Project description:Many aquatic invertebrates are associated with surfaces, adhering permanently to the substratum or using adhesives for locomotion, prey capture, reproduction, building or defence. Their intriguing and sophisticated biological glues have been the focus of study for decades. In all but a couple of cases, however, the precise mechanisms by which the bioadhesives stick to surfaces underwater and (in many cases) harden have proved to be elusive.Here we have used SWATH LC-MS/MS to analyse the footprint of Exaiptasia pallida and compared it to the protein composition of the foot (the part of the animal's body producing and secreting the adhesive substances), and the whole animal body, to identify the proteins involved in the process of bioadhesion.
