Genòmica de quelicerats: la desconstrucció dels aràcnids i la base genòmica de la seda, els verins i altres trets de rellevància biològica

Abstract

Spiders, scorpions, and their kin have always fascinated and horrified humans alike. Although they originated in the pre-Cambrian seas, chelicerates are one of the most abundant and diverse organisms in terrestrial ecosystems, where they play a key role in food webs as one of the dominant predators. Comparative genomic analysis of chelicerates is still in its infancy: there are few complete genomes, unevenly distributed taxonomically, which compromises their representativeness. However, the available information has greatly contributed to improving our current knowledge about the origin and evolution of the group and the genomic architecture of traits of biological, economic and medical relevance such as the synthesis of silk and venoms, the gene families involved in smell and taste (chemosensory system) or the adaptation to different diets, including parasitism. The acquisition of new high-quality genomes throughout the tree of life of chelicerates, promises key future discoveries for the understanding of the great diversification and extraordinary adaptations of these fascinating animals, but also for their applications in conservation, biomedicine, sustainable pest management and the development of new biological materials