Quantitative Insights into the Contribution of Nematocysts to the Adaptive Success of Cnidarians Based on Proteomic Analysis
Nematocysts are secretory organelles in cnidarians that play important roles in predation, defense, locomotion, and host invasion. However, the extent to which nematocysts contribute to adaptation and the mechanisms underlying nematocyst evolution are unclear. Here, we investigated the role of the n...
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| author | Qingxiang Guo Christopher M. Whipps Yanhua Zhai Dan Li Zemao Gu |
| author_facet | Qingxiang Guo Christopher M. Whipps Yanhua Zhai Dan Li Zemao Gu |
| author_sort | Qingxiang Guo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nematocysts are secretory organelles in cnidarians that play important roles in predation, defense, locomotion, and host invasion. However, the extent to which nematocysts contribute to adaptation and the mechanisms underlying nematocyst evolution are unclear. Here, we investigated the role of the nematocyst in cnidarian evolution based on eight nematocyst proteomes and 110 cnidarian transcriptomes/genomes. We detected extensive species-specific adaptive mutations in nematocyst proteins (NEMs) and evidence for decentralized evolution, in which most evolutionary events involved non-core NEMs, reflecting the rapid diversification of NEMs in cnidarians. Moreover, there was a 33–55 million year macroevolutionary lag between nematocyst evolution and the main phases of cnidarian diversification, suggesting that the nematocyst can act as a driving force in evolution. Quantitative analysis revealed an excess of adaptive changes in NEMs and enrichment for positively selected conserved NEMs. Together, these findings suggest that nematocysts may be key to the adaptive success of cnidarians and provide a reference for quantitative analyses of the roles of phenotypic novelties in adaptation. |
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| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:54:25Z |
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| spelling | doaj.art-d1bb7b2ffd854448a2cd6a43f31e1fa62023-11-23T13:01:03ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372022-01-011119110.3390/biology11010091Quantitative Insights into the Contribution of Nematocysts to the Adaptive Success of Cnidarians Based on Proteomic AnalysisQingxiang Guo0Christopher M. Whipps1Yanhua Zhai2Dan Li3Zemao Gu4Department of Aquatic Animal Medicine, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaSUNY-ESF, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, 246 Illick Hall, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USADepartment of Aquatic Animal Medicine, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaDepartment of Aquatic Animal Medicine, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaDepartment of Aquatic Animal Medicine, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaNematocysts are secretory organelles in cnidarians that play important roles in predation, defense, locomotion, and host invasion. However, the extent to which nematocysts contribute to adaptation and the mechanisms underlying nematocyst evolution are unclear. Here, we investigated the role of the nematocyst in cnidarian evolution based on eight nematocyst proteomes and 110 cnidarian transcriptomes/genomes. We detected extensive species-specific adaptive mutations in nematocyst proteins (NEMs) and evidence for decentralized evolution, in which most evolutionary events involved non-core NEMs, reflecting the rapid diversification of NEMs in cnidarians. Moreover, there was a 33–55 million year macroevolutionary lag between nematocyst evolution and the main phases of cnidarian diversification, suggesting that the nematocyst can act as a driving force in evolution. Quantitative analysis revealed an excess of adaptive changes in NEMs and enrichment for positively selected conserved NEMs. Together, these findings suggest that nematocysts may be key to the adaptive success of cnidarians and provide a reference for quantitative analyses of the roles of phenotypic novelties in adaptation.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/1/91adaptive evolutionphenotypic noveltycnidariansmyxozoansnematocyststoxin |
| spellingShingle | Qingxiang Guo Christopher M. Whipps Yanhua Zhai Dan Li Zemao Gu Quantitative Insights into the Contribution of Nematocysts to the Adaptive Success of Cnidarians Based on Proteomic Analysis Biology adaptive evolution phenotypic novelty cnidarians myxozoans nematocysts toxin |
| title | Quantitative Insights into the Contribution of Nematocysts to the Adaptive Success of Cnidarians Based on Proteomic Analysis |
| title_full | Quantitative Insights into the Contribution of Nematocysts to the Adaptive Success of Cnidarians Based on Proteomic Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Quantitative Insights into the Contribution of Nematocysts to the Adaptive Success of Cnidarians Based on Proteomic Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantitative Insights into the Contribution of Nematocysts to the Adaptive Success of Cnidarians Based on Proteomic Analysis |
| title_short | Quantitative Insights into the Contribution of Nematocysts to the Adaptive Success of Cnidarians Based on Proteomic Analysis |
| title_sort | quantitative insights into the contribution of nematocysts to the adaptive success of cnidarians based on proteomic analysis |
| topic | adaptive evolution phenotypic novelty cnidarians myxozoans nematocysts toxin |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/1/91 |
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