Recurrent evolution of adhesive defence systems in amphibians by parallel shifts in gene expression.

Natural selection can drive organisms to strikingly similar adaptive solutions, but the underlying molecular mechanisms often remain unknown. Several amphibians have independently evolved highly adhesive skin secretions (glues) that support a highly effective antipredator defence mechanism. Here we demonstrate that the glue of the Madagascan tomato frog, Dyscophus guineti, relies on two interacting proteins: a highly derived member of a widespread glycoprotein family and a galectin.