Recombinant DNA production of spider silk proteins

• Published in: Microbial biotechnology Vol. 6; no. 6; pp. 651 - 663
• Main Authors: Tokareva, Olena, Michalczechen‐Lacerda, Valquíria A., Rech, Elíbio L., Kaplan, David L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-11-2013
• Subjects: Animals; Arthropod Proteins - genetics; Arthropod Proteins - metabolism; Biopolymers - biosynthesis; Biopolymers - genetics; Biotechnology; DNA, Recombinant - genetics; DNA, Recombinant - metabolism; Minireviews; Recombinant Proteins - chemistry; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; Silk - chemistry; Silk - genetics; Silk - metabolism
• ISSN: 1751-7915; 1751-7915
• DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.12081

Spider dragline silk is considered to be the toughest biopolymer on Earth due to an extraordinary combination of strength and elasticity. Moreover, silks are biocompatible and biodegradable protein‐based materials. Recent advances in genetic engineering make it possible to produce recombinant silks in heterologous hosts, opening up opportunities for large‐scale production of recombinant silks for various biomedical and material science applications. We review the current strategies to produce recombinant spider silks.
Silks exhibit strength and elasticity and are biocompatible and biodegradable protein–based materials. Recent advances in genetic engineering make it possible to produce recombinant silks in heterologous hosts, opening up opportunities for large scale production of recombinant silks for various biomedical and materials science applications. This topic is reviewed in the present paper.