Most cited article - PubMed ID 36060257
Using the multi-omics approach to reveal the silk composition in Plectrocnemia conspersa
Micropterigidae is regarded as the sister group of all the other Lepidoptera, providing important insights into the evolution of Lepidoptera. However, the gene and protein profiles of silk from Micropterigidae have not yet been identified. In this study, we investigate the components of silk cocoons of the micropterigid species Neomicropteryx cornuta. Here we show that the protein fibroin heavy chain (FibH) is absent in the silk of N. cornuta and that the putative homolog of fibroin light chain (FibL) is also absent or severely altered. This is confirmed by transcriptome and genome analyses of the conserved regions in this species. The examination of the synteny around the fibH genes in several Lepidoptera and Trichoptera species shows that the genomic region containing this gene is absent in another micropterigid species, Micropterix aruncella. In contrast, we found putative orthologs of fibH and fibL in the representative transcripts of another distinct clade, Eriocraniidae. This study shows that the loss of FibH and the loss or severe divergence of FibL occurrs specifically in the family Micropterigidae and reveals dynamic evolutionary changes in silk composition during the early evolution of Lepidoptera. It also shows that silk proteins without FibH can form a solid cocoon.
- MeSH
- Fibroins * genetics chemistry metabolism MeSH
- Phylogeny MeSH
- Silk * genetics chemistry metabolism MeSH
- Insect Proteins * genetics metabolism MeSH
- Lepidoptera * genetics metabolism MeSH
- Evolution, Molecular MeSH
- Moths * genetics metabolism MeSH
- Amino Acid Sequence MeSH
- Transcriptome MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Fibroins * MeSH
- Silk * MeSH
- Insect Proteins * MeSH
Caddisfly larvae produce silk containing heavy and light fibroins, similar to the silk of Lepidoptera, for the construction of underwater structures. We analyzed the silk of Limnephilus lunatus belonging to the case-forming suborder Integripalpia. We analyzed the transcriptome, mapped the transcripts to a reference genome and identified over 80 proteins using proteomic methods, and checked the specificity of their expression. For comparison, we also analyzed the transcriptome and silk proteome of Limnephilus flavicornis. Our results show that fibroins and adhesives are produced together in the middle and posterior parts of the silk glands, while the anterior part produces enzymes and an unknown protein AT24. The number of silk proteins of L. lunatus far exceeds that of the web-spinning Plectrocnemia conspersa, a previously described species from the suborder Annulipalpia. Our results support the idea of increasing the structural complexity of silk in rigid case builders compared to trap web builders.
- Keywords
- Limnephilus flavicornis, Plectrocnemia conspersa, Fibroin, Gene duplication, Hydrophobicity, Sericin,
- MeSH
- Fibroins genetics metabolism chemistry MeSH
- Silk * metabolism chemistry MeSH
- Insecta metabolism genetics MeSH
- Insect Proteins genetics metabolism MeSH
- Proteome MeSH
- Proteomics methods MeSH
- Gene Expression Profiling MeSH
- Transcriptome MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Silk is a secretory product of numerous arthropods with remarkable mechanical properties. In this work, we present the complete sequences of the putative major silk proteins of E. kuehniella and compare them with those of G. mellonella, which belongs to the same moth family Pyralidae. To identify the silk genes of both species, we combined proteomic analysis of cocoon silk with a homology search in transcriptomes and genomic sequences to complement the information on both species. We analyzed structure of the candidate genes obtained, their expression specificity and their evolutionary relationships. We demonstrate that the silks of E. kuehniella and G. mellonella differ in their hydrophobicity and that the silk of E. kuehniella is highly hygroscopic. In our experiments, we show that the number of genes encoding sericins is higher in G. mellonella than in E. kuehniella. By analyzing the synteny of the chromosomal segment encoding sericin genes in both moth species, we found that the region encoding sericins is duplicated in G. mellonella. Finally, we present the complete primary structures of nine fibH genes and proteins from both families of the suborder Pyraloidea and discuss their specific and conserved features. This study provides a foundation for future research on the evolution of silk proteins and lays the groundwork for future detailed functional studies.
- Keywords
- crambidae, mediterranean flour moth, mucin, pyralidae, synteny, wax moth,
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Many lepidopteran species produce silk, cocoons, feeding tubes, or nests for protection from predators and parasites for caterpillars and pupae. Yet, the number of lepidopteran species whose silk composition has been studied in detail is very small, because the genes encoding the major structural silk proteins tend to be large and repetitive, making their assembly and sequence analysis difficult. Here we have analyzed the silk of Yponomeuta cagnagella, which represents one of the early diverging lineages of the ditrysian Lepidoptera thus improving the coverage of the order. To obtain a comprehensive list of the Y. cagnagella silk genes, we sequenced and assembled a draft genome using Oxford Nanopore and Illumina technologies. We used a silk-gland transcriptome and a silk proteome to identify major silk components and verified the tissue specificity of expression of individual genes. A detailed annotation of the major genes and their putative products, including their complete sequences and exon-intron structures is provided. The morphology of silk glands and fibers are also shown. This study fills an important gap in our growing understanding of the structure, evolution, and function of silk genes and provides genomic resources for future studies of the chemical ecology of Yponomeuta species.
