A peptide comprised of either a binary or a tertiary peptide, the peptide contains at least 4 amino acids and up to a maximum of 16 amino acids, comprised of 2 or 3 different regions, wherein the binary peptides have 2 different regions and the tertiary peptides have 3 different regions; wherein, the peptide can be cleaved by both an animal gut protease and an insect or nematode gut protease.

Disclosed are methods, compositions, and systems for transforming silkworms to produce spider silk and analogs of spider silk. In certain embodiments, the method may include inserting a DNA sequence coding for at least a portion of a spider silk fibroin polypeptide, or an analog of a spider silk fibroin polypeptide, positioned between at least a portion of the 5′ and 3′ ends of a silkworm fibroin gene to generate a fusion gene construct having a sequence that encodes for a polypeptide comprising both spider silk fibroin and silkworm silk fibroin sequences. In certain embodiments, the fused gene is able to replace a native gene present in the silkworm such that the transformed silkworm expresses a polypeptide comprising a spider silk fibroin polypeptide, or an analog thereof, and expresses significantly less of the native silkworm silk.

The present invention relates to Protoxin-II variants, polynucleotides encoding them, and methods of making and using the foregoing.

A polar solvent solution of the present invention is a polar solvent solution in which a solute containing a polyamine acid is dissolved in a polar solvent. The solution has a moisture content of less than 5 mass % based on 100 mass % of the solution. A method for producing a polar solvent solution of the present invention includes changing a moisture content of the solution to adjust the viscosity of the solution. Further, another method for producing a polar solvent solution includes reducing a moisture content of the solution to increase the viscosity of the solution. Thus, the present invention provides a polar solvent solution that enables stable spinning and casting without lowering its viscosity when used as dopes for spinning, film, etc., and methods for producing the same.

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for synthesizing a spidroin. In some embodiments, the methods comprise synthesizing a monomer in vivo in a heterologous host, the monomer comprising an N-terminus IntC domain and a C-terminus IntN domain, and post-translationally polymerizing the synthesized monomer via in vitro split-intein mediated polymerization.

The present invention relates to Protoxin-II variants, polynucleotides encoding them, and methods of making and using the foregoing.

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a fibroin solution including a step of forming a slurry containing a solvent-containing dissolving liquid and a fibroin-containing protein powder dispersed in the dissolving liquid by continuously introducing the protein powder to a thin film of the dissolving liquid while flowing the thin film; and a step of forming a fibroin solution by dissolving, in the dissolving liquid, the protein powder in the slurry.

Disclosed is a composition of matter comprising an isolated polypeptide, which is a peripherally-restricted Na.sub.V1.7 inhibitor. In some disclosed embodiments, the isolated polypeptide is an inhibitor of Na.sub.V1.7 and/or Na.sub.V1.3. Other embodiments are conjugated embodiments of the inventive composition of matter and pharmaceutical compositions containing the inventive composition of matter. Isolated nucleic acids encoding some embodiments of inventive polypeptides and expression vectors, and recombinant host cells containing them are disclosed. A method of treating or preventing pain is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a polypeptide comprising a silk polypeptide and an antigen. Further, the present invention relates to an article comprising the polypeptide. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the article. In addition, the present invention relates to the article or pharmaceutical composition for use as a pharmaceutical, for inducing an immune response and/or for use in a prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatment of a disease.

A composition and method for preventing or reducing the incidence of a transient ischemic attack in a subject at risk for developing a stroke comprises orally administering to the subject a prophylactically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising an ASIC1a inhibitor capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier. Preferred ASIC1a inhibitors for use in the disclosed methods include amiloride and amiloride analogs.