How do winter-active spiders survive the cold?

Spiders of the Clubiona genus, which are among the most important natural enemies of pests found in orchards, are active during the winter. New research in The FEBS Journal reveals the characteristics of antifreeze proteins that these spiders produce that bind to ice crystals and prevent their growth at sub-zero temperatures, which helps the animals avoid freezing.

Using mass spectrometry to investigate these proteins at a molecular level, investigators found that although the Clubiona antifreeze proteins resemble those found in beetles and moths, they are evolutionarily distinct. 

Therefore, the unique antifreeze proteins in Clubiona spiders likely developed through convergent evolution, when organisms that aren’t closely related evolve similar structures to do the same job.

“The ability of Clubiona and other winter-active spiders to continue to fend off pests in freezing temperatures is particularly important for perennial agriculture, as they could potentially be used to decrease reliance on insecticides, and therefore also combat insecticide resistance,” said corresponding author Peter Davies, PhD, of Queen's University, in Ontario, Canada

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/febs.70323

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About the Journal
The FEBS Journal is a multidisciplinary, non-profit society journal that publishes full-length high-quality papers and expert reviews relevant to the molecular, cellular and biochemical life sciences.

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