Validating venom variation and evolution in solitary and eusocial aculeate hymenopterans by comparative genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Ingo Ebersberger, since 1/2022
• Subject Area: Evolution, Anthropology ; Ecology and Biodiversity of Animals and Ecosystems, Organismic Interactions ; Systematics and Morphology (Zoology)
• Term: from 2018 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 399287429

Venoms resemble complex cocktails of proteins in animals that have convergently evolved in most lineages of the animal kingdom. Venom proteins evolved likely from few protein families that generally show normal physiological function. Venoms are crucial assets for the evolutionary fitness of species securing ecological and evolutionary success being used for defense, predation, competition and communication. Despite its immense impact on evolutionary processes venom evolution and biology, but also the biology of venomous taxa are rather poorly understood. Only few venomous taxa and their venom biology are more detailed studied, such as snakes, spiders, cone snails, scorpions, and recently centipedes.The probably most prominent venomous insect group is Hymenoptera. Several toxins mostly of aculeate species (honeybees, bumblebees and wasps) are partly well known. Linked to their impact on humans, early, protein and biochemical studies focused on pharmacological aspects of aculeate venoms to identify toxins, the toxin’s action and function, and to address how they can be counteracted or utilized for drug development. However, it is paradox that despite these long-time interactions between humans and hymenopterans not many recent, detailed, comparative studies (sampling also more hymenopteran species) exist to assess general biology and evolution of aculeate venom proteins.This project aims to tackle for the first time venom evolution and biology within aculeate hymenopterans in a comparative approach using the triade of modern venom science (venomics): transcriptomics, proteomics and genomics. The two major goals are to address possible venom variation between solitary and eusocial aculeates and how venom proteins differ between pollinating and predatory taxa. Aculeate taxa are further introduced as new model organism to understand fundamental principles and to test current hypotheses in venom evolution and venom biology.Main questions in this project are:Do aculeates show venom variations and specific venom proteins, which are characteristic for different sociality modes?Do we find a strong venom variation between pollinating and predatory aculeates?Harbor predatory aculeates like wasps more putative toxins, which show higher selection pressure?Which venom proteins are shared by aculeates and parasitoid wasps, which are unique?Occur neurotoxins from parasitoid wasps, such as pimplin also in aculeates and how did they evolve from parasitoid wasps to aculeate variants?Is gene duplication and recruitment of venom proteins into venom glands strongly evidenced as major force of venom evolution within aculeates?Is evidence found for multiple recruitment processes for selected putative toxins in the comparative analysis including body and venom gland tissue?

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Dr. Björn Marcus von Reumont, until 12/2021