Spider silk protein
AssigneeUniversity of Wyoming
InventorsRandolph V. Lewis, Ming Xu, Michael B. Hinman
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to isolated cDNA which codes for spider silk protein or a fragment or variant thereof, a replicable vector containing cDNA which codes for spider silk protein and which is capable of expressing spider silk protein, a transformed cell or microorganism containing cDNA which codes for spider silk protein or a fragment thereof which is capable of expressing spider silk protein and products, such as fibers, which may be manufactured utilizing the recombinant protein of the present invention.
Claims24
A purified recombinant spider silk protein, having a molecular weight of at least 16,000 daltons, comprising a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of:
- a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO.:2;
- a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO.:4;
- a polypeptide comprising tandem repeats of the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO.:5;
- a polypeptide comprising tandem repeats of the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO.:6;
- a polypeptide comprising tandem repeats of the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO.:7;
- a polypeptide comprising tandem repeats of the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO.:12 linked by a peptide bond to the amino terminus of the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO.:13;
- a polypeptide comprising tandem repeats of the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO.:8 linked by a peptide bond to the amino terminus of the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO.:12 in turn linked by a peptide bond to the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO.:9;
- a polypeptide comprising tandem repeats of the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO.:8 linked by a peptide bond to the amino terminus of the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO.:12 in turn linked by a peptide bond to the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO.:10.
A purified silk protein which comprises a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence comprising repeating units of the hexamer GGXGZG, SEQ. ID. NO.:69, wherein X and Z are any amino acid, but are most often glutamine or alanine.
A purified silk protein which comprises a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence comprising repeating units of the hexamer GGXGZG, SEQ. ID. NO.:69, and of polyalanine, wherein X and Z can be any amino acid, but wherein about 46% of X residues are alanine and about 49% of X residues are glutamine and wherein about 49% of Z residues are alanine and about 46% of Z residues are glutamine and wherein the number of alanine residues in said polyalanine ranges from 4 to 7.
A purified silk protein which comprises a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence comprising repeating units having the amino acid sequence GPGQQGPGYYGPGQQGPSGPGS, SEQ. ID. NO.:8.
A purified protein which comprises repeating units which contain a sequence represented by the formula
- (A).sub.m (X).sub.n !.sub.p
- wherein m is 4 to 10, n is 10 to 20, p is an integer of 1 to 100 and each X, which may be the same or different, is selected from the group consisting of G, A, Q, Y and L, wherein at least 50% of the X's are G, wherein said protein has a molecular weight of at least 16,000 daltons.
A purified silk protein which comprises repeats of a polypeptide that is described by the general formula
- (v.alpha..beta.)
- wherein;
- v is a polypeptide of consensus sequence (A or G or S)GRGGL(A or G)GQ, SEQ. ID. NO.:63;
- .alpha. is a polypeptide of consensus sequence GAGA(A or S or V) (A)m, where m is 4 to 6, SEQ. ID. NO.:64;
- .beta. is a polypeptide of consensus sequence GGAGQ(G or R or E)GY(G or R)GL(G or V) (G or S or N)QG, SEQ. ID. NO.:65.
A purified silk protein which comprises repeats of a polypeptide that is described by the general formula
- (.beta..alpha.v)
- wherein:
- .beta. is a polypeptide of consensus sequence GP(G or R)QQGPG(G or R)Y(G or A) PGQQG(P or L)SG(P or A) GS, SEQ. ID. NO.:66;
- .alpha. is a polypeptide of consensus sequence A(A or S)AA(A or S)AA(A or S)A, SEQ. ID. NO.:67;
- and
- v is a polypeptide of consensus sequence GPGQQG(P or L)GGY, SEQ. ID. NO.:68.
A purified protein comprising repeating units selected from the group consisting of ##STR13## and mixtures thereof.
A purified protein comprising a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence comprising repeating units of the hexamer GGXGZG, wherein X and Z are any amino acid, SEQ. ID. NO.:
- 69, but are most often glutamine or alanine and further comprising repeating units having the amino acid sequence (A).sub.m GGAGQGGYGGLGGQG, wherein m is 6 or 7, SEQ. ID. NO.:5.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.