Abstract
It is possible to produce highly functional silk by expressing recombinant fibroin fusion proteins in silk glands via gene modification technology. Fluorescent silk is engineered by expressing fluorescent proteins fused with fibroin in silk filaments. Currently, several fluorescent silk varieties are available for industrial use. In this study, to investigate the effect of fluorescent silk on color mixing, we hybridized a blue fluorescent silk-producing strain (emitting under ultraviolet light) with orange, green, and red fluorescent strains to investigate changes in silk characteristics, such as fluorescent color shifts. The results showed that crosses between the blue and green strains produced green silk fluorescing at ultraviolet wavelengths not normally excited. In contrast, no synergistic effect was observed in crosses between blue and orange strains. Multiple fluorescent silk-producing strains have been developed for this purpose. Hybridizing them to stack protein genes broadens their potential applications.
