title: Silk properties determined by gland-specific expression of a spider fibroin gene family.
abstract: Spiders produce a variety of silks that range from Lycra-like elastic fibers to Kevlar-like superfibers. A gene family from the spider Araneus diadematus was found to encode silk-forming proteins (fibroins) with different proportions of amorphous glycine-rich domains and crystal domains built from poly(alanine) and poly(glycine-alanine) repeat motifs. Spiders produce silks of different composition by gland-specific expression of this gene family, which allows for a range of mechanical properties according to the crystal-forming potential of the constituent fibroins. These principles of fiber property control may be important in the development of genetically engineered structural proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Guerette
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Ginzinger
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gosline
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003460:Crystallization; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D005349:Fibroins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015723:Gene Library; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D011108:Polymers; D011392:Proline / Q000032:analysis; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D047011:Silk; D013112:Spiders / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019476:Insect Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D011108:Polymers; D011506:Proteins; D047011:Silk; C086087:spidroin 1; C076815:spidroin 2; C019529:polyalanine; C034500:poly(alanylglycine); D005349:Fibroins; D011392:Proline