All spiders produce protein-based biopolymer fibres that we call silk. The most studied of these silks is spider dragline silk, which is very tough and relatively abundant compared with other types of spider silks. Considerable research has been devoted to understanding the relationship between the molecular structure and mechanical properties of spider dragline silks. In this Review, we overview experimental and computational studies that have provided a wealth of detail at the molecular level on the highly conserved repetitive core and terminal regions of spider dragline silk. We also discuss the role of the nanocrystalline β-sheets and amorphous regions in determining the properties of spider silk fibres, endowing them with strength and elasticity. Additionally, we outline imaging techniques and modelling studies that elucidate the importance of the hierarchical structure of silk fibres at the molecular level. These insights into structure–function relationships can guide the reverse engineering of spider silk to enable the production of superior synthetic fibres.

所有蜘蛛都会产生基于蛋白质的生物聚合物纤维，我们称其为丝绸。这些丝中研究最多的是蜘蛛拉丝，它比其他类型的蜘蛛丝坚韧且相对丰富。已经进行了大量的研究来理解蜘蛛拉铲丝的分子结构和机械性能之间的关系。在这篇综述中，我们概述了实验和计算研究，这些研究在分子水平上对蜘蛛拉铲丝的高度保守的重复核心和末端区域提供了很多细节。我们还讨论了纳米晶体β-折叠和无定形区域在确定蜘蛛丝纤维的特性，赋予它们强度和弹性方面的作用。此外，我们概述了成像技术和建模研究，阐明了在分子水平上丝纤维分级结构的重要性。这些对结构-功能关系的见解可以指导蜘蛛丝的逆向工程，以生产出优质的合成纤维。