Transcriptomic basis of arachidonic acid-mediated molting regulation in the wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata

This project investigates the molecular mechanisms by which dietary arachidonic acid (ARA), an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid, regulates the critical process of molting in the wolf spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata. Juvenile spiders were raised on diets either sufficient or deficient in ARA. We observed that ARA is essential for preventing molting-related mortality. To understand the underlying transcriptional changes, we performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) on whole-body samples from spiders under these different dietary regimes. The resulting transcriptomic data will be used to identify differentially expressed genes and key signaling pathways, particularly those related to ecdysone and juvenile hormone regulation, as well as cuticle protein synthesis, to build a comprehensive model of nutritional control over arthropod development.