PROTEINS FROM THE WEBS OF NEPHILENGYS CRUENTATA, AVICULARIA JURUENSIS AND PARAWIXIA BISTRIATA SPIDERS

摘要

The present invention relates to molecules isolated from the nucleic acid that encodes spider web proteins or fragments of these or other derivatives of these. The invention also refers to a chimerical gene and an expression vector containing molecules isolated from the nucleic acid that codes for proteins related to the webs of Nephilengys Cruentata, Avicularia Juruensis and Parawixia Bistriata spiders. Another embodiment of the present invention are transformed cells containing a chimerical gene or an expression vector of the present invention. Yet another embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for obtaining genetically modified organisms containing inventive chimerical genes or expression vectors and a method for obtaining recombinant proteins from the silks of Nephilengys Cruentata, Avicularia Juruensis and Parawixia Bistriata spiders. Finally, the invention describes products, such as biofilaments and compositions, using the recombinant proteins of the present invention. The discovery of new spider silk proteins, as well as their characterisation and expression in different heterologous systems shall be of great use in numerous areas, such as medicine and industry.