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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

A proteotranscriptomic study of silk-producing glands from the orb-weaving spiders

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Author(s):
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Aparecido dos Santos-Pinto, Jose Roberto [1] ; Esteves, Franciele Grego [1] ; Sialana, Fernando J. [2] ; Ferro, Milene [1] ; Smidak, Roman [2] ; Rares, Lucaciu Calin [3] ; Nussbaumer, Thomas [3] ; Rattei, Thomas [3] ; Bilban, Martin [4] ; Bacci Junior, Mauricio [1] ; Palma, Mario Sergio [1] ; Luebec, Gert [5]
Total Authors: 12
Affiliation:
[1] Sao Paulo State Univ, Inst Biosci Rio Claro, Dept Biol, Ctr Study Social Insects, BR-13500 Rio Claro, SP - Brazil
[2] Univ Vienna, Dept Pharmaceut Chem, A-1090 Vienna - Austria
[3] Univ Vienna, Dept Microbiol & Ecosyst Sci, Div Computat Syst Biol, A-1090 Vienna - Austria
[4] Med Univ Vienna, Dept Lab Med & Core Facil Genom, A-1090 Vienna - Austria
[5] Paracelsus Med Univ, A-5020 Salzburg - Austria
Total Affiliations: 5
Document type: Journal article
Source: MOLECULAR OMICS; v. 15, n. 4, p. 256-270, AUG 1 2019.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Orb-weaving spiders can produce different silk fibers, which constitute outstanding materials characterized by their high strength and elasticity. Researchers have tried to reproduce the fibers of these proteins synthetically and/or by using recombinant DNA technology, but only a few of the natural physicochemical and biophysical properties have been obtained to date. Female orb-web-spiders present seven silk-glands, which synthesize the spidroins and a series of other proteins, which interact with the spidroins, resulting in silk fibers with notable physicochemical properties. Despite the recognized importance of the silk-glands for understanding how the fibers are produced and processed, the investigation of these glands is at a nascent stage. In the current study we present the assembled transcriptome of silk-producing glands from the orb-weaving spider Nephila clavipes, as well as develop a large-scale proteomic approach for in-depth analyses of silk-producing glands. The present investigation revealed an extensive repertoire of hitherto undescribed proteins involved in silk secretion and processing, such as prevention of degradation during the silk spinning process, transportation, protection against proteolytic autolysis and against oxidative stress, molecular folding and stabilization, and post-translational modifications. Comparative phylogenomic-level evolutionary analyses revealed orthologous genes among three groups of silk-producing organisms - (i) Araneomorphae spiders, (ii) Mygalomorphae spiders, and (iii) silk-producing insects. A common orthologous gene, which was annotated as silk gland factor-3 is present among all species analysed. This protein belongs to a transcription factor family, that is important and related to the development of the silk apparatus synthesis in the silk glands of silk-producing arthropods. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 16/16212-5 - Natural proteopeptides from the Brazilian fauna, flora and microbiota as potential models for the rational development of new drugs of therapeutic use: isolation, structure elucidation, chemical synthesis and functional activity assays
Grantee:Mario Sergio Palma
Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants
FAPESP's process: 16/10430-0 - PROTEOTRANSCRIPTOMIC VIEW ON THE ROLE OF SPIDER SILK GLANDS DURING THE SILK SPINNING PROCESS
Grantee:José Roberto Aparecido dos Santos-Pinto
Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
FAPESP's process: 13/26451-9 - Bioprospecting and Structural Analysis of the Silk Proteins of Arthropods by a Proteomics Approach Using nanoLC-ESI-CID/ETD System
Grantee:José Roberto Aparecido dos Santos-Pinto
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
FAPESP's process: 17/10373-0 - Profiling the peptidomic and structural-functional characterization of lipid vesicles present in the Nephila clavipes web spider
Grantee:Franciele Grego Esteves
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
FAPESP's process: 15/14220-8 - Proteometabolomic characterization of the spider web components Nephila clavipes used in prey capture strategy
Grantee:Franciele Grego Esteves
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master