Origin, structure, and composition of the spider major ampullate silk fiber revealed by genomics, proteomics, and single-cell and spatial transcriptomicsShow others and affiliations
2024 (English)In: Science Advances, E-ISSN 2375-2548, Vol. 10, no 33, article id eadn0597Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Spiders produce nature's toughest fiber using renewable components at ambient temperatures and with water as solvent, making it highly interesting to replicate for the materials industry. Despite this, much remains to be understood about the bioprocessing and composition of spider silk fibers. Here, we identify 18 proteins that make up the spiders' strongest silk type, the major ampullate fiber. Single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics revealed that the secretory epithelium of the gland harbors six cell types. These cell types are confined to three distinct glandular zones that produce specific combinations of silk proteins. Image analysis of histological sections showed that the secretions from the three zones do not mix, and proteomics analysis revealed that these secretions form layers in the final fiber. Using a multi-omics approach, we provide substantial advancements in the understanding of the structure and function of the major ampullate silk gland as well as of the architecture and composition of the fiber it produces.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2024. Vol. 10, no 33, article id eadn0597
National Category
Cell and Molecular Biology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-228807DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn0597ISI: 001293053700005PubMedID: 39141739Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85201353456OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-228807DiVA, id: diva2:1892871
Funder
EU, European Research Council, 815357Swedish Research Council Formas, 2019-00427Swedish Research Council Formas, 2023-01313Olle Engkvists stiftelse, 207-0375Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, 23.0331Swedish Research Council, 2019-01257Wenner-Gren Foundations, UPD2021-0047Swedish Research Council, 2023-01313Swedish Research Council, 2019-004272024-08-282024-08-282025-01-16Bibliographically approved