Figure 1.
Analysis of proteins in the labial gland of late final instar Apis mellifera by SDS-PAGE showing that major protein bands correspond to identified silk proteins. Molecular weight markers (kDa) are shown alongside the gel. AF1, AmelFibroin1; AF2, AmelFibroin2; AF3, AmelFibroin3; AF4, AmelFibroin4. As Coomassie brilliant blue dye binds to basic and aromatic residues (Compton and Jones 1985), the relative intensity of the staining seen in this gel may not be linearly proportional to protein abundance. AmelSA1 and AmelSA2, the two most prominent bands, contain approximately twice the basic plus aromatic content of the AmelFibroin proteins.
