Invasive mussels fashion silk-like byssus via mechanical processing of massive horizontally acquired coiled coils.

ABSTRACT: Zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena spp.) are invasive freshwater biofoulers that perpetrate devastating economic and ecological impact. Their success depends on their ability to anchor onto substrates with protein-based fibers known as byssal threads. Yet, compared to other mussel lineages, little is understood about the proteins comprising their fibers or their evolutionary history. Here, we investigated the hierarchical protein structure of Dreissenid byssal threads and the process by which they are fabricated. Unique among bivalves, we found that threads possess a predominantly β-sheet crystalline structure reminiscent of spider silk. Further analysis revealed unexpectedly that the Dreissenid thread protein precursors are mechanoresponsive α-helical p

SUBMITTER: Simmons M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10691215 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature