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Invasive mussels fashion silk-like byssus via mechanical processing of massive horizontally acquired coiled coils. | LitMetric

AI Article Synopsis

  • - Zebra and quagga mussels, notorious invasive species, use specialized proteins called byssal threads to attach to surfaces, causing significant economic and ecological damage.
  • - Research reveals that these threads have a unique structure similar to spider silk, with precursor proteins that change shape during thread formation, highlighting their sophisticated adhesive properties.
  • - The study suggests that the mussels' ability to produce these advanced fibers may have originated from a rare genetic event over 12 million years ago, and understanding this process could lead to innovations in material design.

Article Abstract

Zebra and quagga mussels () are invasive freshwater biofoulers that perpetrate devastating economic and ecological impact. Their success depends on their ability to anchor onto substrates with protein-based fibers known as byssal threads. Yet, compared to other mussel lineages, little is understood about the proteins comprising their fibers or their evolutionary history. Here, we investigated the hierarchical protein structure of byssal threads and the process by which they are fabricated. Unique among bivalves, we found that threads possess a predominantly -sheet crystalline structure reminiscent of spider silk. Further analysis revealed unexpectedly that the thread protein precursors are mechanoresponsive -helical proteins that are mechanically processed into -crystallites during thread formation. Proteomic analysis of the byssus secretory organ and byssus fibers revealed a family of ultrahigh molecular weight (354 to 467 kDa) asparagine-rich (19 to 20%) protein precursors predicted to form -helical coiled coils. Moreover, several independent lines of evidence indicate that the ancestral predecessor of these proteins was likely acquired via horizontal gene transfer. This chance evolutionary event that transpired at least 12 Mya has endowed with a distinctive and effective fiber formation mechanism, contributing significantly to their success as invasive species and possibly, inspiring new materials design.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10691215PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2311901120DOI Listing

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