Spider genetic engineering

Chemists teamed the basic composition of siik many years ago, but the reasons why this macromoiecuie is so strong, yet fiexibie, are stiii not fuiiy understood. Recent studies indicate that the secret ties in the way the chains of this protein nestie together. Current research efforts focus on using techniques of genetic engineering to repiicate naturai spider siik on a usefui scaie. 

In Nature, there are many examples of protein and peptide molecular self-assembly. Of the genetically engineered fibrous proteins, collagen, spider silks, and elastin have received attention due to their mechanical and biological properties which can be used for biomaterials and tissue engineering. 

Spider silk Goats genetically engineered to produce a silk protein in milk Minimal... 

Fukushima, Y. Genetically engineered syntheses of tandem repetitive polypeptides consisting of glycine-rich sequence of spider draghne silk. Biopolymers 45, 269-279 (1998). 

The novel mechanical and visual features of silk fibers from silkworms and spiders have driven interest in this family of structural protein fibers for centuries. The ability to manipulate silkworms for domesticated production of silk fiber, the opportunity to exploit spider silks via genetic engineering, and future options to mimic the novel features of this family of protein fibers using synthetic approaches, continues to drive strong interest in these protein fibers. With growing applicabihty of these fibers in biomedical and consumer product applications, this interest is likely to continue to expand. 

Wong Po Foo, C. Kaplan, D.L. Genetic engineering of fibrous proteins spider dragline silk and collagen. Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 54 1131-1143 (2002). 

Gomes, S.C., Leonor, I.B., Mano, J.F., Reis, R.L., Kaplan, D.L., 2011. Antimicrobial functionalized genetically engineered spider silk. Biomaterials 32, 4255—4266. 

Huang, J., Wong, C., George, A., and Kaplan, D. L. (2007). The effect of genetically engineered spider silk-dentin matrix protein 1 chimeric protein on hydroxyapatite nucleation. Biomaterials 28, 2358-2367. 

Silk (genetically engineered spider drag-line silk)... 

Stephens, J. S., S. R. Fahnestock, R. S. Farmer, K. L. Kiick, D. B. Chase, and J. F. Rabolt (2005). Effects of electrospinning and solution casting protocols on the secondary structure of a genetically engineered dragline spider silk analogue investigated via Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy. Biomacromolecules 6(3) 1405-1413. 

In a similar example, Kaplan and co-workers reported the modification of a genetically engineered variant of spider dragline silk via enzymatic phosphorylation and dephosphorylation [87]. 

Pichia pastoris [79], and plants [80, 81]. A complete protocol for the artificial spinning of fibers made from recombinant proteins based on chimeric or native synthetic spider siLk-Uke sequences produced through genetic engineering in E. coli was described by Teule et al. in 2009 [82]. Two examples of the genetic engineering methods are outbned here. 

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