Collaborative Research: Functional genomics of spider silk synthesis and fiber performance within the Western black widow and among cob-web weaving spiders

在产丝生物中，蜘蛛对丝的依赖和利用丝的方式的多样性是无与伦比的。大多数蜘蛛有多种类型的丝腺，每种类型都合成一种特定于任务的纤维或胶水。以往对蜘蛛丝进化和机械功能的分子研究几乎完全集中在主要结构蛋白(丝素)的属性上。然而，蜘蛛丝系统必然包括丝素和非丝素基因。因此，在这项研究中，将使用最先进的基因组方法来鉴定蛛网蜘蛛丝素合成所依据的基因库中的所有主要元素及其相对丰度。这些基因谱系的功能意义将通过将它们与三个不同物种产生的不同纤维类型的机械性能联系起来进行评估。这些结果将加深对蜘蛛如何制造高性能丝绸的理解。这一知识与大规模生产工业和医疗用合成蜘蛛丝的生物技术努力有关。在教育影响方面，这项研究将通过纳入课堂课程和学生研究项目，直接涉及以本科生为主的机构(华盛顿大学)和为少数族裔服务的机构(加州大学河滨分校)的本科生。重要的是，这笔赠款将使本科生能够在两所大学之间进行交叉培训，并出席国家科学会议，这将让学生们亲眼目睹专业生物学家的研究和职业机会的合作性质。项目成果将通过将数据存入基因数据库、在学术期刊上发表、纳入新闻稿以及向学童和公众介绍等方式广泛传播。

Among silk producing organisms, spiders are unparalleled in their reliance on silk and variety of ways they use silk. Most spiders have multiple types of silk glands, with each type synthesizing a task-specific fiber or glue. Previous molecular studies of spider silk evolution and mechanical function have focused almost entirely on the attributes of the main structural proteins (fibroins). However, the spider silk system necessarily includes fibroin as well as non-fibroin genes. Hence, in this research, state-of-the-art genomic methods will be used to identify all the major elements and their relative abundance within the gene repertoires that underlie silk synthesis in cob-web weaving spiders. The functional significance of the gene repertoires will be assessed by relating them to the mechanical properties of the various fiber types produced by three different species. These results will enhance the understanding of how spiders make their high-performance silks. This knowledge is relevant to the biotechnological efforts to mass-produce synthetic spider silk for industrial and medical applications. In terms of educational impact, this research will directly involve undergraduates at a primarily undergraduate institution (Washington & Lee) and a minority-serving institution (UC Riverside) through incorporation into classroom curricula and student research projects. Importantly, the grant will enable undergraduates to travel between the institutions for cross-training and to present at national science conferences, which will let the students eyewitness the collaborative nature of research and career opportunities for professional biologists. Project results will be broadly disseminated by depositing data into genetic databases, publication in scholarly journals, incorporation into press releases, and presentations to school children and the general public.