Abstract
Changes of silk fibroin molecular weight was studied by enzymatic proteolysis and reverse reaction of enzymatic proteolysis (plastein reaction) using chromatography, X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis methods. When the treatment of enzymatic proteolysis with $\alpha$-chymotripsin to silk fibroin solution, a precipitate of Fcp fractions was formed. And, this was dissolved in LiBr aqueous solution, the precipitate of PIFcp fractions was obtained again. Fcp and PIFcp fractions showed silk IIand silk Itype structure, respectively. Fcp fractions was about 6,900 in molecular weight, PIFcp fractions obtained by plastein reaction on the precipitate of Fcp fractions increased molecular weight to abort 15,000. The molecular weight of Fcp fractions was increased by plastein reaction, but Fcp fractions almost transited to silk I type crystal. The structure of silk I type of PIFcp fractions was steady identified by X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis. As molecular weight of Fcp fractions was gradually low, PIFcp fractions was become to macromolecule little by little.