Genome and structural analysis of the PQQ-rich silk backbone in Elophila turbata
Elophila turbata is an aquatic moth whose larval silk forms an unusually stiff and thin fiber supported by a PQQ-rich helical backbone. In this study, we generate a high-quality genome assembly from pupal material together with short- and long-read transcriptome data from larval silk glands. The genome, in combination with the transcriptome data, is used to identify and functionally annotate silk gene families and to interpret protein profiling of the larval silk. Particular emphasis is placed on the identification and structural characterization of the PQQ-rich silk proteins that form the main load-bearing backbone of the fiber. The resulting genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic resources will facilitate comparative analyses of silk evolution in Lepidoptera and provide a reference for future structural and functional studies of PQQ-based biomaterials.
Elophila turbata is an aquatic moth whose larval silk forms an unusually stiff and thin fiber supported by a PQQ-rich helical backbone. In this study, we generate a high-quality genome assembly from pupal material together with short- and long-read transcriptome data from larval silk glands. The genome, in combination with the transcriptome data, is used to identify and functionally annotate silk gene families and to interpret protein profiling of the larval silk. Particular emphasis is placed on the identification and structural characterization of the PQQ-rich silk proteins that form the main load-bearing backbone of the fiber. The resulting genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic resources will facilitate comparative analyses of silk evolution in Lepidoptera and provide a reference for future structural and functional studies of PQQ-based biomaterials.
Seoul national university