Conserved leucine- rich repeat proteins in the adhesive projectile slime of velvet worms

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Hu, Zhaolong; Baer, Alexander; Hering, Lars; Oliveira, Ivo de Sena; Poulhazan, Alexandre; Browne, Darren C.; Guo, Xue; Perrin, Quentin Moana; Sobota, Radoslaw M.; Hoon, Shawn; Mayer, Georg; Kannan, Srinivasaraghavan; Verma, Chandra S.; Harrington, Matthew J.; Miserez, Ali
• 署名单位: Nanyang Technological University; McGill University; Universitat Kassel; Agency for Science Technology & Research (A*STAR); A*STAR - Institute of Molecular & Cell Biology (IMCB); Agency for Science Technology & Research (A*STAR); A*STAR - Institute of Molecular & Cell Biology (IMCB); Agency for Science Technology & Research (A*STAR); A*STAR - Bioinformatics Institute (BII); National University of Singapore; Nanyang Technological University
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-15299
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.24162821221
• 发表日期: 2025-03-18
• 关键词: onychophora; prey; Visualization; evolutionary; secretion; SEQUENCES; anatomy; MODEL

摘要

The slime of velvet worms (Onychophora) is a protein- based bioadhesive that undergoes rapid, yet reversible transition from a fluid into stiff fibers used for prey capture and defense, but the mechanism by which this phase transition functions is largely unknown. Here, integrating transcriptomic and proteomic approaches with AI- guided structure predictions, we discover a group of evolutionarily conserved leucine- rich repeat (LRR) proteins in velvet worm slime that readily adopt a receptor- like, protein- binding horseshoe structure. Our structural predictions suggest dimerization of LRR proteins and support their interactions with conserved (3- sheet- rich domains of high- molecular- weight proteins, the primary building blocks of velvet worm slime fibers. This suggests that LRR proteins might be involved in reversible, receptor- based supramolecular interactions in these biofibers, providing potential avenues for fabricating fully recyclable (bio) polymeric materials.