Spider Genomes Provide Insight into Composition and Evolution of Venom and Silk

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2014 May 8

PMID 24801114

Citations 128

Authors

Kristian W Sanggaard

Jesper S Bechsgaard

Xiaodong Fang

Jinjie Duan

Thomas F Dyrlund

Vikas Gupta

Xuanting Jiang

Ling Cheng

Dingding Fan

Yue Feng

Lijuan Han

Zhiyong Huang

Zongze Wu

Li Liao

Virginia Settepani

Ida B Thogersen

Bram Vanthournout

Tobias Wang

Yabing Zhu

Peter Funch

Jan J Enghild

Leif Schauser

Stig U Andersen

Palle Villesen

Mikkel H Schierup

Trine Bilde

Jun Wang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Spiders are ecologically important predators with complex venom and extraordinarily tough silk that enables capture of large prey. Here we present the assembled genome of the social velvet spider and a draft assembly of the tarantula genome that represent two major taxonomic groups of spiders. The spider genomes are large with short exons and long introns, reminiscent of mammalian genomes. Phylogenetic analyses place spiders and ticks as sister groups supporting polyphyly of the Acari. Complex sets of venom and silk genes/proteins are identified. We find that venom genes evolved by sequential duplication, and that the toxic effect of venom is most likely activated by proteases present in the venom. The set of silk genes reveals a highly dynamic gene evolution, new types of silk genes and proteins, and a novel use of aciniform silk. These insights create new opportunities for pharmacological applications of venom and biomaterial applications of silk.

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