Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1428743 | Materials Science and Engineering: C | 2014 | 6 Pages |
Abstract
According to a recent article authored by Ortega-Jimenez and Dudley [1], the capture success of spiders is in part due to electrostatic charges on the surfaces of insects that macroscopically deform the spider web and increase the chances of insect-web contact. In this brief communication, we further show that electrostatic charges instigate a molecular ‘concertina-like’ mechanism of deformation in MaSp1 protein, which effectively begins the toughening-up of dragline silk threads prior to insect-web contact.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Biomaterials
Authors
Mahdi Pahlevan, Martti Toivakka, Parvez Alam,