ABSTRACT Spider silks are some of the strongest materials found in nature1,2. Achieving the high tensile strength and elasticity of the dragline of orb-weaving spiders, such as _Nephila

clavipes_3,4,5, is a principal goal in biomimetics research. The dragline has a composite nature and is predominantly made up by two proteins, the major ampullate spidroins 1 and 2 (refs 

37), which can be considered natural block copolymers8. On the basis of their molecular structures both spidroins are thought to contribute, in different ways, to the mechanical properties

of dragline silk9. The spinning process itself is also considered important for determining the observed features by shaping the hierarchical structure of the fibre10,11. Here we study the

spidroin 2 in the spinning process could be to facilitate the formation of fibrils and contribute directly to the elasticity of the silk. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Subscribe to this journal Receive 12 print issues and online access

$259.00 per year only $21.58 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy now Prices may be subject to local taxes which are

calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS THE

EFFECT OF TERMINAL GLOBULAR DOMAINS ON THE RESPONSE OF RECOMBINANT MINI-SPIDROINS TO FIBER SPINNING TRIGGERS Article Open access 30 June 2020 IMPACT OF PHYSIO-CHEMICAL SPINNING CONDITIONS

ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF BIOMIMETIC SPIDER SILK FIBERS Article Open access 04 November 2022 MOLECULAR ORGANIZATION OF FIBROIN HEAVY CHAIN AND MECHANISM OF FIBRE FORMATION IN _BOMBYX

MORI_ Article Open access 29 June 2024 REFERENCES * Hinman, M., Dong, Z., Xu, M. & Lewis, R. V. in _Biopolymers_ (ed. Case, S. T.) 227–254 (Springer, Berlin, 1992). Google Scholar  *

Hinman, M. B., Jones, J. A. & Lewis, R. V. Synthetic spider silk: a modular fiber. _Trends Biotechnol._ 18, 374–379 (2000). Article  Google Scholar  * Guerette, P. A., Ginzinger, D. G.,

Weber, B. H. & Gosline, J. M. Silk properties determined by gland-specific expression of a spider fibroin gene family. _Science_ 272, 112–115 (1996). Article  Google Scholar  * Thiel, B.

& Viney, C. A nonperiodic lattice model for crystals in _Nephila clavipes_ major ampullate silk. _Mater. Res. Soc. Bull._ 20, 52–56 (1995). Article  Google Scholar  * Hayashi, C. Y.

& Lewis, R. V. Molecular architecture and evolution of a modular spider silk protein gene. _Science_ 287, 1477–1479 (2000). Article  Google Scholar  * Xu, M. & Lewis, R. V. Structure

of a protein superfiber: spider dragline silk. _Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA_ 87, 7120–7124 (1990). Article  Google Scholar  * Hinman, M. B. & Lewis, R. V. Isolation of a clone encoding a

second dragline silk fibroin. Nephila clavipes dragline silk is a two-protein fiber. _J. Biol. Chem._ 267, 19320–19324 (1992). Google Scholar  * Jelinski, L. W. et al. Orientation,

structure, wet-spinning, and molecular basis for supercontraction of spider dragline silk. _Int. J. Biol. Macromol._ 24, 197–201 (1999). Article  Google Scholar  * Hayashi, C. Y., Shipley,

N. H. & Lewis, R. V. Hypotheses that correlate the sequence, structure, and mechanical properties of spider silk proteins. _Int. J. Biol. Macromol._ 24, 271–275 (1999). Article  Google

Scholar  * Vollrath, F. Strength and structure of spiders’ silks. _J. Biotechnol._ 74, 67–83 (2000). Google Scholar  * Vollrath, F. & Knight, D. P. Liquid crystalline spinning of spider

silk. _Nature_ 410, 541–548 (2001). Article  Google Scholar  * Kaplan, D. L., Lombardi, S. J., Muller, W. S. & Fossey, S. A. in _Biomaterial - Novel Materials from Biological Sources_ 1

(ed. Byrom, D.) (Macmillan and ICI Biological Products Business, New York, 1991). Google Scholar  * Sponner, A. et al. Characterization of the protein components of Nephila clavipes dragline

silk. _Biochemistry_ 44, 4727–4736 (2005). Article  Google Scholar  * Knight, D. P. & Vollrath, F. Changes in element composition along the spinning duct in a Nephila spider.

_Naturwissenschaften_ 88, 179–182 (2001). Article  Google Scholar  * Tillinghast, E. K., Chase, S. F. & Townley, M. A. Water extraction by the major ampullate duct during silk formation

in the spider Agriope Aurantia Lucas. _J. Insect Physiol._ 30, 591–596 (1984). Article  Google Scholar  * Kovoor, J. & Zylberberg, L. Morphologie et ultrastructure du canal des glandes

ampullac,es d’Araneus diadematus Clerk (Arachnida, Araneidae). _Z. Zellforsch. Mikrosk. Anat._ 128, 188–211 (1972). Article  Google Scholar  * Vollrath, F., Knight, D. P. & Hu, X. W.

Silk production in a spider involves acid bath treatment. _Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B_ 265, 817–820 (1998). Article  Google Scholar  * Willcox, J. P., Gido, S. P., Muller, W. & Kaplan, D.

Evidence of a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase in natural silk spinning process. _Macromolecules_ 29, 5106–5110 (1996). Article  Google Scholar  * Kerkham, K., Viney, C., Kaplan, D.

& Lombardi, S. Liquid crystallinity of natural silk secretion. _Nature_ 349, 596–598 (1991). Article  Google Scholar  * Work, R. W. Duality in major ampullate silk and precursive

material from orb-web-building spiders (Araneae). _Trans. Am. Microsc. Soc._ 103, 113–121 (1984). Article  Google Scholar  * Frische, S., Maunsbach, A. B. & Vollrath, F. Elongate

cavities and skin-core structure in Nephila spider silk observed by electron microscopy. _J. Microsc._ 189, 64–70 (1998). Article  Google Scholar  * Li, S. F., McGhie, A. J. & Tang, S.

L. New internal structure of spider dragline silk revealed by atomic force microscopy. _Biophys. J._ 66, 1209–1212 (1994). Article  Google Scholar  * Bell, A. L. & Peakall, D. B. Changes

in fine structure during silk protein production in the ampullate gland of the spider Araneus sericatus. _J. Cell Biol._ 42, 284–295 (1969). Article  Google Scholar  * Knight, D. P.,

Knight, M. M. & Vollrath, F. Beta transition and stress-induced phase separation in the spinning of spider dragline silk. _Int. J. Biol. Macromol._ 27, 205–210 (2000). Article  Google

Scholar  * Thiel, B. L., Guess, K. B. & Viney, C. Spider major ampullate silk (drag line): smart composite processing based on imperfect crystals. _J. Microsc._ 185, 179–187 (1997).

Article  Google Scholar  * Thiel, B. L., Guess, K. B. & Viney, C. Non-periodic lattice crystals in the hierarchical microstructure of spider (major ampullate) silk. _Biopolymers_ 41,

703–719 (1997). Article  Google Scholar  * Bendayan, M. in _Colloidal Gold Post-Embedding Immunocytochemistry_ (ed. Graumann, W.) (Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart, 1995). Book  Google Scholar  *

Oroudjev, E. et al. Segmented nanofibers of spider dragline silk: Atomic force microscopy and single-molecule force spectroscopy. _Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA_ 99, 6460–6465 (2002). Article 

Google Scholar  * Augsten, K., Muehlig, P. & Hermann, C. Glycoproteins and skin-core structure in Nephila clavipes spider silk observed by light and electron microscopy. _Scanning_ 22,

12–15 (2000). Article  Google Scholar  * Riekel, C., Rossle, M., Sapede, D. & Vollrath, F. Influence of CO2 on the micro-structural properties of spider dragline silk: X-ray

microdiffraction results. _Naturwissenschaften_ 91, 30–33 (2004). Article  Google Scholar  * Shao, Z. Z., Hu, X. W., Frische, S. & Vollrath, F. Heterogeneous morphology of Nephila edulis

spider silk and its significance for mechanical properties. _Polymer_ 40, 4709–4711 (1999). Article  Google Scholar  * Porter, D., Vollrath, F. & Shao, Z. Predicting the mechanical

properties of spider silk as a model nanostructured polymer. _Eur. Phys. J. E S._ 16, 199–206 (2005). Article  Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors want to thank

U. Stephan and K. Hartung for excellent technical assistance. This work was supported by Bundesministerium für Forschung und Bildung (BMBF FKZ 0311130), Bundesministerium für Landwirtschaft

(BML FKZ 98NR049) and Thueringer Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur (TMWFK B307-99-001). A. Sponner was supported by an EU TOK grant (MTKD-CT-2004-014533). AUTHOR INFORMATION

Author notes * Alexander Sponner Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK * Klaus Weisshart Present address: Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH,

Carl-Zeiss-Promenade 10, 07745, Jena, Germany AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, Beutenbergstrasse 11, 07745, Jena, Federal Republic of Germany Alexander

Sponner, Eberhard Unger, Frank Grosse & Klaus Weisshart Authors * Alexander Sponner View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Eberhard Unger

View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Frank Grosse View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar *

Klaus Weisshart View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Klaus Weisshart. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING

INTERESTS The authors declare no competing financial interests. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Sponner, A., Unger, E., Grosse, F. _et

al._ Differential polymerization of the two main protein components of dragline silk during fibre spinning. _Nature Mater_ 4, 772–775 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1493 Download

citation * Received: 16 May 2005 * Accepted: 10 August 2005 * Published: 25 September 2005 * Issue Date: 01 October 2005 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1493 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you

share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the

Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative