Ubiquitous distribution of salts and proteins in spider glue enhances spider silk adhesion

Scientific Reports
Gaurav AmarpuriAli Dhinojwala

Abstract

Modern orb-weaving spiders use micron-sized glue droplets on their viscid silk to retain prey in webs. A combination of low molecular weight salts and proteins makes the glue viscoelastic and humidity responsive in a way not easily achieved by synthetic adhesives. Optically, the glue droplet shows a heterogeneous structure, but the spatial arrangement of its chemical components is poorly understood. Here, we use optical and confocal Raman microscopy to show that salts and proteins are present ubiquitously throughout the droplet. The distribution of adhesive proteins in the peripheral region explains the superior prey capture performance of orb webs as it enables the entire surface area of the glue droplet to act as a site for prey capture. The presence of salts throughout the droplet explains the recent Solid-State NMR results that show salts directly facilitate protein mobility. Understanding the function of individual glue components and the role of the droplet's macro-structure can help in designing better synthetic adhesives for humid environments.

References

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Citations

Feb 16, 2016·Scientific Reports·Matthew A CollinCheryl Y Hayashi
Oct 30, 2015·ACS Nano·Gaurav AmarpuriAli Dhinojwala
Sep 1, 2015·Biomacromolecules·Dharamdeep JainAli Dhinojwala
Mar 7, 2019·Die Naturwissenschaften·Sean D KellyLindsey L Owens
Feb 19, 2019·Analytical Sciences : the International Journal of the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry·Yue ZhaoTetsuo Sakamoto
Jan 30, 2020·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Candido DiazTodd A Blackledge
Feb 23, 2019·Journal of Morphology·Marina WirthStanislav N Gorb
May 12, 2017·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Gaurav AmarpuriAli Dhinojwala
Mar 28, 2019·Nature Communications·Donglee ShinJ Carson Meredith
Mar 28, 2018·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Brent D OpellTodd A Blackledge
May 1, 2021·Biomolecules·Masayuki FujiwaraKazuharu Arakawa
Jul 3, 2021·Molecules : a Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry·Dakota PiorkowskiDeborah M Kane

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
NMR
Raman microscopy

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