Beta transition and stress-induced phase separation in the spinning of spider dragline silk.
Spider dragline silk is formed as the result of a remarkable transformation in which an aqueous dope solution is rapidly converted into an insoluble protein filament with outstanding mechanical properties. Microscopy on the spinning duct in Nephila edulis spiders suggests that this transformation involves a stress-induced formation of anti-parallel beta-sheets induced by extensional flow. Measurements of draw stress at different draw rates during silking confirm that a stress-induced phase transition occurs.
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Department of Zoology, South Parks Road, OX1 3PS, Oxford, UK. knight@tegdown.u-net.com
Knight
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Vollrath
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D000818:Animals; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D003224:Congo Red / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D017510:Protein Folding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D047011:Silk; D013112:Spiders; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013997:Time Factors
D004396:Coloring Agents; D019476:Insect Proteins; D047011:Silk; D003224:Congo Red