Repeat variation resolves a complete aggregate silk sequence of bolas spider Mastophora phrynosoma

Abstract

Many species of spider use a modified silk adhesive, called aggregate glue, to aid in prey capture. Aggregate spidroins (spider fibroins) are modified members of the spider silk family, however they are not spun into fibers as are their solid silk relatives. The genes that encode for aggregate spidroins are the largest of the known spidroin genes and are similarly highly repetitive. In this study, we used long read sequencing to discover the aggregate spidroin genes of the toad-like bolas spider, Mastophora phrynosoma, which employs the glue in a unique way, using only a single, large droplet to capture moths. While Aggregate Spidroin 1 (AgSp1) remains incomplete, AgSp2 is more than an extraordinary 62 kilobases of coding sequence, 20 kb longer than the longest spidroin on record. The structure of repeats from both aggregate silk proteins follows a similar pattern seen in other species, with the same strict conservation of amino acid residue number for much of the repeats’ lengths. Interestingly, AgSp2 lacks the elevated number and groupings of glutamine residues seen in the other reported AgSp2 of a classic orb weaving species. The role of gene length in glue functionality remains a mystery, and thus discovering length differences across species will allow understanding and harnessing of this attribute for the next generation of bio-inspired adhesives.