Toward an understanding of tree frog (Hyla japonica) for predator deterrence

Abstract

Gene-encoded peptides with distinct potent bioactivities enable several animals to take advantage of fierce interspecific interaction, as seen in the skin secretion of amphibians. Unlike, most amphibian species that frequently switches terrestrial-aquatic habitats and hides easily from terrestrial predators, tree frogs of small body size are considered as the vulnerable prey in the arboreal habitat. Here, we show the structural and functional diversity of peptide families based on the skin transcriptome of Hyla japonica, which has evolved to be wrapped as an efficient chemical toolkit for defensive use in arboreal habitat. Generally, the presence of antimicrobial peptide and proteinase inhibitor families reveals the functional consistency of Hyla japonica skin compared to other amphibian species. Furthermore, we found that Anntoxin-like neurotoxins with high expression levels are species-specific in tree frogs. Interestingly, derivatives in the Anntoxin-like family exhibit multiple evolutionary traits in modifying the copy number, folding type, and three-dimensional architecture, which are considered essential for targeting the ion channels of terrestrial predators. Together, our study not only reveals the peptide diversity in the skin secretion of H. japonica, but also draws insights into the predator-deterring strategy for coping with arboreal habitat.