Self-assembly in the major ampullate gland of Nephila clavipes

Abstract

We present a tentative interpretation of the origin of nematic liquid crystalline order exhibited by dragline silk fibroin solutions collected from the spider Nephila clavipes. Liquid crystallinity is thought to confer certain rheological properties on the fibroin solution which are exploited during the dragline spinning process. We show that the feasibility of liquid crystallinity under physiological conditions depends critically on parameters characterising the amino-acid sequence of the fibroin molecules.