scholarly journals Spidroins and Silk Fibers of Aquatic Spiders

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra M. Correa-Garhwal ◽  
Thomas H. Clarke ◽  
Marc Janssen ◽  
Luc Crevecoeur ◽  
Bryce N. McQuillan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Family ◽  
Spider Silk ◽  
Silk Gland ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Rna Seq ◽  
Silk Fibers ◽  
Fibroin Gene ◽  
Terrestrial Environments ◽  
Orb Web ◽  
Spider Silks

Abstract Spiders are commonly found in terrestrial environments and many rely heavily on their silks for fitness related tasks such as reproduction and dispersal. Although rare, a few species occupy aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats and for them, silk-related specializations are also essential to survive in aquatic environments. Most spider silks studied to date are from cob-web and orb-web weaving species, leaving the silks from many other terrestrial spiders as well as water-associated spiders largely undescribed. Here, we characterize silks from three Dictynoidea species: the aquatic spiders Argyroneta aquatica and Desis marina as well as the terrestrial Badumna longinqua. From silk gland RNA-Seq libraries, we report a total of 47 different homologs of the spidroin (spider fibroin) gene family. Some of these 47 spidroins correspond to known spidroin types (aciniform, ampullate, cribellar, pyriform, and tubuliform), while other spidroins represent novel branches of the spidroin gene family. We also report a hydrophobic amino acid motif (GV) that, to date, is found only in the spidroins of aquatic and semi-aquatic spiders. Comparison of spider silk sequences to the silks from other water-associated arthropods, shows that there is a diversity of strategies to function in aquatic environments.

Description of Test Setup and Approach to Measure Thermal Properties of Natural and Synthetic Spider Silks at Cryogenic Temperatures

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Troy Munro ◽  
Changhu Xing ◽  
Andrew Marquette ◽  
Heng Ban ◽  
Cameron Copeland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Properties ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Spider Silk ◽  
Protein Structures ◽  
Cryogenic Temperatures ◽  
Nephila Clavipes ◽  
Silk Fibers ◽  
Spider Silks ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Natural And Synthetic

Spider silk is well-known for its exceptional mechanical properties, such as strength, elasticity and flexibility. Recently, it has been reported that dragline silk from a Nephila clavipes also has an exceptionally high thermal conductivity, comparable to copper when the fiber is stretched. Synthetic spider silks have been spun from spider silk proteins produced in transgenic sources, and their production process has the optimization potential to have properties similar to or better than the natural spider silk. There is interest to measure the thermal properties of natural and synthetic silk at cryogenic temperatures for use of spider silk fibers as heat conduits in systems where component weight is an issue, such as in spacecraft. This low temperature measurement is also of particular interest because of the conformational changes in protein structures, which affect material properties, that occurs at lower temperatures for some proteins. A measurement system has been designed and is being tested to characterize the thermal properties of natural and synthetic spider silks by means of a transient electrothermal method.

High‐toughness Spider Silk Fibers Spun from Soluble Recombinant Silk Produced in Mammalian Cells

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Costas N. Karatzas ◽  
Nathalie Chretien ◽  
François Duguay ◽  
Annie Bellemare ◽  
Jiang Feng Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Spider Silk ◽  
Silk Fibers ◽  
High Toughness

scholarly journals Gene expression profiling reveals candidate genes for defining spider silk gland types

2021 ◽  
pp. 103594
Author(s):  
R. Crystal Chaw ◽  
Thomas H. Clarke ◽  
Peter Arensburger ◽  
Nadia A. Ayoub ◽  
Cheryl Y. Hayashi
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Gene Expression Profiling ◽  
Candidate Genes ◽  
Expression Profiling ◽  
Spider Silk ◽  
Silk Gland

scholarly journals Genome-wide identification of sucrose nonfermenting-1-related protein kinase (SnRK) genes in barley and RNA-seq analyses of their expression in response to abscisic acid treatment

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiwei Chen ◽  
Longhua Zhou ◽  
Panpan Jiang ◽  
Ruiju Lu ◽  
Nigel G. Halford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Abscisic Acid ◽  
Gene Family ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Gene Promoters ◽  
Related Protein ◽  
Rna Seq ◽  
Response Elements ◽  
Genome Data

Abstract Background Sucrose nonfermenting-1 (SNF1)-related protein kinases (SnRKs) play important roles in regulating metabolism and stress responses in plants, providing a conduit for crosstalk between metabolic and stress signalling, in some cases involving the stress hormone, abscisic acid (ABA). The burgeoning and divergence of the plant gene family has led to the evolution of three subfamilies, SnRK1, SnRK2 and SnRK3, of which SnRK2 and SnRK3 are unique to plants. Therefore, the study of SnRKs in crops may lead to the development of strategies for breeding crop varieties that are more resilient under stress conditions. In the present study, we describe the SnRK gene family of barley (Hordeum vulgare), the widespread cultivation of which can be attributed to its good adaptation to different environments. Results The barley HvSnRK gene family was elucidated in its entirety from publicly-available genome data and found to comprise 50 genes. Phylogenetic analyses assigned six of the genes to the HvSnRK1 subfamily, 10 to HvSnRK2 and 34 to HvSnRK3. The search was validated by applying it to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa) genome data, identifying 50 SnRK genes in rice (four OsSnRK1, 11 OsSnRK2 and 35 OsSnRK3) and 39 in Arabidopsis (three AtSnRK1, 10 AtSnRK2 and 26 AtSnRK3). Specific motifs were identified in the encoded barley proteins, and multiple putative regulatory elements were found in the gene promoters, with light-regulated elements (LRE), ABA response elements (ABRE) and methyl jasmonate response elements (MeJa) the most common. RNA-seq analysis showed that many of the HvSnRK genes responded to ABA, some positively, some negatively and some with complex time-dependent responses. Conclusions The barley HvSnRK gene family is large, comprising 50 members, subdivided into HvSnRK1 (6 members), HvSnRK2 (10 members) and HvSnRK3 (34 members), showing differential positive and negative responses to ABA.

scholarly journals Evolution, expression and functional analysis of cultivated allotetraploid cotton DIR genes

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengwen Liu ◽  
Xingfen Wang ◽  
Zhengwen Sun ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Chengsheng Meng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Family ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Fiber Development ◽  
Rna Seq ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Cell Wall Development ◽  
Tandem Duplications

Abstract Background Dirigent (DIR) proteins mediate regioselectivity and stereoselectivity during lignan biosynthesis and are also involved in lignin, gossypol and pterocarpan biosynthesis. This gene family plays a vital role in enhancing stress resistance and in secondary cell-wall development, but systematical understanding is lacking in cotton. Results In this study, 107 GbDIRs and 107 GhDIRs were identified in Gossypium barbadense and Gossypium hirsutum, respectively. Most of these genes have a classical gene structure without intron and encode proteins containing a signal peptide. Phylogenetic analysis showed that cotton DIR genes were classified into four distinct subfamilies (a, b/d, e, and f). Of these groups, DIR-a and DIR-e were evolutionarily conserved, and segmental and tandem duplications contributed equally to their formation. In contrast, DIR-b/d mainly expanded by recent tandem duplications, accompanying with a number of gene clusters. With the rapid evolution, DIR-b/d-III was a Gossypium-specific clade involved in atropselective synthesis of gossypol. RNA-seq data highlighted GhDIRs in response to Verticillium dahliae infection and suggested that DIR gene family could confer Verticillium wilt resistance. We also identified candidate DIR genes related to fiber development in G. barbadense and G. hirsutum and revealed their differential expression. To further determine the involvement of DIR genes in fiber development, we overexpressed a fiber length-related gene GbDIR78 in Arabidopsis and validated its function in trichomes and hypocotyls. Conclusions These findings contribute novel insights towards the evolution of DIR gene family and provide valuable information for further understanding the roles of DIR genes in cotton fiber development as well as in stress responses.

scholarly journals Nephila clavipes Flagelliform Silk-Like GGX Motifs Contribute to Extensibility and Spacer Motifs Contribute to Strength in Synthetic Spider Silk Fibers

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1751-1760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherry L. Adrianos ◽  
Florence Teulé ◽  
Michael B. Hinman ◽  
Justin A. Jones ◽  
Warner S. Weber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spider Silk ◽  
Nephila Clavipes ◽  
Silk Fibers

scholarly journals Comparison of Silks from Pseudoips prasinana and Bombyx mori Shows Molecular Convergence in Fibroin Heavy Chains but Large Differences in Other Silk Components

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 8246
Author(s):  
Michal Rindos ◽  
Lucie Kucerova ◽  
Lenka Rouhova ◽  
Hana Sehadova ◽  
Michal Sery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bombyx Mori ◽  
Silk Gland ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Phylogenetic Distance ◽  
Rna Seq ◽  
Chain Molecules ◽  
Heavy Chains ◽  
Lepidopteran Larvae ◽  
Crystalline Domains

Many lepidopteran larvae produce silk feeding shelters and cocoons to protect themselves and the developing pupa. As caterpillars evolved, the quality of the silk, shape of the cocoon, and techniques in forming and leaving the cocoon underwent a number of changes. The silk of Pseudoips prasinana has previously been studied using X-ray analysis and classified in the same category as that of Bombyx mori, suggesting that silks of both species have similar properties despite their considerable phylogenetic distance. In the present study, we examined P. prasinana silk using ‘omics’ technology, including silk gland RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and a mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of cocoon proteins. We found that although the central repetitive amino acid sequences encoding crystalline domains of fibroin heavy chain molecules are almost identical in both species, the resulting fibers exhibit quite different mechanical properties. Our results suggest that these differences are most probably due to the higher content of fibrohexamerin and fibrohexamerin-like molecules in P. prasinana silk. Furthermore, we show that whilst P. prasinana cocoons are predominantly made of silk similar to that of other Lepidoptera, they also contain a second, minor silk type, which is present only at the escape valve.

Participation of the upstream region of the fibroin gene in the formation of transcription complex in vitro

1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. 3928-3933
Author(s):  
M Tsuda ◽  
S Hirose ◽  
Y Suzuki
Keyword(s):  
Complex Formation ◽  
Specific Interaction ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Silk Gland ◽  
Upstream Region ◽  
Fibroin Gene ◽  
Transcription Complexes ◽  
Posterior Silk Gland

The addition of exogenous histones has an inhibitory effect on fibroin gene transcription in posterior silk gland extracts. The histones probably disturb a process in complex formation, because when transcription complexes were constructed by preincubation of the templates with the extracts, the inhibitory effect of histones was greatly reduced. Transcription of a fibroin gene construct, pFb5' delta-238, having the upstream region beyond the TATA box was relatively less inhibited than that of pFb5' delta-44 lacking the upstream region. This tendency toward differential inhibition was observed in the silk gland extracts but not in a HeLa cell extract and persisted even after complex formation in the silk gland extracts, suggesting a specific interaction of the upstream region with some factors in the extracts. The complexes formed on pFb5' delta-44 are probably more susceptible to the inhibitory effect of histones. On the basis of these results we propose a participation of the upstream region of the fibroin gene in the formation of stable transcription complexes at the promoter through an interaction with specific factors in the silk gland. Since the transcription-enhancing effect via the upstream region is augmented at a high histone/DNA ratio, it may mimic the in vivo situation in which the fibroin gene can be transcribed in the posterior silk gland even in the presence of excess suppressive materials.

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