ArticleGenome research2008
Defensins and the convergent evolution of platypus and reptile venom genes.
Article in Genome research, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 53 papers.
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Who cites it
53 citing papers in PubMed, 146 citations in OpenAlex.
- Insights into platypus crural gland transcriptomics - venom and beyond.BMC genomics · 2025Article
- Biophysical characterization of high-confidence, small human proteins.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- Multi-omics resources for the Australian southern stuttering frog (Mixophyes australis) reveal assorted antimicrobial peptides.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- A Review of Rattlesnake Venoms.Toxins · 2023Review
- Genomic, functional and structural analyses elucidate evolutionary innovation within the sea anemone 8 toxin family.BMC biology · 2023Article
- The evolution of antimicrobial peptides in Chiroptera.Frontiers in immunology · 2023Article
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- The cnidarian parasitePeerJ · 2021Article
- Armed stem to stinger: a review of the ecological roles of scorpion weapons.The journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases · 2021Review
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- How the Toxin got its Toxicity.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2020Article
- Natriuretic peptides appeared after their receptors in vertebrates.BMC evolutionary biology · 2019Article
- Alternative Transcription at Venom Genes and Its Role as a Complementary Mechanism for the Generation of Venom Complexity in the Common House Spider.Frontiers in ecology and evolution · 2019Article
- Evolutionary Ecology of Fish Venom: Adaptations and Consequences of Evolving a Venom System.Toxins · 2019Review
- Origin and development of oligoadenylate synthetase immune system.BMC evolutionary biology · 2018Article
- Article
- Convergent evolution of defensin sequence, structure and function.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2017Review
- Structural homology guided alignment of cysteine rich proteins.SpringerPlus · 2016Article
- Article
- A Spur to Atavism: Placing Platypus Poison.Journal of the history of biology · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
15 authors at 7 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
When the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) was first discovered, it was thought to be a taxidermist's hoax, as it has a blend of mammalian and reptilian features. It is a most remarkable mammal, not only because it lays eggs but also because it is venomous. Rather than delivering venom through a bite, as do snakes and shrews, male platypuses have venomous spurs on each hind leg. The platypus genome sequence provides a unique opportunity to unravel the evolutionary history of many of these interesting features. While searching the platypus genome for the sequences of antimicrobial defensin genes, we identified three Ornithorhynchus venom defensin-like peptide (OvDLP) genes, which produce the major components of platypus venom. We show that gene duplication and subsequent functional diversification of beta-defensins gave rise to these platypus OvDLPs. The OvDLP genes are located adjacent to the beta-defensins and share similar gene organization and peptide structures. Intriguingly, some species of snakes and lizards also produce venoms containing similar molecules called crotamines and crotamine-like peptides. This led us to trace the evolutionary origins of other components of platypus and reptile venom. Here we show that several venom components have evolved separately in the platypus and reptiles. Convergent evolution has repeatedly selected genes coding for proteins containing specific structural motifs as templates for venom molecules.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.