Statistical approaches for investigating silk properties

Applied Physics A volume 82, pages 243–251 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Amino acid repeats or motifs have engendered interest because of their significance for protein physical characteristics as well as folding properties. Spider dragline silk proteins are unique because they are composed of long repetitive sections and relatively short non-repetitive sections that are known to interact to generate the very peculiar mechanical and solubility properties of silk. Computational analysis compared with in vitro measurements suggest that the silks achieve their unique pattern of extreme solubility inside the spider glands/complete insolubility outside by correlating their repetitive hydrophobic regions through a type of stochastic resonance, generated by the addition of the non-repetitive sequences to a basically periodic hydrophobicity pattern.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biophysics and Physiology, Rush University Medical Center, 1653 W. Congress Parkway, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    J.P. Zbilut

  2. Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, 85747, Garching, Germany

    T. Scheibel & D. Huemmerich

  3. Department of Physiology, Loyola University Medical Center, 2160 S.First Avenue, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA

    C.L. Webber Jr.

  4. Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Universitá “La Sapienza”, Ple Aldo Moro 10, 00189, Roma, Italy

    M. Colafranceschi

  5. Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanitá, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Roma, Italy

    A. Giuliani

Authors
  1. J.P. Zbilut
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  2. T. Scheibel
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  3. D. Huemmerich
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  4. C.L. Webber Jr.
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  5. M. Colafranceschi
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  6. A. Giuliani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J.P. Zbilut.

Additional information

PACS

87.14.Ee; 87.15.Cc; 87.15.He; 02.50.Ey; 05.40.Ca

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Zbilut, J., Scheibel, T., Huemmerich, D. et al. Statistical approaches for investigating silk properties. Appl. Phys. A 82, 243–251 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-005-3429-4

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Keywords

  • Stochastic Resonance
  • Recurrence Plot
  • Spider Silk
  • Dragline Silk
  • Laminar Area