The combined exposure of multiple metals imposes a substantial
burden on the ecophysiological functions in organisms; however, the
precise mechanism(s) remains largely unknown. Here, adult female A. ventricosus were exposed to single and combined exposure
to cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) through the food chain. The aim was
to explore the combined toxicity of these metals on silk production
and web-weaving behavior at physiological, cellular morphological,
and transcriptomic levels. The Cd and Pb combined exposure significantly
inhibited the ability of silk production and web-weaving, including
reduced silk fiber weight and diameter of single strands, lowered
weaving position, induced nocturnal weaving, and increased instances
of no-web, and showed a dose–response relationship on the Cd
and Pb bioaccumulation. Concurrently, severe oxidative stress and
degenerative changes in cells were observed. In addition, the combined
pollution of Cd and Pb demonstrated synergistic effects, influenced
by variations in concentration, on the enrichment of metals, inhibition
of silk weight, oxidative damage, and cellular degeneration. At the
transcriptome level, the upregulated ampullate spidroin genes and
downregulated amino acid anabolic genes, upregulated Far genes and
downregulated cytoskeleton-related TUBA genes, and overexpressed AChE
and Glu genes may tend to present promising potential as biomarkers
for silk protein synthesis, cellular degeneration, and neurotransmitter
induction. This study offers an enormous capability for a comprehensive
understanding of the eco-toxicological effects and mechanisms of multiheavy
metals pollution.