Transcriptome changes reveal the toxic mechanism of cadmium and lead combined exposure on silk production and web-weaving behavior of spider A. ventricosus

The goals of this study are to compare NGS-derived transcriptome of ampullate gland and cerebral ganglia under single and combined exposure to cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). The upregulated ampullate spidroin genes, downregulated protein anabolic genes, upregulated Far genes, and downregulated TUBA genes exhibit promising potential as biomarkers for silk protein synthesis and cellular degeneration, respectively. Moreover, the overexpression of AChE, Glu, and Unc13a genes may induce crucial neurotransmitters. This study offers an enormous capability for comprehensively understanding of the eco-toxicological effects and mechanisms of multi-heavy metals pollution. The mRNA profiles of ampullate gland and cerebral ganglia under single and combined exposure of Cd and Pb for 30-days were generated by deep sequencing, in triplicate, using Illumina NovaSeq.