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Rouhova L, Zurovcova M, Hradilova M, Sery M, Sehadova H, Zurovec M. Comprehensive analysis of silk proteins and gland compartments in Limnephilus lunatus, a case-making trichopteran. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:472. [PMID: 38745159 PMCID: PMC11092239 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10381-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Caddisfly larvae produce silk containing heavy and light fibroins, similar to the silk of Lepidoptera, for the construction of underwater structures. We analyzed the silk of Limnephilus lunatus belonging to the case-forming suborder Integripalpia. We analyzed the transcriptome, mapped the transcripts to a reference genome and identified over 80 proteins using proteomic methods, and checked the specificity of their expression. For comparison, we also analyzed the transcriptome and silk proteome of Limnephilus flavicornis. Our results show that fibroins and adhesives are produced together in the middle and posterior parts of the silk glands, while the anterior part produces enzymes and an unknown protein AT24. The number of silk proteins of L. lunatus far exceeds that of the web-spinning Plectrocnemia conspersa, a previously described species from the suborder Annulipalpia. Our results support the idea of increasing the structural complexity of silk in rigid case builders compared to trap web builders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Rouhova
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Zurovcova
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Miluse Hradilova
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Sery
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Sehadova
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Zurovec
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
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2
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Wang YJ, Liu QS, Liu LP, Zhang YC, Qiu S, Zhang WG, Lin JH, Qin YT, Wang X, Wu YY, Zhao P, Xia QY, Ding L, Rong DY, Wang H, Dong ZM. The silk gland proteome of Stenopsyche angustata provides insights into the underwater silk secretion. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 33:41-54. [PMID: 37740676 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Caddisworms (Trichoptera) spin adhesive silks to construct a variety of underwater composite structures. Many studies have focused on the fibroin heavy chain of caddisworm silk and found that it contains heavy phosphorylation to maintain a stable secondary structure. Besides fibroins, recent studies have also identified some new silk proteins within caddisworm silk. To better understand the silk composition and its secretion process, this study reports the silk gland proteome of a retreat-building caddisworm, Stenopsyche angustata Martynov (Trichoptera, Stenopsychidae). Using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), 2389 proteins were identified in the silk gland of S. angustata, among which 192 were predicted as secreted silk proteins. Twenty-nine proteins were found to be enriched in the front silk gland, whereas 109 proteins were enriched in the caudal silk gland. The fibroin heavy chain and nine uncharacterized silk proteins were identified as phosphorylated proteins. By analysing the sequence of the fibroin heavy chain, we found that it contains 13 Gly/Thr/Pro-rich regions, 12 Val/Ser/Arg-rich regions and a Gly/Arg/Thr-rich region. Three uncharacterized proteins were identified as sericin-like proteins due to their larger molecular weights, signal peptides and repetitive motifs rich in serine. This study provides valuable information for further clarifying the secretion and adhesion of underwater caddisworm silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Jun Wang
- Institute of Sericulture, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, China
| | - Qing-Song Liu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Li-Ping Liu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Ocean College, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, China
| | - Yi-Chuan Zhang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Ocean College, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, China
| | - Shuang Qiu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Univeristy of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Wen-Guang Zhang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Ocean College, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, China
| | - Jin-Hang Lin
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu-Ting Qin
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Ocean College, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yue-Ying Wu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Ocean College, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, China
| | - Ping Zhao
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qing-You Xia
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ling Ding
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Ocean College, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, China
| | - Dong-Ying Rong
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Ocean College, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Institute of Sericulture, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Ocean College, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, China
| | - Zhao-Ming Dong
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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Zackova Suchanova J, Bilcke G, Romanowska B, Fatlawi A, Pippel M, Skeffington A, Schroeder M, Vyverman W, Vandepoele K, Kröger N, Poulsen N. Diatom adhesive trail proteins acquired by horizontal gene transfer from bacteria serve as primers for marine biofilm formation. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:770-783. [PMID: 37548082 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Biofilm-forming benthic diatoms are key primary producers in coastal habitats, where they frequently dominate sunlit intertidal substrata. The development of gliding motility in raphid diatoms was a key molecular adaptation that contributed to their evolutionary success. However, the structure-function correlation between diatom adhesives utilized for gliding and their relationship to the extracellular matrix that constitutes the diatom biofilm is unknown. Here, we have used proteomics, immunolocalization, comparative genomics, phylogenetics and structural homology analysis to investigate the evolutionary history and function of diatom adhesive proteins. Our study identified eight proteins from the adhesive trails of Craspedostauros australis, of which four form a new protein family called Trailins that contain an enigmatic Choice-of-Anchor A (CAA) domain, which was acquired through horizontal gene transfer from bacteria. Notably, the CAA-domain shares a striking structural similarity with one of the most widespread domains found in ice-binding proteins (IPR021884). Our work offers new insights into the molecular basis for diatom biofilm formation, shedding light on the function and evolution of diatom adhesive proteins. This discovery suggests that there is a transition in the composition of biomolecules required for initial surface colonization and those utilized for 3D biofilm matrix formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jirina Zackova Suchanova
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Gust Bilcke
- Department of Biology, Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
| | - Beata Romanowska
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Ali Fatlawi
- Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47-49, Dresden, 01307, Germany
- Centre for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (ScaDS.AI), Chemnitzer Str. 46b, Dresden, 01187, Germany
| | - Martin Pippel
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany Center for Systems Biology, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Alastair Skeffington
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Michael Schroeder
- Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47-49, Dresden, 01307, Germany
- Centre for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (ScaDS.AI), Chemnitzer Str. 46b, Dresden, 01187, Germany
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Department of Biology, Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Klaas Vandepoele
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
| | - Nils Kröger
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01062, Germany
- Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01062, Germany
| | - Nicole Poulsen
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany
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Heckenhauer J, Stewart RJ, Ríos-Touma B, Powell A, Dorji T, Frandsen PB, Pauls SU. Characterization of the primary structure of the major silk gene, h-fibroin, across caddisfly (Trichoptera) suborders. iScience 2023; 26:107253. [PMID: 37529107 PMCID: PMC10387566 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Larvae of caddisflies (Trichoptera) produce silk to build various underwater structures allowing them to exploit a wide range of aquatic environments. The silk adheres to various substrates underwater and has high tensile strength, extensibility, and toughness and is of interest as a model for biomimetic adhesives. As a step toward understanding how the properties of underwater silk evolved in Trichoptera, we used genomic data to identify full-length sequences and characterize the primary structure of the major silk protein, h-fibroin, across the order. The h-fibroins have conserved termini and basic motif structure with high variation in repeating modules and variation in the percentage of amino acids, mainly proline. This finding might be linked to differences in mechanical properties related to the different silk usage and sets a starting point for future studies to screen and correlate amino acid motifs and other sequence features with quantifiable silk properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Heckenhauer
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Hesse 60325, Germany
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Hesse 60325, Germany
| | - Russell J. Stewart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Blanca Ríos-Touma
- Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Ingeniería Ambiental, Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud (BIOMAS), Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, EC 170124, Ecuador
| | - Ashlyn Powell
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Tshering Dorji
- Department of Environment and Climate Studies, Royal University of Bhutan, Punakha 13001, Bhutan
| | - Paul B. Frandsen
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Hesse 60325, Germany
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
- Data Science Lab, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Steffen U. Pauls
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Hesse 60325, Germany
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Hesse 60325, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University, Gießen, Hesse 35392; Germany
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5
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Hotaling S, Wilcox ER, Heckenhauer J, Stewart RJ, Frandsen PB. Highly accurate long reads are crucial for realizing the potential of biodiversity genomics. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:117. [PMID: 36927511 PMCID: PMC10018877 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09193-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Generating the most contiguous, accurate genome assemblies given available sequencing technologies is a long-standing challenge in genome science. With the rise of long-read sequencing, assembly challenges have shifted from merely increasing contiguity to correctly assembling complex, repetitive regions of interest, ideally in a phased manner. At present, researchers largely choose between two types of long read data: longer, but less accurate sequences, or highly accurate, but shorter reads (i.e., >Q20 or 99% accurate). To better understand how these types of long-read data as well as scale of data (i.e., mean length and sequencing depth) influence genome assembly outcomes, we compared genome assemblies for a caddisfly, Hesperophylax magnus, generated with longer, but less accurate, Oxford Nanopore (ONT) R9.4.1 and highly accurate PacBio HiFi (HiFi) data. Next, we expanded this comparison to consider the influence of highly accurate long-read sequence data on genome assemblies across 6750 plant and animal genomes. For this broader comparison, we used HiFi data as a surrogate for highly accurate long-reads broadly as we could identify when they were used from GenBank metadata. RESULTS HiFi reads outperformed ONT reads in all assembly metrics tested for the caddisfly data set and allowed for accurate assembly of the repetitive ~ 20 Kb H-fibroin gene. Across plants and animals, genome assemblies that incorporated HiFi reads were also more contiguous. For plants, the average HiFi assembly was 501% more contiguous (mean contig N50 = 20.5 Mb) than those generated with any other long-read data (mean contig N50 = 4.1 Mb). For animals, HiFi assemblies were 226% more contiguous (mean contig N50 = 20.9 Mb) versus other long-read assemblies (mean contig N50 = 9.3 Mb). In plants, we also found limited evidence that HiFi may offer a unique solution for overcoming genomic complexity that scales with assembly size. CONCLUSIONS Highly accurate long-reads generated with HiFi or analogous technologies represent a key tool for maximizing genome assembly quality for a wide swath of plants and animals. This finding is particularly important when resources only allow for one type of sequencing data to be generated. Ultimately, to realize the promise of biodiversity genomics, we call for greater uptake of highly accurate long-reads in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Hotaling
- Department of Watershed Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA.
| | - Edward R Wilcox
- DNA Sequencing Center, Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Jacqueline Heckenhauer
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, 60325, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Russell J Stewart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Paul B Frandsen
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Germany.
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
- Data Science Lab, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
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6
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Joel AC, Rawal A, Yao Y, Jenner A, Ariotti N, Weissbach M, Adler L, Stafstrom J, Blamires SJ. Physico-chemical properties of functionally adhesive spider silk nanofibres. Biomater Sci 2023; 11:2139-2150. [PMID: 36727424 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm01599d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Currently, synthetic fibre production focuses primarily on high performance materials. For high performance fibrous materials, such as silks, this involves interpreting the structure-function relationship and downsizing to a smaller scale to then harness those properties within synthetic products. Spiders create an array of fibres that range in size from the micrometre to nanometre scale. At about 20 nm diameter spider cribellate silk, the smallest of these silks, is too small to contain any of the typical secondary protein structures of other spider silks, let alone a hierarchical skin-core-type structure. Here, we performed a multitude of investigations to elucidate the structure of cribellate spider silk. These confirmed our hypothesis that, unlike all other types of spider silk, it has a disordered molecular structure. Alanine and glycine, the two amino acids predominantly found in other spider silks, were much less abundant and did not form the usual α-helices and β-sheet secondary structural arrangements. Correspondingly, we characterized the cribellate silk nanofibre to be very compliant. This characterization matches its function as a dry adhesive within the capture threads of cribellate spiders. Our results imply that at extremely small scales there may be a limit reached below which a silk will lose its structural, but not functional, integrity. Nano-sized fibres, such as cribellate silk, thus offer a new opportunity for inspiring the creation of novel scaled-down functional adhesives and nano meta-materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Christin Joel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. .,School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Aditya Rawal
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Yin Yao
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Andrew Jenner
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nicholas Ariotti
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Lewis Adler
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jay Stafstrom
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Sean J Blamires
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Genome sequence and silkomics of the spindle ermine moth, Yponomeuta cagnagella, representing the early diverging lineage of the ditrysian Lepidoptera. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1281. [PMID: 36418465 PMCID: PMC9684489 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04240-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Many lepidopteran species produce silk, cocoons, feeding tubes, or nests for protection from predators and parasites for caterpillars and pupae. Yet, the number of lepidopteran species whose silk composition has been studied in detail is very small, because the genes encoding the major structural silk proteins tend to be large and repetitive, making their assembly and sequence analysis difficult. Here we have analyzed the silk of Yponomeuta cagnagella, which represents one of the early diverging lineages of the ditrysian Lepidoptera thus improving the coverage of the order. To obtain a comprehensive list of the Y. cagnagella silk genes, we sequenced and assembled a draft genome using Oxford Nanopore and Illumina technologies. We used a silk-gland transcriptome and a silk proteome to identify major silk components and verified the tissue specificity of expression of individual genes. A detailed annotation of the major genes and their putative products, including their complete sequences and exon-intron structures is provided. The morphology of silk glands and fibers are also shown. This study fills an important gap in our growing understanding of the structure, evolution, and function of silk genes and provides genomic resources for future studies of the chemical ecology of Yponomeuta species.
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Stewart RJ, Frandsen PB, Pauls SU, Heckenhauer J. Conservation of Three-Dimensional Structure of Lepidoptera and Trichoptera L-Fibroins for 290 Million Years. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27185945. [PMID: 36144689 PMCID: PMC9504780 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27185945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The divergence of sister orders Trichoptera (caddisflies) and Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) from a silk-spinning ancestor occurred around 290 million years ago. Trichoptera larvae are mainly aquatic, and Lepidoptera larvae are almost entirely terrestrial—distinct habitats that required molecular adaptation of their silk for deployment in water and air, respectively. The major protein components of their silks are heavy chain and light chain fibroins. In an effort to identify molecular changes in L-fibroins that may have contributed to the divergent use of silk in water and air, we used the ColabFold implementation of AlphaFold2 to predict three-dimensional structures of L-fibroins from both orders. A comparison of the structures revealed that despite the ancient divergence, profoundly different habitats, and low sequence conservation, a novel 10-helix core structure was strongly conserved in L-fibroins from both orders. Previously known intra- and intermolecular disulfide linkages were accurately predicted. Structural variations outside of the core may represent molecular changes that contributed to the evolution of insect silks adapted to water or air. The distributions of electrostatic potential, for example, were not conserved and present distinct order-specific surfaces for potential interactions with or modulation by external factors. Additionally, the interactions of L-fibroins with the H-fibroin C-termini are different for these orders; lepidopteran L-fibroins have N-terminal insertions that are not present in trichopteran L-fibroins, which form an unstructured ribbon in isolation but become part of an intermolecular β-sheet when folded with their corresponding H-fibroin C-termini. The results are an example of protein structure prediction from deep sequence data of understudied proteins made possible by AlphaFold2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell J. Stewart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Paul B. Frandsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84062, USA
| | - Steffen U. Pauls
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Jacqueline Heckenhauer
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
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9
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Rouhová L, Sehadová H, Pauchová L, Hradilová M, Žurovcová M, Šerý M, Rindoš M, Žurovec M. Using the multi-omics approach to reveal the silk composition in Plectrocnemia conspersa. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:945239. [PMID: 36060257 PMCID: PMC9432349 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.945239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Similar to Lepidoptera, the larvae of Trichoptera are also capable of producing silk. Plectrocnemia conspersa, a predatory species belonging to the suborder Annulipalpia, builds massive silken retreats with preycapturing nets. In this study, we describe the silk glands of P. conspersa and use the multi-omics methods to obtain a complete picture of the fiber composition. A combination of silk gland-specific transcriptome and proteomic analyses of the spun-out fibers yielded 27 significant candidates whose full-length sequences and gene structures were retrieved from the publicly available genome database. About one-third of the candidates were completely novel proteins for which there are no described homologs, including a group of five pseudofibroins, proteins with a composition similar to fibroin heavy chain. The rest were homologs of lepidopteran silk proteins, although some had a larger number of paralogs. On the other hand, P. conspersa fibers lacked some proteins that are regular components in moth silk. In summary, the multi-omics approach provides an opportunity to compare the overall composition of silk with other insect species. A sufficient number of such studies will make it possible to distinguish between the basic components of all silks and the proteins that represent the adaptation of the fibers for specific purposes or environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Rouhová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Hana Sehadová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Lucie Pauchová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Miluše Hradilová
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Praha, Czechia
| | - Martina Žurovcová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Michal Šerý
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Michal Rindoš
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Michal Žurovec
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Michal Žurovec,
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10
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Kawahara AY, Storer CG, Markee A, Heckenhauer J, Powell A, Plotkin D, Hotaling S, Cleland TP, Dikow RB, Dikow T, Kuranishi RB, Messcher R, Pauls SU, Stewart RJ, Tojo K, Frandsen PB. Long-read HiFi sequencing correctly assembles repetitive heavy fibroin silk genes in new moth and caddisfly genomes. GIGABYTE 2022; 2022:gigabyte64. [PMID: 36824508 PMCID: PMC9693786 DOI: 10.46471/gigabyte.64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect silk is a versatile biomaterial. Lepidoptera and Trichoptera display some of the most diverse uses of silk, with varying strength, adhesive qualities, and elastic properties. Silk fibroin genes are long (>20 Kbp), with many repetitive motifs that make them challenging to sequence. Most research thus far has focused on conserved N- and C-terminal regions of fibroin genes because a full comparison of repetitive regions across taxa has not been possible. Using the PacBio Sequel II system and SMRT sequencing, we generated high fidelity (HiFi) long-read genomic and transcriptomic sequences for the Indianmeal moth (Plodia interpunctella) and genomic sequences for the caddisfly Eubasilissa regina. Both genomes were highly contiguous (N50 = 9.7 Mbp/32.4 Mbp, L50 = 13/11) and complete (BUSCO complete = 99.3%/95.2%), with complete and contiguous recovery of silk heavy fibroin gene sequences. We show that HiFi long-read sequencing is helpful for understanding genes with long, repetitive regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akito Y. Kawahara
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA, Corresponding authors. E-mail: ;
| | - Caroline G. Storer
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA,Pacific Biosciences, 1305 O’Brien Dr., Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Amanda Markee
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA,School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jacqueline Heckenhauer
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt 60325, Germany,Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60325, Germany
| | - Ashlyn Powell
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - David Plotkin
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Scott Hotaling
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Timothy P. Cleland
- Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, MD 20746, USA
| | - Rebecca B. Dikow
- Data Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20002, USA
| | - Torsten Dikow
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ryoichi B. Kuranishi
- Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Chiba 263-8522, Japan,Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Kanagawa 243-0292, Japan
| | - Rebeccah Messcher
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Steffen U. Pauls
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt 60325, Germany,Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60325, Germany,Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University, Gießen 35390, Germany
| | - Russell J. Stewart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Koji Tojo
- Department of Biology, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan
| | - Paul B. Frandsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA,Data Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20002, USA, Corresponding authors. E-mail: ;
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11
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Mercedes B, Stellwagen SD. The Ties that Stick: Challenges and future promise in the field of bioadhesives. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1406-1410. [PMID: 34114617 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioadhesives are wet or dry polymeric compounds that rely upon physical and chemical properties to generate characteristic sticky forces. The past decade has seen a rapidly evolving field of research around the functions, genetics, biochemistry, and mimetics of bioadhesives, but challenges unique to this research area continue to arise. We polled the presenters of SICB Symposium #8 to describe the "Ties that Stick:" challenges and exciting prospects that most resonated with their research pursuits. Themes that emerged from the poll included difficulties working with adhesive-producing organisms, field inherent knowledge gaps in theoretical modeling, molecular interactions, technology, and the interdisciplinary rigor of the bioadhesives field. We address each challenge with a discussion of the opportunities and applications presented by bioadhesives research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burns Mercedes
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250 USA
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12
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Molecular Characterization of Donacia provosti (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Larval Transcriptome by De Novo Assembly to Discover Genes Associated with Underwater Environmental Adaptations. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12040281. [PMID: 33805885 PMCID: PMC8064349 DOI: 10.3390/insects12040281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Donacia provosti is one of the major pests of aquatic crops. It has been widely distributed in the world causing extensive damage to lotus and rice plants. The larvae generally live-in water; however, little is known about the evolution and molecular mechanisms underlying the adaptation. Here, we generated the first larval transcriptome of D. provosti in order to identify potential genetic mechanisms of aquatic adaptation. About 5036 orthologous clusters were identified among four species and 494 unique clusters were identified from D. provosti larvae including the visual perception. Moreover, 93 orthologous gene pairs were found evolving under positive selection. Our results also showed that 4 gene pairs out of the 93 gene pairs were associated with the “mTOR signaling pathway”, which are predicted to be involved in the molecular mechanism of D. provosti adaptation to the underwater environment. In the light of the increasing availability of transcriptomic information for beetle underwater habitat and evolutionary analyses, it is expected that this paper will provide us with some novel insights into aquatic adaptation in beetles and serves as a foundation for future studies aiming to identify candidate genes underlying the genetic basis of aquatic adaptation in beetles. Abstract Donacia provosti (Fairmaire, 1885) is a major pest of aquatic crops. It has been widely distributed in the world causing extensive damage to lotus and rice plants. Changes in gene regulation may play an important role in adaptive evolution, particularly during adaptation to feeding and living habits. However, little is known about the evolution and molecular mechanisms underlying the adaptation of D. provosti to its lifestyle and living habits. To address this question, we generated the first larval transcriptome of D. provosti. A total of 20,692 unigenes were annotated from the seven public databases and around 18,536 protein-coding genes have been predicted from the analysis of D. provosti transcriptome. About 5036 orthologous cutlers were identified among four species and 494 unique clusters were identified from D. provosti larvae including the visual perception. Furthermore, to reveal the molecular difference between D. provosti and the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata, a comparison between CDS of the two beetles was conducted and 6627 orthologous gene pairs were identified. Based on the ratio of nonsynonymous and synonymous substitutions, 93 orthologous gene pairs were found evolving under positive selection. Interestingly, our results also show that there are 4 orthologous gene pairs of the 93 gene pairs were associated with the “mTOR signaling pathway”, which are predicted to be involved in the molecular mechanism of D. provosti adaptation to the underwater environment. This study will provide us with an important scientific basis for building effective prevention and control system of the aquatic leaf beetle Donacia provosti.
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Davey PA, Power AM, Santos R, Bertemes P, Ladurner P, Palmowski P, Clarke J, Flammang P, Lengerer B, Hennebert E, Rothbächer U, Pjeta R, Wunderer J, Zurovec M, Aldred N. Omics-based molecular analyses of adhesion by aquatic invertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1051-1075. [PMID: 33594824 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Many aquatic invertebrates are associated with surfaces, using adhesives to attach to the substratum for locomotion, prey capture, reproduction, building or defence. Their intriguing and sophisticated biological glues have been the focus of study for decades. In all but a couple of specific taxa, however, the precise mechanisms by which the bioadhesives stick to surfaces underwater and (in many cases) harden have proved to be elusive. Since the bulk components are known to be based on proteins in most organisms, the opportunities provided by advancing 'omics technologies have revolutionised bioadhesion research. Time-consuming isolation and analysis of single molecules has been either replaced or augmented by the generation of massive data sets that describe the organism's translated genes and proteins. While these new approaches have provided resources and opportunities that have enabled physiological insights and taxonomic comparisons that were not previously possible, they do not provide the complete picture and continued multi-disciplinarity is essential. This review covers the various ways in which 'omics have contributed to our understanding of adhesion by aquatic invertebrates, with new data to illustrate key points. The associated challenges are highlighted and priorities are suggested for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Davey
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Anne Marie Power
- Ryan Institute, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Room 226, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Romana Santos
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente (MARE), Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Philip Bertemes
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Peter Ladurner
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Pawel Palmowski
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Jessica Clarke
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Patrick Flammang
- Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics Unit, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Place du Parc 23, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Birgit Lengerer
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Elise Hennebert
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Place du Parc 23, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Ute Rothbächer
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Robert Pjeta
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Julia Wunderer
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Michal Zurovec
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Nick Aldred
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, U.K
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Sane SP, Ramaswamy SS, Raja SV. Insect architecture: structural diversity and behavioral principles. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 42:39-46. [PMID: 32841731 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Insects build myriad structures out of diverse materials. These structures serve purposes that range from facilitating prey capture to housing their entire colony. Whereas some insects operate solitarily, others collectively build large and complex structures. The architecture of these structures vis-à-vis their ultimate function poses fascinating questions that require multidisciplinary investigations. Importantly, because the underlying design and architectural principles have evolved over millions of years to withstand multitude of environmental perturbations, they offer important lessons for human-made structures. The vast variety of insect-built structures reflects how diverse insects have adapted to resolve the ecological challenges in their specific habitats. Here, we survey insect-built structures from a comparative perspective to ask what design and architectural principles can be gleaned from them. We discuss the key hypotheses about building-behaviours, their neural underpinnings, the functional role of insect-built structures and their biomimetic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay P Sane
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bellary Road, Bangalore 560065, India.
| | - Sree Subha Ramaswamy
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bellary Road, Bangalore 560065, India; SASTRA University, Tirumalaisamudram, Thanjavur 613401, India
| | - Sreekrishna Varma Raja
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bellary Road, Bangalore 560065, India
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15
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Aldred N. Transdisciplinary approaches to the study of adhesion and adhesives in biological systems. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190191. [PMID: 31495317 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nick Aldred
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
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