Did aculeate silk evolve as an antifouling material?

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Evolutionary Biology
• Insect Microbiology

Background:

• Social insects like wasps, bees, and ants employ complex, energy-intensive strategies to prevent microbial infections within colonies.
• Simpler, pre-existing mechanisms for maintaining hygienic conditions likely predated these sophisticated social adaptations.
• Aculeate coiled-coil silk proteins share structural similarities with naturally occurring alpha-helical antimicrobial peptides (AMPs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the antimicrobial activity of peptides derived from aculeate silk proteins.
• To explore the antimicrobial properties of ancestral aculeate silk sequences predating social evolution.
• To assess the potential role of silk as an antifouling material in the evolution of sociality.

Main Methods:

• Peptide extraction and analysis from aculeate silk proteins.
• Bioinformatic reconstruction of ancestral silk protein sequences.
• Antimicrobial activity assays on derived and ancestral peptides.

Main Results:

• Peptides derived from aculeate silk proteins exhibit significant antimicrobial activity.
• Reconstructed ancestral silk sequences also contain peptides with inherent antimicrobial properties.
• These findings suggest a primitive antimicrobial function for aculeate silks.

Conclusions:

• Aculeate silks possess intrinsic antimicrobial capabilities, functioning similarly to antimicrobial peptides (AMPs).
• Antimicrobial silk likely predates the evolution of complex social behaviors in aculeates, potentially facilitating their development.
• Aculeate silks represent a promising model for developing novel antifouling biomaterials.