Alkaloid avoidance in poison frog tadpoles

Animals show a spectrum of avoidance-tolerance to foods containing toxic secondary metabolites. However, this spectrum has not been evaluated in animals that may actively seek out these compounds as a chemical defense. Poison frogs sequester toxic and unpalatable alkaloids from their diet, and in some species, tadpoles are exposed to these toxins before the development of their skin granular glands, which are used for toxin compartmentalization. Here, we examined the effects of the alkaloid decahydroquinoline (DHQ) in tadpoles of the Mimetic poison frog, Ranitomeya imitator, using alkaloid supplemented food. We found that although their survival is lowered by the alkaloid, their development is only mildly affected, with no evident effects on their growth. Furthermore, locomotor activity and feeding behavior was altered in the first week of DHQ treatment, probably in part through nicotinic blockade. However, after two weeks, tadpoles learned to avoid the alkaloid by visiting the food area only when necessary to eat. Our results suggest that poison frogs navigate the avoidance-tolerance spectrum during the development of their sequestration machinery.

A review of chemical defense in harlequin toads (Bufonidae; Atelopus)

Toads of the genus Atelopus are chemically defended by a unique combination of endogenously synthesized cardiotoxins (bufadienolides) and what are likely exogenously sequestered neurotoxins (guanidinium alkaloids). Investigation into Atelopus small-molecule chemical defenses has been primarily concerned with identifying and characterizing various forms of these toxins while largely overlooking their ecological roles and evolutionary implications. In addition to describing the extent of knowledge about Atelopus toxin structures, pharmacology, and biological sources, we review the detection, identification, and quantification methods used in studies of Atelopus toxins to date and conclude that many known toxin profiles are unlikely to be comprehensive because of methodological and sampling limitations. Patterns in existing data suggest that both environmental (toxin availability) and genetic (capacity to synthesize or sequester toxins) factors influence toxin profiles. From an ecological and evolutionary perspective, we summarize the possible selective pressures acting on Atelopus toxicity and toxin profiles, including predation, intraspecies communication, disease, and reproductive status. Ultimately, we intend to provide a basis for future ecological, evolutionary, and biochemical research on Atelopus.

Calcite Nanotuned Chitinous Skeletons of Giant Ianthella basta Marine Demosponge

Marine sponges were among the first multicellular organisms on our planet and have survived to this day thanks to their unique mechanisms of chemical defense and the specific design of their skeletons, which have been optimized over millions of years of evolution to effectively inhabit the aquatic environment. In this work, we carried out studies to elucidate the nature and nanostructural organization of three-dimensional skeletal microfibers of the giant marine demosponge Ianthella basta, the body of which is a micro-reticular, durable structure that determines the ideal filtration function of this organism. For the first time, using the battery of analytical tools including three-dimensional micro—X-ray Fluorescence (3D-µXRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infra-red (FTIR), Raman and Near Edge X-ray Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy, we have shown that biomineral calcite is responsible for nano-tuning the skeletal fibers of this sponge species. This is the first report on the presence of a calcitic mineral phase in representatives of verongiid sponges which belong to the class Demospongiae. Our experimental data suggest a possible role for structural amino polysaccharide chitin as a template for calcification. Our study suggests further experiments to elucidate both the origin of calcium carbonate inside the skeleton of this sponge and the mechanisms of biomineralization in the surface layers of chitin microfibers saturated with bromotyrosines, which have effective antimicrobial properties and are responsible for the chemical defense of this organism. The discovery of the calcified phase in the chitinous template of I. basta skeleton is expected to broaden the knowledge in biomineralization science where the calcium carbonate is regarded as a valuable material for applications in biomedicine, environmental science, and even in civil engineering.

Toxin breakdown does not preclude the potential for defensive toxin use in a fruit fly

Animals that ingest toxins can themselves become toxic or unpalatable to predators and parasites. However, most animals rapidly eliminate toxins to survive toxin ingestion. It is therefore unclear how species transition from susceptibility and toxin elimination to tolerance and accumulation as chemical defense emerges. Studies of chemical defense have generally focused on species that display active toxin sequestration and target-site insensitivity mutations that permit survival without necessitating toxin metabolism. Here we investigate whether animals that presumably rely on toxin elimination for survival can also utilize ingested toxins for defense. We use the A4 and A3 Drosophila melanogaster fly strains from the Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource (DSPR), which respectively possess elevated and reduced metabolic toxin resistance. We find that ingesting nicotine increased the survival of A4 but not of A3 flies against Leptopilina heterotoma wasp parasitism. Further, we find that despite possessing enhanced toxin clearance mechanisms, A4 flies accrued more nicotine than A3 individuals. Our results suggest that enhanced metabolic detoxification can allow for greater toxin intake by offsetting the cost of toxin ingestion. Passive toxin accumulation that accompanies increased toxin intake may underlie the early origins of chemical defense.