1
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Souza NM, Wang T, Suwansa-Ard S, Nahrung HF, Cummins SF. Ovi-protective mothers: exploring the proteomic profile of weevil ( Gonipterus) egg capsules. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10516. [PMID: 36119877 PMCID: PMC9475328 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10516] [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: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects of different orders produce elaborate structures to protect their eggs from the many threats they may face from the environment and natural enemies. In the weevil genus Gonipterus, their dark, hardened egg capsule is possibly generated by a mixture of the insects' excrement and glandular substances. To test this hypothesis, this study focused on the elucidation of protein components present in the egg capsule cover and interrogated them through comparative analysis and gene expression to help infer potential functions. First, female Gonipterus sp. n. 2 reproductive and alimentary tissues were isolated to establish a reference transcriptome-derived protein database. Then, proteins from weevil frass (excrement) and egg capsule cover were identified through mass spectrometry proteomics. We found that certain egg capsule cover proteins were both exclusive and shared between frass and egg capsule cover, including those of plant origin (e.g. photosystem II protein) and others secreted by the weevil, primarily from reproductive tissue. Among them, a mucin/spidroin-like protein and novel proteins with repetitive units that likely play a structural role were identified. We have confirmed the dual origin of the egg capsule cover substance as a blend of the insects’ frass and secretions. Novel proteins secreted by the weevils are key candidates for holding the egg case cover together.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia M Souza
- Tropical Fruit and Market Access RD&E, Horticulture and Forestry Science, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Portsmith, QLD 4870, Australia
| | - Tianfang Wang
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore 4558, QLD, Australia.,School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore 4558, QLD, Australia
| | - Saowaros Suwansa-Ard
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore 4558, QLD, Australia
| | - Helen F Nahrung
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD 4558, Australia
| | - Scott F Cummins
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore 4558, QLD, Australia.,School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore 4558, QLD, Australia
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2
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Jorge I, Ruiz V, Lavado-García J, Vázquez J, Hayashi C, Rojo FJ, Atienza JM, Elices M, Guinea GV, Pérez-Rigueiro J. Expression of spidroin proteins in the silk glands of golden orb-weaver spiders. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2022; 338:241-253. [PMID: 34981640 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The expression of spidroins in the major ampullate, minor ampullate, flagelliform, and tubuliform silk glands of Trichonephila clavipes spiders was analyzed using proteomics analysis techniques. Spidroin peptides were identified and assigned to different gene products based on sequence concurrence when compared with the whole genome of the spider. It was found that only a relatively low proportion of the spidroin genes are expressed as proteins in any of the studied glands. In addition, the expression of spidroin genes in different glands presents a wide range of patterns, with some spidroins being found in a single gland exclusively, while others appear in the content of several glands. The combination of precise genomics, proteomics, microstructural, and mechanical data provides new insights both on the design principles of these materials and how these principles might be translated for the production of high-performance bioinspired artificial fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inmaculada Jorge
- Cardiovascular Proteomics Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor Ruiz
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Lavado-García
- Cardiovascular Proteomics Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
- Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Grup d'Enginyeria Cel·lular i de Bioprocessos (GECIB), Biològica i Ambiental, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesús Vázquez
- Cardiovascular Proteomics Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Cheryl Hayashi
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA
| | - Francisco J Rojo
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M Atienza
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Elices
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo V Guinea
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - José Pérez-Rigueiro
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
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3
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Abstract
![]()
The tiny spider makes
dragline silk fibers with unbeatable toughness,
all under the most innocuous conditions. Scientists have persistently
tried to emulate its natural silk spinning process using recombinant
proteins with a view toward creating a new wave of smart materials,
yet most efforts have fallen short of attaining the native fiber’s
excellent mechanical properties. One reason for these shortcomings
may be that artificial spider silk systems tend to be overly simplified
and may not sufficiently take into account the true complexity of
the underlying protein sequences and of the multidimensional aspects
of the natural self-assembly process that give rise to the hierarchically
structured fibers. Here, we discuss recent findings regarding the
material constituents of spider dragline silk, including novel spidroin
subtypes, nonspidroin proteins, and possible involvement of post-translational
modifications, which together suggest a complexity that transcends
the two-component MaSp1/MaSp2 system. We subsequently consider insights
into the spidroin domain functions, structures, and overall mechanisms
for the rapid transition from disordered soluble protein into a highly
organized fiber, including the possibility of viewing spider silk
self-assembly through a framework relevant to biomolecular condensates.
Finally, we consider the concept of “biomimetics” as
it applies to artificial spider silk production with a focus on key
practical aspects of design and evaluation that may hopefully inform
efforts to more closely reproduce the remarkable structure and function
of the native silk fiber using artificial methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali D Malay
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hamish C Craig
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Jianming Chen
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Nur Alia Oktaviani
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.,Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
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4
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Whaite A, Klein A, Mitu S, Wang T, Elizur A, Cummins S. The byssal-producing glands and proteins of the silverlip pearl oyster Pinctada maxima (Jameson, 1901). BIOFOULING 2022; 38:186-206. [PMID: 35282730 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2022.2049256] [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: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Pinctada maxima are most well known for their production of high-quality natural pearls. They also generate another natural material, the byssus, an adhesive thread critical for steadfast attachment underwater. Herein, P. maxima byssal threads were analysed via proteotranscriptomics to reveal 49 proteins. Further characterisation was undertaken on five highly expressed genes: glycine-rich thread protein (GRT; also known as PUF3), apfp1/perlucin-like protein (Pmfp1); peroxidase; thrombospondin 1, and Balbiani ring 3 (BR3), which showed localised tissue expression. The spatial distribution of GRT and Pmfp1 via immunodetection combined with histology helped to identify glandular regions of the foot that contribute to byssal thread production: the byssal gland, the duct gland, and two thread-forming glands of basophilic and acidophilic serous-like cells. This work advanced primary knowledge on the glands involved in the creation of byssal threads and the protein composition of the byssus for P. maxima, providing a platform for the design of marine biopolymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Whaite
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
| | - Anne Klein
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
| | - Shahida Mitu
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tianfang Wang
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
| | - Abigail Elizur
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
| | - Scott Cummins
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
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5
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Chaw RC, Clarke TH, Arensburger P, Ayoub NA, Hayashi CY. Gene expression profiling reveals candidate genes for defining spider silk gland types. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 135:103594. [PMID: 34052321 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2021.103594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Molecular studies of the secretory glands involved in spider silk production have revealed candidate genes for silk synthesis and a complicated history of spider silk gene evolution. However, differential gene expression profiles of the multiple silk gland types within an individual orb-web weaving spider are lacking. Each of these gland types produces a functionally distinct silk type. Comparison of gene expression among spider silk gland types would provide insight into the genes that define silk glands generally from non-silk gland tissues, and the genes that define silk glands from each other. Here, we perform 3' tag digital gene expression profiling of the seven silk gland types of the silver garden orb weaver Argiope argentata. Five of these gland types produce silks that are non-adhesive fibers, one silk includes both fibers and glue-like adhesives, and one silk is exclusively glue-like. We identify 1275 highly expressed, significantly upregulated, and tissue specific silk gland specific transcripts (SSTs). These SSTs include seven types of spider silk protein encoding genes known as spidroin genes. We find that the fiber-producing major ampullate and minor ampullate silk glands have more similar expression profiles than any other pair of glands. We also find that a subset of the SSTs is enriched for transmembrane transport and oxidoreductases, and that these transcripts highlight differences and similarities among the major ampullate, minor ampullate, and aggregate silk glands. Furthermore, we show that the wet glue-producing aggregate glands have the most unique SSTs, but still share some SSTs with fiber producing glands. Aciniform glands were the only gland type to share a majority of SSTs with other silk gland types, supporting previous hypotheses that duplication of aciniform glands and subsequent divergence of the duplicates gave rise to the multiple silk gland types within an individual spider.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Crystal Chaw
- University of California, Riverside, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, 2710 Life Science Building, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.
| | - Thomas H Clarke
- Washington and Lee University, Department of Biology, Howe Hall, Lexington, VA, 24450, USA.
| | - Peter Arensburger
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, 91768, USA.
| | - Nadia A Ayoub
- Washington and Lee University, Department of Biology, Howe Hall, Lexington, VA, 24450, USA.
| | - Cheryl Y Hayashi
- University of California, Riverside, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, 2710 Life Science Building, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.
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6
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Berger CA, Brewer MS, Kono N, Nakamura H, Arakawa K, Kennedy SR, Wood HM, Adams SA, Gillespie RG. Shifts in morphology, gene expression, and selection underlie web loss in Hawaiian Tetragnatha spiders. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:48. [PMID: 33752590 PMCID: PMC7983290 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01779-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A striking aspect of evolution is that it often converges on similar trajectories. Evolutionary convergence can occur in deep time or over short time scales, and is associated with the imposition of similar selective pressures. Repeated convergent events provide a framework to infer the genetic basis of adaptive traits. The current study examines the genetic basis of secondary web loss within web-building spiders (Araneoidea). Specifically, we use a lineage of spiders in the genus Tetragnatha (Tetragnathidae) that has diverged into two clades associated with the relatively recent (5 mya) colonization of, and subsequent adaptive radiation within, the Hawaiian Islands. One clade has adopted a cursorial lifestyle, and the other has retained the ancestral behavior of capturing prey with sticky orb webs. We explore how these behavioral phenotypes are reflected in the morphology of the spinning apparatus and internal silk glands, and the expression of silk genes. Several sister families to the Tetragnathidae have undergone similar web loss, so we also ask whether convergent patterns of selection can be detected in these lineages. RESULTS The cursorial clade has lost spigots associated with the sticky spiral of the orb web. This appears to have been accompanied by loss of silk glands themselves. We generated phylogenies of silk proteins (spidroins), which showed that the transcriptomes of cursorial Tetragnatha contain all major spidroins except for flagelliform. We also found an uncharacterized spidroin that has higher expression in cursorial species. We found evidence for convergent selection acting on this spidroin, as well as genes involved in protein metabolism, in the cursorial Tetragnatha and divergent cursorial lineages in the families Malkaridae and Mimetidae. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide strong evidence that independent web loss events and the associated adoption of a cursorial lifestyle are based on similar genetic mechanisms. Many genes we identified as having evolved convergently are associated with protein synthesis, degradation, and processing, which are processes that play important roles in silk production. This study demonstrates, in the case of independent evolution of web loss, that similar selective pressures act on many of the same genes to produce the same phenotypes and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory A Berger
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall, #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3114, USA.
- MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, Cambridge, Woods Hole, MA, USA.
| | - Michael S Brewer
- Department of Biology, N1088 Howell Science Complex, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27858, USA
| | - Nobuaki Kono
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Nakamura
- Enzyme Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kazuharu Arakawa
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Susan R Kennedy
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Tancha 1919-1, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Hannah M Wood
- Smithsonian Institution, Entomology, MRC105, Natural History Bldg. E519, 1000 Constitution Ave NW, Washington DC, 20560-0188, USA
| | - Seira A Adams
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall, #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3114, USA
| | - Rosemary G Gillespie
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall, #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3114, USA
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7
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Greving I, Terry AE, Holland C, Boulet-Audet M, Grillo I, Vollrath F, Dicko C. Structural Diversity of Native Major Ampullate, Minor Ampullate, Cylindriform, and Flagelliform Silk Proteins in Solution. Biomacromolecules 2020; 21:3387-3393. [PMID: 32551521 PMCID: PMC7421538 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The foundations of silk spinning, the structure, storage, and activation of silk proteins, remain highly debated. By combining solution small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering (SANS and SAXS) alongside circular dichroism (CD), we reveal a shape anisotropy of the four principal native spider silk feedstocks from Nephila edulis. We show that these proteins behave in solution like elongated semiflexible polymers with locally rigid sections. We demonstrated that minor ampullate and cylindriform proteins adopt a monomeric conformation, while major ampullate and flagelliform proteins have a preference for dimerization. From an evolutionary perspective, we propose that such dimerization arose to help the processing of disordered silk proteins. Collectively, our results provide insights into the molecular-scale processing of silk, uncovering a degree of evolutionary convergence in protein structures and chemistry that supports the macroscale micellar/pseudo liquid crystalline spinning mechanisms proposed by the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imke Greving
- Institute
of Materials Research, Helmholtz Zentrum
Geesthacht, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Ann E. Terry
- MAX IV Laboratory, 224 84 Lund, Sweden
- Lund
Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science, 223 70 Lund, Sweden
| | - Chris Holland
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, The
University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Fritz Vollrath
- Department
of Zoology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United
Kingdom
| | - Cedric Dicko
- Pure
and
Applied Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
- Lund
Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science, 223 70 Lund, Sweden
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8
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dos Santos-Pinto JRA, Esteves FG, Sialana FJ, Ferro M, Smidak R, Rares LC, Nussbaumer T, Rattei T, Bilban M, Bacci Júnior M, Palma MS, Lübec G. A proteotranscriptomic study of silk-producing glands from the orb-weaving spiders. Mol Omics 2019; 15:256-270. [DOI: 10.1039/c9mo00087a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A proteotranscriptomic approach provides a biochemical basis for understanding the intricate spinning process and complex structural features of spider silk proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Franciele Grego Esteves
- Center of the Study of Social Insects
- Department of Biology
- Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro
- São Paulo State University
- Rio Claro
| | | | - Milene Ferro
- Center of the Study of Social Insects
- Department of Biology
- Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro
- São Paulo State University
- Rio Claro
| | - Roman Smidak
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- University of Vienna
- Austria
| | - Lucaciu Calin Rares
- Division of Computational System Biology
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science
- University of Vienna
- 1090 Vienna
- Austria
| | - Thomas Nussbaumer
- Division of Computational System Biology
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science
- University of Vienna
- 1090 Vienna
- Austria
| | - Thomas Rattei
- Division of Computational System Biology
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science
- University of Vienna
- 1090 Vienna
- Austria
| | - Martin Bilban
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Core Facility Genomics
- Medical University of Vienna
- Vienna
- Austria
| | - Maurício Bacci Júnior
- Center of the Study of Social Insects
- Department of Biology
- Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro
- São Paulo State University
- Rio Claro
| | - Mario Sergio Palma
- Center of the Study of Social Insects
- Department of Biology
- Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro
- São Paulo State University
- Rio Claro
| | - Gert Lübec
- Paracelsus Medical University
- A 5020 Salzburg
- Austria
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