Abstract
Here we report the detection and localisation of chitin in the cuticle of the spinning ducts of both the spider Nephila edulis and the silkworm Bombyx mori. Our observations demonstrate that the duct walls of both animals contain chitin notwithstanding totally independent evolutionary pathways of the systems. We conclude that chitin may well be an essential component for the construction of spinning ducts; we further conclude that in both species chitin may indicate the evolutionary origin of the spinning ducts.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Biological Evolution*
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Bombyx / anatomy & histology
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Bombyx / metabolism*
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Chitin / metabolism*
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Exocrine Glands / anatomy & histology
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Exocrine Glands / metabolism*
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Spiders / anatomy & histology
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Spiders / metabolism*
Grants and funding
Financial support was provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/P504287/1), the European Research Council (SP2-GA-2008-233409), and the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (F49620-03-1-0111). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.