Discovery of Hyperactive Antifreeze Protein from Phylogenetically Distant Beetles Questions Its Evolutionary Origin
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International Journal of Molecular Sciences Article Discovery of Hyperactive Antifreeze Protein from Phylogenetically Distant Beetles Questions Its Evolutionary Origin Tatsuya Arai 1,2,† , Akari Yamauchi 3,† , Ai Miura 1, Hidemasa Kondo 1,3 , Yoshiyuki Nishimiya 1, Yuji C. Sasaki 2,4 and Sakae Tsuda 1,3,4,* 1 Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Sapporo 062-8517, Japan; [email protected] (T.A.); [email protected] (A.M.); [email protected] (H.K.); [email protected] (Y.N.) 2 Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8561, Japan; [email protected] 3 Graduate School of Life Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan; [email protected] 4 OPERANDO Open Innovation Laboratory, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8563, Japan * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +81-11-857-8912 † T.A. and A.Y. contributed equally to this work. Abstract: Beetle hyperactive antifreeze protein (AFP) has a unique ability to maintain a supercooling state of its body fluids, however, less is known about its origination. Here, we found that a popular stag beetle Dorcus hopei binodulosus (Dhb) synthesizes at least 6 isoforms of hyperactive AFP (DhbAFP). Cold-acclimated Dhb larvae tolerated −5 ◦C chilled storage for 24 h and fully recovered after warming, Citation: Arai, T.; Yamauchi, A.; suggesting that DhbAFP facilitates overwintering of this beetle. A DhbAFP isoform (~10 kDa) Miura, A.; Kondo, H.; Nishimiya, Y.; appeared to consist of 6−8 tandem repeats of a 12-residue consensus sequence (TCTxSxNCxxAx), Sasaki, Y.C.; Tsuda, S. Discovery of which exhibited 3 ◦C of high freezing point depression and the ability of binding to an entire Hyperactive Antifreeze Protein from surface of a single ice crystal. Significantly, these properties as well as DNA sequences including Phylogenetically Distant Beetles Dhb Questions Its Evolutionary the untranslated region, signal peptide region, and an AFP-encoding region of are highly Origin. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 3637. similar to those identified for a known hyperactive AFP (TmAFP) from the beetle Tenebrio molitor https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22073637 (Tm). Progenitor of Dhb and Tm was branched off approximately 300 million years ago, so no known evolution mechanism hardly explains the retainment of the DNA sequence for such a long divergence Academic Editor: Masafumi Yohda period. Existence of unrevealed gene transfer mechanism will be hypothesized between these two phylogenetically distant beetles to acquire this type of hyperactive AFP. Received: 14 March 2021 Accepted: 28 March 2021 Keywords: antifreeze protein (AFP); thermal hysteresis (TH); stag beetle; ice binding; freeze avoid- Published: 31 March 2021 ance; supercooling; tandem repeat; evolutionary origin Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- 1. Introduction iations. Stag beetles include approximately 1200 species of insects belonging to the family Lucanidae, characterized by a pair of long horns, which resemble antlers of a stag, protrud- ing from the mandibles of the male (Figure1A) [ 1,2]. Stag beetles established immense popularity in Japan [3,4] as evidenced by cartoons, trading card games, fan websites, or Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. the Japanese Samurai helmet of the 1500s, which was decorated with an ornament called Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. “Kuwagata” designed after the stag beetle (Supplementary Material, Figure S1). Among This article is an open access article them, Dorcus hopei binodulosus (Dhb) (Figure1A,B) is especially popular because of its stout distributed under the terms and large body [5]. The Dhb beetle is found in northeastern China, Korea, and Japan that have conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// an icy winter season, while it uniquely possesses a long-life overwintering nature; larvae creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ live for 1–2 years until pupation in a rotten tree or underground, and the adult lives for 4.0/). 3–5 years on the ground [2,5]. Because hyperactive antifreeze protein (AFP) discovered Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 3637. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22073637 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 15 Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 3637 2 of 15 ditions of the Creative Commons At- 3–5 years on the ground [2,5]. Because hyperactive antifreeze protein (AFP) discovered in tribution (CC BY) license (http://crea- fishes,in fishes, insects, insects, and and bacteria bacteria is is known known to to faci facilitatelitate theirtheir cold-survival cold-survival [6 ],[6], we we speculated speculated tivecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). whetherwhether the the DhbDhb beetlebeetle produces thisthis proteinprotein in in its its body body fluids. fluids. Since Since only only four four beetles, beetles, namelynamely TenebrioTenebrio molitor molitor, Dendroides canadensiscanadensis, ,Anatolica Anatolica polita polita, and, andMicrodera Microdera punctipennis punctipennis, , areare known known to to synthesize synthesize hyperactive AFPAFP composed composed of of a consensusa consensus sequence sequence [7– [7–10]10] and and allall of of them them belong belong to to the the same superfamily Tenebrionoidea Tenebrionoidea, less, less is is known known about about the the origins origins ofof this this protein, protein, while while the the Dhb beetle belongsbelongsto to a a different different superfamily superfamilyScarabaeoidea Scarabaeoidea[2]. [2]. Therefore,Therefore, if if DhbDhb containscontains hyperactive AFP,AFP,the the discovery discovery provides provides a firsta first clue clue to to under- under- standingstanding the the origin origin of of this this protein asas wellwell asas new new resources resources (i.e., (i.e., stag stag beetles) beetles) to exploreto explore moremore new new species species of of hyperactive AFP.AFP. FigureFigure 1. A 1. stagA stag beetle beetle DorcusDorcus hopei hopei binodulosus binodulosus (Dhb(Dhb) and) and a bursting a bursting ice-crystal ice-crystal growth growth observed observed for for its its hemolymph hemolymph at at the freezingthe freezing point. point.(A) An (A adult) An adultform of form Dhb of andDhb (Band) its ( Bfinal) its instar final instar larva. larva. The adult The adult is uniquely is uniquely equipped equipped with with a pair a pairof antlers of likeantlers a stag. like (C a) A stag. photomicroscope (C) A photomicroscope image of image a single of aice single crystal ice crystalin ordinary in ordinary supercooled supercooled water water(−0.1 ° (−C),0.1 which◦C), which shows a roundedshows adisk-like rounded morphology. disk-like morphology. (D,E) The ( Ddisk,E) Theexpanded disk expanded when the when temperature the temperature was held, was implying held, implying that there that thereis no isanti- freezeno antifreeze substance. substance. (F) A photomicroscope (F) A photomicroscope image imageof a single of a single ice crystal ice crystal prepared prepared in larval in larval hemolymph, hemolymph, which which kept kept un- ° changedunchanged even evenif the if temperature the temperature was waschanged changed between between −5.0− and5.0 and 0 C 0 because◦C because of the of theice-binding ice-binding of ofhyperactive hyperactive AFPs. AFPs. The hyperactiveThe hyperactive AFP-bound AFP-bound ice crystal ice crystal is uniquely is uniquely modified modified into into a lemon-like a lemon-like shape. shape. (G (G) )Bursting Bursting ice ice growth occurredoccurred from from a tip of the lemon crystal when it further lowered the temperature to freezing point (−5.1 °C). (H) The bursting ice growth a tip of the lemon crystal when it further lowered the temperature to freezing point (−5.1 ◦C). (H) The bursting ice growth continues to show a vein-like pattern, which is also a known phenomenon for hyperactive AFPs. continues to show a vein-like pattern, which is also a known phenomenon for hyperactive AFPs. AqueousAqueous solutions solutions thatthat remain remain in in liquid liquid phase phase by loweringby lowering the temperature the temperature below below the themelting melting point point are are called called supercooled supercooled solutions, solutions, in which in which numerous numerous “embryo” “embryo” ice crystals ice crys- talsare are present present dispersively dispersively [11 [11,12].,12]. When When the the temperature temperature is further is further lowered lowered and and thermal thermal movementmovement of of embryo embryo ice ice crystals decreases,decreases, they they aggregate aggregate rapidly rapidly to to form form a large a large cluster cluster toto nucleate nucleate numerous numerous ice ice particles, therebythereby changingchanging the the water water molecules molecules into into a multi-a multi- crystallinecrystalline state, state, which which is the general iceice crystalcrystal structure. structure. Note Note that that a substancea substance other other than than waterwater molecules molecules sometimes sometimes catalyzed thethe aggregationaggregation process process [11 [11].]. The The overwintering, overwintering, cold-adaptedcold-adapted insects insects have long beenbeen knownknown for for their their ability ability to to stabilize stabilize such such a supercooleda supercooled statestate of of their their body body fluids fluids at at subzero subzero temperatures,temperatures,