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VanDyck MW, Long JH, Baker RH, Hayashi CY, Diaz C. Special Prey, Special Glue: NMR Spectroscopy on Aggregate Glue Components of Moth-Specialist Spiders, Cyrtarachninae. Biomimetics (Basel) 2024; 9:256. [PMID: 38786466 PMCID: PMC11117802 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9050256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Orb-weaver spiders produce upwards of seven different types of silk, each with unique material properties. We focus on the adhesive within orb-weaving spider webs, aggregate glue silk. These droplets are composed of three main components: water, glycoproteins, and a wide range of low molecular mass compounds (LMMCs). These LMMCs are known to play a crucial role in maintaining the material properties of the glycoproteins, aid in water absorption from the environment, and increase surface adhesion. Orb-weavers within the Cyrtarachninae subfamily are moth specialists and have evolved glue droplets with novel material properties. This study investigated the biochemical composition and diversity of the LMMCs present in the aggregate glue of eight moth-specialist species and compared them with five generalist orb-weavers using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We hypothesized that the novel drying ability of moth-specialist glue was accompanied by novel LMMCs and lower overall percentages by silk weight of LMMCs. We measured no difference in LMMC weight by the type of prey specialization, but observed novel compositions in the glue of all eight moth-catching species. Further, we quantified the presence of a previously reported but unidentified compound that appears in the glue of all moth specialists. These silks can provide insight into the functions of bioadhesives and inform our own synthetic adhesives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max W. VanDyck
- Department of Biology, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA; (M.W.V.)
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - John H. Long
- Department of Biology, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA; (M.W.V.)
- Department of Cognitive Science, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA
| | - Richard H. Baker
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA; (R.H.B.); (C.Y.H.)
| | - Cheryl Y. Hayashi
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA; (R.H.B.); (C.Y.H.)
| | - Candido Diaz
- Department of Biology, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA; (M.W.V.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
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Diaz C, Maksuta D, Amarpuri G, Tanikawa A, Miyashita T, Dhinojwala A, Blackledge TA. The moth specialist spider Cyrtarachne akirai uses prey scales to increase adhesion. J R Soc Interface 2020; 17:20190792. [PMID: 31992163 PMCID: PMC7014792 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Contaminants decrease adhesive strength by interfering with substrate contact. Spider webs adhering to moths present an ideal model to investigate how natural adhesives overcome contamination because moths' sacrificial layer of scales rubs off on sticky silk, facilitating escape. However, Cyrtarachninae spiders have evolved gluey capture threads that adhere well to moths. Cyrtarachne capture threads contain large glue droplets oversaturated with water, readily flowing but also prone to drying out. Here, we compare the spreading and adhesion of Cyrtarachne akirai glue on intact mothwings, denuded cuticle and glass to the glue of a common orb-weaving spider, Larinioides cornutus, to understand how C. akirai glue overcomes dirty surfaces. Videos show that C. akirai's glue spreading accelerates along the underlying moth cuticle after the glue seeps beneath the moth scales-not seen on denuded cuticle or hydrophilic glass. Larinioides cornutus glue droplets failed to penetrate the moth scales, their force of adhesion thus limited by the strength of attachment of scales to the cuticle. The large size and low viscosity of C. akirai glue droplets function together to use the three-dimensional topography of the moth's scales against itself via capillary forces. Infrared spectroscopy shows C. akirai glue droplets readily lose free-flowing water. We hypothesize that this loss of water leads to increased viscosity during spreading, increasing cohesive forces during pull-off. This glue's two-phase behaviour shows how natural selection can leverage a defensive specialization of prey against themselves and highlights a new design principle for synthetic adhesives for adhering to troublesome surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candido Diaz
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Daniel Maksuta
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Gaurav Amarpuri
- Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Akio Tanikawa
- Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadashi Miyashita
- Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Todd A. Blackledge
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, OH 44325, USA
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Diaz C, Tanikawa A, Miyashita T, Amarpuri G, Jain D, Dhinojwala A, Blackledge TA. Supersaturation with water explains the unusual adhesion of aggregate glue in the webs of the moth-specialist spider, Cyrtarachne akirai. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:181296. [PMID: 30564415 PMCID: PMC6281915 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Orb webs produced by araneoid spiders depend upon aggregate glue-coated capture threads to retain their prey. Moths are challenging prey for most spiders because their scales detach and contaminate the glue droplets, significantly decreasing adhesion. Cyrtarachne are moth-specialist orb-weaving spiders whose capture threads adhere well to moths. We compare the adhesive properties and chemistry of Cyrtarachne aggregate glue to other orb-weaving spiders to test hypotheses about their structure, chemistry and performance that could explain the strength of Cyrtarachne glue. We show that the unusually large glue droplets on Cyrtarachne capture threads make them approximately 8 times more adhesive on glass substrate than capture threads from typical orb-weaving species, but Cyrtarachne adhesion is similar to that of other species after normalization by glue volume. Glue viscosity reversibly changes over 1000-fold in response to atmospheric humidity, and the adhesive strength of many species of orb spiders is maximized at a viscosity of approximately 105-106 cst where the contributions of spreading and bulk cohesion are optimized. By contrast, viscosity of Cyrtarachne aggregate glue droplets is approximately 1000 times lower at maximum adhesive humidity, likely facilitating rapid spreading across moth scales. Water uptake by glue droplets is controlled, in part, by hygroscopic low molecular weight compounds. NMR showed evidence that Cyrtarachne glue contains a variety of unknown low molecular weight compounds. These compounds may help explain how Cyrtarachne produces such exceptionally large and low viscosity glue droplets, and also why these glue droplets rapidly lose water volume after brief ageing or exposure to even slightly dry (e.g. < 80% RH) conditions, permanently reducing their adhesion. We hypothesize that the combination of large glue droplet size and low viscosity helps Cyrtarachne glue to penetrate the gaps between moth scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candido Diaz
- Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
- Author for correspondence: Candido Diaz e-mail:
| | - Akio Tanikawa
- School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadashi Miyashita
- School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Gaurav Amarpuri
- Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Dharamdeep Jain
- Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
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Jain D, Amarpuri G, Fitch J, Blackledge TA, Dhinojwala A. Role of Hygroscopic Low Molecular Mass Compounds in Humidity Responsive Adhesion of Spider’s Capture Silk. Biomacromolecules 2018; 19:3048-3057. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b00602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dharamdeep Jain
- Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Gaurav Amarpuri
- Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Jordan Fitch
- Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Todd. A. Blackledge
- Department of Biology, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3908, United States
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
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Kallal RJ, Hormiga G. Systematics, phylogeny and biogeography of the Australasian leaf-curling orb-weaving spiders (Araneae: Araneidae: Zygiellinae), with a comparative analysis of retreat evolution. Zool J Linn Soc 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zly014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Kallal
- The George Washington University, Department of Biological Sciences, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Gustavo Hormiga
- The George Washington University, Department of Biological Sciences, Washington, D.C., USA
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Opell BD, Clouse ME, Andrews SF. Elastic modulus and toughness of orb spider glycoprotein glue. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196972. [PMID: 29847578 PMCID: PMC5976159 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
An orb web's prey capture thread features tiny glue droplets, each formed of an adhesive glycoprotein core surrounded by an aqueous layer. Small molecules in the aqueous layer confer droplet hygroscopicity and maintain glycoprotein viscoelasticity, causing droplet volume and glycoprotein performance to track changes in environmental humidity. Droplet extension combines with that of a thread's supporting flagelliform fibers to sum the adhesive forces of multiple droplets, creating an effective adhesive system. We combined measurements of the force on an extending droplet, as gauged by the deflection of its support line, with measurements of glycoprotein volume and droplet extension to determine the Young's modulus (E) and toughness of three species' glycoproteins. We did this at five relative humidities between 20-90% to assess the effect of humidity on these properties. When droplets of a thread span extend, their extensions are constrained and their glycoprotein filaments remain covered by aqueous material. This was also the case during the first extension phase of the individual droplets that we examined. However, as extension progressed, the aqueous layer was progresses disrupted, exposing the glycoprotein. During the first extension phase E ranged from 0.00003 GPa, a value similar to that of fibronectin, a glycoprotein that anchors cells in the extracellular matrix, to 0.00292 GPa, a value similar to that of resilin in insect ligaments. Second phase E increased 4.7-19.4-fold. When compared at the same humidity the E of each species' glycoprotein was less than 5% of the value reported for its flagelliform fibers. This difference may facilitate the coordinated extension of these two capture thread components that is responsible for summing the thread's adhesive forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent D. Opell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Mary E. Clouse
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Sheree F. Andrews
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
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Opell BD, Jain D, Dhinojwala A, Blackledge TA. Tuning orb spider glycoprotein glue performance to habitat humidity. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:221/6/jeb161539. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.161539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Orb-weaving spiders use adhesive threads to delay the escape of insects from their webs until the spiders can locate and subdue the insects. These viscous threads are spun as paired flagelliform axial fibers coated by a cylinder of solution derived from the aggregate glands. As low molecular mass compounds (LMMCs) in the aggregate solution attract atmospheric moisture, the enlarging cylinder becomes unstable and divides into droplets. Within each droplet an adhesive glycoprotein core condenses. The plasticity and axial line extensibility of the glycoproteins are maintained by hygroscopic LMMCs. These compounds cause droplet volume to track changes in humidity and glycoprotein viscosity to vary approximately 1000-fold over the course of a day. Natural selection has tuned the performance of glycoprotein cores to the humidity of a species' foraging environment by altering the composition of its LMMCs. Thus, species from low-humidity habits have more hygroscopic threads than those from humid forests. However, at their respective foraging humidities, these species' glycoproteins have remarkably similar viscosities, ensuring optimal droplet adhesion by balancing glycoprotein adhesion and cohesion. Optimal viscosity is also essential for integrating the adhesion force of multiple droplets. As force is transferred to a thread's support line, extending droplets draw it into a parabolic configuration, implementing a suspension bridge mechanism that sums the adhesive force generated over the thread span. Thus, viscous capture threads extend an orb spider's phenotype as a highly integrated complex of large proteins and small molecules that function as a self-assembling, highly tuned, environmentally responsive, adhesive biomaterial. Understanding the synergistic role of chemistry and design in spider adhesives, particularly the ability to stick in wet conditions, provides insight in designing synthetic adhesives for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent D. Opell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Dharamdeep Jain
- Department of Polymer Science, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- Department of Polymer Science, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Todd A. Blackledge
- Department of Biology, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
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The Nephila clavipes genome highlights the diversity of spider silk genes and their complex expression. Nat Genet 2017; 49:895-903. [PMID: 28459453 DOI: 10.1038/ng.3852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Spider silks are the toughest known biological materials, yet are lightweight and virtually invisible to the human immune system, and they thus have revolutionary potential for medicine and industry. Spider silks are largely composed of spidroins, a unique family of structural proteins. To investigate spidroin genes systematically, we constructed the first genome of an orb-weaving spider: the golden orb-weaver (Nephila clavipes), which builds large webs using an extensive repertoire of silks with diverse physical properties. We cataloged 28 Nephila spidroins, representing all known orb-weaver spidroin types, and identified 394 repeated coding motif variants and higher-order repetitive cassette structures unique to specific spidroins. Characterization of spidroin expression in distinct silk gland types indicates that glands can express multiple spidroin types. We find evidence of an alternatively spliced spidroin, a spidroin expressed only in venom glands, evolutionary mechanisms for spidroin diversification, and non-spidroin genes with expression patterns that suggest roles in silk production.
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Blamires SJ, Hasemore M, Martens PJ, Kasumovic MM. Diet-induced covariation between architectural and physicochemical plasticity in an extended phenotype. J Exp Biol 2016; 220:876-884. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.150029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The adaptive benefits of extended phenotypic plasticity are imprecisely defined due to a paucity of experiments examining traits that are manipulable and measurable across environments. Spider webs are often used as models to explore the adaptive benefits of variations in extended phenotypes across environments. Nonetheless, our understanding of the adaptive nature of the plastic responses of spider webs is impeded when web architectures and silk physicochemical properties appear to co-vary. An opportunity to examine this co-variation is presented by modifying prey items while measuring web architectures and silk physiochemical properties. Here we performed two experiments to assess the nature of the association between web architectures and gluey silk properties when the orb web spider Argiope keyserlingi was fed a diet that varied in either mass and energy or prey size and feeding frequency. We found web architectures and gluey silk physicochemical properties to co-vary across treatments in both experiments. Specifically, web capture area co-varied with gluey droplet morphometrics, thread stickiness and salt concentrations when prey mass and energy were manipulated, and spiral spacing co-varied with gluey silk salt concentrations when prey size and feeding frequency were manipulated. We explained our results as A. keyserlingi plastically shifting its foraging strategy as multiple prey parameters simultaneously varied. We confirmed and extended previous work by showing that spiders use a variety of prey cues to concurrently adjust web and silk traits across different feeding regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean J. Blamires
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences D26, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Matthew Hasemore
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences D26, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Penny J. Martens
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Samuels Building F25, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Michael M. Kasumovic
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences D26, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
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Henneken J, Jones TM, Goodger JQ, Dias DA, Walter A, Elgar MA. Diet influences female signal reliability for male mate choice. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Jain D, Zhang C, Cool LR, Blackledge TA, Wesdemiotis C, Miyoshi T, Dhinojwala A. Composition and Function of Spider Glues Maintained During the Evolution of Cobwebs. Biomacromolecules 2015; 16:3373-80. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.5b01040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dharamdeep Jain
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Ci Zhang
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Lydia Rose Cool
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3601, United States
| | - Todd A. Blackledge
- Department
of Biology, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3908, United States
| | - Chrys Wesdemiotis
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3601, United States
| | - Toshikazu Miyoshi
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
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Sahni V, Miyoshi T, Chen K, Jain D, Blamires SJ, Blackledge TA, Dhinojwala A. Direct Solvation of Glycoproteins by Salts in Spider Silk Glues Enhances Adhesion and Helps To Explain the Evolution of Modern Spider Orb Webs. Biomacromolecules 2014; 15:1225-32. [DOI: 10.1021/bm401800y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vasav Sahni
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Toshikazu Miyoshi
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Kelley Chen
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Dharamdeep Jain
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Sean J. Blamires
- Department
of Life Sciences, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan
| | - Todd A. Blackledge
- Department
of Biology, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3908, United States
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
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