Molecular physiology of chemical defenses in a poison frog

Poison frogs sequester small molecule lipophilic alkaloids from their diet of leaf litter arthropods for use as chemical defenses against predation. Although the dietary acquisition of chemical defenses in poison frogs is well-documented, the physiological mechanisms of alkaloid sequestration has not been investigated. Here, we used RNA sequencing and proteomics to determine how alkaloids impact mRNA or protein abundance in the Little Devil Frog (Oophaga sylvatica) and compared wild caught chemically defended frogs to laboratory frogs raised on an alkaloid-free diet. To understand how poison frogs move alkaloids from their diet to their skin granular glands, we focused on measuring gene expression in the intestines, skin, and liver. Across these tissues, we found many differentially expressed transcripts involved in small molecule transport and metabolism, as well as sodium channels and other ion pumps. We then used proteomic approaches to quantify plasma proteins, where we found severa...箭毒蛙（poison frog）可从其取食的落叶层节肢动物中贮积小分子亲脂性生物碱，作为抵御捕食的化学防御物质。尽管箭毒蛙通过饮食获取化学防御物质的现象已被广泛报道，但其贮积生物碱的生理机制尚未得到研究。本研究采用RNA测序（RNA sequencing）与蛋白质组学（proteomics）技术，探究生物碱对小魔鬼箭毒蛙（Oophaga sylvatica）体内mRNA或蛋白质丰度的影响，并将野外捕获的具有化学防御能力的箭毒蛙，与饲喂无生物碱饲料的实验室饲养个体进行对比。为阐明箭毒蛙如何将饮食中的生物碱转运至皮肤颗粒腺，本研究重点检测了肠道、皮肤与肝脏组织的基因表达水平。在上述组织中，我们发现大量差异表达转录本参与小分子转运与代谢过程，同时还涉及钠通道及其他离子泵蛋白。随后，我们通过蛋白质组学方法对血浆蛋白进行定量分析，发现了若干……