Egg Case Protein 3: A Constituent of Black Widow Spider Tubuliform Silk.

Spider silk has outstanding mechanical properties, rivaling some of the best materials on the planet. Biochemical analyses of tubuliform silk have led to the identification of TuSp1, egg case protein 1, and egg case protein 2. TuSp1 belongs to the spidroin superfamily, containing a non-repetitive - and -terminal domain and internal block repeats.

Liver proteome response to torpor in a basoendothermic mammal, , provides insights into the evolution of homeothermy.

Many mammals use adaptive heterothermy (e.g., torpor, hibernation) to reduce metabolic demands of maintaining high body temperature ().

Structural Characterization of Black Widow Spider Dragline Silk Proteins CRP1 and CRP4.

Spider dragline silk represents a biomaterial with outstanding mechanical properties, possessing high-tensile strength and toughness. In black widows at least eight different proteins have been identified as constituents of dragline silk. These represent major ampullate spidroins MaSp1, MaSp2, MaSp', and several low-molecular weight cysteine-rich protein (CRP) family members, including CRP1, CRP2, and CRP4.