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Yin Y, Griffo A, Gutiérrez Cruz A, Hähl H, Jacobs K, Linder MB. Effect of Phosphate on the Molecular Properties, Interactions, and Assembly of Engineered Spider Silk Proteins. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:3990-4000. [PMID: 38916967 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Phosphate plays a vital role in spider silk spinning and has been utilized in numerous artificial silk spinning attempts to replicate the remarkable mechanical properties of natural silk fiber. Its application in artificial processes has, however, yielded varying outcomes. It is thus necessary to investigate the origins and mechanisms behind these differences. By using recombinant silk protein SC-ADF3 derived from the garden spider Araneus diadematus, here, we describe its conformational changes under various conditions, elucidating the effect of phosphate on SC-ADF3 silk protein properties and interactions. Our results demonstrate that elevated phosphate levels induce the irreversible conformational conversion of SC-ADF3 from random coils to β-sheet structures, leading to decreased protein solubility over time. Furthermore, exposure of SC-ADF3 to phosphate stiffens already formed structures and reduces the ability to form new interactions. Our findings offer insights into the underlying mechanism through which phosphate-induced β-sheet structures in ADF3-related silk proteins impede fiber formation in the subsequent phases. From a broader perspective, our studies emphasize the significance of silk protein conformation for functional material formation, highlighting that the formation of β-sheet structures at the initial stages of protein assembly will affect the outcome of material forming processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Yin
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Kemistintie 1, 02150 Espoo, Finland
- Finnish Centre of Excellence in Life-Inspired Hybrid Materials (LIBER), Aalto University, Kemistintie 1, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Alessandra Griffo
- Biophysical Engineering Group, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Experimental Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Adrián Gutiérrez Cruz
- Department of Experimental Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Hendrik Hähl
- Department of Experimental Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Karin Jacobs
- Department of Experimental Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- Max Planck School "Matter to Life", Jahnstraße 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus B Linder
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Kemistintie 1, 02150 Espoo, Finland
- Finnish Centre of Excellence in Life-Inspired Hybrid Materials (LIBER), Aalto University, Kemistintie 1, 02150 Espoo, Finland
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2
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Maraldo A, Rnjak-Kovacina J, Marquis C. Tyrosine - a structural glue for hierarchical protein assembly. Trends Biochem Sci 2024; 49:633-648. [PMID: 38653686 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2024.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Protein self-assembly, guided by the interplay of sequence- and environment-dependent liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), constitutes a fundamental process in the assembly of numerous intrinsically disordered proteins. Heuristic examination of these proteins has underscored the role of tyrosine residues, evident in their conservation and pivotal involvement in initiating LLPS and subsequent liquid-solid phase transitions (LSPT). The development of tyrosine-templated constructs, designed to mimic their natural counterparts, emerges as a promising strategy for creating adaptive, self-assembling systems with diverse applications. This review explores the central role of tyrosine in orchestrating protein self-assembly, delving into key interactions and examining its potential in innovative applications, including responsive biomaterials and bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Maraldo
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Christopher Marquis
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
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3
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Qin D, Wang M, Cheng W, Chen J, Wang F, Sun J, Ma C, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Li H, Liu K, Li J. Spidroin-mimetic Engineered Protein Fibers with High Toughness and Minimized Batch-to-batch Variations through β-sheets Co-assembly. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202400595. [PMID: 38321642 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202400595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic spidroin fibers have not yet attained the same level of toughness and stability as natural spider silks due to the complexity of composition and hierarchical structure. Particularly, understanding the intricate interactions between spidroin components in spider fiber is still elusive. Herein, we report modular design and preparation of spidroin-mimetic fibers composed of a conservative C-terminus spidroin module, two different natural β-sheets modules, and a non-spidroin random-coil module. The resulting fibers exhibit a toughness of ~200 MJ/m3, reaching the highest value among the reported artificial spider silks. The interactions between two components of recombinant spidroins facilitate the intermolecular co-assembly of β-sheets, thereby enhancing the mechanical strength and reducing batch-to-batch variability in the dual-component spidroin fibers. Additionally, the dual-component spidroin fibers offer potential applications in implantable or even edible devices. Therefore, our work presents a generic strategy to develop high-performance protein fibers for diverse translations in different scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawen Qin
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, 300130, Tianjin, China
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Mengyao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Wenhao Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Jing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Fan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Jing Sun
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, East China Normal University, 200241, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Ma
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials of the Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials of the Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Huanrong Li
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, 300130, Tianjin, China
| | - Kai Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials of the Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
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Mayer K, Ruhoff A, Chan NJ, Waterhouse A, O'Connor AJ, Scheibel T, Heath DE. REDV-Functionalized Recombinant Spider Silk for Next-Generation Coronary Artery Stent Coatings: Hemocompatible, Drug-Eluting, and Endothelial Cell-Specific Materials. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024. [PMID: 38470984 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c17861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Coronary artery stents are life-saving devices, and millions of these devices are implanted annually to treat coronary heart disease. The current gold standard in treatment is drug-eluting stents, which are coated with a biodegradable polymer layer that elutes antiproliferative drugs to prevent restenosis due to neointimal hyperplasia. Stenting is commonly paired with systemic antiplatelet therapy to prevent stent thrombosis. Despite their clinical success, current stents have significant limitations including inducing local inflammation that drives hyperplasia; a lack of hemocompatibility that promotes thrombosis, increasing need for antiplatelet therapy; and limited endothelialization, which is a critical step in the healing process. In this research, we designed a novel material for use as a next-generation coating for drug-eluting stents that addresses the limitations described above. Specifically, we developed a recombinant spider silk material that is functionalized with an REDV cell-adhesive ligand, a peptide motif that promotes specific adhesion of endothelial cells in the cardiovascular environment. We illustrated that this REDV-modified spider silk variant [eADF4(C16)-REDV] is an endothelial-cell-specific material that can promote the formation of a near-confluent endothelium. We additionally performed hemocompatibility assays using human whole blood and demonstrated that spider silk materials exhibit excellent hemocompatibility under both static and flow conditions. Furthermore, we showed that the material displayed slow enzyme-mediated degradation. Finally, we illustrated the ability to load and release the clinically relevant drug everolimus from recombinant spider silk coatings in a quantity and at a rate similar to that of commercial devices. These results support the use of REDV-functionalized recombinant spider silk as a coating for drug-eluting stents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Mayer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graeme Clark Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- Chair for Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Prof. Rüdiger-Bormann-Straße 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Alexander Ruhoff
- Heart Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Newtown, NSW 2042, Australia
| | - Nicholas J Chan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graeme Clark Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Anna Waterhouse
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Andrea J O'Connor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graeme Clark Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Chair for Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Prof. Rüdiger-Bormann-Straße 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuther Zentrum für Kolloide und Grenzflächen (BZKG), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuther Materialzentrum (BayMat), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuther Zentrum für Molekulare Biowissenschaften (BZMB), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayrisches Polymerinstitut (BPI), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Daniel E Heath
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graeme Clark Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
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5
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Li M, Li J, Liu K, Zhang H. Artificial structural proteins: Synthesis, assembly and material applications. Bioorg Chem 2024; 144:107162. [PMID: 38308999 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Structural proteins have evolved over billions of years and offer outstanding mechanical properties, such as resilience, toughness and stiffness. Advances in modular protein engineering, polypeptide modification, and synthetic biology have led to the development of novel biomimetic structural proteins to perform in biomedical and military fields. However, the development of customized structural proteins and assemblies with superior performance remains a major challenge, due to the inherent limitations of biosynthesis, difficulty in mimicking the complexed macroscale assembly, etc. This review summarizes the approaches for the design and production of biomimetic structural proteins, and their chemical modifications for multiscale assembly. Furthermore, we discuss the function tailoring and current applications of biomimetic structural protein assemblies. A perspective of future research is to reveal how the mechanical properties are encoded in the sequences and conformations. This review, therefore, provides an important reference for the development of structural proteins-mimetics from replication of nature to even outperforming nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China; School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China.
| | - Kai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China; School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China; School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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6
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Chen J, Tsuchida A, Malay AD, Tsuchiya K, Masunaga H, Tsuji Y, Kuzumoto M, Urayama K, Shintaku H, Numata K. Replicating shear-mediated self-assembly of spider silk through microfluidics. Nat Commun 2024; 15:527. [PMID: 38225234 PMCID: PMC10789810 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44733-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of artificial spider silk with properties similar to native silk has been a challenging task in materials science. In this study, we use a microfluidic device to create continuous fibers based on recombinant MaSp2 spidroin. The strategy incorporates ion-induced liquid-liquid phase separation, pH-driven fibrillation, and shear-dependent induction of β-sheet formation. We find that a threshold shear stress of approximately 72 Pa is required for fiber formation, and that β-sheet formation is dependent on the presence of polyalanine blocks in the repetitive sequence. The MaSp2 fiber formed has a β-sheet content (29.2%) comparable to that of native dragline with a shear stress requirement of 111 Pa. Interestingly, the polyalanine blocks have limited influence on the occurrence of liquid-liquid phase separation and hierarchical structure. These results offer insights into the shear-induced crystallization and sequence-structure relationship of spider silk and have significant implications for the rational design of artificially spun fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianming Chen
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
- Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
- Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
- School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Arata Tsuchida
- Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Ali D Malay
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kousuke Tsuchiya
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
| | - Hiroyasu Masunaga
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5198, Japan
| | - Yui Tsuji
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
| | - Mako Kuzumoto
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
| | - Kenji Urayama
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Shintaku
- Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan.
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-0017, Japan.
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7
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Hovanová V, Hovan A, Humenik M, Sedlák E. Only kosmotrope anions trigger fibrillization of the recombinant core spidroin eADF4(C16) from Araneus diadematus. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4832. [PMID: 37937854 PMCID: PMC10661072 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant core spidroin eADF4(C16) has received increasing attention due to its ability to form micro- and nano-structured scaffolds, which are based on nanofibrils with great potential for biomedical and biotechnological applications. Phosphate anions have been demonstrated to trigger the eADF4(C16) self-assembly into cross-beta fibrils. In the present work, we systematically addressed the effect of nine sodium anions, namely SO4 2- , HPO4 2- (Pi), F- , Cl- , Br- , NO3 - , I- , SCN- , and ClO4 - from the Hofmeister series on the in vitro self-assembly kinetics of eADF4(C16). We show that besides the phosphate anions, only kosmotropic anions such as sulfate and fluoride can initiate the eADF4(C16) fibril formation. Global analysis of the self-assembly kinetics, utilizing the platform AmyloFit, showed the nucleation-based mechanism with a major role of secondary nucleation, surprisingly independent of the type of the kosmotropic anion. The rate constant of the fibril elongation in mixtures of phosphate anions with other studied anions correlated with their kosmotropic or chaotropic position in the Hofmeister series. Our findings suggest an important role of anion hydration in the eADF4(C16) fibrillization process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Hovanová
- Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Technology and Innovation ParkP.J. Šafárik UniversityKošiceSlovakia
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of ScienceP.J. Šafárik UniversityKošiceSlovakia
| | - Andrej Hovan
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of ScienceP.J. Šafárik UniversityKošiceSlovakia
| | - Martin Humenik
- Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering ScienceUniversity BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Erik Sedlák
- Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Technology and Innovation ParkP.J. Šafárik UniversityKošiceSlovakia
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of ScienceP.J. Šafárik UniversityKošiceSlovakia
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8
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Zhang X, Li J, Ma C, Zhang H, Liu K. Biomimetic Structural Proteins: Modular Assembly and High Mechanical Performance. Acc Chem Res 2023; 56:2664-2675. [PMID: 37738227 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Protein-based biomaterials attract growing interests due to their encoded and programmable robust mechanical properties, superelasticity, plasticity, shape adaptability, excellent interfacial behavior, etc., derived from sequence-guided backbone structures, particularly compared to chemically synthetic counterparts in materials science and biomedical engineering. For example, protein materials have been successfully fabricated as (1) artificial implants (man-made tendons, cartilages, or dental tissues), due to programmable chemistry and biocompatibility; (2) smart biodevices with temperature/light-response and self-healing effects; and (3) impact resistance materials having great mechanical performance due to biomimetics. However, the existing method of regenerating protein materials from natural sources has two critical issues, low yield and structural damage, making it unable to meet demands. Therefore, it is crucial to develop an alternative strategy for fabricating protein materials. Heterologous expression of natural proteins with a modular assembly approach is an effective strategy for material preparation. Standardized, easy-to-assemble protein modules with specific structures and functions are developed through experimental and computational tools based on natural functional protein sequences. Through recombination and heterologous expression, these artificial protein modules become keys to material fabrication. Undergoing an assembly process similar to supramolecular self-assembly of proteins in cells, biomimetic modules can be fabricated for formation of macroscopic materials such as fibers and adhesives. This strategy inspired by synthetic biology and supramolecular chemistry is important for improving target protein yields and assembly integrity. It also preserves and optimizes the mechanical functions of structural proteins, accelerating the design and fabrication of artificial protein materials.In this Account, we overview recent studies on fabricating biomimetic protein materials to elucidate the concept of modular assembly. We discuss the design of biomimetic structural proteins at the molecular level, providing a wealth of details determining the bulk properties of materials. Additinally, we describe the modular self-assembly and assembly driven by inducing molecules, and mechanical properties and applications of resulting fibers. We used these strategies to develop fiber materials with high tensile strength, high toughness, and properties such as anti-icing and high-temperature resistance. We also extended this approach to design protein-based adhesives with ultra-strong adhesion, biocompatibility, and biodegradability for surgical applications such as wound sealing and healing. Other protein materials, including films and hydrogels, have been developed through chemical assembly routes. Finally, we describe exploiting synthetic biology and chemistry to overcome bottlenecks in structural protein modular design, biosynthesis, and material assembly and our perspectives for future development in structural biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Chao Ma
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Xiangfu Laboratory, Building 5, No.828 Zhongxing Road, Xitang Town, Jiashan, Jiaxing, Zhejiang 314102, China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Xiangfu Laboratory, Building 5, No.828 Zhongxing Road, Xitang Town, Jiashan, Jiaxing, Zhejiang 314102, China
| | - Kai Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Xiangfu Laboratory, Building 5, No.828 Zhongxing Road, Xitang Town, Jiashan, Jiaxing, Zhejiang 314102, China
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9
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Mu X, Amouzandeh R, Vogts H, Luallen E, Arzani M. A brief review on the mechanisms and approaches of silk spinning-inspired biofabrication. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1252499. [PMID: 37744248 PMCID: PMC10512026 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1252499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Silk spinning, observed in spiders and insects, exhibits a remarkable biological source of inspiration for advanced polymer fabrications. Because of the systems design, silk spinning represents a holistic and circular approach to sustainable polymer fabrication, characterized by renewable resources, ambient and aqueous processing conditions, and fully recyclable "wastes." Also, silk spinning results in structures that are characterized by the combination of monolithic proteinaceous composition and mechanical strength, as well as demonstrate tunable degradation profiles and minimal immunogenicity, thus making it a viable alternative to most synthetic polymers for the development of advanced biomedical devices. However, the fundamental mechanisms of silk spinning remain incompletely understood, thus impeding the efforts to harness the advantageous properties of silk spinning. Here, we present a concise and timely review of several essential features of silk spinning, including the molecular designs of silk proteins and the solvent cues along the spinning apparatus. The solvent cues, including salt ions, pH, and water content, are suggested to direct the hierarchical assembly of silk proteins and thus play a central role in silk spinning. We also discuss several hypotheses on the roles of solvent cues to provide a relatively comprehensive analysis and to identify the current knowledge gap. We then review the state-of-the-art bioinspired fabrications with silk proteins, including fiber spinning and additive approaches/three-dimensional (3D) printing. An emphasis throughout the article is placed on the universal characteristics of silk spinning developed through millions of years of individual evolution pathways in spiders and silkworms. This review serves as a stepping stone for future research endeavors, facilitating the in vitro recapitulation of silk spinning and advancing the field of bioinspired polymer fabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Mu
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
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10
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Sun J, He H, Zhao K, Cheng W, Li Y, Zhang P, Wan S, Liu Y, Wang M, Li M, Wei Z, Li B, Zhang Y, Li C, Sun Y, Shen J, Li J, Wang F, Ma C, Tian Y, Su J, Chen D, Fan C, Zhang H, Liu K. Protein fibers with self-recoverable mechanical properties via dynamic imine chemistry. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5348. [PMID: 37660126 PMCID: PMC10475138 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41084-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The manipulation of internal interactions at the molecular level within biological fibers is of particular importance but challenging, severely limiting their tunability in macroscopic performances and applications. It thus becomes imperative to explore new approaches to enhance biological fibers' stability and environmental tolerance and to impart them with diverse functionalities, such as mechanical recoverability and stimulus-triggered responses. Herein, we develop a dynamic imine fiber chemistry (DIFC) approach to engineer molecular interactions to fabricate strong and tough protein fibers with recoverability and actuating behaviors. The resulting DIF fibers exhibit extraordinary mechanical performances, outperforming many recombinant silks and synthetic polymer fibers. Remarkably, impaired DIF fibers caused by fatigue or strong acid treatment are quickly recovered in water directed by the DIFC strategy. Reproducible mechanical performance is thus observed. The DIF fibers also exhibit exotic mechanical stability at extreme temperatures (e.g., -196 °C and 150 °C). When triggered by humidity, the DIFC endows the protein fibers with diverse actuation behaviors, such as self-folding, self-stretching, and self-contracting. Therefore, the established DIFC represents an alternative strategy to strengthen biological fibers and may pave the way for their high-tech applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sun
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Haonan He
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Kelu Zhao
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Wenhao Cheng
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Yuanxin Li
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Sikang Wan
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Yawei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Mengyao Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Ming Li
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Zheng Wei
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Bo Li
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Cong Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yao Sun
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Jianlei Shen
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Fan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Chao Ma
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Tian
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Juanjuan Su
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, College of Materials Science and Optoelectronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Dong Chen
- College of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
| | - Chunhai Fan
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Kai Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China.
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11
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Greco G, Schmuck B, Jalali SK, Pugno NM, Rising A. Influence of experimental methods on the mechanical properties of silk fibers: A systematic literature review and future road map. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:031301. [PMID: 38510706 PMCID: PMC10903380 DOI: 10.1063/5.0155552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Spider silk fibers are of scientific and industrial interest because of their extraordinary mechanical properties. These properties are normally determined by tensile tests, but the values obtained are dependent on the morphology of the fibers, the test conditions, and the methods by which stress and strain are calculated. Because of this, results from many studies are not directly comparable, which has led to widespread misconceptions in the field. Here, we critically review most of the reports from the past 50 years on spider silk mechanical performance and use artificial spider silk and native silks as models to highlight the effect that different experimental setups have on the fibers' mechanical properties. The results clearly illustrate the importance of carefully evaluating the tensile test methods when comparing the results from different studies. Finally, we suggest a protocol for how to perform tensile tests on silk and biobased fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - S. K. Jalali
- Laboratory for Bioinspired, Bionic, Nano, Meta, Materials & Mechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | | | - Anna Rising
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
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12
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Trossmann VT, Lentz S, Scheibel T. Factors Influencing Properties of Spider Silk Coatings and Their Interactions within a Biological Environment. J Funct Biomater 2023; 14:434. [PMID: 37623678 PMCID: PMC10455157 DOI: 10.3390/jfb14080434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomaterials are an indispensable part of biomedical research. However, although many materials display suitable application-specific properties, they provide only poor biocompatibility when implanted into a human/animal body leading to inflammation and rejection reactions. Coatings made of spider silk proteins are promising alternatives for various applications since they are biocompatible, non-toxic and anti-inflammatory. Nevertheless, the biological response toward a spider silk coating cannot be generalized. The properties of spider silk coatings are influenced by many factors, including silk source, solvent, the substrate to be coated, pre- and post-treatments and the processing technique. All these factors consequently affect the biological response of the environment and the putative application of the appropriate silk coating. Here, we summarize recently identified factors to be considered before spider silk processing as well as physicochemical characterization methods. Furthermore, we highlight important results of biological evaluations to emphasize the importance of adjustability and adaption to a specific application. Finally, we provide an experimental matrix of parameters to be considered for a specific application and a guided biological response as exemplarily tested with two different fibroblast cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa T. Trossmann
- Chair of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Straße 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; (V.T.T.); (S.L.)
| | - Sarah Lentz
- Chair of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Straße 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; (V.T.T.); (S.L.)
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Chair of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Straße 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; (V.T.T.); (S.L.)
- Bayreuth Center for Colloids and Interfaces (BZKG), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bavarian Polymer Institute (BPI), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Molecular Biosciences (BZMB), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Materials Center (BayMAT), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Pleicherwall 2, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
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13
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Ebbinghaus T, Lang G, Scheibel T. Biomimetic polymer fibers-function by design. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2023; 18:041003. [PMID: 37307815 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/acddc1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Biomimicry applies the fundamental principles of natural materials, processes, and structures to technological applications. This review presents the two strategies of biomimicry-bottom-up and top-down approaches, using biomimetic polymer fibers and suitable spinning techniques as examples. The bottom-up biomimicry approach helps to acquire fundamental knowledge on biological systems, which can then be leveraged for technological advancements. Within this context, we discuss the spinning of silk and collagen fibers due to their unique natural mechanical properties. To achieve successful biomimicry, it is imperative to carefully adjust the spinning solution and processing parameters. On the other hand, top-down biomimicry aims to solve technological problems by seeking solutions from natural role models. This approach will be illustrated using examples such as spider webs, animal hair, and tissue structures. To contextualize biomimicking approaches in practical applications, this review will give an overview of biomimetic filter technologies, textiles, and tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Ebbinghaus
- Chair of Biomaterials, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Gregor Lang
- Department of Functional Materials in Medicine and Dentistry, University Hospital of Würzburg, Pleicherwall 2, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Chair of Biomaterials, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Colloids and Interfaces (BZKG), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bavarian Polymer Institute (BPI), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Molecular Biosciences (BZMB), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Material Science (BayMAT), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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14
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Li J, Jiang B, Chang X, Yu H, Han Y, Zhang F. Bi-terminal fusion of intrinsically-disordered mussel foot protein fragments boosts mechanical strength for protein fibers. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2127. [PMID: 37059716 PMCID: PMC10104820 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37563-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbially-synthesized protein-based materials are attractive replacements for petroleum-derived synthetic polymers. However, the high molecular weight, high repetitiveness, and highly-biased amino acid composition of high-performance protein-based materials have restricted their production and widespread use. Here we present a general strategy for enhancing both strength and toughness of low-molecular-weight protein-based materials by fusing intrinsically-disordered mussel foot protein fragments to their termini, thereby promoting end-to-end protein-protein interactions. We demonstrate that fibers of a ~60 kDa bi-terminally fused amyloid-silk protein exhibit ultimate tensile strength up to 481 ± 31 MPa and toughness of 179 ± 39 MJ*m-3, while achieving a high titer of 8.0 ± 0.70 g/L by bioreactor production. We show that bi-terminal fusion of Mfp5 fragments significantly enhances the alignment of β-nanocrystals, and intermolecular interactions are promoted by cation-π and π-π interactions between terminal fragments. Our approach highlights the advantage of self-interacting intrinsically-disordered proteins in enhancing material mechanical properties and can be applied to a wide range of protein-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyao Li
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Bojing Jiang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Xinyuan Chang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Han Yu
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Yichao Han
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Fuzhong Zhang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
- Division of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
- Institute of Materials Science & Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
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15
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Wu SD, Chuang WT, Ho JC, Wu HC, Hsu SH. Self-Healing of Recombinant Spider Silk Gel and Coating. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15081855. [PMID: 37112001 PMCID: PMC10141599 DOI: 10.3390/polym15081855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Self-healing properties, originating from the natural healing process, are highly desirable for the fitness-enhancing functionality of biomimetic materials. Herein, we fabricated the biomimetic recombinant spider silk by genetic engineering, in which Escherichia coli (E. coli) was employed as a heterologous expression host. The self-assembled recombinant spider silk hydrogel was obtained through the dialysis process (purity > 85%). The recombinant spider silk hydrogel with a storage modulus of ~250 Pa demonstrated autonomous self-healing and high strain-sensitive properties (critical strain ~50%) at 25 °C. The in situ small-angle X-ray scattering (in situ SAXS) analyses revealed that the self-healing mechanism was associated with the stick-slip behavior of the β-sheet nanocrystals (each of ~2-4 nm) based on the slope variation (i.e., ~-0.4 at 100%/200% strains, and ~-0.9 at 1% strain) of SAXS curves in the high q-range. The self-healing phenomenon may occur through the rupture and reformation of the reversible hydrogen bonding within the β-sheet nanocrystals. Furthermore, the recombinant spider silk as a dry coating material demonstrated self-healing under humidity as well as cell affinity. The electrical conductivity of the dry silk coating was ~0.4 mS/m. Neural stem cells (NSCs) proliferated on the coated surface and showed a 2.3-fold number expansion after 3 days of culture. The biomimetic self-healing recombinant spider silk gel and thinly coated surface may have good potential in biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Da Wu
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Tsung Chuang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC), Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan
| | - Jo-Chen Ho
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Hsuan-Chen Wu
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Shan-Hui Hsu
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli 350, Taiwan
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16
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Saric M, Scheibel T. Two-in-One Spider Silk Protein with Combined Mechanical Features in All-Aqueous Spun Fibers. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1744-1750. [PMID: 36913547 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Major ampullate (MA) spider silk reveals outstanding mechanical properties in terms of a unique combination of high tensile strength and extensibility, unmatched by most other known native or synthetic fiber materials. MA silk contains at least two spider silk proteins (spidroins), and here, a novel two-in-one (TIO) spidroin was engineered, resembling amino acid sequences of such two of the European garden spider. The combination of mechanical and chemical features of both underlying proteins facilitated the hierarchical self-assembly into β-sheet-rich superstructures. Due to the presence of native terminal dimerization domains, highly concentrated aqueous spinning dopes could be prepared from recombinant TIO spidroins. Subsequently, fibers were spun in a biomimetic, aqueous wet-spinning process, yielding mechanical properties at least twice as high as fibers spun from individual spidroins or blends. The presented processing route holds great potential for future applications using ecological green high-performance fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merisa Saric
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Zentrum für Kolloide und Grenzflächen (BZKG), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Materialzentrum (BayMat), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Zentrum für Molekulare Biowissenschaften (BZMB), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayrisches Polymerinstitut (BPI), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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17
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Stengel D, Saric M, Johnson HR, Schiller T, Diehl J, Chalek K, Onofrei D, Scheibel T, Holland GP. Tyrosine's Unique Role in the Hierarchical Assembly of Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins: From Spinning Dope to Fibers. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1463-1474. [PMID: 36791420 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Producing recombinant spider silk fibers that exhibit mechanical properties approaching native spider silk is highly dependent on the constitution of the spinning dope. Previously published work has shown that recombinant spider silk fibers spun from dopes with phosphate-induced pre-assembly (biomimetic dopes) display a toughness approaching native spider silks far exceeding the mechanical properties of fibers spun from dopes without pre-assembly (classical dopes). Dynamic light scattering experiments comparing the two dopes reveal that biomimetic dope displays a systematic increase in assembly size over time, while light microscopy indicates liquid-liquid-phase separation (LLPS) as evidenced by the formation of micron-scale liquid droplets. Solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) shows that the structural state in classical and biomimetic dopes displays a general random coil conformation in both cases; however, some subtle but distinct differences are observed, including a more ordered state for the biomimetic dope and small chemical shift perturbations indicating differences in hydrogen bonding of the protein in the different dopes with notable changes occurring for Tyr residues. Solid-state NMR demonstrates that the final wet-spun fibers from the two dopes display no structural differences of the poly(Ala) stretches, but biomimetic fibers display a significant difference in Tyr ring packing in non-β-sheet, disordered helical domains that can be traced back to differences in dope preparations. It is concluded that phosphate pre-orders the recombinant silk protein in biomimetic dopes resulting in LLPS and fibers that exhibit vastly improved toughness that could be due to aromatic ring packing differences in non-β-sheet domains that contain Tyr.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillan Stengel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - Merisa Saric
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Street 1, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Hannah R Johnson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - Tim Schiller
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Street 1, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Johannes Diehl
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Street 1, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Kevin Chalek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - David Onofrei
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Street 1, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Gregory P Holland
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
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18
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Rising A, Harrington MJ. Biological Materials Processing: Time-Tested Tricks for Sustainable Fiber Fabrication. Chem Rev 2023; 123:2155-2199. [PMID: 36508546 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There is an urgent need to improve the sustainability of the materials we produce and use. Here, we explore what humans can learn from nature about how to sustainably fabricate polymeric fibers with excellent material properties by reviewing the physical and chemical aspects of materials processing distilled from diverse model systems, including spider silk, mussel byssus, velvet worm slime, hagfish slime, and mistletoe viscin. We identify common and divergent strategies, highlighting the potential for bioinspired design and technology transfer. Despite the diversity of the biopolymeric fibers surveyed, we identify several common strategies across multiple systems, including: (1) use of stimuli-responsive biomolecular building blocks, (2) use of concentrated fluid precursor phases (e.g., coacervates and liquid crystals) stored under controlled chemical conditions, and (3) use of chemical (pH, salt concentration, redox chemistry) and physical (mechanical shear, extensional flow) stimuli to trigger the transition from fluid precursor to solid material. Importantly, because these materials largely form and function outside of the body of the organisms, these principles can more easily be transferred for bioinspired design in synthetic systems. We end the review by discussing ongoing efforts and challenges to mimic biological model systems, with a particular focus on artificial spider silks and mussel-inspired materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rising
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 141 52, Sweden.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden
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19
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Engineering Mechanical Strong Biomaterials Inspired by Structural Building Blocks in Nature. Chem Res Chin Univ 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s40242-023-2357-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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20
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Rapid molecular diversification and homogenization of clustered major ampullate silk genes in Argiope garden spiders. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010537. [PMID: 36508456 PMCID: PMC9779670 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary diversification of orb-web weaving spiders is closely tied to the mechanical performance of dragline silk. This proteinaceous fiber provides the primary structural framework of orb web architecture, and its extraordinary toughness allows these structures to absorb the high energy of aerial prey impact. The dominant model of dragline silk molecular structure involves the combined function of two highly repetitive, spider-specific, silk genes (spidroins)-MaSp1 and MaSp2. Recent genomic studies, however, have suggested this framework is overly simplistic, and our understanding of how MaSp genes evolve is limited. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of MaSp structural and evolutionary diversity across species of Argiope (garden spiders). This genomic analysis reveals the largest catalog of MaSp genes found in any spider, driven largely by an expansion of MaSp2 genes. The rapid diversification of Argiope MaSp genes, located primarily in a single genomic cluster, is associated with profound changes in silk gene structure. MaSp2 genes, in particular, have evolved complex hierarchically organized repeat units (ensemble repeats) delineated by novel introns that exhibit remarkable evolutionary dynamics. These repetitive introns have arisen independently within the genus, are highly homogenized within a gene, but diverge rapidly between genes. In some cases, these iterated introns are organized in an alternating structure in which every other intron is nearly identical in sequence. We hypothesize that this intron structure has evolved to facilitate homogenization of the coding sequence. We also find evidence of intergenic gene conversion and identify a more diverse array of stereotypical amino acid repeats than previously recognized. Overall, the extreme diversification found among MaSp genes requires changes in the structure-function model of dragline silk performance that focuses on the differential use and interaction among various MaSp paralogs as well as the impact of ensemble repeat structure and different amino acid motifs on mechanical behavior.
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21
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Johari N, Khodaei A, Samadikuchaksaraei A, Reis RL, Kundu SC, Moroni L. Ancient fibrous biomaterials from silkworm protein fibroin and spider silk blends: Biomechanical patterns. Acta Biomater 2022; 153:38-67. [PMID: 36126911 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Silkworm silk protein fibroin and spider silk spidroin are known biocompatible and natural biodegradable polymers in biomedical applications. The presence of β-sheets in silk fibroin and spider spidroin conformation improves their mechanical properties. The strength and toughness of pure recombinant silkworm fibroin and spidroin are relatively low due to reduced molecular weight. Hence, blending is the foremost approach of recent studies to optimize silk fibroin and spidroin's mechanical properties. As summarised in the present review, numerous research investigations evaluate the blending of natural and synthetic polymers. The effects of blending silk fibroin and spidroin with natural and synthetic polymers on the mechanical properties are discussed in this review article. Indeed, combining natural and synthetic polymers with silk fibroin and spidroin changes their conformation and structure, fine-tuning the blends' mechanical properties. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Silkworm and spider silk proteins (silk fibroin and spidroin) are biocompatible and biodegradable natural polymers having different types of biomedical applications. Their mechanical and biological properties may be tuned through various strategies such as blending, conjugating and cross-linking. Blending is the most common method to modify fibroin and spidroin properties on demand, this review article aims to categorize and evaluate the effects of blending fibroin and spidroin with different natural and synthetic polymers. Increased polarity and hydrophilicity end to hydrogen bonding triggered conformational change in fibroin and spidroin blends. The effect of polarity and hydrophilicity of the blending compound is discussed and categorized to a combinatorial, synergistic and indirect impacts. This outlook guides us to choose the blending compounds mindfully as this mixing affects the biochemical and biophysical characteristics of the biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narges Johari
- Materials Engineering group, Golpayegan College of Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Golpayegan, Iran.
| | - Azin Khodaei
- Department of Orthopedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Ali Samadikuchaksaraei
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Rui L Reis
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, 4805-017 Barco, Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Subhas C Kundu
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, 4805-017 Barco, Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Lorenzo Moroni
- Maastricht University, MERLN Institute for Technology Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Complex Tissue Regeneration Department, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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22
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Bargel H, Trossmann VT, Sommer C, Scheibel T. Bioselectivity of silk protein-based materials and their bio-inspired applications. BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 13:902-921. [PMID: 36127898 PMCID: PMC9475208 DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.13.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Adhesion to material surfaces is crucial for almost all organisms regarding subsequent biological responses. Mammalian cell attachment to a surrounding biological matrix is essential for maintaining their survival and function concerning tissue formation. Conversely, the adhesion and presence of microbes interferes with important multicellular processes of tissue development. Therefore, tailoring bioselective, biologically active, and multifunctional materials for biomedical applications is a modern focus of biomaterial research. Engineering biomaterials that stimulate and interact with cell receptors to support binding and subsequent physiological responses of multicellular systems attracted much interest in the last years. Further to this, the increasing threat of multidrug resistance of pathogens against antibiotics to human health urgently requires new material concepts for preventing microbial infestation and biofilm formation. Thus, materials exhibiting microbial repellence or antimicrobial behaviour to reduce inflammation, while selectively enhancing regeneration in host tissues are of utmost interest. In this context, protein-based materials are interesting candidates due to their natural origin, biological activity, and structural properties. Silk materials, in particular those made of spider silk proteins and their recombinant counterparts, are characterized by extraordinary properties including excellent biocompatibility, slow biodegradation, low immunogenicity, and non-toxicity, making them ideally suited for tissue engineering and biomedical applications. Furthermore, recombinant production technologies allow for application-specific modification to develop adjustable, bioactive materials. The present review focusses on biological processes and surface interactions involved in the bioselective adhesion of mammalian cells and repellence of microbes on protein-based material surfaces. In addition, it highlights the importance of materials made of recombinant spider silk proteins, focussing on the progress regarding bioselectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Bargel
- Department of Biomaterials, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Vanessa T Trossmann
- Department of Biomaterials, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Christoph Sommer
- Department of Biomaterials, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Department of Biomaterials, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center of Material Science and Engineering (BayMat), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bavarian Polymer Institute (BPI), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center of Colloids and Interfaces (BZKG), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Molecular Biosciences (BZMB), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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23
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Cheng J, Hu CF, Gan CY, Xia XX, Qian ZG. Functionalization and Reinforcement of Recombinant Spider Dragline Silk Fibers by Confined Nanoparticle Formation. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:3299-3309. [PMID: 35820196 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is a remarkable protein fiber that is mechanically superior to almost any other natural or synthetic material. As a sustainable supply of natural dragline silk is not feasible, recombinant production of silk fibers with native-like mechanical properties and non-native physiochemical functions is highly desirable for various applications. Here, we report a new strategy for simultaneous functionalization and reinforcement of recombinant spider silk fibers by confined nanoparticle formation. First, a mimic silk protein (N16C) of spider Trichonephila clavipes was recombinantly produced and wet-spun into fibers. Drawing the as-spun fibers in water led to post-drawn fibers more suitable for the templated synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) with uniform distribution throughout the synthetic fibers. This was exemplified using a chemical precipitation reaction to generate copper sulfide nanoparticle-incorporated fibers. These fibers and the derived fabric displayed a significant photothermal effect as their temperatures could increase to over 40 °C from room temperature within 3 min under near-infrared laser irradiation or simulated sunlight. In addition, the tensile strength and toughness of the nanofunctionalized fibers were greatly enhanced, and the toughness of these synthetic fibers could reach 160.1 ± 21.4 MJ m-3, which even exceeds that of natural spider dragline silk (111.19 ± 30.54 MJ m-3). Furthermore, the confined synthesis of gold NPs via a redox reaction was shown to improve the ultraviolet-protective effect and tensile mechanical properties of synthetic silk fibers. These results suggest that our strategy may have great potential for creating functional and high-performance spider silk fibers and fabrics for wide applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyan Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun-Fei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao-Yi Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Xia Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Gang Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
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24
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Chan NJ, Lentz S, Gurr PA, Scheibel T, Qiao GG. Mimicry of silk utilizing synthetic polypeptides. Prog Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2022.101557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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25
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Abstract
![]()
The tiny spider makes
dragline silk fibers with unbeatable toughness,
all under the most innocuous conditions. Scientists have persistently
tried to emulate its natural silk spinning process using recombinant
proteins with a view toward creating a new wave of smart materials,
yet most efforts have fallen short of attaining the native fiber’s
excellent mechanical properties. One reason for these shortcomings
may be that artificial spider silk systems tend to be overly simplified
and may not sufficiently take into account the true complexity of
the underlying protein sequences and of the multidimensional aspects
of the natural self-assembly process that give rise to the hierarchically
structured fibers. Here, we discuss recent findings regarding the
material constituents of spider dragline silk, including novel spidroin
subtypes, nonspidroin proteins, and possible involvement of post-translational
modifications, which together suggest a complexity that transcends
the two-component MaSp1/MaSp2 system. We subsequently consider insights
into the spidroin domain functions, structures, and overall mechanisms
for the rapid transition from disordered soluble protein into a highly
organized fiber, including the possibility of viewing spider silk
self-assembly through a framework relevant to biomolecular condensates.
Finally, we consider the concept of “biomimetics” as
it applies to artificial spider silk production with a focus on key
practical aspects of design and evaluation that may hopefully inform
efforts to more closely reproduce the remarkable structure and function
of the native silk fiber using artificial methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali D Malay
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hamish C Craig
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Jianming Chen
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Nur Alia Oktaviani
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.,Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
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26
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Diaz C, Baker RH, Long JH, Hayashi CY. Connecting materials, performance and evolution: a case study of the glue of moth-catching spiders (Cyrtarachninae). J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274249. [PMID: 35119070 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Morphological structures and extended phenotypes are made possible by materials that are encoded by the genome. Nearly all biomaterials are viscoelastic, which means that to understand performance, one must understand the strain rate-dependent properties of these materials in relevant ecological interactions, as the behavior of a material can vary dramatically and rapidly. Spider silks are an example of materials whose properties vary substantially intra- and inter-specifically. Here, we focus on aggregate silk, which functions as a biological adhesive. As a case study to understand how a material manifests from genome through organism to ecology, we highlight moth-specialist spiders, the Cyrtarachninae, and their glues as an ideal experimental system to investigate the relationship between genomics and ecologically variable performance of a biological material. There is a clear eco-evolutionary innovation that Cyrtarachne akirai and related species have evolved, a unique trait not found in other spiders, a glue which overcomes the scales of moths. By examining traditional orb-weavers, C. akirai and other subfamily members using biomechanical testing and genomic analysis, we argue that we can track the evolution of this novel bioadhesive and comment on the selection pressures influencing prey specialization. The importance of the ecological context of materials testing is exemplified by the poor performance of C. akirai glue on glass and the exceptional spreading ability and adhesive strength on moths. The genetic basis for these performance properties is experimentally tractable because spider silk genes are minimally pleiotropic and advances in genomic technologies now make possible the discovery of complete silk gene sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candido Diaz
- Department of Biology, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604-0731, USA
| | - Richard H Baker
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - John H Long
- Department of Biology, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604-0731, USA
| | - Cheryl Y Hayashi
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
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27
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Li J, Li S, Huang J, Khan AQ, An B, Zhou X, Liu Z, Zhu M. Spider Silk-Inspired Artificial Fibers. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2103965. [PMID: 34927397 PMCID: PMC8844500 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202103965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Spider silk is a natural polymeric fiber with high tensile strength, toughness, and has distinct thermal, optical, and biocompatible properties. The mechanical properties of spider silk are ascribed to its hierarchical structure, including primary and secondary structures of the spidroins (spider silk proteins), the nanofibril, the "core-shell", and the "nano-fishnet" structures. In addition, spider silk also exhibits remarkable properties regarding humidity/water response, water collection, light transmission, thermal conductance, and shape-memory effect. This motivates researchers to prepare artificial functional fibers mimicking spider silk. In this review, the authors summarize the study of the structure and properties of natural spider silk, and the biomimetic preparation of artificial fibers from different types of molecules and polymers by taking some examples of artificial fibers exhibiting these interesting properties. In conclusion, biomimetic studies have yielded several noteworthy findings in artificial fibers with different functions, and this review aims to provide indications for biomimetic studies of functional fibers that approach and exceed the properties of natural spider silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiatian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Sitong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Jiayi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Abdul Qadeer Khan
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Baigang An
- School of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Science and Technology LiaoningAnshan114051China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- Department of ScienceChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing211198China
| | - Zunfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
- School of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Science and Technology LiaoningAnshan114051China
| | - Meifang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer MaterialsCollege of Materials Science and EngineeringDonghua UniversityShanghai201620China
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28
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Jin Q, Pan F, Hu CF, Lee SY, Xia XX, Qian ZG. Secretory production of spider silk proteins in metabolically engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum for spinning into tough fibers. Metab Eng 2022; 70:102-114. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2022.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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29
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Su J, Li J, Liang J, Zhang K, Li J. Hydrogel Preparation Methods and Biomaterials for Wound Dressing. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11101016. [PMID: 34685387 PMCID: PMC8540918 DOI: 10.3390/life11101016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wounds have become one of the causes of death worldwide. The metabolic disorder of the wound microenvironment can lead to a series of serious symptoms, especially chronic wounds that bring great pain to patients, and there is currently no effective and widely used wound dressing. Therefore, it is important to develop new multifunctional wound dressings. Hydrogel is an ideal dressing candidate because of its 3D structure, good permeability, excellent biocompatibility, and ability to provide a moist environment for wound repair, which overcomes the shortcomings of traditional dressings. This article first briefly introduces the skin wound healing process, then the preparation methods of hydrogel dressings and the characteristics of hydrogel wound dressings made of natural biomaterials and synthetic materials are introduced. Finally, the development prospects and challenges of hydrogel wound dressings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Su
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (J.S.); (J.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Jiankang Li
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (J.S.); (J.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Jiaheng Liang
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (J.S.); (J.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Kun Zhang
- School of Life Science, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (J.S.); (J.L.); (J.L.)
- Correspondence: (K.Z.); (J.L.); Tel.:+86-185-3995-8495 (K.Z.); +86-185-3995-6211 (J.L.)
| | - Jingan Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Correspondence: (K.Z.); (J.L.); Tel.:+86-185-3995-8495 (K.Z.); +86-185-3995-6211 (J.L.)
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30
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Kono N, Nakamura H, Mori M, Yoshida Y, Ohtoshi R, Malay AD, Pedrazzoli Moran DA, Tomita M, Numata K, Arakawa K. Multicomponent nature underlies the extraordinary mechanical properties of spider dragline silk. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2107065118. [PMID: 34312234 PMCID: PMC8346794 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107065118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dragline silk of golden orb-weaver spiders (Nephilinae) is noted for its unsurpassed toughness, combining extraordinary extensibility and tensile strength, suggesting industrial application as a sustainable biopolymer material. To pinpoint the molecular composition of dragline silk and the roles of its constituents in achieving its mechanical properties, we report a multiomics approach, combining high-quality genome sequencing and assembly, silk gland transcriptomics, and dragline silk proteomics of four Nephilinae spiders. We observed the consistent presence of the MaSp3B spidroin unique to this subfamily as well as several nonspidroin SpiCE proteins. Artificial synthesis and the combination of these components in vitro showed that the multicomponent nature of dragline silk, including MaSp3B and SpiCE, along with MaSp1 and MaSp2, is essential to realize the mechanical properties of spider dragline silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuaki Kono
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, 403-1 Nihonkoku, Daihouji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan
- Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Nakamura
- Spiber Inc., 234-1 Mizukami, Kakuganji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0052, Japan
| | - Masaru Mori
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, 403-1 Nihonkoku, Daihouji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan
- Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
| | - Yuki Yoshida
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, 403-1 Nihonkoku, Daihouji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan
- Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
| | - Rintaro Ohtoshi
- Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Ali D Malay
- Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | | | - Masaru Tomita
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, 403-1 Nihonkoku, Daihouji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan
- Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Depertment of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Kyotodaigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Kazuharu Arakawa
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, 403-1 Nihonkoku, Daihouji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan;
- Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
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31
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Hu CF, Qian ZG, Peng Q, Zhang Y, Xia XX. Unconventional Spidroin Assemblies in Aqueous Dope for Spinning into Tough Synthetic Fibers. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 7:3608-3617. [PMID: 34259496 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is a remarkable fiber made by spiders from an aqueous solution of spidroins, and this feat is largely attributed to the tripartite domain architecture of the silk proteins leading to the hierarchical assembly at the nano- and microscales. Although individual amino- and carboxy-terminal domains have been proposed to relate to silk protein assembly, their tentative synergizing roles in recombinant spidroin storage and spinning into synthetic fibers remain elusive. Here, we show biosynthesis and self-assembly of a mimic spidroin composed of amino- and carboxy-terminal domains bracketing 16 consensus repeats of the core region from spider Trichonephila clavipes. The presence of both termini was found essential for self-assembly of the mimic spidroin termed N16C into fibril-like (rather than canonical micellar) nanostructures in concentrated aqueous dope and ordered alignment of these nanofibrils upon extrusion into an acidic coagulation bath. This ultimately led to continuous, macroscopic fibers with a tensile fracture toughness of 100.9 ± 13.2 MJ m-3, which is comparable to that of their natural counterparts. We also found that the recombinant proteins lacking one or both termini were unable to similarly preassemble into fibrillar nanostructures in dopes and thus yielded inferior fiber properties. This work thereby highlights the synergizing role of terminal domains in the storage and processing of recombinant analogues into tough synthetic fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Fei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Gang Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingfa Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaopeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibres and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Xia Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
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