Joseph K Hull

US Patent:

20130212718, Aug 15, 2013

Filed:

Mar 28, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/852379

Inventors:

Malcolm James FRASER - Granger IN, US
Randy LEWIS - Laramie WY, US
Don JARVIS - Laramie WY, US
Kimberly THOMPSON - Lansing MI, US
Joseph HULL - Maricopa AZ, US
Yun-Gen MIAO - Hangzhou, CN
Florence TEULE - Laramie WY, US
Bonghee SOHN - Laramie WY, US
Youngsoo KIM - Laramie WY, US

International Classification:

C07K 14/435

US Classification:

800 4, 530353, 800 13, 536 234, 4353201, 800 21, 514 97, 514 76

Abstract:

Transgenic silkworms comprising at least one nucleic acid encoding a chimeric silk polypeptide comprising one or more spider silk elasticity and strength motifs are disclosed. Expression cassettes comprising nucleic acids encoding a variety of chimeric spider silk polypeptides (Spider 2, Spider 4, Spider 6, Spider 8) are also disclosed. A piggyBac vector system is used to incorporate nucleic acids encoding chimeric spider silk polypeptides into the mutant silkworms to generate stable transgenic silkworms. Chimeric silk fibers having improved tensile strength and elasticity characteristics compared to native silkworm silk fibers are also provided. The transgenic silkworms greatly facilitate the commercial production of chimeric silk fibers suitable for use in a wide variety of medical and industrial applications.