title: Lessons from nature--protein fibers.
abstract: Silks are protein fibers with remarkable mechanical properties. The discovery of the structural features that govern these properties is a challenge for biochemistry and structural biology. This review summarizes the results of the biochemistry of silk proteins as well as the knowledge of the molecular biology of the respective genes. In addition, an overview is presented on the efforts to produce recombinant silk proteins by biotechnological techniques.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Biochemie, Institut für Molekulare Biotechnologie e. V., PF 100 813, D-07708 Jena, Germany. kguehrs@imb-jena.de
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Gührs
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weisshart
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grosse
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001709:Biotechnology; D005349:Fibroins; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D047011:Silk; D013112:Spiders
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D047011:Silk; C076815:spidroin 2; D005349:Fibroins