Abstract
Abstract Spider dragline silk, which is produced in spider major ampullate gland, is composite proteinacious fiber with highly repetitive Ala-Gly-rich domain. The unique combination of both high tensile strength and high elasticity makes spider dragline silk superior to almost any other natural or synthetic fibers. Cloning of the genes reveals that the silk is composed of at least two major proteins. Each protein component contains multiple repeats of modular structures that alternate between Ala-rich domains and Gly-rich domains. Molecular engineering not only opens a door to the production of spidroins but also provides a valuable experimental system to test and further establish the relationship between modular structures and mechanical properties. Here, based on our own studies, we review the latest progress of the modular structure and genetic engineering and outline the future prospects.
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