Abductin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abductin is a naturally occurring elastomeric protein found in the hinge ligament of bivalve mollusks. It is unique as it is the only natural elastomer with compressible elasticity, as compared to resilin, spider silk, and elastin.[1] Its name was proposed from the fact that it functions as the abductor of the valves of bivalve mollusks.
The properties of abductin vary across species of bivalves due to the specific use case of the species or the environment the species is found in. In spite of these differences, the same general function of acting opposite of the abductor muscles, where the resilin forces the shells into an open configuration.
Though patents for a specific protein sequences of abductin were approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Offices, there are no large scale commercial uses for abductin as of April 2022.