i5K: Western black widow spider

Western black widow spider Image source: Wikimedia Commons Links BCM-HGSC data

Western black widow spider
(Latrodectus hesperus)

Contact: Nadia Ayoub

Researchers involved: 600
Size (or size of nearest relative): 1262 MBp

Keywords (and why important): Novel chemistry, evolutionary branching, (Medicine, Systematics, Model Organism).

The three related widow species will facilitate gene annotation, regulatory sequence identification, and ortho/paralogy detection. This is a model organism for mating behavior, development, silk genetics, and venom research.

Genomic resources already available including a fosmid genomic library, 1009 traditional ESTs, and established methods for FISH.  Extensive expression data will be available from high-throughput sequencing of RNA from tissues wuch as individual silk and venom glands, cephalothorax, and ovaries. Tissue is stored at -80.

Dense populations readily available in southern California.  Three generation inbred lines could be produced in 1 year. Rearing operation already run by Chuck Christensen (SpiderPharm). High quality genomic DNA can be extracted quickly, as demonstrated by prior production of genomic library.