Biology subjects

Torres, J. P.

Publications and source records attributed to Torres, J. P..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Prey-specific toxins provide broad venom activity in cephalopods

Cephalopods are among the oceans most sophisticated predators that use camouflage, complex behaviors, and venom to subdue a wide range of prey. However, the functional role of venom across diverse prey remains poorly understood, particularly whether cephalopods deploy venom to capture fish. Through comprehensive transcriptomic profiling of venom glands, we identify toxins with molecular signatures of prey-specific adaptation, including a previously unrecognized family of peptide toxins, octotensins, that evolved through convergent evolution to mimic the vertebrate hormone neurotensin. Functional assays and cryo-electron microscopy demonstrate that octotensins potently activate fish and human neurotensin receptor 1, engage this target in a near-identical manner to the chordate hormone, and induce acute hypotension in rodents. Together, our findings demonstrate that cephalopods achieve broad venom activity through phylum-specific toxins, including those targeting fish, revealing an evolutionary strategy by which generalist predators can capture phylogenetically diverse prey. One-Sentence SummaryCephalopod venom comprises prey-specific toxins, including neurotensin-mimicking peptides that target fish.

systems biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Mimics of the chordate gut-brain hormone neurotensin in parasitic intestinal hookworms

Hookworms of the family Ancylostomatidae are intestinal parasites that infect hundreds of millions of people worldwide, contributing to malnutrition, anemia, and impaired development. While hookworms are known to secrete immunomodulatory molecules to evade host defenses, it has been unclear whether they also exploit host hormonal signaling. Here, we identify a previously unrecognized family of hookworm peptides, which we term ancylotensins. Ancylotensins share strong sequence similarity with the chordate hormone neurotensin, a key regulator of metabolism, gut-brain communication, and intestinal function. In vitro pharmacological assays, ex vivo gut contractility studies, and cryo-electron microscopy demonstrate that ancylotensins closely replicate both the structural and functional properties of mammalian neurotensin to modulate gut function. Furthermore, ancylotensins do not share common ancestry with chordate neurotensin and instead evolved independently via convergent evolution. These findings reveal the existence of gut peptide mimicry as a mechanism by which intestinal parasites can manipulate host physiology.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2022

Discovery of Novel Bilaterian Signaling Peptides Using Cone Snail Toxins

Peptide hormones and neuropeptides form a diverse class of signaling molecules that control essential processes in animals. Despite several breakthroughs in peptide discovery, many signaling peptides remain undiscovered. Recently, we demonstrated the use of somatostatin-like toxins from cone snail venom to identify homologous signaling peptides in prey. Here, we demonstrate that this toxin-based approach can be systematically applied to the discovery of other unknown bilaterian signaling peptides. Using large sequencing datasets, we searched for homologies between cone snail toxins and putative peptides from several important model organisms representing the snails prey. We identified five toxin families that share strong similarities with previously unknown signaling peptides from mollusks and annelids. One of the peptides was also identified in rotifers, brachiopods, platyhelminths, and arthropods, and another was found to be structurally related to crustacean hyperglycemic hormone, a peptide not previously known to exist in Spiralia. Based on several lines of evidence we propose that these signaling peptides not only exist but serve important physiological functions. Finally, we propose that the discovery pipeline developed here can be more broadly applied to other systems in which one organism has evolved molecules to manipulate the physiology of another.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Animal biosynthesis of complex polyketides in a photosynthetic partnership

Animals are rich sources of complex polyketides, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and other products. Most polyketides are associated with microbial or plant metabolism1. For this reason, symbiotic bacteria or dietary organisms are often the true producers of compounds found in animals2,3. Although increasing evidence suggests that animals themselves make some compounds4-7, the origin of most polyketides in animals remains unknown. This problem makes it difficult to supply useful animal compounds as drugs and severely constrains our understanding of chemical diversity and the scope of biosynthesis in nature. Here, we demonstrate that animals produce microbe-like complex polyketides. We report a previously undocumented but widespread branch of fatty acid synthase- (FAS)-like proteins that have been retooled by evolution to synthesize complex products. One FAS-like protein uses only methylmalonyl-CoA as a substrate, otherwise unknown in animal lipid metabolism, and is involved in an intricate partnership between a sea slug and captured chloroplasts. The enzymes complex, methylated polyketide product results from a metabolic interplay between algal chloroplasts and animal host cells, and also likely facilitates the survival of both symbiotic partners, acting as a photoprotectant for plastids and an antioxidant for the slug8-12. Thus, we find that animals can unexpectedly synthesize a large and medically useful class of structurally complex polyketides previously ascribed solely to microbes, and can use them to promote symbiotic organelle maintenance. Because this represents an otherwise uncharacterized branch of polyketide and fatty acid metabolism, we anticipate a large diversity of animal polyketide products and enzymes awaiting discovery.

biochemistry↗