Comparative transcriptome analyses of venom glands from three scorpionfishes

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Genomics
• Toxicology

Background:

• Scorpionfishes (Scorpaenidae) are a common cause of hazardous envenomation, with limited genomic resources available.
• Scorpionfish stings cause severe pain and prolonged recovery, highlighting the need for better understanding of their venom.
• Existing genomic data for these marine species is scarce, impeding research into their venomous nature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the transcriptomic profile of venom glands from three scorpionfish species.
• To identify and annotate putative toxins, including species-specific and overlapping toxins.
• To provide a foundational genetic resource for future research on scorpionfish venom evolution.

Main Methods:

• Transcriptomic sequencing of venom glands from Scorpaenopsis cirrosa, S. neglecta, and S. possi.
• Functional and pathway annotation of the sequenced transcriptomes.
• Toxin annotation to identify and categorize venom components.

Main Results:

• The first report of scorpionfish transcriptomes, providing extensive genetic information.
• Identification of numerous species-specific (18 in S. cirrosa, 13 in S. neglecta, 19 in S. possi) and overlapping putative toxins.
• Significant advancement in the genetic understanding of venom from these three scorpionfish species.

Conclusions:

• This study establishes a crucial genetic resource for scorpionfish venom research.
• The identified toxins provide insights into the diversity and evolution of fish venoms.
• The findings support future comparative studies on fish toxin evolution and venom composition.