Cone snail species off the Brazilian coast and their venoms: a review and update

Abstract The genus Conus includes over 900 species of marine invertebrates known as cone snails, whose venoms are among the most powerful described so far. This potency is mainly due to the concerted action of hundreds of small bioactive peptides named conopeptides, which target different ion channels and membrane receptors and thus interfere with crucial physiological processes. By swiftly harpooning and injecting their prey and predators with such deadly cocktails, the slow-moving cone snails guarantee their survival in the harsh, competitive marine environment. Each cone snail species produces a unique venom, as the mature sequences of conopeptides from the venoms of different species share very little identity. This biochemical diversity, added to the numerous species and conopeptides contained in their venoms, results in an immense biotechnological and therapeutic potential, still largely unexplored. That is especially true regarding the bioprospection of the venoms of cone snail species found off the Brazilian coast - a region widely known for its biodiversity. Of the 31 species described in this region so far, only four - Conus cancellatus, Conus regius, Conus villepinii, and Conus ermineus - have had their venoms partially characterized, and, although many bioactive molecules have been identified, only a few have been actually isolated and studied. In addition to providing an overview on all the cone snail species found off the Brazilian coast to date, this review compiles the information on the structural and pharmacological features of conopeptides and other molecules identified in the venoms of the four aforementioned species, paving the way for future studies.

摘要 芋螺属（Conus）涵盖超过900种被称为芋螺（cone snail）的海洋无脊椎动物，其毒液是目前已报道的毒性最强的物质之一。该毒性主要源自数百种被称为芋螺毒素（conopeptides）的小型生物活性肽的协同作用：这类肽可靶向不同的离子通道与膜受体，进而干扰机体关键生理过程。行动迟缓的芋螺通过迅速以鱼叉状结构刺击猎物与天敌，并注入这类致命复合毒素，得以在严苛且竞争激烈的海洋环境中存续繁衍。每一种芋螺物种均可产生独特的毒液，因不同物种毒液中芋螺毒素的成熟序列同源性极低。这种生化多样性，加之其毒液中丰富的物种与芋螺毒素资源，造就了巨大的生物技术与治疗潜力，但该潜力目前仍未得到充分开发。针对巴西沿岸海域分布的芋螺物种毒液开展的生物勘探（bioprospection）更是如此——该区域素以丰富的生物多样性闻名全球。截至目前，该区域已描述的31种芋螺中，仅有4种——沟纹芋螺（Conus cancellatus）、雷氏芋螺（Conus regius）、维氏芋螺（Conus villepinii）以及白芋螺（Conus ermineus）——的毒液得到了部分生化表征。尽管已从中鉴定出多种生物活性分子，但实际被分离并开展深入研究的仅为少数。本综述不仅系统概述了目前在巴西沿岸海域发现的所有芋螺物种，还汇总了上述4个物种毒液中鉴定出的芋螺毒素及其他分子的结构与药理学特征，为后续相关研究铺平了道路。