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Open data
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Basic information
| Entry | ![]() | |||||||||
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| Title | Averaged map of fibroin in silkworm silk | |||||||||
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Sample |
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Keywords | silk fibroin nanofibril / PROTEIN FIBRIL | |||||||||
| Biological species | ![]() | |||||||||
| Method | subtomogram averaging / cryo EM / Resolution: 20.4 Å | |||||||||
Authors | Haonan Z / Kai S / Yan L / Ping Z | |||||||||
| Funding support | China, 1 items
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Citation | Journal: Nat Commun / Year: 2026Title: Cryo-ET comparison of the hierarchical ultrastructure of silkworm, spider, and artificial silk fibers. Authors: Kai Song / Haonan Zhang / Xueli Zhang / Yan Li / Ping Zhu / ![]() Abstract: Spider and silkworm silks are renowned for their exceptional mechanical properties, which arises from their ultrastructural organization. However, this architecture remains incompletely understood. ...Spider and silkworm silks are renowned for their exceptional mechanical properties, which arises from their ultrastructural organization. However, this architecture remains incompletely understood. Here, we apply cryo-electron tomography to examine the hierarchical organization of silkworm, spider, and artificial silks. In silkworm silk, we observe nanofibrils of ~3.6 nm in diameter, interconnected by abundant bridges and representing the smallest fibrillar features currently accessible by cryo-ET. These nanofibrils align with the fiber axis and are organized into a herringbone pattern, with stacked layers building the micron-scale filament. Spider silk displays densely packed nanofibrils with near-perfect axial alignment and minimal voids. In contrast, silkworm silk shows regionally heterogeneous gaps, whereas artificial silk lacks the ordered packing characteristic of natural materials. These observations provide a structural basis for understanding silk formation and may guide future biomimetic fiber design. | |||||||||
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Structure visualization
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Downloads & links
-EMDB archive
| Map data | emd_65682.map.gz | 2 MB | EMDB map data format | |
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| Header (meta data) | emd-65682-v30.xml emd-65682.xml | 13.7 KB 13.7 KB | Display Display | EMDB header |
| Images | emd_65682.png | 36.8 KB | ||
| Masks | emd_65682_msk_1.map | 2.8 MB | Mask map | |
| Filedesc metadata | emd-65682.cif.gz | 4 KB | ||
| Others | emd_65682_half_map_1.map.gz emd_65682_half_map_2.map.gz | 1.9 MB 2 MB | ||
| Archive directory | http://ftp.pdbj.org/pub/emdb/structures/EMD-65682 ftp://ftp.pdbj.org/pub/emdb/structures/EMD-65682 | HTTPS FTP |
-Related structure data
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Links
| EMDB pages | EMDB (EBI/PDBe) / EMDataResource |
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Map
| File | Download / File: emd_65682.map.gz / Format: CCP4 / Size: 2.8 MB / Type: IMAGE STORED AS FLOATING POINT NUMBER (4 BYTES) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Projections & slices | Image control
Images are generated by Spider. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Voxel size | X=Y=Z: 2.73 Å | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Density |
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| Symmetry | Space group: 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Details | EMDB XML:
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-Supplemental data
-Mask #1
| File | emd_65682_msk_1.map | ||||||||||||
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-Half map: #1
| File | emd_65682_half_map_1.map | ||||||||||||
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-Half map: #2
| File | emd_65682_half_map_2.map | ||||||||||||
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| Density Histograms |
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Sample components
-Entire : fibroin extracted from silk glands of silkworm
| Entire | Name: fibroin extracted from silk glands of silkworm |
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| Components |
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-Supramolecule #1: fibroin extracted from silk glands of silkworm
| Supramolecule | Name: fibroin extracted from silk glands of silkworm / type: organelle_or_cellular_component / ID: 1 / Parent: 0 |
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| Source (natural) | Organism: ![]() |
-Experimental details
-Structure determination
| Method | cryo EM |
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Processing | subtomogram averaging |
| Aggregation state | filament |
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Sample preparation
| Buffer | pH: 7.5 |
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| Vitrification | Cryogen name: ETHANE |
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Electron microscopy
| Microscope | TFS KRIOS |
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| Image recording | Film or detector model: GATAN K2 SUMMIT (4k x 4k) / Average electron dose: 3.0 e/Å2 |
| Electron beam | Acceleration voltage: 300 kV / Electron source: FIELD EMISSION GUN |
| Electron optics | Calibrated defocus max: 5.5 µm / Calibrated defocus min: 3.0 µm / Illumination mode: FLOOD BEAM / Imaging mode: BRIGHT FIELD / Nominal defocus max: 5.5 µm / Nominal defocus min: 3.5 µm |
| Experimental equipment | ![]() Model: Titan Krios / Image courtesy: FEI Company |
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Image processing
| Final reconstruction | Applied symmetry - Point group: C1 (asymmetric) / Resolution.type: BY AUTHOR / Resolution: 20.4 Å / Resolution method: FSC 0.143 CUT-OFF / Software - Name: RELION / Number subtomograms used: 404 |
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| Extraction | Number tomograms: 7 / Number images used: 16191 / Software - Name: crYOLO |
| CTF correction | Type: PHASE FLIPPING AND AMPLITUDE CORRECTION |
| Final angle assignment | Type: MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD |
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Keywords
Authors
China, 1 items
Citation



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FIELD EMISSION GUN
