The evolutionary history of cribellate orb-weaver capture thread spidroins
Abstract Background Spiders have evolved two types of sticky capture threads: one with wet adhesive spun by ecribellate orb-weavers and another with dry adhesive spun by cribellate spiders. The evolutionary history of cribellate capture threads is especially poorly understood. Here, we use genomic a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-022-02042-5 |
| _version_ | 1818488577060765696 |
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| author | Sandra M. Correa-Garhwal Richard H. Baker Thomas H. Clarke Nadia A. Ayoub Cheryl Y. Hayashi |
| author_facet | Sandra M. Correa-Garhwal Richard H. Baker Thomas H. Clarke Nadia A. Ayoub Cheryl Y. Hayashi |
| author_sort | Sandra M. Correa-Garhwal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Spiders have evolved two types of sticky capture threads: one with wet adhesive spun by ecribellate orb-weavers and another with dry adhesive spun by cribellate spiders. The evolutionary history of cribellate capture threads is especially poorly understood. Here, we use genomic approaches to catalog the spider-specific silk gene family (spidroins) for the cribellate orb-weaver Uloborus diversus. Results We show that the cribellar spidroin, which forms the puffy fibrils of cribellate threads, has three distinct repeat units, one of which is conserved across cribellate taxa separated by ~ 250 Mya. We also propose candidates for a new silk type, paracribellar spidroins, which connect the puffy fibrils to pseudoflagelliform support lines. Moreover, we describe the complete repeat architecture for the pseudoflagelliform spidroin (Pflag), which contributes to extensibility of pseudoflagelliform axial fibers. Conclusions Our finding that Pflag is closely related to Flag, supports homology of the support lines of cribellate and ecribellate capture threads. It further suggests an evolutionary phase following gene duplication, in which both Flag and Pflag were incorporated into the axial lines, with subsequent loss of Flag in uloborids, and increase in expression of Flag in ecribellate orb-weavers, explaining the distinct mechanical properties of the axial lines of these two groups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T16:53:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f0c5e9ee3a504630811f692644ecc115 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2730-7182 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T16:53:00Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-f0c5e9ee3a504630811f692644ecc1152022-12-22T01:40:50ZengBMCBMC Ecology and Evolution2730-71822022-07-0122111610.1186/s12862-022-02042-5The evolutionary history of cribellate orb-weaver capture thread spidroinsSandra M. Correa-Garhwal0Richard H. Baker1Thomas H. Clarke2Nadia A. Ayoub3Cheryl Y. Hayashi4Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural HistoryDivision of Invertebrate Zoology and Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural HistoryDepartment of Biology, Washington and Lee UniversityDepartment of Biology, Washington and Lee UniversityDivision of Invertebrate Zoology and Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural HistoryAbstract Background Spiders have evolved two types of sticky capture threads: one with wet adhesive spun by ecribellate orb-weavers and another with dry adhesive spun by cribellate spiders. The evolutionary history of cribellate capture threads is especially poorly understood. Here, we use genomic approaches to catalog the spider-specific silk gene family (spidroins) for the cribellate orb-weaver Uloborus diversus. Results We show that the cribellar spidroin, which forms the puffy fibrils of cribellate threads, has three distinct repeat units, one of which is conserved across cribellate taxa separated by ~ 250 Mya. We also propose candidates for a new silk type, paracribellar spidroins, which connect the puffy fibrils to pseudoflagelliform support lines. Moreover, we describe the complete repeat architecture for the pseudoflagelliform spidroin (Pflag), which contributes to extensibility of pseudoflagelliform axial fibers. Conclusions Our finding that Pflag is closely related to Flag, supports homology of the support lines of cribellate and ecribellate capture threads. It further suggests an evolutionary phase following gene duplication, in which both Flag and Pflag were incorporated into the axial lines, with subsequent loss of Flag in uloborids, and increase in expression of Flag in ecribellate orb-weavers, explaining the distinct mechanical properties of the axial lines of these two groups.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-022-02042-5Cribellate silkSpidroinSpider silkEvolutionGene familyGenomics |
| spellingShingle | Sandra M. Correa-Garhwal Richard H. Baker Thomas H. Clarke Nadia A. Ayoub Cheryl Y. Hayashi The evolutionary history of cribellate orb-weaver capture thread spidroins BMC Ecology and Evolution Cribellate silk Spidroin Spider silk Evolution Gene family Genomics |
| title | The evolutionary history of cribellate orb-weaver capture thread spidroins |
| title_full | The evolutionary history of cribellate orb-weaver capture thread spidroins |
| title_fullStr | The evolutionary history of cribellate orb-weaver capture thread spidroins |
| title_full_unstemmed | The evolutionary history of cribellate orb-weaver capture thread spidroins |
| title_short | The evolutionary history of cribellate orb-weaver capture thread spidroins |
| title_sort | evolutionary history of cribellate orb weaver capture thread spidroins |
| topic | Cribellate silk Spidroin Spider silk Evolution Gene family Genomics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-022-02042-5 |
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