Switching off the ‘Spider-Man gene’ glues flies to walls. Everett/REX/Shutterstock

Scientists have discovered a gene that, when inactivated, can give flies super sticky powers. The gene, found in vinegar flies and named spidey, after Spider-Man, is responsible for producing their protective waxy coating – switching it off makes flies extra sticky.

The lipids that make up this waxy layer normally act as a raincoat and protect flies against various exterior elements, including microbes and environmental stress. They also carry information about the age, sex and social status of the carrier.

A team of international scientists led by Yin Ning Chiang of the National University of Singapore found that removing the spidey gene caused the flies to lose their protective lipids, resulting in a dramatically shortened lifespan.


“Loss of the lipids allows substances like food to accumulate on the surfaces of their legs,” says Chiang. “The flies eventually get completely stuck to surfaces.”

Without the lipid shield, gunk builds up on the flies. The insects then get caught up in this sticky mess as it aggregates and creates a force that sucks them down onto surfaces.

Attractive coat

Many insects rely on their lipid coating not only for survival but also to choose mates of the right species.

“The discovery of this gene could be a very useful tool,” says Tristram Wyatt of the University of Oxford. “It could help scientists to study the pheromones of fruitflies and further our knowledge of how these chemicals have shaped speciation and evolution.”

The information also could be used for pest control by disrupting insect mating. Because spidey is found in many insect species, researchers think that this finding may prove useful for controlling various disease-bearing insects and agricultural pests through chemical manipulation of the gene to disrupt the animals’ development, lifespan, mating and wall-clinging abilities.

In addition, understanding how the insects’ special lipid raincoat protects them from the outside world could one day help to produce anti-rust, antimicrobial or superhydrophobic surface coatings.

Journal reference: PLOS Genetics, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006126

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