Publications by authors named "S W A Himaya"
Marine cone snails have attracted researchers from all disciplines but early life stages have received limited attention due to difficulties accessing or rearing juvenile specimens. Here, we document the culture of Conus magus from eggs through metamorphosis to reveal dramatic shifts in predatory feeding behaviour between post-metamorphic juveniles and adult specimens. Adult C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Cone snail venom varies significantly among its ≈900 species, reflecting their dietary habits and envenomation strategies.
- The study focused on two related species, revealing that while they shared many conotoxin transcripts, one species showcased greater diversification in its venom composition.
- Researchers propose that fast changes in conotoxin sequences have played a key role in the evolution of new species and the development of unique venom profiles.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the origins of predatory and defensive venoms in cone snails, specifically focusing on the venoms of C. striatus specimens, highlighting their pharmacological significance.
- Researchers used proteomic and transcriptomic methods to analyze different sections of the venom duct, identifying 370 conotoxin precursors and revealing that defensive venoms contained more inhibitory conotoxins while both types had excitatory κA-conotoxins.
- The findings suggest that κA-conotoxins may have evolved through adaptive changes, allowing these snails to shift their feeding strategies from ancestral forms to targeting fish effectively.
The 27-amino acid (aa)-long d-conotoxin TxVIA, originally isolated from the mollusc-hunting cone snail , slows voltage-gated sodium (Na) channel inactivation in molluscan neurons, but its mammalian ion channel targets remain undetermined. In this study, we confirmed that TxVIA was inactive on mammalian Na1.2 and Na1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe venom of the marine predatory cone snails (genus ) has evolved for prey capture and defense, providing the basis for survival and rapid diversification of the now estimated 750+ species. A typical venom contains hundreds to thousands of bioactive peptides known as conotoxins. These mostly disulfide-rich and well-structured peptides act on a wide range of targets such as ion channels, G protein-coupled receptors, transporters, and enzymes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF