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My research aims to understand the origin and evolution of biodiversity, focusing on venomous and poisonous animals. It revolves around the application of the phylogenetic comparative approach to a diverse range of problems of a fundamental nature, with occasional steps in a more applied direction. Broad areas of research include the evolution of venomous animals and their venoms, the association between organismal traits (such as chemical weaponry) and evolutionary diversification, the behavioural ecology of antipredator defence, and convergent evolution. However, my research has ranged from exotic animal husbandry to human behavioural ecology as I maintain a multidisciplinary scope to my work. I am currently working on study systems including invertebrates, fish, mammals and birds, but have a particularly strong focus on amphibians and reptiles.
Understanding drivers of animal biodiversity has been a longstanding aim in evolutionary biology. Insects and fishes represent the largest lineages of invertebrates and vertebrates respectively, and consequently many ideas have been proposed to explain this diversity. Natural enemy interactions are often important in diversification dynamics, and key traits that mediate such interactions may therefore have an important role in explaining organismal diversity. Venom is one such trait which is intricately bound in antagonistic coevolution and has recently been shown to be associated with increased diversification rates in tetrapods. Despite ~ 10% of fish families and ~ 16% of insect families containing venomous species, the role that venom may play in these two superradiations remains unknown. In this paper we take a broad family-level phylogenetic perspective and show that variation in diversification rates are the main cause of variations in species richness in both insects and fishes, and that venomous families have diversification rates twice as high as non-venomous families. Furthermore, we estimate that venom was present in ~ 10% and ~ 14% of the evolutionary history of fishes and insects respectively. Consequently, we provide evidence that venom has played a role in generating the remarkable diversity in the largest vertebrate and invertebrate radiations. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-021-01880-z.
Kevin Arbuckle; Richard J. Harris. Radiating pain: venom has contributed to the diversification of the largest radiations of vertebrate and invertebrate animals. BMC Ecology and Evolution 2021, 21, 1 .
AMA StyleKevin Arbuckle, Richard J. Harris. Radiating pain: venom has contributed to the diversification of the largest radiations of vertebrate and invertebrate animals. BMC Ecology and Evolution. 2021; 21 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKevin Arbuckle; Richard J. Harris. 2021. "Radiating pain: venom has contributed to the diversification of the largest radiations of vertebrate and invertebrate animals." BMC Ecology and Evolution 21, no. : 1.
Personality traits, such as the propensity to cooperate, are often inherited from parents to offspring, but the pathway of inheritance is unclear. Traits could be inherited via genetic or parental effects, or culturally via social learning from role models. However, these pathways are difficult to disentangle in natural systems as parents are usually the source of all of these effects. Here, we exploit natural ‘cross fostering’ in wild banded mongooses to investigate the inheritance of cooperative behaviour. Our analysis of 800 adult helpers over 21 years showed low but significant genetic heritability of cooperative personalities in males but not females. Cross fostering revealed little evidence of cultural heritability: offspring reared by particularly cooperative helpers did not become more cooperative themselves. Our results demonstrate that cooperative personalities are not always highly heritable in wild, and that the basis of behavioural traits can vary within a species (here, by sex).
Hazel J. Nichols; Kevin Arbuckle; Jennifer L. Sanderson; Emma I. K. Vitikainen; Harry H. Marshall; Faye J. Thompson; Michael A. Cant; David A. Wells. A double pedigree reveals genetic but not cultural inheritance of cooperative personalities in wild banded mongooses. Ecology Letters 2021, 24, 1966 -1975.
AMA StyleHazel J. Nichols, Kevin Arbuckle, Jennifer L. Sanderson, Emma I. K. Vitikainen, Harry H. Marshall, Faye J. Thompson, Michael A. Cant, David A. Wells. A double pedigree reveals genetic but not cultural inheritance of cooperative personalities in wild banded mongooses. Ecology Letters. 2021; 24 (9):1966-1975.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHazel J. Nichols; Kevin Arbuckle; Jennifer L. Sanderson; Emma I. K. Vitikainen; Harry H. Marshall; Faye J. Thompson; Michael A. Cant; David A. Wells. 2021. "A double pedigree reveals genetic but not cultural inheritance of cooperative personalities in wild banded mongooses." Ecology Letters 24, no. 9: 1966-1975.
This Special Issue of Toxins aims to increase the profile and understanding of how ecology shapes the evolution of venom systems, and also how venom influences the ecological attributes of and interactions among species
Kevin Arbuckle. Special Issue: Evolutionary Ecology of Venom. Toxins 2021, 13, 310 .
AMA StyleKevin Arbuckle. Special Issue: Evolutionary Ecology of Venom. Toxins. 2021; 13 (5):310.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKevin Arbuckle. 2021. "Special Issue: Evolutionary Ecology of Venom." Toxins 13, no. 5: 310.
Background Animals use diverse antipredator mechanisms, including visual signalling of aversive chemical defence (aposematism). However, the initial evolution of aposematism poses the problem that the first aposematic individuals are conspicuous to predators who have not learned the significance of the warning colouration. In one scenario, aposematism evolves in group-living species and originally persisted due to kin selection or positive frequency-dependent selection in groups. Alternatively, group-living might evolve after aposematism because grouping can amplify the warning signal. However, our current understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of these traits is limited, leaving the relative merit of these scenarios unresolved. Results We used a phylogenetic comparative approach to estimate phenotypic evolutionary models to enable inferences regarding ancestral states and trait dynamics of grouping and aposematic colouration in a classic model system (caterpillars). We find strong support for aposematism at the root of the clade, and some (but weaker) support for ancestral solitary habits. Transition rates between aposematism and crypsis are generally higher than those between group-living and solitary-living, suggesting that colouration is more evolutionarily labile than aggregation. We also find that the transition from group-living to solitary-living states can only happen in aposematic lineage, suggesting that aposematism facilitates the evolution of solitary caterpillars, perhaps due to the additional protection offered when the benefits of grouping are lost. We also find that the high frequency of solitary, cryptic caterpillars is because this state is particularly stable, in that the transition rates moving towards this state are substantially higher than those moving away from it, favouring its accumulation in the clade over evolutionary time. Conclusions Our results provide new insights into the coevolution of colour and aggregation in caterpillars. We find support for an aposematic caterpillar at the root of this major clade, and for the signal augmentation hypothesis as an explanation of the evolution of aposematic, group-living caterpillars. We find that colouration is more labile than aggregation behaviour, but that the combination of solitary and cryptic habits is particularly stable. Finally, our results reveal that the transitions from group-living to solitary-living could be facilitated by aposematism, providing a new link between these well-studied traits.
Lingzi Wang; Stephen J. Cornell; Michael P. Speed; Kevin Arbuckle. Coevolution of group-living and aposematism in caterpillars: warning colouration may facilitate the evolution from group-living to solitary habits. BMC Ecology and Evolution 2021, 21, 1 -9.
AMA StyleLingzi Wang, Stephen J. Cornell, Michael P. Speed, Kevin Arbuckle. Coevolution of group-living and aposematism in caterpillars: warning colouration may facilitate the evolution from group-living to solitary habits. BMC Ecology and Evolution. 2021; 21 (1):1-9.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLingzi Wang; Stephen J. Cornell; Michael P. Speed; Kevin Arbuckle. 2021. "Coevolution of group-living and aposematism in caterpillars: warning colouration may facilitate the evolution from group-living to solitary habits." BMC Ecology and Evolution 21, no. 1: 1-9.
Convergent evolution provides insights into the selective drivers underlying evolutionary change. Snake venoms, with a direct genetic basis and clearly defined functional phenotype, provide a model system for exploring the repeated evolution of adaptations. While snakes use venom primarily for predation, and venom composition often reflects diet specificity, three lineages of cobras have independently evolved the ability to spit venom at adversaries. Using gene, protein, and functional analyses, we show that the three spitting lineages possess venoms characterized by an up-regulation of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) toxins, which potentiate the action of preexisting venom cytotoxins to activate mammalian sensory neurons and cause enhanced pain. These repeated independent changes provide a fascinating example of convergent evolution across multiple phenotypic levels driven by selection for defense.
T. D. Kazandjian; D. Petras; S. D. Robinson; J. van Thiel; H. W. Greene; K. Arbuckle; A. Barlow; D. A. Carter; R. M. Wouters; G. Whiteley; S. C. Wagstaff; A. S. Arias; L.-O. Albulescu; A. Plettenberg Laing; C. Hall; A. Heap; S. Penrhyn-Lowe; C. V. McCabe; S. Ainsworth; R. R. da Silva; P. C. Dorrestein; M. K. Richardson; J. M. Gutiérrez; J. J. Calvete; R. A. Harrison; I. Vetter; E. A. B. Undheim; W. Wüster; N. R. Casewell. Convergent evolution of pain-inducing defensive venom components in spitting cobras. Science 2021, 371, 386 -390.
AMA StyleT. D. Kazandjian, D. Petras, S. D. Robinson, J. van Thiel, H. W. Greene, K. Arbuckle, A. Barlow, D. A. Carter, R. M. Wouters, G. Whiteley, S. C. Wagstaff, A. S. Arias, L.-O. Albulescu, A. Plettenberg Laing, C. Hall, A. Heap, S. Penrhyn-Lowe, C. V. McCabe, S. Ainsworth, R. R. da Silva, P. C. Dorrestein, M. K. Richardson, J. M. Gutiérrez, J. J. Calvete, R. A. Harrison, I. Vetter, E. A. B. Undheim, W. Wüster, N. R. Casewell. Convergent evolution of pain-inducing defensive venom components in spitting cobras. Science. 2021; 371 (6527):386-390.
Chicago/Turabian StyleT. D. Kazandjian; D. Petras; S. D. Robinson; J. van Thiel; H. W. Greene; K. Arbuckle; A. Barlow; D. A. Carter; R. M. Wouters; G. Whiteley; S. C. Wagstaff; A. S. Arias; L.-O. Albulescu; A. Plettenberg Laing; C. Hall; A. Heap; S. Penrhyn-Lowe; C. V. McCabe; S. Ainsworth; R. R. da Silva; P. C. Dorrestein; M. K. Richardson; J. M. Gutiérrez; J. J. Calvete; R. A. Harrison; I. Vetter; E. A. B. Undheim; W. Wüster; N. R. Casewell. 2021. "Convergent evolution of pain-inducing defensive venom components in spitting cobras." Science 371, no. 6527: 386-390.
Biological systems are inherently hierarchical. Consequently, any field which aims to understand an aspect of biology holistically requires investigations at each level of the hierarchy of life, and venom research is no exception. This article aims to illustrate the structure of the field in light of a ‘levels of life’ perspective. In doing so, I highlight how traditional fields and approaches fit into this structure as focussing on describing levels or investigating links between levels, and emphasise where implicit assumptions are made due to lack of direct information. Taking a ‘levels of life’ perspective to venom research enables us to understand the complementarity of different research programmes and identify avenues for future research. Moreover, it provides a broader view that, in itself, shows how new questions can be addressed. For instance, understanding how adaptations develop and function from molecular to organismal scales, and what the consequences are of those adaptations at scales from molecular to macroevolutionary, is a general question relevant to a great deal of biology. As a trait which is molecular in nature and has clearer and more direct links between genotype and phenotype than many other traits, venom provides a relatively simple system to address such questions. Furthermore, because venom is also diverse at each level of life, the complexity within the hierarchical structure provides variation that enables powerful analytical approaches to answering questions. As a result, venom provides an excellent model system for understanding big questions in evolutionary biology.
Kevin Arbuckle. From molecules to macroevolution: Venom as a model system for evolutionary biology across levels of life. Toxicon: X 2020, 6, 100034 .
AMA StyleKevin Arbuckle. From molecules to macroevolution: Venom as a model system for evolutionary biology across levels of life. Toxicon: X. 2020; 6 ():100034.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKevin Arbuckle. 2020. "From molecules to macroevolution: Venom as a model system for evolutionary biology across levels of life." Toxicon: X 6, no. : 100034.
Animals use venoms for multiple purposes, most prominently for prey acquisition and self-defense. In snakes, venom composition often evolves as a result of selection for optimization for local diet. However, whether selection for a defensive function has also played a role in driving the evolution of venom composition has remained largely unstudied. Here, we use an online survey of snakebite victims to test a key prediction of a defensive function, that envenoming should result in the rapid onset of severe pain. From the analysis of 584 snakebite reports, involving 192 species of venomous snake, we find that the vast majority of bites do not result in severe early pain. Phylogenetic comparative analysis shows that where early pain after a bite evolves, it is often lost rapidly. Our results, therefore, do not support the hypothesis that natural selection for antipredator defense played an important role in the origin of venom or front-fanged delivery systems in general, although there may be intriguing exceptions to this rule.
Harry Ward-Smith; Kevin Arbuckle; Arno Naude; Wolfgang Wüster. Fangs for the Memories? A Survey of Pain in Snakebite Patients Does Not Support a Strong Role for Defense in the Evolution of Snake Venom Composition. Toxins 2020, 12, 201 .
AMA StyleHarry Ward-Smith, Kevin Arbuckle, Arno Naude, Wolfgang Wüster. Fangs for the Memories? A Survey of Pain in Snakebite Patients Does Not Support a Strong Role for Defense in the Evolution of Snake Venom Composition. Toxins. 2020; 12 (3):201.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHarry Ward-Smith; Kevin Arbuckle; Arno Naude; Wolfgang Wüster. 2020. "Fangs for the Memories? A Survey of Pain in Snakebite Patients Does Not Support a Strong Role for Defense in the Evolution of Snake Venom Composition." Toxins 12, no. 3: 201.
In a handful of mammals, females show an extended postreproductive lifespan (PRLS), leading to questions over why they spend a substantial portion of their lifespan nonreproductive. Theoretical and empirical studies suggest that PRLS may evolve when 1) demographic patterns lead to increasing local relatedness as females age, and 2) females come into reproductive competition with their daughters, as these conditions lead to high relative benefits of helping kin versus reproducing in later life. However, evolutionary pathways to PRLS are poorly understood and empirical studies are scarce. Here, we use a dataset of 1522 individuals comprising 22 pods to investigate patterns of reproduction and relatedness in long-finned pilot whales Globicephala melas; a toothed whale without species-wide PRLS. We find a similar relatedness structure to whales with PRLS: pods appear composed of related matrilines, and relatedness of females to their pod increases with age, suggesting that this species could benefit from late-life help. Furthermore, females with a large number of philopatric adult daughters are less likely to reproduce, implying intergenerational reproductive competition between females. This suggests that individuals may display a plastic cessation of reproduction, switching to investing in existing offspring when they come into competition with their daughters. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time such a relationship has been described in relation to PRLS, and it raises questions about whether this represents a step towards evolving PRLS or is a stable alternative strategy to widespread postreproductive periods.
Hazel J Nichols; Kevin Arbuckle; Karen Fullard; William Amos. Why don’t long-finned pilot whales have a widespread postreproductive lifespan? Insights from genetic data. Behavioral Ecology 2020, 31, 508 -518.
AMA StyleHazel J Nichols, Kevin Arbuckle, Karen Fullard, William Amos. Why don’t long-finned pilot whales have a widespread postreproductive lifespan? Insights from genetic data. Behavioral Ecology. 2020; 31 (2):508-518.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHazel J Nichols; Kevin Arbuckle; Karen Fullard; William Amos. 2020. "Why don’t long-finned pilot whales have a widespread postreproductive lifespan? Insights from genetic data." Behavioral Ecology 31, no. 2: 508-518.
Snake venom evolution is typically considered to be predominantly driven by diet-related selection pressures. Most evidence for this is based on lethality to prey and non-prey species and on the identification of prey specific toxins. Since the broad toxicological activities (e.g., neurotoxicity, coagulotoxicity, etc.) sit at the interface between molecular toxinology and lethality, these classes of activity may act as a key mediator in coevolutionary interactions between snakes and their prey. Indeed, some recent work has suggested that variation in these functional activities may be related to diet as well, but previous studies have been limited in geographic and/or taxonomic scope. In this paper, we take a phylogenetic comparative approach to investigate relationships between diet and toxicological activity classes on a global scale across caenophidian snakes, using the clinically oriented database at toxinology.com. We generally find little support for specific prey types selecting for particular toxicological effects except that reptile-feeders are more likely to be neurotoxic. We find some support for endothermic prey (with higher metabolic rates) influencing toxic activities, but differently from previous suggestions in the literature. More broadly, we find strong support for a general effect of increased diversity of prey on the diversity of toxicological effects of snake venom. Hence, we provide evidence that selection pressures on the toxicological activities of snake venom has largely been driven by prey diversity rather than specific types of prey. These results complement and extend previous work to suggest that specific matching of venom characteristics to prey may occur at the molecular level and translate into venom lethality, but the functional link between those two is not constrained to a particular toxicological route.
Emma-Louise Davies; Kevin Arbuckle. Coevolution of Snake Venom Toxic Activities and Diet: Evidence that Ecological Generalism Favours Toxicological Diversity. Toxins 2019, 11, 711 .
AMA StyleEmma-Louise Davies, Kevin Arbuckle. Coevolution of Snake Venom Toxic Activities and Diet: Evidence that Ecological Generalism Favours Toxicological Diversity. Toxins. 2019; 11 (12):711.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEmma-Louise Davies; Kevin Arbuckle. 2019. "Coevolution of Snake Venom Toxic Activities and Diet: Evidence that Ecological Generalism Favours Toxicological Diversity." Toxins 11, no. 12: 711.
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a serious medical and public health concern worldwide. Such resistance is conferred by a variety of mechanisms, but the extensive variability in levels of resistance across bacteria is a common finding. Understanding the underlying evolutionary processes governing this functional variation in antibiotic resistance is important as it may allow the development of appropriate strategies to improve treatment options for bacterial infections. The main objective of this study was to examine the functional evolution of β-lactamases, a common mechanism of enzymatic resistance that inactivates a widely used class of antibiotics. We first obtained β-lactamase protein sequences and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), a measure of antibiotic function, from previously published literature. We then used a molecular phylogenetic framework to examine the evolution of β-lactamase functional activity. We found that the functional activity of antibiotic resistance mediated by β-lactamase has evolved in a convergent manner within molecular classes, but is not associated with any single amino acid substitution. This suggests that the dynamics of convergent evolution in this system can vary between the functional and molecular (sequence) levels. Such disassociation may hamper bioinformatic approaches to antibiotic resistance determination and underscore the need for (less efficient but more effective) activity assays as an essential step in evaluating resistance in a given case.
Vivek Keshri; Kevin Arbuckle; Olivier Chabrol; Jean-Marc Rolain; Didier Raoult; Pierre Pontarotti. The functional convergence of antibiotic resistance in β-lactamases is not conferred by a simple convergent substitution of amino acid. Evolutionary Applications 2019, 12, 1812 -1822.
AMA StyleVivek Keshri, Kevin Arbuckle, Olivier Chabrol, Jean-Marc Rolain, Didier Raoult, Pierre Pontarotti. The functional convergence of antibiotic resistance in β-lactamases is not conferred by a simple convergent substitution of amino acid. Evolutionary Applications. 2019; 12 (9):1812-1822.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVivek Keshri; Kevin Arbuckle; Olivier Chabrol; Jean-Marc Rolain; Didier Raoult; Pierre Pontarotti. 2019. "The functional convergence of antibiotic resistance in β-lactamases is not conferred by a simple convergent substitution of amino acid." Evolutionary Applications 12, no. 9: 1812-1822.
The functional activities of Anguimorpha lizard venoms have received less attention compared to serpent lineages. Bite victims of varanid lizards often report persistent bleeding exceeding that expected for the mechanical damage of the bite. Research to date has identified the blockage of platelet aggregation as one bleeding-inducing activity, and destructive cleavage of fibrinogen as another. However, the ability of the venoms to prevent clot formation has not been directly investigated. Using a thromboelastograph (TEG5000), clot strength was measured after incubating human fibrinogen with Heloderma and Varanus lizard venoms. Clot strengths were found to be highly variable, with the most potent effects produced by incubation with Varanus venoms from the Odatria and Euprepriosaurus clades. The most fibrinogenolytically active venoms belonged to arboreal species and therefore prey escape potential is likely a strong evolutionary selection pressure. The results are also consistent with reports of profusive bleeding from bites from other notably fibrinogenolytic species, such as V. giganteus. Our results provide evidence in favour of the predatory role of venom in varanid lizards, thus shedding light on the evolution of venom in reptiles and revealing potential new sources of bioactive molecules useful as lead compounds in drug design and development.
James S. Dobson; Christina N. Zdenek; Chris Hay; Aude Violette; Rudy Fourmy; Chip Cochran; Bryan G. Fry. Varanid Lizard Venoms Disrupt the Clotting Ability of Human Fibrinogen through Destructive Cleavage. Toxins 2019, 11, 255 .
AMA StyleJames S. Dobson, Christina N. Zdenek, Chris Hay, Aude Violette, Rudy Fourmy, Chip Cochran, Bryan G. Fry. Varanid Lizard Venoms Disrupt the Clotting Ability of Human Fibrinogen through Destructive Cleavage. Toxins. 2019; 11 (5):255.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJames S. Dobson; Christina N. Zdenek; Chris Hay; Aude Violette; Rudy Fourmy; Chip Cochran; Bryan G. Fry. 2019. "Varanid Lizard Venoms Disrupt the Clotting Ability of Human Fibrinogen through Destructive Cleavage." Toxins 11, no. 5: 255.
Snakebite is a neglected tropical disease that disproportionately affects the poor. Antivenom is the only specific and effective treatment for snakebite, but its distribution is severely limited by several factors, including the prohibitive cost of some products. Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a snakebite hotspot but the high costs of Australian antivenoms (thousands of dollars per treatment) makes it unaffordable in PNG. A more economical taipan antivenom has recently been developed at the Instituto Clodomiro Picado (ICP) in Costa Rica for PNG and is currently undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of envenomations by coastal taipans (Oxyuranus scutellatus). In addition to potentially having the capacity to neutralise the effects of envenomations of non-PNG taipans, this antivenom may have the capacity to neutralise coagulotoxins in venom from closely related brown snakes (Pseudonaja spp.) also found in PNG. Consequently, we investigated the cross-reactivity of taipan antivenom across the venoms of all Oxyuranus and Pseudonaja species. In addition, to ascertain differences in venom biochemistry that influence variation in antivenom efficacy, we tested for relative cofactor dependence. We found that the new ICP taipan antivenom exhibited high selectivity for Oxyuranus venoms and only low to moderate cross-reactivity with any Pseudonaja venoms. Consistent with this genus level distinction in antivenom efficacy were fundamental differences in the venom biochemistry. Not only were the Pseudonaja venoms significantly more procoagulant, but they were also much less dependent upon the cofactors calcium and phospholipid. There was a strong correlation between antivenom efficacy, clotting time and cofactor dependence. This study sheds light on the structure-function relationships of the procoagulant toxins within these venoms and may have important clinical implications including for the design of next-generation antivenoms.
Christina N. Zdenek; Chris Hay; Kevin Arbuckle; Timothy N.W. Jackson; Mettine Bos; Bianca Op Den Brouw; Jordan Debono; Luke Allen; Nathan Dunstan; Terry Morley; María Herrera; José M. Gutiérrez; David Williams; Bryan G. Fry. Coagulotoxic effects by brown snake (Pseudonaja) and taipan (Oxyuranus) venoms, and the efficacy of a new antivenom. Toxicology in Vitro 2019, 58, 97 -109.
AMA StyleChristina N. Zdenek, Chris Hay, Kevin Arbuckle, Timothy N.W. Jackson, Mettine Bos, Bianca Op Den Brouw, Jordan Debono, Luke Allen, Nathan Dunstan, Terry Morley, María Herrera, José M. Gutiérrez, David Williams, Bryan G. Fry. Coagulotoxic effects by brown snake (Pseudonaja) and taipan (Oxyuranus) venoms, and the efficacy of a new antivenom. Toxicology in Vitro. 2019; 58 ():97-109.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristina N. Zdenek; Chris Hay; Kevin Arbuckle; Timothy N.W. Jackson; Mettine Bos; Bianca Op Den Brouw; Jordan Debono; Luke Allen; Nathan Dunstan; Terry Morley; María Herrera; José M. Gutiérrez; David Williams; Bryan G. Fry. 2019. "Coagulotoxic effects by brown snake (Pseudonaja) and taipan (Oxyuranus) venoms, and the efficacy of a new antivenom." Toxicology in Vitro 58, no. : 97-109.
The literature on chemical weaponry of organisms is vast and provides a rich understanding of the composition and mechanisms of the toxins and other components involved. However, an ecological or evolutionary perspective has often been lacking and is largely limited to (1) molecular evolutionary studies of particular toxins (lacking an ecological view); (2) comparisons across different species that ignore phylogenetic relatedness (lacking an evolutionary view); or (3) descriptive studies of venom composition and toxicology that contain post hoc and untested ecological or evolutionary interpretations (a common event but essentially uninformative speculation). Conveniently, comparative biologists have prolifically been developing and using a wide range of phylogenetic comparative methods that allow us to explicitly address many ecological and evolutionary questions relating to venoms and poisons. Nevertheless, these analytical tools and approaches are rarely used and poorly known by biological toxinologists and toxicologists. In this review I aim to (1) introduce phylogenetic comparative methods to the latter audience; (2) highlight the range of questions that can be addressed using them; and (3) encourage biological toxinologists and toxicologists to either seek out adequate training in comparative biology or seek collaboration with comparative biologists to reap the fruits of a powerful interdisciplinary approach to the field.
Kevin Arbuckle. Phylogenetic Comparative Methods can Provide Important Insights into the Evolution of Toxic Weaponry. Toxins 2018, 10, 518 .
AMA StyleKevin Arbuckle. Phylogenetic Comparative Methods can Provide Important Insights into the Evolution of Toxic Weaponry. Toxins. 2018; 10 (12):518.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKevin Arbuckle. 2018. "Phylogenetic Comparative Methods can Provide Important Insights into the Evolution of Toxic Weaponry." Toxins 10, no. 12: 518.
Bandy-bandies (genus Vermicella) are small (50–100cm) black and white burrowing elapids with a highly specialised diet of blindsnakes (Typhlopidae). There are currently 5 recognized species in the genus, all located in Australia, with Vermicella annulata the most encountered species with the largest distribution. Morphological and mitochondrial analyses of specimens collected from the Weipa area, Cape York, Queensland reveal the existence of a new species, which we describe as Vermicella parscauda sp. nov. Mitochondrial DNA analysis (16S and ND4) and external morphological characteristics indicate that the closest relatives of the new species are not V. annulata, which also occurs on Cape York, but rather species from Western Australia and the Northern Territory (V. intermedia and V. multifasciata) which, like V. parscauda, occupy monsoon habitats. Internasal scales are present in V. parscauda sp. nov., similar to V. annulata, but V. intermedia and V. multifasciata do not have nasal scales. V. parscauda sp. nov. has 55–94 black dorsal bands and mottled or black ventral scales terminating approximately 2/3rds of the body into formed black rings, suggesting that hyper-banding is a characteristic of the tropical monsoon snakes (V. intermedia, V. multifasciata and V. parscauda). The confined locality, potential habitat disruption due to mining activities, and scarcity of specimens indicates an urgent conservation concern for this species.
Chantelle Derez; Kevin Arbuckle; Zhiqiang Ruan; Bing Xie; Yu Huang; Lauren Dibben; Qiong Shi; Freek J. Vonk; Bryan G. Fry. A new species of bandy-bandy (Vermicella: Serpentes: Elapidae) from the Weipa region, Cape York, Australia. Zootaxa 2018, 4446, 1 -12.
AMA StyleChantelle Derez, Kevin Arbuckle, Zhiqiang Ruan, Bing Xie, Yu Huang, Lauren Dibben, Qiong Shi, Freek J. Vonk, Bryan G. Fry. A new species of bandy-bandy (Vermicella: Serpentes: Elapidae) from the Weipa region, Cape York, Australia. Zootaxa. 2018; 4446 (1):1-12.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChantelle Derez; Kevin Arbuckle; Zhiqiang Ruan; Bing Xie; Yu Huang; Lauren Dibben; Qiong Shi; Freek J. Vonk; Bryan G. Fry. 2018. "A new species of bandy-bandy (Vermicella: Serpentes: Elapidae) from the Weipa region, Cape York, Australia." Zootaxa 4446, no. 1: 1-12.
Kate Baumann; Edward P. Vicenzi; Thomas Lam; Janet Douglas; Kevin Arbuckle; Bronwen Cribb; Sean G. Brady; Bryan G. Fry. Correction to: Harden up: metal acquisition in the weaponized ovipositors of aculeate hymenoptera. Zoomorphology 2018, 137, 407 -408.
AMA StyleKate Baumann, Edward P. Vicenzi, Thomas Lam, Janet Douglas, Kevin Arbuckle, Bronwen Cribb, Sean G. Brady, Bryan G. Fry. Correction to: Harden up: metal acquisition in the weaponized ovipositors of aculeate hymenoptera. Zoomorphology. 2018; 137 (3):407-408.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKate Baumann; Edward P. Vicenzi; Thomas Lam; Janet Douglas; Kevin Arbuckle; Bronwen Cribb; Sean G. Brady; Bryan G. Fry. 2018. "Correction to: Harden up: metal acquisition in the weaponized ovipositors of aculeate hymenoptera." Zoomorphology 137, no. 3: 407-408.
Atractaspis snake species are enigmatic in their natural history, and venom effects are correspondingly poorly described. Bite reports are scarce but bites have been described as causing severe hypertension, profound local tissue damage leading to amputation, and deaths are on record. Clinical descriptions have largely concentrated upon tissue effects, and research efforts have focused upon the blood-pressure affecting sarafotoxins. However, coagulation disturbances suggestive of procoagulant functions have been reported in some clinical cases, yet this aspect has been uninvestigated. We used a suite of assays to investigate the coagulotoxic effects of venoms from six different Atractaspis specimens from central Africa. The procoagulant function of factor X activation was revealed, as was the pseudo-procoagulant function of direct cleavage of fibrinogen into weak clots. The relative neutralization efficacy of South African Antivenom Producer’s antivenoms on Atractaspis venoms were boomslang>>>polyvalent>saw-scaled viper. While the boomslang antivenom was the most effective on Atractaspis venoms, the ability to neutralize the most potent Atractaspis species in this study was up to 4-6 times less effective than boomslang antivenom neutralizes boomslang venom. Therefore, while these results suggest cross-reactivity of boomslang antivenom with the unexpectedly potent coagulotoxic effects of Atractaspis venoms, a considerable amount of this rare antivenom may be needed. This report thus reveals potent venom actions upon blood coagulation that may lead to severe clinical effects with limited management strategies.
Brice Oulion; James S. Dobson; Christina N. Zdenek; Kevin Arbuckle; Callum Lister; Francisco C.P. Coimbra; Bianca Op Den Brouw; Jordan Debono; Aymeric Rogalski; Aude Violette; Rudy Fourmy; Nathaniel Frank; Bryan G. Fry. Factor X activating Atractaspis snake venoms and the relative coagulotoxicity neutralising efficacy of African antivenoms. Toxicology Letters 2018, 288, 119 -128.
AMA StyleBrice Oulion, James S. Dobson, Christina N. Zdenek, Kevin Arbuckle, Callum Lister, Francisco C.P. Coimbra, Bianca Op Den Brouw, Jordan Debono, Aymeric Rogalski, Aude Violette, Rudy Fourmy, Nathaniel Frank, Bryan G. Fry. Factor X activating Atractaspis snake venoms and the relative coagulotoxicity neutralising efficacy of African antivenoms. Toxicology Letters. 2018; 288 ():119-128.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBrice Oulion; James S. Dobson; Christina N. Zdenek; Kevin Arbuckle; Callum Lister; Francisco C.P. Coimbra; Bianca Op Den Brouw; Jordan Debono; Aymeric Rogalski; Aude Violette; Rudy Fourmy; Nathaniel Frank; Bryan G. Fry. 2018. "Factor X activating Atractaspis snake venoms and the relative coagulotoxicity neutralising efficacy of African antivenoms." Toxicology Letters 288, no. : 119-128.
The use of metal ions to harden the tips and edges of ovipositors is known to occur in many hymenopteran species. However, species using the ovipositor for delivery of venom, which occurs in the aculeate hymenoptera (stinging wasps, ants, and bees) remains uninvestigated. In this study, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis was used to investigate the morphology and metal compositional differences among aculeate aculei. We show that aculeate aculei have a wide diversity of morphological adaptations relating to their lifestyle. We also demonstrate that metals are present in the aculei of all families of aculeate studied. The presence of metals is non-uniform and concentrated in the distal region of the stinger, especially along the longitudinal edges. This study is the first comparative investigation to document metal accumulation in aculeate aculei.
Kate Baumann; Edward Vicenzi; Thomas Lam; Janet Douglas; Kevin Arbuckle; Bronwen Cribb; Seán G. Brady; Bryan G. Fry. Harden up: metal acquisition in the weaponized ovipositors of aculeate hymenoptera. Zoomorphology 2018, 137, 389 -406.
AMA StyleKate Baumann, Edward Vicenzi, Thomas Lam, Janet Douglas, Kevin Arbuckle, Bronwen Cribb, Seán G. Brady, Bryan G. Fry. Harden up: metal acquisition in the weaponized ovipositors of aculeate hymenoptera. Zoomorphology. 2018; 137 (3):389-406.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKate Baumann; Edward Vicenzi; Thomas Lam; Janet Douglas; Kevin Arbuckle; Bronwen Cribb; Seán G. Brady; Bryan G. Fry. 2018. "Harden up: metal acquisition in the weaponized ovipositors of aculeate hymenoptera." Zoomorphology 137, no. 3: 389-406.
Pseudechis (black snakes) is an Australasian elapid snake genus that inhabits much of mainland Australia, with two representatives confined to Papua New Guinea. The present study is the first to analyse the venom of all 9 described Pseudechis species (plus one undescribed species) to investigate the evolution of venom composition and functional activity. Proteomic results demonstrated that the typical Pseudechis venom profile is dominated by phospholipase A toxins. Strong cytotoxicity was the dominant function for most species. P. porphyriacus, the most basal member of the genus, also exhibited the most divergent venom composition, being the only species with appreciable amounts of procoagulant toxins. The relatively high presence of factor Xa recovered in P. porphyriacus venom may be related to a predominantly amphibian diet. Results of this study provide important insights to guide future ecological and toxinological investigations.
Jonathan Goldenberg; Vittoria Cipriani; Timothy Jackson; Kevin Arbuckle; Jordan Debono; Daniel Dashevsky; Nadya Panagides; Maria Ikonomopoulou; Ivan Koludarov; Bin Li; Renan Castro Santana; Amanda Nouwens; Alun Jones; Chris Hay; Nathan Dunstan; Luke Allen; Brian Bush; John Miles; Lilin Ge; Hang Fai Kwok; Bryan G. Fry. Proteomic and functional variation within black snake venoms (Elapidae: Pseudechis ). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology 2018, 205, 53 -61.
AMA StyleJonathan Goldenberg, Vittoria Cipriani, Timothy Jackson, Kevin Arbuckle, Jordan Debono, Daniel Dashevsky, Nadya Panagides, Maria Ikonomopoulou, Ivan Koludarov, Bin Li, Renan Castro Santana, Amanda Nouwens, Alun Jones, Chris Hay, Nathan Dunstan, Luke Allen, Brian Bush, John Miles, Lilin Ge, Hang Fai Kwok, Bryan G. Fry. Proteomic and functional variation within black snake venoms (Elapidae: Pseudechis ). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology. 2018; 205 ():53-61.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJonathan Goldenberg; Vittoria Cipriani; Timothy Jackson; Kevin Arbuckle; Jordan Debono; Daniel Dashevsky; Nadya Panagides; Maria Ikonomopoulou; Ivan Koludarov; Bin Li; Renan Castro Santana; Amanda Nouwens; Alun Jones; Chris Hay; Nathan Dunstan; Luke Allen; Brian Bush; John Miles; Lilin Ge; Hang Fai Kwok; Bryan G. Fry. 2018. "Proteomic and functional variation within black snake venoms (Elapidae: Pseudechis )." Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology 205, no. : 53-61.
Understanding how biotic interactions shape the genomes of the interacting species is a long-sought goal of evolutionary biology that has been hampered by the scarcity of tractable systems in which specific genomic features can be linked to complex phenotypes involved in interspecific interactions. In this review we present the compelling case of evolved resistance to the toxic challenge of venomous or poisonous animals as one such system. Animal venoms and poisons can be comprised of few or of many individual toxins. Here we show that resistance to animal toxins has evolved multiple times across metazoans, although it has been documented more often in phyla that feed on chemically-armed animals than in prey of venomous predators. We review three types of gene-product based resistance: 1) toxin scavenging, where molecules produced by the envenomed organism bind and inactivate the toxins; 2) target-site insensitivity, including landmark cases of convergent changes that make the molecules normally targeted by animal toxins refractory, and; 3) off-target repurposing, where envenomed organisms overcome toxicity by exploiting the function of toxins to alter their physiological effect. We finish by discussing the evolutionary processes that likely played a role in the origin and maintenance of toxin resistance. We conclude that antagonistic interactions involving poisonous or venomous animals are unparalleled models for investigating microevolutionary processes involved in coevolution and linking them to macroevolutionary patterns.
Kevin Arbuckle; Ricardo C. Rodríguez de la Vega; Nicholas R. Casewell. Coevolution takes the sting out of it: Evolutionary biology and mechanisms of toxin resistance in animals. Toxicon 2017, 140, 118 -131.
AMA StyleKevin Arbuckle, Ricardo C. Rodríguez de la Vega, Nicholas R. Casewell. Coevolution takes the sting out of it: Evolutionary biology and mechanisms of toxin resistance in animals. Toxicon. 2017; 140 ():118-131.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKevin Arbuckle; Ricardo C. Rodríguez de la Vega; Nicholas R. Casewell. 2017. "Coevolution takes the sting out of it: Evolutionary biology and mechanisms of toxin resistance in animals." Toxicon 140, no. : 118-131.
A paradigm of venom research is adaptive evolution of toxins as part of a predator-prey chemical arms race. This examined differential co-factor dependence, variations relative to dietary preference, and the impact upon relative neutralisation by antivenom of the procoagulant toxins in the venoms of a clade of Australian snakes. All genera were characterised by venoms rich in factor Xa which act upon endogenous prothrombin. Examination of toxin sequences revealed an extraordinary level of conservation, which indicates that adaptive evolution is not a feature of this toxin type. Consistent with this, the venoms did not display differences on the plasma of different taxa. Examination of the prothrombin target revealed endogenous blood proteins are under extreme negative selection pressure for diversification, this in turn puts a strong negative selection pressure upon the toxins as sequence diversification could result in a drift away from the target. Thus this study reveals that adaptive evolution is not a consistent feature in toxin evolution in cases where the target is under negative selection pressure for diversification. Consistent with this high level of toxin conservation, the antivenom showed extremely high-levels cross-reactivity. There was however a strong statistical correlation between relative degree of phospholipid-dependence and clotting time, with the least dependent venoms producing faster clotting times than the other venoms even in the presence of phospholipid. The results of this study are not only of interest to evolutionary and ecological disciplines, but also have implications for clinical toxinology.
Callum Lister; Kevin Arbuckle; Timothy Jackson; Jordan Debono; Christina N. Zdenek; Daniel Dashevsky; Nathan Dunstan; Luke Allen; Chris Hay; Brian Bush; Amber Gillett; Bryan G. Fry. Catch a tiger snake by its tail: Differential toxicity, co-factor dependence and antivenom efficacy in a procoagulant clade of Australian venomous snakes. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology 2017, 202, 39 -54.
AMA StyleCallum Lister, Kevin Arbuckle, Timothy Jackson, Jordan Debono, Christina N. Zdenek, Daniel Dashevsky, Nathan Dunstan, Luke Allen, Chris Hay, Brian Bush, Amber Gillett, Bryan G. Fry. Catch a tiger snake by its tail: Differential toxicity, co-factor dependence and antivenom efficacy in a procoagulant clade of Australian venomous snakes. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology. 2017; 202 ():39-54.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCallum Lister; Kevin Arbuckle; Timothy Jackson; Jordan Debono; Christina N. Zdenek; Daniel Dashevsky; Nathan Dunstan; Luke Allen; Chris Hay; Brian Bush; Amber Gillett; Bryan G. Fry. 2017. "Catch a tiger snake by its tail: Differential toxicity, co-factor dependence and antivenom efficacy in a procoagulant clade of Australian venomous snakes." Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology 202, no. : 39-54.