title: Material properties of evolutionary diverse spider silks described by variation in a single structural parameter.
abstract: Spider major ampullate gland silks (MAS) vary greatly in material properties among species but, this variation is shown here to be confined to evolutionary shifts along a single universal performance trajectory. This reveals an underlying design principle that is maintained across large changes in both spider ecology and silk chemistry. Persistence of this design principle becomes apparent after the material properties are defined relative to the true alignment parameter, which describes the orientation and stretching of the protein chains in the silk fiber. Our results show that the mechanical behavior of all Entelegynae major ampullate silk fibers, under any conditions, are described by this single parameter that connects the sequential action of three deformation micromechanisms during stretching: stressing of protein-protein hydrogen bonds, rotation of the β-nanocrystals and growth of the ordered fraction. Conservation of these traits for over 230 million years is an indication of the optimal design of the material and gives valuable clues for the production of biomimetic counterparts based on major ampullate spider silk.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Tecnología Biomédica. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid). Spain.|Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales. ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28040. Madrid. Spain.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Madurga
authors.affiliation: Centro de Tecnología Biomédica. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid). Spain.|Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales. ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28040. Madrid. Spain.
authors.forename: Gustavo R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Plaza
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program. The University of Akron, Akron, OH44325-3908. USA.
authors.forename: Todd A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Blackledge
authors.affiliation: Centro de Tecnología Biomédica. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid). Spain.|Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales. ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28040. Madrid. Spain.
authors.forename: Gustavo V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Guinea
authors.affiliation: Centro de Tecnología Biomédica. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid). Spain.|Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales. ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28040. Madrid. Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elices
authors.affiliation: Centro de Tecnología Biomédica. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid). Spain.|Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales. ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28040. Madrid. Spain.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez-Rigueiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D010802:Phylogeny; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D047011:Silk / Q000737:chemistry*; D013112:Spiders / Q000737:chemistry*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D047011:Silk