The authors thank Christopher Volker Synatschke for assistance with the MALDI-TOF measurements, Johannes Diehl and Claudia Blüm for assistance with the SEM images, and Dr. Andrew Smith, Dr. Martin Humenik, and Lukas Eisoldt for critical appraisal of the manuscript.
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Communication
Artificial Egg Stalks Made of a Recombinantly Produced Lacewing Silk Protein†
Article first published online: 16 MAY 2012
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201200591
Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Additional Information
How to Cite
Bauer, F. and Scheibel, T. (2012), Artificial Egg Stalks Made of a Recombinantly Produced Lacewing Silk Protein . Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 51: 6521–6524. doi: 10.1002/anie.201200591
- †
Publication History
- Issue published online: 21 JUN 2012
- Article first published online: 16 MAY 2012
- Manuscript Revised: 10 APR 2012
- Manuscript Received: 20 JAN 2012
Keywords:
- β sheets;
- biomimetic systems;
- fiber proteins;
- lacewing;
- silk
Rigid threads: Lacewings protect their eggs from predators by laying them on small stalks (see picture). The stalks have good mechanical properties and, unlike most other silks, a cross β structure. An artificial egg stalk was produced using a designed recombinant variant of a sequenced lacewing egg stalk protein, and it attained 90 % of the tensile strength of a natural egg stalk.