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Gomis-Rüth FX, Stöcker W. Structural and evolutionary insights into astacin metallopeptidases. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 9:1080836. [PMID: 36685277 PMCID: PMC9848320 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1080836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The astacins are a family of metallopeptidases (MPs) that has been extensively described from animals. They are multidomain extracellular proteins, which have a conserved core architecture encompassing a signal peptide for secretion, a prodomain or prosegment and a zinc-dependent catalytic domain (CD). This constellation is found in the archetypal name-giving digestive enzyme astacin from the European crayfish Astacus astacus. Astacin catalytic domains span ∼200 residues and consist of two subdomains that flank an extended active-site cleft. They share several structural elements including a long zinc-binding consensus sequence (HEXXHXXGXXH) immediately followed by an EXXRXDRD motif, which features a family-specific glutamate. In addition, a downstream SIMHY-motif encompasses a "Met-turn" methionine and a zinc-binding tyrosine. The overall architecture and some structural features of astacin catalytic domains match those of other more distantly related MPs, which together constitute the metzincin clan of metallopeptidases. We further analysed the structures of PRO-, MAM, TRAF, CUB and EGF-like domains, and described their essential molecular determinants. In addition, we investigated the distribution of astacins across kingdoms and their phylogenetic origin. Through extensive sequence searches we found astacin CDs in > 25,000 sequences down the tree of life from humans beyond Metazoa, including Choanoflagellata, Filasterea and Ichtyosporea. We also found < 400 sequences scattered across non-holozoan eukaryotes including some fungi and one virus, as well as in selected taxa of archaea and bacteria that are pathogens or colonizers of animal hosts, but not in plants. Overall, we propose that astacins originate in the root of Holozoa consistent with Darwinian descent and that the latter genes might be the result of horizontal gene transfer from holozoan donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Xavier Gomis-Rüth
- Proteolysis Laboratory, Department of Structural Biology, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), Higher Scientific Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,*Correspondence: F. Xavier Gomis-Rüth, ; Walter Stöcker,
| | - Walter Stöcker
- Institute of Molecular Physiology (IMP), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz (JGU), Mainz, Germany,*Correspondence: F. Xavier Gomis-Rüth, ; Walter Stöcker,
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2
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Rech EL. Engineering biodiversity as a model for the species conservation. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2019; 91:e20190568. [PMID: 31576934 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201920190568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Early humans have domesticated plant and animal species based on ancient empirical concepts (Darwin 1868, 1876). In 1886, Mendel established a new paradigm of hereditary laws (Mendel 1866, 1870, 1950) based on genotypic and phenotypic traits of cross-compatible species, establishing a complex breeding technology that is currently utilized for the development of most food and livestock-derived products. Recently, studies on deciphering the double-helical structure (Watson and Crick 1953a, b) and how to restrict DNA (Arber 2012) have established the foundation of recombinant DNA technology. A new era is paving the way for genetic manipulation of important traits among all the kingdom's organisms, allowing for the development of innovative and widely utilized products for the agricultural, industrial and pharmaceutical production sectors (Mc Elroy 2003, 2004, ISAAA 2016).
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Affiliation(s)
- Elibio L Rech
- EMBRAPA Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and National Institute of Science and Technology on Synthetic Biology, Parque Estação Biológica, W-5 Norte, 70770-917 Brasília, DF, Brazil
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3
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Correa-Garhwal SM, Clarke TH, Janssen M, Crevecoeur L, McQuillan BN, Simpson AH, Vink CJ, Hayashi CY. Spidroins and Silk Fibers of Aquatic Spiders. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13656. [PMID: 31541123 PMCID: PMC6754431 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49587-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra M Correa-Garhwal
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92591, USA.
| | - Thomas H Clarke
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92591, USA
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, MD, 28050, USA
| | | | - Luc Crevecoeur
- Limburg Dome for Nature Study, Provincial Nature Center, Genk, 3600, Belgium
| | | | | | - Cor J Vink
- Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, 8013, New Zealand
| | - Cheryl Y Hayashi
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92591, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA
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4
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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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5
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Whaite AD, Wang T, Macdonald J, Cummins SF. Major ampullate silk gland transcriptomes and fibre proteomes of the golden orb-weavers, Nephila plumipes and Nephila pilipes (Araneae: Nephilidae). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204243. [PMID: 30332416 PMCID: PMC6192577 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural spider silk is one of the world’s toughest proteinaceous materials, yet a truly biomimetic spider silk is elusive even after several decades of intense focus. In this study, Next-Generation Sequencing was utilised to produce transcriptomes of the major ampullate gland of two Australian golden orb-weavers, Nephila plumipes and Nephila pilipes, in order to identify highly expressed predicted proteins that may co-factor in the construction of the final polymer. Furthermore, proteomics was performed by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectroscopy to analyse the natural solid silk fibre of each species to confirm highly expressed predicted proteins within the silk gland are present in the final silk product. We assembled the silk gland transcriptomes of N. plumipes and N. pilipes into 69,812 and 70,123 contigs, respectively. Gene expression analysis revealed that silk gene sequences were among the most highly expressed and we were able to procure silk sequences from both species in excess of 1,300 amino acids. However, some of the genes with the highest expression values were not able to be identified from our proteomic analysis. Proteome analysis of “reeled” silk fibres of N. plumipes and N. pilipes revealed 29 and 18 proteins, respectively, most of which were identified as silk fibre proteins. This study is the first silk gland specific transcriptome and proteome analysis for these species and will assist in the future development of a biomimetic spider silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra D Whaite
- GeneCology Research Centre and School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tianfang Wang
- GeneCology Research Centre and School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Joanne Macdonald
- GeneCology Research Centre and School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia.,Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Columbia University, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Scott F Cummins
- GeneCology Research Centre and School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
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6
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Salgado‐Roa FC, Pardo‐Diaz C, Lasso E, Arias CF, Solferini VN, Salazar C. Gene flow and Andean uplift shape the diversification of Gasteracantha cancriformis (Araneae: Araneidae) in Northern South America. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:7131-7142. [PMID: 30073072 PMCID: PMC6065347 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The Andean uplift has played a major role in shaping the current Neotropical biodiversity. However, in arthropods other than butterflies, little is known about how this geographic barrier has impacted species historical diversification. Here, we examined the phylogeography of the widespread color polymorphic spider Gasteracantha cancriformis to evaluate the effect of the northern Andean uplift on its divergence and assess whether its diversification occurred in the presence of gene flow. We inferred phylogenetic relationships and divergence times in G. cancriformis using mitochondrial and nuclear data from 105 individuals in northern South America. Genetic diversity, divergence, and population structure were quantified. We also compared multiple demographic scenarios for this species using a model-based approach (phrapl) to determine divergence with or without gene flow. At last, we evaluated the association between genetic variation and color polymorphism. Both nuclear and mitochondrial data supported two well-differentiated clades, which correspond to populations occurring on opposite sides of the Eastern cordillera of the Colombian Andes. The final uplift of this cordillera was identified as the most likely force that shaped the diversification of G. cancriformis in northern South America, resulting in a cis- and trans-Andean phylogeographic structure for the species. We also found shared genetic variation between the cis- and trans-Andean clades, which is better explained by a scenario of historical divergence in the face of gene flow. This has been likely facilitated by the presence of low-elevation passes across the Eastern Colombian cordillera. Our work constitutes the first example in which the Andean uplift coupled with gene flow influenced the evolutionary history of an arachnid lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian C. Salgado‐Roa
- Programa de BiologíaFacultad de Ciencias Naturales y MatemáticasUniversidad del RosarioBogotáColombia
- Departamento de Ciencias BiológicasUniversidad de los AndesBogotáColombia
| | - Carolina Pardo‐Diaz
- Programa de BiologíaFacultad de Ciencias Naturales y MatemáticasUniversidad del RosarioBogotáColombia
| | - Eloisa Lasso
- Departamento de Ciencias BiológicasUniversidad de los AndesBogotáColombia
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteAncónPanamá
| | | | - Vera Nisaka Solferini
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and BioagentsInstitute of BiologyUniversity of CampinasCampinasSao PauloBrazil
| | - Camilo Salazar
- Programa de BiologíaFacultad de Ciencias Naturales y MatemáticasUniversidad del RosarioBogotáColombia
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7
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Collin MA, Clarke TH, Ayoub NA, Hayashi CY. Genomic perspectives of spider silk genes through target capture sequencing: Conservation of stabilization mechanisms and homology-based structural models of spidroin terminal regions. Int J Biol Macromol 2018; 113:829-840. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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8
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Li R, Yan Z, Wang J, Song Q, Wang Z. De novo characterization of venom apparatus transcriptome of Pardosa pseudoannulata and analysis of its gene expression in response to Bt protein. BMC Biotechnol 2017; 17:73. [PMID: 29115956 PMCID: PMC5678584 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-017-0392-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pardosa pseudoannulata is a prevailing spider species, and has been regarded as an important bio-control agent of insect pests in farmland of China. However, the available genomic and transcriptomic databases of P. pseudoannulata and their venom are limited, which severely hampers functional genomic analysis of P. pseudoannulata. Recently high-throughput sequencing technology has been proved to be an efficient tool for profiling the transcriptome of relevant non-target organisms exposed to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protein through food webs. Results In this study, the transcriptome of the venom apparatus was analyzed. A total of 113,358 non-redundant unigenes were yielded, among which 34,041 unigenes with complete or various length encoding regions were assigned biological function annotations and annotated with gene ontology and karyotic orthologous group terms. In addition, 3726 unigenes involved in response to stimulus and 720 unigenes associated with immune-response pathways were identified. Furthermore, we investigated transcriptomic changes in the venom apparatus using tag-based DGE technique. A total of 1724 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected, while 75 and 372 DEGs were functionally annotated with KEGG pathways and GO terms, respectively. qPCR analyses were performed to verify the DEGs directly or indirectly related to immune and stress responses, including genes encoding heat shock protein, toll-like receptor, GST and NADH dehydrogenase. Conclusion This is the first study conducted to specifically investigate the venom apparatus of P. pseudoannulata in response to Bt protein exposure through tritrophic chain. A substantial fraction of transcript sequences was generated by high-throughput sequencing of the venom apparatus of P. pseudoannulata. Then a comparative transcriptome analysis showing a large number of candidate genes involved in immune response were identified by the tag-based DGE technology. This transcriptome dataset will provide a comprehensive sequence resource for furture molecular genetic research of the venom apparatus of P. pseudoannulata. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12896-017-0392-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Li
- College of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agriculture University, Changsha, 410128, China.,Department of Biosciences, Hunan University of Arts and Science, Changde, 415000, China
| | - Zhenzhen Yan
- College of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agriculture University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Juan Wang
- College of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agriculture University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Qisheng Song
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Zhi Wang
- College of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agriculture University, Changsha, 410128, China.
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9
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Carlson DE, Hedin M. Comparative transcriptomics of Entelegyne spiders (Araneae, Entelegynae), with emphasis on molecular evolution of orphan genes. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174102. [PMID: 28379977 PMCID: PMC5381867 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing technology is rapidly transforming the landscape of evolutionary biology, and has become a cost-effective and efficient means of collecting exome information for non-model organisms. Due to their taxonomic diversity, production of interesting venom and silk proteins, and the relative scarcity of existing genomic resources, spiders in particular are excellent targets for next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods. In this study, the transcriptomes of six entelegyne spider species from three genera (Cicurina travisae, C. vibora, Habronattus signatus, H. ustulatus, Nesticus bishopi, and N. cooperi) were sequenced and de novo assembled. Each assembly was assessed for quality and completeness and functionally annotated using gene ontology information. Approximately 100 transcripts with evidence of homology to venom proteins were discovered. After identifying more than 3,000 putatively orthologous genes across all six taxa, we used comparative analyses to identify 24 instances of positively selected genes. In addition, between ~ 550 and 1,100 unique orphan genes were found in each genus. These unique, uncharacterized genes exhibited elevated rates of amino acid substitution, potentially consistent with lineage-specific adaptive evolution. The data generated for this study represent a valuable resource for future phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary research, and our results provide new insight into the forces driving genome evolution in taxa that span the root of entelegyne spider phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E. Carlson
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, United States of America
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Marshal Hedin
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, United States of America
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10
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Chaw RC, Correa-Garhwal SM, Clarke TH, Ayoub NA, Hayashi CY. Proteomic Evidence for Components of Spider Silk Synthesis from Black Widow Silk Glands and Fibers. J Proteome Res 2015; 14:4223-31. [PMID: 26302244 PMCID: PMC5075943 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b00353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Spider
silk research has largely focused on spidroins, proteins
that are the primary components of spider silk fibers. Although a
number of spidroins have been characterized, other types of proteins
associated with silk synthesis are virtually unknown. Previous analyses
of tissue-specific RNA-seq libraries identified 647 predicted genes
that were differentially expressed in silk glands of the Western black
widow, Latrodectus hesperus. Only ∼5%
of these silk-gland specific transcripts (SSTs) encode spidroins;
although the remaining predicted genes presumably encode other proteins
associated with silk production, this is mostly unverified. Here,
we used proteomic analysis of multiple silk glands and dragline silk
fiber to investigate the translation of the differentially expressed
genes. We find 48 proteins encoded by the differentially expressed
transcripts in L. hesperus major ampullate,
minor ampullate, and tubuliform silk glands and detect 17 SST encoded
proteins in major ampullate silk fibers. The observed proteins include
known silk-related proteins, but most are uncharacterized, with no
annotation. These unannotated proteins likely include novel silk-associated
proteins. Major and minor ampullate glands have the highest overlap
of identified proteins, consistent with their shared, distinctive
ampullate shape and the overlapping functions of major and minor ampullate
silks. Our study substantiates and prioritizes predictions from differential
expression analysis of spider silk gland transcriptomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ro Crystal Chaw
- Department of Biology, University of California , Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Sandra M Correa-Garhwal
- Department of Biology, University of California , Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Thomas H Clarke
- Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University , Lexington, Virginia 24450, United States
| | - Nadia A Ayoub
- Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University , Lexington, Virginia 24450, United States
| | - Cheryl Y Hayashi
- Department of Biology, University of California , Riverside, California 92521, United States
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11
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Frías-López C, Almeida FC, Guirao-Rico S, Vizueta J, Sánchez-Gracia A, Arnedo MA, Rozas J. Comparative analysis of tissue-specific transcriptomes in the funnel-web spider Macrothele calpeiana (Araneae, Hexathelidae). PeerJ 2015; 3:e1064. [PMID: 26157629 PMCID: PMC4493671 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The funnel-web spider Macrothele calpeiana is a charismatic Mygalomorph with a great interest in basic, applied and translational research. Nevertheless, current scarcity of genomic and transcriptomic data of this species clearly limits the research in this non-model organism. To overcome this limitation, we launched the first tissue-specific enriched RNA-seq analysis in this species using a subtractive hybridization approach, with two main objectives, to characterize the specific transcriptome of the putative chemosensory appendages (palps and first pair of legs), and to provide a new set of DNA markers for further phylogenetic studies. We have characterized the set of transcripts specifically expressed in putative chemosensory tissues of this species, much of them showing features shared by chemosensory system genes. Among specific candidates, we have identified some members of the iGluR and NPC2 families. Moreover, we have demonstrated the utility of these newly generated data as molecular markers by inferring the phylogenetic position M. calpeina in the phylogenetic tree of Mygalomorphs. Our results provide novel resources for researchers interested in spider molecular biology and systematics, which can help to expand our knowledge on the evolutionary processes underlying fundamental biological questions, as species invasion or biodiversity origin and maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Frías-López
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain ; Departament de Biologia Animal and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Francisca C Almeida
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Sara Guirao-Rico
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Joel Vizueta
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Alejandro Sánchez-Gracia
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Miquel A Arnedo
- Departament de Biologia Animal and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Julio Rozas
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain
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12
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Clarke TH, Garb JE, Hayashi CY, Arensburger P, Ayoub NA. Spider Transcriptomes Identify Ancient Large-Scale Gene Duplication Event Potentially Important in Silk Gland Evolution. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:1856-70. [PMID: 26058392 PMCID: PMC4524477 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of specialized tissues with novel functions, such as the silk synthesizing glands in spiders, is likely an influential driver of adaptive success. Large-scale gene duplication events and subsequent paralog divergence are thought to be required for generating evolutionary novelty. Such an event has been proposed for spiders, but not tested. We de novo assembled transcriptomes from three cobweb weaving spider species. Based on phylogenetic analyses of gene families with representatives from each of the three species, we found numerous duplication events indicative of a whole genome or segmental duplication. We estimated the age of the gene duplications relative to several speciation events within spiders and arachnids and found that the duplications likely occurred after the divergence of scorpions (order Scorpionida) and spiders (order Araneae), but before the divergence of the spider suborders Mygalomorphae and Araneomorphae, near the evolutionary origin of spider silk glands. Transcripts that are expressed exclusively or primarily within black widow silk glands are more likely to have a paralog descended from the ancient duplication event and have elevated amino acid replacement rates compared with other transcripts. Thus, an ancient large-scale gene duplication event within the spider lineage was likely an important source of molecular novelty during the evolution of silk gland-specific expression. This duplication event may have provided genetic material for subsequent silk gland diversification in the true spiders (Araneomorphae).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica E Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
| | | | - Peter Arensburger
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
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13
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Padovan A, Patel HR, Chuah A, Huttley GA, Krause ST, Degenhardt J, Foley WJ, Külheim C. Transcriptome sequencing of two phenotypic mosaic Eucalyptus trees reveals large scale transcriptome re-modelling. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123226. [PMID: 25978451 PMCID: PMC4433141 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic mosaic trees offer an ideal system for studying differential gene expression. We have investigated two mosaic eucalypt trees from two closely related species (Eucalyptus melliodora and E. sideroxylon), which each support two types of leaves: one part of the canopy is resistant to insect herbivory and the remaining leaves are susceptible. Driving this ecological distinction are differences in plant secondary metabolites. We used these phenotypic mosaics to investigate genome wide patterns of foliar gene expression with the aim of identifying patterns of differential gene expression and the somatic mutation(s) that lead to this phenotypic mosaicism. We sequenced the mRNA pool from leaves of the resistant and susceptible ecotypes from both mosaic eucalypts using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. We found large differences in pathway regulation and gene expression between the ecotypes of each mosaic. The expression of the genes in the MVA and MEP pathways is reflected by variation in leaf chemistry, however this is not the case for the terpene synthases. Apart from the terpene biosynthetic pathway, there are several other metabolic pathways that are differentially regulated between the two ecotypes, suggesting there is much more phenotypic diversity than has been described. Despite the close relationship between the two species, they show large differences in the global patterns of gene and pathway regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Padovan
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Hardip R. Patel
- Genome Discovery Unit, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Aaron Chuah
- Genome Discovery Unit, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Gavin A. Huttley
- Genome Discovery Unit, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Sandra T. Krause
- Institut für Pharmazie, Martin-Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jörg Degenhardt
- Institut für Pharmazie, Martin-Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - William J. Foley
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Carsten Külheim
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
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14
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Zhang YY, Huang Y, He QZ, Luo J, Zhu L, Lu SS, Liu JY, Huang PF, Zeng XZ, Liang SP. Structural and Functional Diversity of Peptide Toxins from Tarantula Haplopelma hainanum (Ornithoctonus hainana) Venom Revealed by Transcriptomic, Peptidomic, and Patch Clamp Approaches. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:14192-207. [PMID: 25770214 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.635458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider venom is a complex mixture of bioactive peptides to subdue their prey. Early estimates suggested that over 400 venom peptides are produced per species. In order to investigate the mechanisms responsible for this impressive diversity, transcriptomics based on second generation high throughput sequencing was combined with peptidomic assays to characterize the venom of the tarantula Haplopelma hainanum. The genes expressed in the venom glands were identified, and the bioactivity of their protein products was analyzed using the patch clamp technique. A total of 1,136 potential toxin precursors were identified that clustered into 90 toxin groups, of which 72 were novel. The toxin peptides clustered into 20 cysteine scaffolds that included between 4 and 12 cysteines, and 14 of these groups were newly identified in this spider. Highly abundant toxin peptide transcripts were present and resulted from hypermutation and/or fragment insertion/deletion. In combination with variable post-translational modifications, this genetic variability explained how a limited set of genes can generate hundreds of toxin peptides in venom glands. Furthermore, the intraspecies venom variability illustrated the dynamic nature of spider venom and revealed how complex components work together to generate diverse bioactivities that facilitate adaptation to changing environments, types of prey, and milking regimes in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ya Zhang
- From the Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China and
| | - Yong Huang
- the State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, 20 Dong-Da Street, Fengtai District, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Quan-Ze He
- From the Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China and
| | - Ji Luo
- From the Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China and
| | - Li Zhu
- From the Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China and
| | - Shan-Shan Lu
- From the Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China and
| | - Jin-Yan Liu
- From the Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China and
| | - Peng-Fei Huang
- From the Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China and
| | - Xiong-Zhi Zeng
- From the Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China and
| | - Song-Ping Liang
- From the Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China and
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15
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Zhao YJ, Zeng Y, Chen L, Dong Y, Wang W. Analysis of transcriptomes of three orb-web spider species reveals gene profiles involved in silk and toxin. INSECT SCIENCE 2014; 21:687-698. [PMID: 24167122 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
As an ancient arthropod with a history of 390 million years, spiders evolved numerous morphological forms resulting from adaptation to different environments. The venom and silk of spiders, which have promising commercial applications in agriculture, medicine and engineering fields, are of special interests to researchers. However, little is known about their genomic components, which hinders not only understanding spider biology but also utilizing their valuable genes. Here we report on deep sequenced and de novo assembled transcriptomes of three orb-web spider species, Gasteracantha arcuata, Nasoonaria sinensis and Gasteracantha hasselti which are distributed in tropical forests of south China. With Illumina paired-end RNA-seq technology, 54 871, 101 855 and 75 455 unigenes for the three spider species were obtained, respectively, among which 9 300, 10 001 and 10 494 unique genes are annotated, respectively. From these annotated unigenes, we comprehensively analyzed silk and toxin gene components and structures for the three spider species. Our study provides valuable transcriptome data for three spider species which previously lacked any genetic/genomic data. The results have laid the first fundamental genomic basis for exploiting gene resources from these spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Jun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming
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16
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Posnien N, Zeng V, Schwager EE, Pechmann M, Hilbrant M, Keefe JD, Damen WGM, Prpic NM, McGregor AP, Extavour CG. A comprehensive reference transcriptome resource for the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104885. [PMID: 25118601 PMCID: PMC4132015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasteatoda tepidariorum is an increasingly popular model for the study of spider development and the evolution of development more broadly. However, fully understanding the regulation and evolution of P. tepidariorum development in comparison to other animals requires a genomic perspective. Although research on P. tepidariorum has provided major new insights, gene analysis to date has been limited to candidate gene approaches. Furthermore, the few available EST collections are based on embryonic transcripts, which have not been systematically annotated and are unlikely to contain transcripts specific to post-embryonic stages of development. We therefore generated cDNA from pooled embryos representing all described embryonic stages, as well as post-embryonic stages including nymphs, larvae and adults, and using Illumina HiSeq technology obtained a total of 625,076,514 100-bp paired end reads. We combined these data with 24,360 ESTs available in GenBank, and 1,040,006 reads newly generated from 454 pyrosequencing of a mixed-stage embryo cDNA library. The combined sequence data were assembled using a custom de novo assembly strategy designed to optimize assembly product length, number of predicted transcripts, and proportion of raw reads incorporated into the assembly. The de novo assembly generated 446,427 contigs with an N50 of 1,875 bp. These sequences obtained 62,799 unique BLAST hits against the NCBI non-redundant protein data base, including putative orthologs to 8,917 Drosophila melanogaster genes based on best reciprocal BLAST hit identity compared with the D. melanogaster proteome. Finally, we explored the utility of the transcriptome for RNA-Seq studies, and showed that this resource can be used as a mapping scaffold to detect differential gene expression in different cDNA libraries. This resource will therefore provide a platform for future genomic, gene expression and functional approaches using P. tepidariorum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Posnien
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Department of Developmental Biology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail: (NP); (CGE)
| | - Victor Zeng
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Evelyn E. Schwager
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Matthias Pechmann
- Cologne Biocenter, Institute of Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Maarten Hilbrant
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph D. Keefe
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Wim G. M. Damen
- Department of Genetics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Nikola-Michael Prpic
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Department of Developmental Biology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Alistair P. McGregor
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Cassandra G. Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NP); (CGE)
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17
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Sachkova MY, Slavokhotova AA, Grishin EV, Vassilevski AA. Structure of the yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium punctorium genes provides clues to evolution of insecticidal two-domain knottin toxins. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 23:527-538. [PMID: 24717175 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Yellow sac spiders (Cheiracanthium punctorium, family Miturgidae) are unique in terms of venom composition, because, as we show here, two-domain toxins have replaced the usual one-domain peptides as the major constituents. We report the structure of the two-domain Che. punctorium toxins (CpTx), along with the corresponding cDNA and genomic DNA sequences. At least three groups of insecticidal CpTx were identified, each consisting of several members. Unlike many cone snail and snake toxins, accelerated evolution is not typical of cptx genes, which instead appear to be under the pressure of purifying selection. Both CpTx modules present the inhibitor cystine knot (ICK), or knottin signature; however, the sequence similarity between the domains is low. Conversely, notable similarity was found between separate domains of CpTx and one-domain toxins from spiders of the Lycosidae family. The observed chimerism is a landmark of exon shuffling events, but in contrast to many families of multidomain protein genes no introns were found in the cptx genes. Considering the possible scenarios, we suggest that an early transcription-mediated fusion event between two related one-domain toxin genes led to the emergence of a primordial cptx-like sequence. We conclude that evolution of toxin variability in spiders appears to be quite different from other venomous animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Y Sachkova
- M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
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18
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Gene discovery through transcriptome sequencing for the invasive mussel Limnoperna fortunei. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102973. [PMID: 25047650 PMCID: PMC4105566 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of the Asian bivalve Limnoperna fortunei as an invader in South America is related to its high acclimation capability. It can inhabit waters with a wide range of temperatures and salinity and handle long-term periods of air exposure. We describe the transcriptome of L. fortunei aiming to give a first insight into the phenotypic plasticity that allows non-native taxa to become established and widespread. We sequenced 95,219 reads from five main tissues of the mussel L. fortunei using Roche’s 454 and assembled them to form a set of 84,063 unigenes (contigs and singletons) representing partial or complete gene sequences. We annotated 24,816 unigenes using a BLAST sequence similarity search against a NCBI nr database. Unigenes were divided into 20 eggNOG functional categories and 292 KEGG metabolic pathways. From the total unigenes, 1,351 represented putative full-length genes of which 73.2% were functionally annotated. We described the first partial and complete gene sequences in order to start understanding bivalve invasiveness. An expansion of the hsp70 gene family, seen also in other bivalves, is present in L. fortunei and could be involved in its adaptation to extreme environments, e.g. during intertidal periods. The presence of toll-like receptors gives a first insight into an immune system that could be more complex than previously assumed and may be involved in the prevention of disease and extinction when population densities are high. Finally, the apparent lack of special adaptations to extremely low O2 levels is a target worth pursuing for the development of a molecular control approach.
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19
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Clarke TH, Garb JE, Hayashi CY, Haney RA, Lancaster AK, Corbett S, Ayoub NA. Multi-tissue transcriptomics of the black widow spider reveals expansions, co-options, and functional processes of the silk gland gene toolkit. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:365. [PMID: 24916340 PMCID: PMC4200122 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2013] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Spiders (Order Araneae) are essential predators in every terrestrial ecosystem largely because they have evolved potent arsenals of silk and venom. Spider silks are high performance materials made almost entirely of proteins, and thus represent an ideal system for investigating genome level evolution of novel protein functions. However, genomic level resources remain limited for spiders. Results We de novo assembled a transcriptome for the Western black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) from deeply sequenced cDNAs of three tissue types. Our multi-tissue assembly contained ~100,000 unique transcripts, of which > 27,000 were annotated by homology. Comparing transcript abundance among the different tissues, we identified 647 silk gland-specific transcripts, including the few known silk fiber components (e.g. six spider fibroins, spidroins). Silk gland specific transcripts are enriched compared to the entire transcriptome in several functions, including protein degradation, inhibition of protein degradation, and oxidation-reduction. Phylogenetic analyses of 37 gene families containing silk gland specific transcripts demonstrated novel gene expansions within silk glands, and multiple co-options of silk specific expression from paralogs expressed in other tissues. Conclusions We propose a transcriptional program for the silk glands that involves regulating gland specific synthesis of silk fiber and glue components followed by protecting and processing these components into functional fibers and glues. Our black widow silk gland gene repertoire provides extensive expansion of resources for biomimetic applications of silk in industry and medicine. Furthermore, our multi-tissue transcriptome facilitates evolutionary analysis of arachnid genomes and adaptive protein systems. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-365) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Nadia A Ayoub
- Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA 24450, USA.
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20
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Lane AK, Hayashi CY, Whitworth GB, Ayoub NA. Complex gene expression in the dragline silk producing glands of the Western black widow (Latrodectus hesperus). BMC Genomics 2013; 14:846. [PMID: 24295234 PMCID: PMC3879032 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2013] [Accepted: 11/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Orb-web and cob-web weaving spiders spin dragline silk fibers that are among the strongest materials known. Draglines are primarily composed of MaSp1 and MaSp2, two spidroins (spider fibrous proteins) expressed in the major ampullate (MA) silk glands. Prior genetic studies of dragline silk have focused mostly on determining the sequence of these spidroins, leaving other genetic aspects of silk synthesis largely uncharacterized. Results Here, we used deep sequencing to profile gene expression patterns in the Western black widow, Latrodectus hesperus. We sequenced millions of 3′-anchored “tags” of cDNAs derived either from MA glands or control tissue (cephalothorax) mRNAs, then associated the tags with genes by compiling a reference database from our newly constructed normalized L. hesperus cDNA library and published L. hesperus sequences. We were able to determine transcript abundance and alternative polyadenylation of each of three loci encoding MaSp1. The ratio of MaSp1:MaSp2 transcripts varied between individuals, but on average was similar to the estimated ratio of MaSp1:MaSp2 in dragline fibers. We also identified transcription of TuSp1 in MA glands, another spidroin family member that encodes the primary component of egg-sac silk, synthesized in tubuliform glands. In addition to the spidroin paralogs, we identified 30 genes that are more abundantly represented in MA glands than cephalothoraxes and represent new candidates for involvement in spider silk synthesis. Conclusions Modulating expression rates of MaSp1 variants as well as MaSp2 and TuSp1 could lead to differences in mechanical properties of dragline fibers. Many of the newly identified candidate genes likely encode secreted proteins, suggesting they could be incorporated into dragline fibers or assist in protein processing and fiber assembly. Our results demonstrate previously unrecognized transcript complexity in spider silk glands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Nadia A Ayoub
- Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University, 204 W, Washington St,, Lexington, VA 24450, USA.
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21
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Hedin M, Starrett J, Akhter S, Schönhofer AL, Shultz JW. Phylogenomic resolution of paleozoic divergences in harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones) via analysis of next-generation transcriptome data. PLoS One 2012; 7:e42888. [PMID: 22936998 PMCID: PMC3427324 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2012] [Accepted: 07/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing technologies are rapidly transforming molecular systematic studies of non-model animal taxa. The arachnid order Opiliones (commonly known as "harvestmen") includes more than 6,400 described species placed into four well-supported lineages (suborders). Fossil plus molecular clock evidence indicates that these lineages were diverging in the late Silurian to mid-Carboniferous, with some fossil harvestmen representing the earliest known land animals. Perhaps because of this ancient divergence, phylogenetic resolution of subordinal interrelationships within Opiliones has been difficult. We present the first phylogenomics analysis for harvestmen, derived from comparative RNA-Seq data for eight species representing all suborders. Over 30 gigabases of original Illumina short-read data were used in de novo assemblies, resulting in 50-80,000 transcripts per taxon. Transcripts were compared to published scorpion and tick genomics data, and a stringent filtering process was used to identify over 350 putatively single-copy, orthologous protein-coding genes shared among taxa. Phylogenetic analyses using various partitioning strategies, data coding schemes, and analytical methods overwhelmingly support the "classical" hypothesis of Opiliones relationships, including the higher-level clades Palpatores and Phalangida. Relaxed molecular clock analyses using multiple alternative fossil calibration strategies corroborate ancient divergences within Opiliones that are possibly deeper than the recorded fossil record indicates. The assembled data matrices, comprising genes that are conserved, highly expressed, and varying in length and phylogenetic informativeness, represent an important resource for future molecular systematic studies of Opiliones and other arachnid groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marshal Hedin
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, United States of America.
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22
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Starrett J, Garb JE, Kuelbs A, Azubuike UO, Hayashi CY. Early events in the evolution of spider silk genes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e38084. [PMID: 22761664 PMCID: PMC3382249 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2012] [Accepted: 05/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Silk spinning is essential to spider ecology and has had a key role in the expansive diversification of spiders. Silk is composed primarily of proteins called spidroins, which are encoded by a multi-gene family. Spidroins have been studied extensively in the derived clade, Orbiculariae (orb-weavers), from the suborder Araneomorphae ('true spiders'). Orbicularians produce a suite of different silks, and underlying this repertoire is a history of duplication and spidroin gene divergence. A second class of silk proteins, Egg Case Proteins (ECPs), is known only from the orbicularian species, Lactrodectus hesperus (Western black widow). In L. hesperus, ECPs bond with tubuliform spidroins to form egg case silk fibers. Because most of the phylogenetic diversity of spiders has not been sampled for their silk genes, there is limited understanding of spidroin gene family history and the prevalence of ECPs. Silk genes have not been reported from the suborder Mesothelae (segmented spiders), which diverged from all other spiders >380 million years ago, and sampling from Mygalomorphae (tarantulas, trapdoor spiders) and basal araneomorph lineages is sparse. In comparison to orbicularians, mesotheles and mygalomorphs have a simpler silk biology and thus are hypothesized to have less diversity of silk genes. Here, we present cDNAs synthesized from the silk glands of six mygalomorph species, a mesothele, and a non-orbicularian araneomorph, and uncover a surprisingly rich silk gene diversity. In particular, we find ECP homologs in the mesothele, suggesting that ECPs were present in the common ancestor of extant spiders, and originally were not specialized to complex with tubuliform spidroins. Furthermore, gene-tree/species-tree reconciliation analysis reveals that numerous spidroin gene duplications occurred after the split between Mesothelae and Opisthothelae (Mygalomorphae plus Araneomorphae). We use the spidroin gene tree to reconstruct the evolution of amino acid compositions of spidroins that perform different ecological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Starrett
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Jessica E. Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Amanda Kuelbs
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Ugochi O. Azubuike
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Cheryl Y. Hayashi
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
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23
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Alvarenga ER, Mendes TM, Magalhaes BF, Siqueira FF, Dantas AE, Barroca TM, Horta CC, Kalapothakis E. Transcriptome analysis of the <i>Tityus serrulatus</i> scorpion venom gland. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.4236/ojgen.2012.24027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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24
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Bittencourt D, Oliveira P, Prosdocimi F, Rech E. Review Protein families, natural history and biotechnological aspects of spider silk. GENETICS AND MOLECULAR RESEARCH 2012; 11:2360-80. [DOI: 10.4238/2012.august.13.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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