A pHe of 7.0 changed the sodium current (I Na ) related components of the action potential (AP), which was enhanced in the presence of AMIO. ATXinduced arrhythmias in isolated RA and LA. Also, ATX prolonged the AP duration and enhanced repolarization dispersion in isolated cardiomyocytes in both pHe 7.4 and pHe 7.0. Pre-incubation of the isolated RA and LA and isolated atrial cardiomyocytes with AMIO prevented arrhythmias induced by ATX only at a pHe of 7.0. Moreover, AMIO was able to block I Na-Late induced by ATX only at a pHe of 7.0., Conclusion: The pharmacological properties of AMIO concerning healthy rat atrial tissue are not dependent on pHe. However, the prevention of arrhythmias induced by I Na-Late is pHe-dependent. The development of drugs analogous to AMIO with charge stabilization may help to create more effective drugs to treat arrhythmias related to the I Na-Late ., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences.)

We identified a new human voltage-gated potassium channel blocker, NnK-1, in the jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai based on its genomic information. The gene sequence encoding NnK-1 contains 5408 base pairs, with five introns and six exons. The coding sequence of the NnK-1 precursor is 894 nucleotides long and encodes 297 amino acids containing five presumptive ShK-like peptides. An electrophysiological assay demonstrated that the fifth peptide, NnK-1, which was chemically synthesized, is an effective blocker of hKv1.3, hKv1.4, and hKv1.5. Multiple-sequence alignment with cnidarian Shk-like peptides, which have Kv1.3-blocking activity, revealed that three residues ( 3 Asp, 25 Lys, and 34 Thr) of NnK-1, together with six cysteine residues, were conserved. Therefore, we hypothesized that these three residues are crucial for the binding of the toxin to voltage-gated potassium channels. This notion was confirmed by an electrophysiological assay with a synthetic peptide (NnK-1 mu) where these three peptides were substituted with 3 Glu, 25 Arg, and 34 Met. In conclusion, we successfully identified and characterized a new voltage-gated potassium channel blocker in jellyfish that interacts with three different voltage-gated potassium channels. A peptide that interacts with multiple voltage-gated potassium channels has many therapeutic applications in various physiological and pathophysiological contexts.

Background: Stomolophus meleagris envenomation causes severe cutaneous symptoms known as jellyfish dermatitis. The potential molecule mechanisms and treatment efficiency of dermatitis remain elusive because of the complicated venom components. The biological activity and molecular regulation mechanism of Troxerutin (TRX) was firstly examined as a potential treatment for jellyfish dermatitis., Methods: We examined the inhibit effects of the TRX on tentacle extract (TE) obtained from S. meleagris in vivo and in vitro using the mice paw swelling models and corresponding assays for Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Analysis, cell counting kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, respectively. The mechanism of TRX on HaCaT cells probed the altered activity of relevant signaling pathways by RNA sequencing and verified by RT-qPCR, Western blot to further confirm protective effects of TRX against the inflammation and oxidative damage caused by TE., Results: TE significantly induced the mice paw skin toxicity and accumulation of inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species in vivo and vitro. Moreover, a robust increase in the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways was observed. While, the acute cutaneous inflammation and oxidative stress induced by TE were significantly ameliorated by TRX treatment. Notablly, TRX suppressed the phosphorylation of MAPK and NF-κB by initiating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling pathway, which result in decreasing inflammatory cytokine release., Conclusion: TRX inhibits the major signaling pathway responsible for inducing inflammatory and oxidative damage of jellyfish dermatitis, offering a novel therapy in clinical applications., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Liu, Wang, Kuai, Li, Wang, Xiao and Wu.)

The escalation of jellyfish stings has drawn attention to severe skin reactions, underscoring the necessity for novel treatments. This investigation assesses the potential of hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives, specifically protocatechuic acid (PCA) and gentisic acid (DHB), for alleviating Nemopilema nomurai Nematocyst Venom (NnNV)-induced injuries. By employing an in vivo mouse model, the study delves into the therapeutic efficacy of these compounds. Through a combination of ELISA and Western blot analyses, histological examinations, and molecular assays, the study scrutinizes the inflammatory response, assesses skin damage and repair mechanisms, and investigates the compounds' ability to counteract venom effects. Our findings indicate that PCA and DHB significantly mitigate inflammation by modulating critical cytokines and pathways, altering collagen ratios through topical application, and enhancing VEGF and bFGF levels. Furthermore, both compounds demonstrate potential in neutralizing NnNV toxicity by inhibiting metalloproteinases and phospholipase-A 2 , showcasing the viability of small-molecule compounds in managing toxin-induced injuries.

Toxin metalloproteinases are the primary components responsible for various toxicities in jellyfish venom, and there is still no effective specific therapy for jellyfish stings. The comprehension of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying toxin metalloproteinases necessitates further refinement. In this study, we conducted a differential analysis of a dermatitis mouse model induced by jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai venom (NnNV) samples with varying levels of metalloproteinase activity. Through skin tissue proteomics and serum metabolomics, the predominant influence of toxin metalloproteinase activity on inflammatory response was revealed, and the signal pathway involved in its regulation was identified. In skin tissues, many membrane proteins were significantly down-regulated, which might cause tissue damage. The expression of pro-inflammatory factors was mainly regulated by PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. In serum, many fatty acid metabolites were significantly down-regulated, which might be the anti-inflammation feedback regulated by NF-κB p65 signaling pathway. These results reveal the dermatitis mechanism of toxin metalloproteinases and provide new therapeutic targets for further studies. SIGNIFICANCE: Omics is an important method to analyze the pathological mechanism and discover the key markers, which can reveal the pathological characteristics of jellyfish stings. Our research first analyzed the impact of toxin metalloproteinases on jellyfish sting dermatitis by skin proteomics and serum metabolomics. The present results suggest that inhibition of toxin metalloproteinases may be an effective treatment strategy, and provide new references for further jellyfish sting studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cancer is a leading cause of death and a significant public health issue worldwide. Standard treatment methods such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery are only sometimes effective. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches are needed for cancer treatment. Sea anemone actinoporins are pore-forming toxins (PFTs) with membranolytic activities. RTX-A is a type of PFT that interacts with membrane phospholipids, resulting in pore formation. The synthesis of recombinant proteins in a secretory form has several advantages, including protein solubility and easy purification. In this study, we aimed to discover suitable signal peptides for producing RTX-A in Bacillus subtilis in a secretory form., Methods: Signal peptides were selected from the Signal Peptide Web Server. The probability and secretion pathways of the selected signal peptides were evaluated using the SignalP server. ProtParam and Protein-sol were used to predict the physico-chemical properties and solubility. AlgPred was used to predict the allergenicity of RTX-A linked to suitable signal peptides. Non-allergenic, stable, and soluble signal peptides fused to proteins were chosen, and their secondary and tertiary structures were predicted using GOR IV and I-TASSER, respectively. The PROCHECK server performed the validation of 3D structures., Results: According to bioinformatics analysis, the fusion forms of OSMY_ECOLI and MALE_ECOLI linked to RTX-A were identified as suitable signal peptides. The final proteins with signal peptides were stable, soluble, and non-allergenic for the human body. Moreover, they had appropriate secondary and tertiary structures., Conclusion: The signal above peptides appears ideal for rationalizing secretory and soluble RTX-A. Therefore, the signal peptides found in this study should be further investigated through experimental researches and patents., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

In this study, we investigated the potential in vitro anti-HSV-1 activities of the Cassiopea andromeda jellyfish tentacle extract (TE) and its fractions, as well as computational work on the thymidine kinase (TK) inhibitory activity of the identified secondary metabolites. The LD50, secondary metabolite identification, preparative and analytical chromatography, and in silico TK assessment were performed using the Spearman-Karber, GC-MS, silica gel column chromatography, RP-HPLC, LC-MS, and docking methods, respectively. The antiviral activity of TE and the two purified compounds C a2 and C a7 against HSV-1 in Vero cells was evaluated by MTT and RT-PCR assays. The LD 50 (IV, mouse) values of TE, Ca2, and Ca7 were 104.0 ± 4, 5120 ± 14, and 197.0 ± 7 (μg/kg), respectively. They exhibited extremely effective antiviral activity against HSV-1. The CC 50 and MNTD of TE, C a2 , and C a7 were (125, 62.5), (25, 12.5), and (50, 3.125) μg/ml, respectively. GC-MS analysis of the tentacle extract revealed seven structurally distinct chemical compositions. Four of the seven compounds had a steroid structure. According to the docking results, all compounds showed binding affinity to the active sites of both thymidine kinase chains. Among them, the steroid compound Pregn-5-ene-3,11-dione, 17,20:20,21 bis [methylenebis(oxy)]-, cyclic 3-(1,2-ethane diyl acetal) (C a2 ) exhibited the highest affinity for both enzyme chains, surpassing that of standard acyclovir. In silico data confirmed the experimental results. We conclude that the oxosteroid C a2 may act as a potent agent against HSV-1., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Jellyfish venoms have long been recognized as a potentially rich source of natural bioactive compounds with pharmacological potential for the creation of innovative drugs. Our previous study demonstrated that Nemopilema nomurai jellyfish venom (NnV) has a chymotrypsin-like serine protease with fibrinolytic activity in vitro. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the potential effect of NnV on cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC; A7r5 cells) involved in the probable mechanism pathways. We also determined its anti-thrombotic effect through κ-carrageenan-induced Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat tail thrombus model. NnV inhibits on Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-stimulated A7r5 cells migration and proliferation by decreasing matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) level and phosphorylation of ERK and Akt in a dose-dependent manner, but not p38. Furthermore, NnV regulates the phenotype transition of differentiation in PDGF-BB-stimulated A7r5 cells via ɑ-SMA and calponin in a dose-dependent manner. In an in vivo study, NnV treatment demonstrated clear anti-thrombotic activity in a dose-dependent manner, which was associated with decreased thrombus formation and length in κ-carrageenan-induced SD rat tail. These findings suggested that NnV has a novel fibrinolytic enzyme that can be used to prevent and/or treat thrombosis-related cardiovascular disorders., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Peptide toxins that adopt the ShK fold can inhibit the voltage-gated potassium channel K V 1.3 with IC 50 values in the pM range and are therefore potential leads for drugs targeting autoimmune and neuroinflammatory diseases. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation measurements and pressure-dependent NMR have shown that, despite being cross-linked by disulfide bonds, ShK itself is flexible in solution. This flexibility affects the local structure around the pharmacophore for the K V 1.3 channel blockade and, in particular, the relative orientation of the key Lys and Tyr side chains (Lys22 and Tyr23 in ShK) and has implications for the design of K V 1.3 inhibitors. In this study, we have performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on ShK and a close homologue, HmK, to probe the conformational space occupied by the Lys and Tyr residues, and docked the different conformations with a recently determined cryo-EM structure of the K V 1.3 channel. Although ShK and HmK have 60% sequence identity, their dynamic behaviors are quite different, with ShK sampling a broad range of conformations over the course of a 5 μs MD simulation, while HmK is relatively rigid. We also investigated the importance of conformational dynamics, in particular the distance between the side chains of the key dyad Lys22 and Tyr23, for binding to K V 1.3. Although these peptides have quite different dynamics, the dyad in both adopts a similar configuration upon binding, revealing a conformational selection upon binding to K V 1.3 in the case of ShK. Both peptides bind to K V 1.3 with Lys22 occupying the pore of the channel. Intriguingly, the more flexible peptide, ShK, binds with significantly higher affinity than HmK.

Nowadays, major attention is being paid to curing different types of cancers and is focused on natural resources, including oceans and marine environments. Jellyfish are marine animals with the ability to utilize their venom in order to both feed and defend. Prior studies have displayed the anticancer capabilities of various jellyfish. Hence, we examined the anticancer features of the venom of Cassiopea andromeda and Catostylus mosaicus in an in vitro situation against the human pulmonary adenocarcinoma (A549) cancer cell line. The MTT assay demonstrated that both mentioned venoms have anti-tumoral ability in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot analysis proved that both venoms can increase some pro-apoptotic factors and reduce some anti-apoptotic molecules that lead to the inducing of apoptosis in A549 cells. GC/MS analysis demonstrated some compounds with biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer activities. Molecular docking and molecular dynamic showed the best position of each biologically active component on the different death receptors, which are involved in the process of apoptosis in A549 cells. Ultimately, this study has proven that both venoms of C. andromeda and C. mosaicus have the capability to suppress A549 cells in an in vitro condition and they might be utilized in order to design and develop brand new anticancer agents in the near future.

Infections caused by multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are a global threat to human health. As venoms are the source of biochemically diverse bioactive proteins and peptides, we investigated the antimicrobial activity and murine skin infection model-based wound healing efficacy of a 13 kDa protein. The active component PaTx-II was isolated from the venom of Pseudechis australis (Australian King Brown or Mulga Snake). PaTx-II inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria in vitro, with moderate potency (MICs of 25 µM) observed against S. aureus , E. aerogenes, and P. vulgaris . The antibiotic activity of PaTx-II was associated with the disruption of membrane integrity, pore formation, and lysis of bacterial cells, as evidenced by scanning and transmission microscopy. However, these effects were not observed with mammalian cells, and PaTx-II exhibited minimal cytotoxicity (CC 50 > 1000 µM) toward skin/lung cells. Antimicrobial efficacy was then determined using a murine model of S. aureus skin infection. Topical application of PaTx-II (0.5 mg/kg) cleared S. aureus with concomitant increased vascularization and re-epithelialization, promoting wound healing. As small proteins and peptides can possess immunomodulatory effects to enhance microbial clearance, cytokines and collagen from the wound tissue samples were analyzed by immunoblots and immunoassays. The amounts of type I collagen in PaTx-II-treated sites were elevated compared to the vehicle controls, suggesting a potential role for collagen in facilitating the maturation of the dermal matrix during wound healing. Levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), factors known to promote neovascularization, were substantially reduced by PaTx-II treatment. Further studies that characterize the contributions towards efficacy imparted by in vitro antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activity with PaTx-II are warranted.

The major jellyfish stings that occur in China are caused by scyphozoan Nemopilema nomurai, whose venom exhibits significant metalloproteinase activity that contributes to the toxic effects of jellyfish envenomation. Researching effective inhibitors suppressing the metalloproteinase activity of jellyfish venom represents a new attempt to cure jellyfish envenomations. In the present study, secondary metabolites produced by the jellyfish-associated fungus Aspergillus versicolor SmT07 were isolated and evaluated for their anti-proteolytic activities. Two xanthones, sterigmatocystin (JC-01) and oxisterigmatocystin C (JC-06), and four alkaloids, cottoquinazoline A (JC-02), phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (JC-03), viridicatin (JC-04) and viridicatol (JC-05), were isolated and identified. Only phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) showed significant anti-proteolytic activity of jellyfish venom assayed on azocasein, and the IC 50 value was 2.16 mM. PCA also significantly inhibited fibrinogenolytic activity, protecting the Bβ chain of fibrinogen from degradation when preincubated with jellyfish venom at a ratio of >1:0.6 (PCA:venom, w/w). Molecular docking with several well-characterized snake venom metalloproteinases suggested the venom metalloproteinases inhibitory property of PCA by forming complex interactions with the active site via hydrogen bonds, π-π stacking and salt bridges, which was distinct from the binding mode of batimastat. The present study represents the first study identifying natural jellyfish venom metalloproteinase inhibitors from marine natural products, which may provide an alternative to develop therapeutic agents for treating jellyfish envenomations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pelagia noctiluca stings are common in Mediterranean coastal areas and, although the venom is non-lethal, they are painful. Due to its high toxicity and abundance, P. noctiluca is considered a target species for the focus of research on active ingredients to reduce the symptoms of its sting. To determine the effect of 31 substances and formulations on nematocyst discharge, we performed three tests: (1) screening of per se discharge activator solutions, (2) inhibitory test with nematocyst chemical stimulation (5% acetic acid) and (3) inhibitory test quantifying the hemolytic area. Ammonia, barium chloride, bleach, scented ammonia, carbonated cola, lemon juice, sodium chloride and papain triggered nematocyst discharge. All of them were ruled out as potential inhibitors. Butylene glycol showed a reduction in nematocyst discharge, while the formulations of 10% lidocaine in ethanol, 1.5% hydroxyacetophenone in distilled water + butylene glycol, and 3% Symsitive ® in butylene glycol inhibited nematocyst discharge. These last results were subsequently correlated with a significant decrease in hemolytic area in the venom assays versus seawater, a neutral solution. The presented data represent a first step in research to develop preventive products for jellyfish stings while at the same time attempting to clarify some uncertainties about the role of various topical solutions in P. noctiluca first-aid protocols.

Toxin production in nematocysts by Cnidaria phylum represents an important source of bioactive compounds. Using electrophysiology and, heterologous expression of mammalian ion channels in the Xenopus oocyte membrane, we identified two main effects produced by the sea anemone Bartholomea annulata venom. Nematocysts isolation and controlled discharge of their content, revealed that venom had potent effects on both voltage-dependent Na + (Na v ) channels and GABA type A channel receptors (GABA A R), two essential proteins in central nervous system signaling. Unlike many others sea anemone toxins, which slow the inactivation rate of Na v channels, B. annulata venom potently inhibited the neuronal action potential and the Na + currents generated by distinct Na v channels opening, including human TTX-sensitive (hNa v 1.6) and TTX-insensitive Na v channels (hNa v 1.5). A second effect of B. annulata venom was an agonistic action on GABA A R that activated distinct receptors conformed by either α1β2γ2, α3β2γ1 or, ρ1 homomeric receptors. Since GABA was detected in venom samples by ELISA assay at low nanomolar range, it was excluded that GABA from nematocysts directly activated the GABA A Rs. This revealed that substances in B. annulata nematocysts generated at least two potent and novel effects on mammalian ion channels that are crucial for nervous system signaling., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Studying biological systems is a difficult but important task. Traditional methods include laboratory experimentation and computer simulations. However, often researchers need to explore important but potentially rare events that are not easily observed or simulated. We use UPPAAL-SMC, a formal verification tool to support a methodology that allows us to model biological systems, specify events and conditions that we want to analyze, and to explore system executions using controlled simulations. We also describe an efficient way to reproduce laboratory experiments in silico. Unlike traditional simulations, we are able to guide the experiment to explore special events and conditions by expressing these conditions in temporal logic formulas. We have applied this methodology to create a more detailed model of Palytoxin-induced Na + /K + pump channels than was previously possible. Moreover, we have reproduced experimental protocols and their associated electrophysiological recordings, which has not been done in previous works. As a consequence, we have been able to propose a new diprotomeric model for the PTX-pump complex and study its behaviour. The use of our methodology has enabled us to reduce the effort and time to perform this research. It can be used to model and analyze other complex biological systems, potentially increasing the productivity of such studies.

Scorpion α-toxins bind at the pharmacologically-defined site-3 on the sodium channel and inhibit channel inactivation by preventing the outward movement of the voltage sensor in domain IV (IVS4), whereas scorpion β-toxins bind at site-4 on the sodium channel and enhance channel activation by trapping the voltage sensor of domain II (IIS4) in its outward position. However, limited information is available on the role of the voltage-sensing modules (VSM, comprising S1-S4) of domains I and III in toxin actions. We have previously shown that charge reversing substitutions of the innermost positively-charged residues in IIIS4 (R4E, R5E) increase the activity of an insect-selective site-4 scorpion toxin, Lqh-dprIT 3- c, on BgNa v 1-1a, a cockroach sodium channel. Here we show that substitutions R4E and R5E in IIIS4 also increase the activity of two site-3 toxins, LqhαIT from Leiurusquinquestriatus hebraeus and insect-selective Av3 from Anemonia viridis. Furthermore, charge reversal of either of two conserved negatively-charged residues, D1K and E2K, in IIIS2 also increase the action of the site-3 and site-4 toxins. Homology modeling suggests that S2-D1 and S2-E2 interact with S4-R4 and S4-R5 in the VSM of domain III (III-VSM), respectively, in the activated state of the channel. However, charge swapping between S2-D1 and S4-R4 had no compensatory effects on gating or toxin actions, suggesting that charged residue interactions are complex. Collectively, our results highlight the involvement of III-VSM in the actions of both site 3 and site 4 toxins, suggesting that charge reversing substitutions in III-VSM allosterically facilitate IIS4 or IVS4 voltage sensor trapping by these toxins., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Jellyfish venom is a rich source of bioactive proteins and peptides with various biological activities including antioxidant, antimicrobial and antitumor effects. However, the anti-proliferative activity of the crude extract of Rhopilema nomadica jellyfish venom has not been examined yet. The present study aimed at the investigation of the in vitro effect of R. nomadica venom on liver cancer cells (HepG2), breast cancer cells (MDA-MB231), human normal fibroblast (HFB4), and human normal lung cells (WI-38) proliferation by using MTT assay. The apoptotic cell death in HepG2 cells was investigated using Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining-based flow cytometry analysis, western blot analysis, and DNA fragmentation assays. R. nomadica venom displayed significant dose-dependent cytotoxicity on HepG2 cells after 48 h of treatment with IC 50 value of 50 μg/mL and higher toxicity (3:5-fold change) against MDA-MB231, HFB4, and WI-38 cells. R. nomadica venom showed a prominent increase of apoptosis as revealed by cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, upregulation of p53, BAX, and caspase-3 proteins, and the down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein and DNA fragmentation. These findings suggest that R. nomadica venom induces apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first scientific evidence demonstrating the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of R. nomadica jellyfish venom., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Force enhancement is one kind of myogenic spontaneous fasciculation in lengthening preload striated muscles. In cardiac muscle, the role of this biomechanical event is not well established. The physiological passive property is an essential part for maintaining normal diastole in the heart. In excessive preload heart, force enhancement relative erratic passive properties may cause muscle decompensating, implicate in the development of diastolic dysfunction. In this study, the force enhancement occurrence in mouse cardiac papillary muscle was evaluated by a microstepping stretch method. The intracellular Ca 2+ redistribution during occurrence of force enhancement was monitored in real-time by a Flou-3 (2 mM) indicator. The force enhancement amplitude, the enhancement of the prolongation time, and the tension-time integral were analyzed by myography. The results indicated that the force enhancement occurred immediately after active stretching and was rapidly enhanced during sustained static stretch. The presence of the force and the increase in the amplitude synchronized with the acquisition and immediate transfer of Ca 2+ to adjacent fibres. In highly preloaded fibres, the enhancement exceeded the maximum passive tension (from 4.49 ± 0.43 N/mm 2 to 6.20 ± 0.51 N/mm 2 ). The occurrence of force enhancement were unstable in each static stretch. The increased enhancement amplitude combined with the reduced prolongation time to induce a reduction in the tension-time integral. We concluded that intracellular Ca 2+ -synchronized force enhancement is one kind of interruption event in excessive preload cardiac muscle. During the cardiac muscle in its passive relaxation period, the occurrence of this interruption affected the rhythmic stability of the cardiac relaxation cycle., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Jellyfish are rich in resources and widely distributed along coastal areas. As a potential approach to respond to jellyfish blooms, the use of jellyfish-derived products is increasing. The citrus spider mite ( Panonychus citri ) is one of the key citrus pests, negatively impacting the quality and quantity of oranges. Due to the resistance and residue of chemical acaricides, it is important to seek natural substitutes that are environmentally friendly. The field efficacy of the venom from the jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai against P. citri was assayed in a citrus garden. The frozen N. nomurai tentacles were sonicated in different buffers to isolate the venom. The venom isolated by PBS buffer (10 mM, pH 6.0) had the strongest acaricidal activity of the four samples, and the corrected field efficacy 7 days after treatment was up to 95.21%. This study demonstrated that jellyfish has potential use in agriculture.

Late sodium current (late INa) inhibition has been proposed to suppress the incidence of arrhythmias generated by pathological states or induced by drugs. However, the role of late INa in the human heart is still poorly understood. We therefore investigated the role of this conductance in arrhythmias using adult primary cardiomyocytes and tissues from donor hearts. Potentiation of late INa with ATX-II (anemonia sulcata toxin II) and E-4031 (selective blocker of the hERG channel) slowed the kinetics of action potential repolarization, impaired Ca 2+ homeostasis, increased contractility, and increased the manifestation of arrhythmia markers. These effects could be reversed by late INa inhibitors, ranolazine and GS-967. We also report that atrial tissues from donor hearts affected by atrial fibrillation exhibit arrhythmia markers in the absence of drug treatment and inhibition of late INa with GS-967 leads to a significant reduction in arrhythmic behaviour. These findings reveal a critical role for the late INa in cardiac arrhythmias and suggest that inhibition of this conductance could provide an effective therapeutic strategy. Finally, this study highlights the utility of human ex-vivo heart models for advancing cardiac translational sciences.

Creation of surfaces resistant to the formation of microbial biofilms via biomimicry has been heralded as a promising strategy to protect a range of different materials ranging from boat hulls to medical devices and surgical instruments. In our current study, we describe the successful transfer of a highly effective natural marine biofilm inhibitor to the 2D surface format. A series of cyclic peptides inspired by the natural equinatoxin II protein produced by Beadlet anemone ( Actinia equine ) have been evaluated for their ability to inhibit the formation of a mixed marine microbial consortium on polyamide reverse osmosis membranes. In solution, the peptides are shown to effectively inhibit settlement and biofilm formation in a nontoxic manner down to 1 nM concentrations. In addition, our study also illustrates how the peptides can be applied to disperse already established biofilms. Attachment of a hydrophobic palmitic acid tail generates a peptide suited for strong noncovalent surface interactions and allows the generation of stable noncovalent coatings. These adsorbed peptides remain attached to the surface at significant shear stress and also remain active, effectively preventing the biofilm formation over 24 h. Finally, the covalent attachment of the peptides to an acrylate surface was also evaluated and the prepared coatings display a remarkable ability to prevent surface colonization at surface loadings of 55 ng/cm 2 over 48 h. The ability to retain the nontoxic antibiofilm activity, documented in solution, in the covalent 2D-format is unprecedented, and this natural peptide motif displays high potential in several material application areas.

Long QT syndrome type 3 (LQT-3) is a disease related to abnormal cardiac sodium channel function (Nav 1.5), usually due to augmented late sodium current (I NaL ), and may lead to ventricular fibrillation. Amiodarone is approved for ventricular fibrillation. Thus, we investigated whether pacing frequency impacts the ability of amiodarone to reverse the arrhythmic phenotype observed in LQT-3. Anemone neurotoxin 2 (ATX-II, here named only ATX) was used to enhance I NaL in mice left ventricular myocytes (LVM). A video detector system monitored sarcomere shortening. At 1 Hz, amiodarone attenuated sarcomere shortening only at 10 µmol/L; at 3 and 5 Hz, 0.1 and 1 µmol/L amiodarone also reduced sarcomere shortening. However, no effect of amiodarone was observed on time to 50% of sarcomere contraction and relaxation. In LVM exposed to ATX (10 nmol/L), an arrhythmic phenotype was observed, and it was more severe when cells were paced at 1 Hz. Amiodarone failed to reverse the ATX induced phenotype at different pacing frequencies. Thus, our results suggest that amiodarone's ability to reverse arrhythmias induced by augmentation of I NaL is limited. These findings suggest further experimentation will be required to clarify whether a clinical effect can be ascribed to an effect of amiodarone on other ion channels in LQT-3., (© 2020 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).)

Arthritis is a widespread inflammatory disease associated with progressive articular surface degradation, ongoing pain, and hyperalgesia causing the development of functional limitations and disability. TRPV1 channel is one of the high-potential targets for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Polypeptide APHC3 from sea anemone Heteractis crispa is a mode-selective TRPV1 antagonist that causes mild hypothermia and shows significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity in different models of pain. We evaluated the anti-inflammatory properties of APHC3 in models of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced rheumatoid monoarthritis in comparison with commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as diclofenac, ibuprofen, and meloxicam. Subcutaneous administration of APHC3 (0.1 mg/kg) significantly reversed joint swelling, disability, grip strength impairment, and thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity. The effect of APHC3 was equal to or better than that of reference NSAIDs. Protracted treatment with APHC3 decreased IL-1b concentration in synovial fluid, reduced inflammatory changes in joints, and prevented the progression of cartilage degradation. Therefore, polypeptide APHC3 has the potential to be an analgesic and anti-inflammatory substance for the alleviation of arthritis symptoms.

Intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ) transients in astrocytes represent a highly plastic signaling pathway underlying the communication between neurons and glial cells. However, how this important phenomenon may be compromised in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unexplored. Moreover, the involvement of several K + channels, including K V 3.4 underlying the fast-inactivating currents, has been demonstrated in several AD models. Here, the effect of K V 3.4 modulation by the marine toxin blood depressing substance-I (BDS-I) extracted from Anemonia sulcata has been studied on [Ca 2+ ] i transients in rat primary cortical astrocytes exposed to Aβ 1-42 oligomers. We showed that: (1) primary cortical astrocytes expressing K V 3.4 channels displayed [Ca 2+ ] i transients depending on the occurrence of membrane potential spikes, (2) BDS-I restored, in a dose-dependent way, [Ca 2+ ] i transients in astrocytes exposed to Aβ 1-42 oligomers (5 µM/48 h) by inhibiting hyperfunctional K V 3.4 channels, (3) BDS-I counteracted Ca 2+ overload into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) induced by Aβ 1-42 oligomers, (4) BDS-I prevented the expression of the ER stress markers including active caspase 12 and GRP78/BiP in astrocytes treated with Aβ 1-42 oligomers, and (5) BDS-I prevented Aβ 1-42 -induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell suffering measured as mitochondrial activity and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Collectively, we proposed that the marine toxin BDS-I, by inhibiting the hyperfunctional K V 3.4 channels and restoring [Ca 2+ ] i oscillation frequency, prevented Aβ 1-42 -induced ER stress and cell suffering in astrocytes.

Actinoporins are the most abundant group of sea anemone cytolytic toxins. Their membranolytic activity is of high interest for the development of novel anticancer drugs. However, to date the activity of actinoporins in malignant cells has been poorly studied. Here, we report on recombinant analog of Hct-S3 (rHct-S3), belonging to the combinatory library of Heteractis crispa actinoporins. rHct-S3 exhibited cytotoxic activity against breast MDA-MB-231 (IC 50 = 7.3 µM), colorectal HT-29 (IC 50 = 6.8 µM), and melanoma SK-MEL-28 (IC 50 = 8.3 µM) cancer cells. The actinoporin effectively prevented epidermal growth factor -induced neoplastic transformation of JB6 Cl41 cells by 34% ± 0.2 and decreased colony formation of HT-29 cells by 47% ± 0.9, MDA-MB-231 cells by 37% ± 1.2, and SK-MEL-28 cells by 34% ± 3.6. Moreover, rHct-S3 decreased proliferation and suppressed migration of colorectal carcinoma cells by 31% ± 5.0 and 99% ± 6.4, respectively. The potent anti-migratory activity was proposed to mediate by decreased matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 expression. In addition, rHct-S3 induced programmed cell death by cleavage of caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, as well as regulation of Bax and Bcl-2. Our results indicate rHct-S3 to be a promising anticancer drug with a high anti-migratory potential.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a stem cell-based disease. PIK3CA/KRAS-mutant CRC stem cells (CRCSCs) display high self-renewal, metastatic properties, high activity of PI3K and KRAS signaling pathways with chemoresistant phenotypes. Recently, RGD peptide (containing Arg-Gly-Asp motif)-based therapy of solid tumor cells has attracted much attention. However, little is known whether this method can target self-renewal capacity, key effectors of PI3K and KRAS signaling pathways such as metastasis-driver gene CXCR4 and stem cell regulatory genes with caspase-3 reactivation in CRCSCs overexpressing RGD-dependent integrins. The sea anemone Actinia fragacea produces a water-soluble RGD-peptide fragacea toxin C (FraC) suggesting the possible activity of FraC against PIK3CA/KRAS-mutant CRCSCs. Recombinant FraC was expressed via pET-28a(+)-FraC in E. coli and purified through affinity chromatography followed by performing SDS-PAGE and hemolytic activity assay. Next, PIK3CA/KRAS-mutant HCT-116 cells that serve as an attractive model for CRCSCs were treated with FraC. Thereafter, cell numbers, viability, proliferation, LDH activity, cytotoxicity index, CXCR4 and pluripotency network genes expression, self-renewal capacity, caspase-3 activity with apoptosis were evaluated. Caspase-1, -2, -3,…, -9 sequences were analyzed for RGD-binding motifs. FraC sequence and structure were also evaluated by bioinformatics software. FraC altered cellular morphology to round shapes and disrupted cell connections. 48 h post-treatment with 0.056- to 7.2 μM FraC resulted in 12 %-99 % and 8 %-97.6 % decreases in cell numbers and viabilities respectively and increased LDH activity by 0.2 %-66.7 % in a dose-dependent manner. The results of the cytotoxicity index showed that FraC induces significant toxicity on HCT-116 cells compared to PBMCs and Huvec cells. FraC dramatically decreased the expression of CXCR4 and pluripotency network genes Bmi-1, Sox-2, Oct-4 and Nanog followed by remarkable decreases in self-renewal capacity ranged from 91- to 0 colonies per well for 0.056- to 3.6 μM FraC after 2 weeks. Caspase-3 was found to contain an RGD-binding motif and its activity increased with increasing FraC concentrations followed by apoptosis induction. Potential RGD-binding motifs for FraC were also found in caspase-1, -7, -8 and -9. Unique advantages of FraC peptide, such as low molecular weight, water solubility, high sensitivity of CRC stem-like cells with more selective toxicity to this compound, targeting tumor cell membrane and self-renewal capacity along with the modulation of CXCR4 and stem cell regulatory genes as upstream and downstream effectors of undruggable PI3K and KRAS signaling pathways may open up avenues for FraC peptide-based therapy of PIK3CA/KRAS-mutant CRCSCs with lower toxicity on healthy cells., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

A new neurotoxin RTX-VI that modulates the voltage-gated sodium channels (Na V ) was isolated from the ethanolic extract of the sea anemone Heteractis crispa. Its amino acid sequence was determined using the combination of Edman degradation and tandem mass spectrometry. RTX-VI turned out to be an unusual natural analogue of the previously described sea anemone toxin RTX-III. The RTX-VI molecule consists of two disulfide-linked peptide chains and is devoid of Arg13, which is important for the selectivity and affinity of such peptides for the Na V channels. Electrophysiological screening of RTV-VI on Na V channel subtypes showed its selective interaction with the central nervous system (Na V 1.2, Na V 1.6) and insect (BgNa V 1, VdNa V 1) sodium channels.

The effect of small G-proteins of the Rho family on sodium current conducted by cardiac isoform Na V 1.5 of voltage-gated sodium channels was studied in heterologous expression system, CHO-K1 cell line transfected with a plasmid containing the Na V 1.5 gene. The influence of cotransfection with genes of wild-type, constitutively-active, and dominant-negative small G-proteins RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc2 on the parameters of sodium current and its noninactivating component (I Na,late ) was estimated. Among three studied small G-proteins, only RhoA (wild-type and constitutively-active type) strongly affected sodium current reducing its peak amplitude, but not the value of I Na,late . Cotransfection with wild-type Rac1 resulted in a minor decrease in sodium current. Thus, small G-protein RhoA has potential capability for suppression of sodium current, although physiological relevance of this property has to be verified.

The marine polyether palytoxin (PLTX) is one of the most toxic natural compounds, and is involved in human poisonings after oral, inhalation, skin and/or ocular exposure. Epidemiological and molecular evidence suggest different inter-individual sensitivities to its toxic effects, possibly related to genetic-dependent differences in the expression of Na + /K + -ATPase, its molecular target. To identify Na + /K + -ATPase subunits, isoforms correlated with in vitro PLTX cytotoxic potency, sensitivity parameters (EC 50 : PLTX concentration reducing cell viability by 50%; Emax: maximum effect induced by the highest toxin concentration; 10 -7 M) were assessed in 60 healthy donors' monocytes by the MTT (methylthiazolyl tetrazolium) assay. Sensitivity parameters, not correlated with donors' demographic variables (gender, age and blood group), demonstrated a high inter-individual variability (median EC 50 = 2.7 × 10 -10 M, interquartile range: 0.4-13.2 × 10 -10 M; median Emax = 92.0%, interquartile range: 87.5-94.4%). Spearman's analysis showed significant positive correlations between the β2-encoding ATP1B2 gene expression and Emax values (rho = 0.30; p = 0.025) and between Emax and the ATP1B2/ATP1B3 expression ratio (rho = 0.38; p = 0.004), as well as a significant negative correlation between Emax and the ATP1B1/ATP1B2 expression ratio (rho = -0.30; p = 0.026). This toxicogenetic study represents the first approach to define genetic risk factors that may influence the onset of adverse effects in human PLTX poisonings, suggesting that individuals with high gene expression pattern of the Na + /K + -ATPase β2 subunit (alone or as β2/β1 and/or β2/β3 ratio) could be highly sensitive to PLTX toxic effects.

Tube anemones, or cerianthids, are a phylogenetically informative group of cnidarians with complex life histories, including a pelagic larval stage and tube-dwelling adult stage, both known to utilize venom in stinging-cell rich tentacles. Cnidarians are an entirely venomous group that utilize their proteinaceous-dominated toxins to capture prey and defend against predators, in addition to several other ecological functions, including intraspecific interactions. At present there are no studies describing the venom for any species within cerianthids. Given their unique development, ecology, and distinct phylogenetic-placement within Cnidaria, our objective is to evaluate the venom-like gene diversity of four species of cerianthids from newly collected transcriptomic data. We identified 525 venom-like genes between all four species. The venom-gene profile for each species was dominated by enzymatic protein and peptide families, which is consistent with previous findings in other cnidarian venoms. However, we found few toxins that are typical of sea anemones and corals, and furthermore, three of the four species express toxin-like genes closely related to potent pore-forming toxins in box jellyfish. Our study is the first to provide a survey of the putative venom composition of cerianthids and contributes to our general understanding of the diversity of cnidarian toxins.

The ion channel TRPV1, which is one of the most important integrators of pain and inflammatory stimuli, is considered a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of pain conditions. In this work, we performed a comparative study of the analgesic effect in the "hot plate" test of recombinant analogues of Kunitz-type peptides from the sea anemone Heteractis crispa venom: APHC1-modulator of TRPV1 and HCRG21-a full blocker of TRPV1. As a result of biological tests, it was shown that the full blocker HCRG21, despite the higher value of 50% effective concentration of TRPV1 inhibition, had an equal analgesic ability with the APHC1 upon intramuscular administration and retained it for 13 h of observation. The analgesic effect of APHC1 at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg when administered intramuscularly developed very quickly in 5 min but lasted 3 h. The differences in the pharmacodynamic profile of the peptides are in good agreement with different mechanisms of binding to TRPV1.

Currently, five peptide modulators of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) attributed to structural class 1b of sea anemone toxins have been described. The APETx2 toxin is the first and most potent ASIC3 inhibitor, so its homologs from sea anemones are known as the APETx-like peptides. We have discovered that two APETx-like peptides from the sea anemone Heteractis crispa , Hcr 1b-3 and Hcr 1b-4, demonstrate different effects on rASIC1a and rASIC3 currents. While Hcr 1b-3 inhibits both investigated ASIC subtypes with IC 50 4.95 ± 0.19 μM for rASIC1a and 17 ± 5.8 μM for rASIC3, Hcr 1b-4 has been found to be the first potentiator of ASIC3, simultaneously inhibiting rASIC1a at similar concentrations: EC 50 1.53 ± 0.07 μM and IC 50 1.25 ± 0.04 μM. The closest homologs, APETx2, Hcr 1b-1, and Hcr 1b-2, previously demonstrated the ability to inhibit hASIC3 with IC 50 63 nM, 5.5, and 15.9 μM, respectively, while Hcr 1b-2 also inhibited rASIC1a with IC 50 4.8 ± 0.3 μM. Computer modeling allowed us to describe the peculiarities of Hcr 1b-2 and Hcr 1b-4 interfaces with the rASIC1a channel and the stabilization of the expanded acidic pocket resulting from peptides binding which traps the rASIC1a channel in the closed state.

We show here that membrane-tethered toxins facilitate the biophysical study of the roles of toxin residues in K + channel blockade to reveal two blocking mechanisms in the K + channel pore. The structure of the sea anemone type I (SAK1) toxin HmK is determined by NMR. T-HmK residues are scanned by point mutation to map the toxin surface, and seven residues are identified to be critical to occlusion of the KcsA channel pore. T-HmK-Lys 22 is shown to interact with K + ions traversing the KcsA pore from the cytoplasm conferring voltage dependence on the toxin off rate, a classic mechanism that we observe as well with HmK in solution and for Kv1.3 channels. In contrast, two related SAK1 toxins, Hui1 and ShK, block KcsA and Kv1.3, respectively, via an arginine rather than the canonical lysine, when tethered and as free peptides., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).)

ShK is a 35-residue disulfide-linked polypeptide produced by the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus, which blocks the potassium channels Kv1.1 and Kv1.3 with pM affinity. An analogue of ShK has been developed that blocks Kv1.3 > 100 times more potently than Kv1.1, and has completed Phase 1b clinical trials for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Previous studies have indicated that ShK undergoes a conformational exchange that is critical to its function, but this has proved difficult to characterise. Here, we have used high hydrostatic pressure as a tool to increase the population of the alternative state, which is likely to resemble the active form that binds to the Kv1.3 channel. By following changes in chemical shift with pressure, we have derived the chemical shift values of the low- and high-pressure states, and thus characterised the locations of structural changes. The main difference is in the conformation of the Cys17-Cys32 disulfide, which is likely to affect the positions of the critical Lys22-Tyr23 pair by twisting the 21-24 helix and increasing the solvent exposure of the Lys22 sidechain, as indicated by molecular dynamics simulations.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease and cerebral ischemia is a serious complication of diabetes. Anti-diabetic therapy mitigates this complication but increases the risk of exposure to recurrent hypoglycemia (RH). We showed previously that RH exposure increases ischemic brain damage in insulin-treated diabetic (ITD) rats. The present study evaluated the hypothesis that increased intra-ischemic acidosis in RH-exposed ITD rats leads to pronounced post-ischemic hypoperfusion via activation of acid-sensing (proton-gated) ion channels (ASICs). Streptozotocin-diabetic rats treated with insulin were considered ITD rats. ITD rats were exposed to RH for 5 days and were randomized into Psalmotoxin1 (PcTx1, ASIC1a inhibitor), APETx2 (ASIC3 inhibitor), or vehicle groups. Transient global cerebral ischemia was induced overnight after RH. Cerebral blood flow was measured using laser Doppler flowmetry. Ischemic brain injury in hippocampus was evaluated using histopathology. Post-ischemic hypoperfusion in RH-exposed rats was of greater extent than that in control rats. Inhibition of ASICs prevented RH-induced increase in the extent of post-ischemic hypoperfusion and ischemic brain injury. Since ASIC activation-induced store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) plays a role in vascular tone, next we tested if acidosis activates SOCE via activating ASICs in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We observed that SOCE in VSMCs at lower pH is ASIC3 dependent. The results show the role of ASIC in post-ischemic hypoperfusion and increased ischemic damage in RH-exposed ITD rats. Understanding the pathways mediating exacerbated ischemic brain injury in RH-exposed ITD rats may help lower diabetic aggravation of ischemic brain damage.

Background: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is widely used in pain control in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation and is effective for fibromyalgia pain. However, its analgesic mechanism remains unknown. A possible mechanism for the effect of LLLT on fibromyalgia pain is via the antinociceptive signaling of substance P in muscle nociceptors, although the neuropeptide has been known as a neurotransmitter to facilitate pain signals in the spinal cord., Objective: To establish an animal model of LLLT in chronic muscle pain and to determine the role of substance P in LLLT analgesia., Methods: We employed the acid-induced chronic muscle pain model, a fibromyalgia model proposed and developed by Sluka et al., and determined the optimal LLLT dosage., Results: LLLT with 685 nm at 8 J/cm2 was effective to reduce mechanical hyperalgesia in the chronic muscle pain model. The analgesic effect was abolished by pretreatment of NK1 receptor antagonist RP-67580. Likewise, LLLT showed no analgesic effect on Tac1-/- mice, in which the gene encoding substance P was deleted. Besides, pretreatment with the TRPV1 receptor antagonist capsazepine, but not the ASIC3 antagonist APETx2, blocked the LLLT analgesic effect., Conclusions: LLLT analgesia is mediated by the antinociceptive signaling of intramuscular substance P and is associated with TRPV1 activation in a mouse model of fibromyalgia or chronic muscle pain. The study results could provide new insight regarding the effect of LLLT in other types of chronic pain., (© 2019 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Sea anemones' venom is rich in peptides acting on different biological targets, mainly on cytoplasmic membranes and ion channels. These animals are also a source of pancreatic α-amylase inhibitors, which have the ability to control the glucose level in the blood and can be used for the treatment of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Recently we have isolated and characterized magnificamide (44 aa, 4770 Da), the major α-amylase inhibitor of the sea anemone Heteractis magnifica mucus, which shares 84% sequence identity with helianthamide from Stichodactyla helianthus . Herein, we report some features in the action of a recombinant analog of magnificamide. The recombinant peptide inhibits porcine pancreatic and human saliva α-amylases with Ki's equal to 0.17 ± 0.06 nM and 7.7 ± 1.5 nM, respectively, and does not show antimicrobial or channel modulating activities. We have concluded that the main function of magnificamide is the inhibition of α-amylases; therefore, its functionally active recombinant analog is a promising agent for further studies as a potential drug candidate for the treatment of the type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Aims: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is associated with a pronounced risk to develop sudden cardiac death (SCD). Up to 21% of patients are related to mutations in SCN5A. Studies identified SCN10A as a contributor of BrS. However, the investigation of the human cellular phenotype of BrS in the presence of SCN10A mutations remains lacking. The objective of this study was to establish a cellular model of BrS in presence of SCN10A mutations using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs)., Methods and Results: Dermal fibroblasts obtained from a BrS patient suffering from SCD harbouring the SCN10A double variants (c.3803G>A and c.3749G>A) and three independent healthy control subjects were reprogrammed to hiPSCs. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells were differentiated into cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs).The hiPSC-CMs from the BrS patient showed a significantly reduced peak sodium channel current (INa) and a significantly reduced ATX II (sea anemone toxin, an enhancer of late INa) sensitive as well as A-887826 (a blocker of SCN10A channel) sensitive late sodium channel current (INa) when compared with the healthy control hiPSC-CMs, indicating loss-of-function of sodium channels. Consistent with reduced INa the action potential amplitude and upstroke velocity (Vmax) were significantly reduced, which may contribute to arrhythmogenesis of BrS. Moreover, Ajmaline effects on action potentials were stronger in BrS-hiPSC-CMs than in healthy control cells. This is in agreement with the higher susceptibility of patients to sodium channel blocking drugs in unmasking BrS., Conclusion: Patient-specific hiPSC-CMs are able to recapitulate single-cell phenotype features of BrS with SCN10A mutations and may provide novel opportunities to further elucidate the cellular disease mechanism., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2019. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Jellyfish envenomations result in extensive dermatological symptoms, clinically named as jellyfish dermatitis, which can seriously affect the daily activities and physical health of people. Inflammatory response accompanies the whole process of jellyfish dermatitis and the complexity of jellyfish venom components makes it difficult to treat jellyfish dermatitis symptoms effectively. Moreover, inhibiting inflammation is essential for the treatment of jellyfish stings and exploring the main components of jellyfish venom that cause inflammation is an urgent research area. In this study, the inhibitory effects of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitors for venom-induced inflammation were explored at a cellular level. The expression of the three inflammatory factors, IL-6, TNF-α and MCP-1 in two skin cell lines, human keratinocyte cells (HaCaT) and human embryonic skin fibroblasts cells (CCC-ESF-1), at the cellular level, after treatment with the inhibitors of jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai ( N. nomurai ) nematocyst venom (NnNV-I), were determined. The results showed that inhibitors of MMP can significantly reduce the toxic effects of jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai nematocyst venom (NnNV) to skin cells. The expression levels of the three inflammatory factors IL-6, MCP-1, and TNF-α in the cells were also significantly decreased, indicating that MMPs in jellyfish venom are probably vital factors leading to jellyfish dermatitis. This study is beneficial in the prevention and treatment of jellyfish stings.

Actinoporins constitute a unique class of pore-forming toxins found in sea anemones that being secreted as soluble monomers are able to bind and permeabilize membranes leading to cell death. The interest in these proteins has risen due to their high cytotoxicity that can be properly used to design immunotoxins against tumor cells and antigen-releasing systems to cell cytosol. In this work we describe a novel actinoporin produced by Anthopleura nigrescens, an anemone found in the Central American Pacific Ocean. Here we report the amino acid sequence of an actinoporin as deduced from cDNA obtained from total body RNA. The synthetic DNA sequence encoding for one cytolysin variant was expressed in BL21 Star (DE3) Escherichia coli and the protein purified by chromatography on CM Sephadex C-25 with more than 97% homogeneity as verified by MS-MS and HPLC analyses. This actinoporin comprises 179 amino acid residues, consistent with its observed isotope-averaged molecular mass of 19 661 Da. The toxin lacks Cys and readily permeabilizes erythrocytes, as well as L1210 cells. CD spectroscopy revealed that its secondary structure is dominated by beta structure (58.5%) with 5.5% of α-helix, and 35% of random structure. Moreover, binding experiments to lipidic monolayers and to liposomes, as well as permeabilization studies in vesicles, revealed that the affinity of this toxin for sphingomyelin-containing membranes is quite similar to sticholysin II (StII). Comparison by spectroscopic techniques and modeling the three-dimensional structure of nigrelysin (Ng) showed a high homology with StII but several differences were also detectable. Taken together, these results reinforce the notion that Ng is a novel member of the actinoporin pore-forming toxin (PFT) family with a HA as high as that of StII, the most potent actinoporin so far described, but with peculiar structural characteristics contributing to expand the understanding of the structure-function relationship in this protein family., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Immunotoxins are proteins containing a cell-targeting element linked to a toxin that are under investigation for next-generation cancer treatment. However, these agents are difficult to synthesize, chemically heterogeneous, expensive, and show toxicity toward healthy cells. In this work, we describe the synthesis and characterization of a new type of immunotoxin that showed exquisite selectivity toward targeted cells. In our construct, targeting molecules were covalently attached or genetically fused to oligomeric pore-forming toxins. The activity of the immunotoxin was then caged by fusing a soluble protein to the transmembrane domain and activated via cleavage with furin, which is a protease that is overexpressed in many cancer cells. During the several coupling steps, directed evolution allowed the efficient synthesis of the molecules in E. coli cells, as well as selection for further specificity toward targeted cells. The final construct showed no off-target activity, while acquiring an additional degree of specificity toward the targeted cells upon activation. The pore-forming toxins described here do not require internalization to operate, while the many protomeric subunits can be individually modified to refine target specificity.

Blue biotechnologies implement marine bio-resources for addressing practical concerns. The isolation of biologically active molecules from marine animals is one of the main ways this field develops. Strikingly, cnidaria are considered as sustainable resources for this purpose, as they possess unique cells for attack and protection, producing an articulated cocktail of bioactive substances. The Mediterranean sea anemone Anemonia viridis has been studied extensively for years. In this short review, we summarize advances in bioprospecting of the A. viridis toxin arsenal. A. viridis RNA datasets and toxin data mining approaches are briefly described. Analysis reveals the major pool of neurotoxins of A. viridis , which are particularly active on sodium and potassium channels. This review therefore integrates progress in both RNA-Seq based and biochemical-based bioprospecting of A. viridis toxins for biotechnological exploitation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Voltage-gated potassium (K V ) channels regulate diverse physiological processes and are an important target for developing novel therapeutic approaches. Sea anemone (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) venoms comprise a highly complex mixture of peptide toxins with diverse and selective pharmacology on K V channels. From the nematocysts of the sea anemone Actinia bermudensis , a peptide that we named AbeTx1 was purified and functionally characterized on 12 different subtypes of K V channels (K V 1.1⁻K V 1.6; K V 2.1; K V 3.1; K V 4.2; K V 4.3; K V 11.1; and, Shaker IR), and three voltage-gated sodium channel isoforms (Na V 1.2, Na V 1.4, and BgNa V ). AbeTx1 was selective for Shaker-related K⁺ channels and is capable of inhibiting K⁺ currents, not only by blocking the K⁺ current of K V 1.2 subtype, but by altering the energetics of activation of K V 1.1 and K V 1.6. Moreover, experiments using six synthetic alanine point-mutated analogs further showed that a ring of basic amino acids acts as a multipoint interaction for the binding of the toxin to the channel. The AbeTx1 primary sequence is composed of 17 amino acids with a high proportion of lysines and arginines, including two disulfide bridges (Cys1⁻Cys4 and Cys2⁻Cys3), and it is devoid of aromatic or aliphatic amino acids. Secondary structure analysis reveals that AbeTx1 has a highly flexible, random-coil-like conformation, but with a tendency of structuring in the beta sheet. Its overall structure is similar to open-ended cyclic peptides found on the scorpion κ-KTx toxins family, cone snail venoms, and antimicrobial peptides.

Actinoporins sticholysin I and sticholysin II (St I, St II) are proposed to lyse model and biomembranes via toroidal pore formation by their N-terminal domain. Based on the hypothesis that peptide fragments can reproduce the structure and function of this domain, the behavior of peptides containing St I residues 12-31 (StI12-31), St II residues 11-30 (StII11-30), and its TOAC-labeled analogue (N-TOAC-StII11-30) was examined. Molecular modeling showed a good match with experimental structures, indicating amphipathic α-helices in the same regions as in the toxins. CD spectra revealed that the peptides were essentially unstructured in aqueous solution, acquiring α-helical conformation upon interaction with micelles and large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) of variable lipid composition. Fluorescence quenching studies with NBD-containing lipids indicated that N-TOAC-StII11-30's nitroxide moiety is located in the membranes polar head group region. Pyrene-labeled phospholipid inter-leaflet redistribution suggested that the peptides form toroidal pores, according to the mechanism of action proposed for the toxins. Binding occurred only to negatively charged LUV, indicating the importance of electrostatic interactions; in contrast the peptides bound to both negatively charged and zwitterionic micelles, pointing to a lesser influence of these interactions. In addition, differences between bilayers and micelles in head group packing and in curvature led to differences in peptide-membrane interaction. We propose that the peptides topography in micelles resembles that of the toxins in the toroidal pore. The peptides mimicked the toxins permeabilizing activity, St II peptides being more effective than StI12-31. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that differences in the toxins N-terminal amphipathic α-helix play a role in the difference between St I and St II activities., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Prefrontal cortical areas mediate flexible adaptive control of behavior, but the specific contributions of individual areas and the circuit mechanisms through which they interact to modulate learning have remained poorly understood. Using viral tracing and pharmacogenetic techniques, we show that prelimbic (PreL) and infralimbic cortex (IL) exhibit reciprocal PreL↔IL layer 5/6 connectivity. In set-shifting tasks and in fear/extinction learning, activity in PreL is required during new learning to apply previously learned associations, whereas activity in IL is required to learn associations alternative to previous ones. IL→PreL connectivity is specifically required during IL-dependent learning, whereas reciprocal PreL↔IL connectivity is required during a time window of 12-14 h after association learning, to set up the role of IL in subsequent learning. Our results define specific and opposing roles of PreL and IL to together flexibly support new learning, and provide circuit evidence that IL-mediated learning of alternative associations depends on direct reciprocal PreL↔IL connectivity.

Palythoa caribaeorum (class Anthozoa) is a zoantharian which, together with other cnidarians, like jellyfishes, hydra, and sea anemones, possesses specialized structures in its tissues, the cnidocytes, which deliver an array of toxins in order to capture prey and deter predators. The whole transcriptome of P. caribaeroum was deep sequenced, and a diversity of toxin-related peptide sequences were identified, and some retrieved for functional analysis. In this work, a peptide precursor containing a ShK domain, named PcShK3, was analyzed by means of computational processing, comprising structural phylogenetic analysis, model prediction, and dynamics simulation of peptide-receptor interaction. The combined data indicated that PcShK3 is a distinct peptide which is homologous to a cluster of peptides belonging to the ShK toxin family. In vivo, PcShK3 distributed across the vitelline membrane and accumulated in the yolk sac stripe of zebrafish larvae. Notably, it displayed a significant cardio-protective effect in zebrafish in concentrations inferior to the IC 50 (<43.53 ± 6.45 &micro;M), while in high concentrations (>IC 50 ), it accumulated in the blood and caused pericardial edema, being cardiotoxic to zebrafish larvae. Remarkably, PcShK3 suppressed the 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity on the locomotive behavior of zebrafish. The present results indicated that PcShK3 is a novel member of ShK toxin family, and has the intrinsic ability to induce neuro- and cardio-protective effects or cause cardiac toxicity, according to its effective concentration.