Proteomic Analysis of Scaffolding Silk Fibers from Black Widow Spiders
Poster Number
18
Format
Poster Presentation
Faculty Mentor Name
Craig Vierra
Faculty Mentor Department
Biological Sciences
Abstract/Artist Statement
Latrodectus hesperus silk is an extremely strong and versatile material with many possible applications. We believe through a proteomic analysis of scaffolding silk, a major component of cobwebs, we can identify the structural components that give rise to the outstanding properties of spider silk. A glass hook was used to harvest scaffolding silk from captive Latrodectus hesperus cages and the samples were then solubilized in GdnHCl, followed by digestion with trypsin. The resulting precursor peptides were separated by liquid chromatography based upon polarity differences using a C18 resin. Eluted peptides were subject to MS analysis using the new Orbitrap Fusion Trihybrid mass spectrometer. Precursor ions were subject to MS/MS analysis using CID fragmentation. MS/MS spectra were analyzed using Proteome Discoverer 2.1 software to determine the identities of the peptides. Our results identified several new proteins that are not characterized in the black widow spider. Understanding the protein components of scaffolding silk brings us closer to utilizing Latrodectus silk fibers in medicine and industry for applications such as biodegradable bandaging, bulletproofing, and fiber optic communications.
Location
DeRosa University Center, Ballroom
Start Date
30-4-2016 10:00 AM
End Date
30-4-2016 12:00 PM
Proteomic Analysis of Scaffolding Silk Fibers from Black Widow Spiders
DeRosa University Center, Ballroom
Latrodectus hesperus silk is an extremely strong and versatile material with many possible applications. We believe through a proteomic analysis of scaffolding silk, a major component of cobwebs, we can identify the structural components that give rise to the outstanding properties of spider silk. A glass hook was used to harvest scaffolding silk from captive Latrodectus hesperus cages and the samples were then solubilized in GdnHCl, followed by digestion with trypsin. The resulting precursor peptides were separated by liquid chromatography based upon polarity differences using a C18 resin. Eluted peptides were subject to MS analysis using the new Orbitrap Fusion Trihybrid mass spectrometer. Precursor ions were subject to MS/MS analysis using CID fragmentation. MS/MS spectra were analyzed using Proteome Discoverer 2.1 software to determine the identities of the peptides. Our results identified several new proteins that are not characterized in the black widow spider. Understanding the protein components of scaffolding silk brings us closer to utilizing Latrodectus silk fibers in medicine and industry for applications such as biodegradable bandaging, bulletproofing, and fiber optic communications.