Characterization of pedicel, paper, and larval silk from nest ofPolistes annularis (L.).

The pedicel, nest paper, and larval silk ofPolistes annularis nests were analyzed by high-resolution solid-state [(13)C]NMR. The pedicel was found to have a high nitrogen content (11%), and the NMR spectra indicated that it is a mixture of carbohydrate and protein. The pedicel protein has an amino acid composition that is very rich in glycine, alanine, serine, and proline (67% of identified residues), similar to that of some insect silks. Solid-state [(13)C]NMR indicated that the nest paper is composed predominantly of cellulose. Silk, spun by matureP. annularis larvae, was shown by [(13)C] NMR and amino acid analysis to be a protein very high in serine and alanine (53%), but the amino acid composition is distinct from that of the pedicel protein.