1
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Ghimire A, Xu L, Liu XQ, Rainey JK. A recombinant chimeric spider pyriform-aciniform silk with highly tunable mechanical performance. Mater Today Bio 2024; 26:101073. [PMID: 38711935 PMCID: PMC11070712 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2024.101073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Spider silks are natural protein-based biomaterials which are renowned for their mechanical properties and hold great promise for applications ranging from high-performance textiles to regenerative medicine. While some spiders can produce several different types of silks, most spider silk types - including pyriform and aciniform silks - are relatively unstudied. Pyriform and aciniform silks have distinct mechanical behavior and physicochemical properties, with materials produced using combinations of these silks currently unexplored. Here, we introduce an engineered chimeric fusion protein consisting of two repeat units of pyriform (Py) silk followed by two repeat units of aciniform (W) silk named Py2W2. This recombinant ∼86.5 kDa protein is amenable to expression and purification from Escherichia coli and exhibits high α-helicity in a fluorinated acid- and alcohol-based solution used to form a dope for wet-spinning. Wet-spinning enables continuous fiber production and post-spin stretching of the wet-spun fibers in air or following submersion in water or ethanol leads to increases in optical anisotropy, consistent with increased molecular alignment along the fiber axis. Mechanical properties of the fibers vary as a function of post-spin stretching condition, with the highest extensibility and strength observed in air-stretched and ethanol-treated fibers, respectively, with mechanics being superior to fibers spun from either constituent protein alone. Notably, the maximum extensibility obtained (∼157 ± 38 %) is of the same magnitude reported for natural flagelliform silks, the class of spider silk most associated with being stretchable. Interestingly, Py2W2 is also water-compatible, unlike its constituent Py2. Fiber-state secondary structure correlates well with the observed mechanical properties, with depleted α-helicity and increased β-sheet content in cases of increased strength. Py2W2 fibers thus provide enhanced materials behavior in terms of their mechanics, tunability, and fiber properties, providing new directions for design and development of biomaterials suitable and tunable for disparate applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupama Ghimire
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Lingling Xu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Xiang-Qin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jan K. Rainey
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
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2
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Ornithopoulou E, Åstrand C, Gustafsson L, Crouzier T, Hedhammar M. Self-Assembly of RGD-Functionalized Recombinant Spider Silk Protein into Microspheres in Physiological Buffer and in the Presence of Hyaluronic Acid. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2023; 6:3696-3705. [PMID: 37579070 PMCID: PMC10521021 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.3c00373] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Biomaterials made of self-assembling protein building blocks are widely explored for biomedical applications, for example, as drug carriers, tissue engineering scaffolds, and functionalized coatings. It has previously been shown that a recombinant spider silk protein functionalized with a cell binding motif from fibronectin, FN-4RepCT (FN-silk), self-assembles into fibrillar structures at interfaces, i.e., membranes, fibers, or foams at liquid/air interfaces, and fibrillar coatings at liquid/solid interfaces. Recently, we observed that FN-silk also assembles into microspheres in the bulk of a physiological buffer (PBS) solution. Herein, we investigate the self-assembly process of FN-silk into microspheres in the bulk and how its progression is affected by the presence of hyaluronic acid (HA), both in solution and in a cross-linked HA hydrogel. Moreover, we characterize the size, morphology, mesostructure, and protein secondary structure of the FN-silk microspheres prepared in PBS and HA. Finally, we examine how the FN-silk microspheres can be used to mediate cell adhesion and spreading of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) during cell culture. These investigations contribute to our fundamental understanding of the self-assembly of silk protein into materials and demonstrate the use of silk microspheres as additives for cell culture applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirini Ornithopoulou
- Department
of Protein Science, School of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health
(CBH), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carolina Åstrand
- Department
of Protein Science, School of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health
(CBH), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Spiber
Technologies AB, Roslagstullsbacken
15, 114 21 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linnea Gustafsson
- Spiber
Technologies AB, Roslagstullsbacken
15, 114 21 Stockholm, Sweden
- Division
of Micro and Nanosystems, School
of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Crouzier
- Department
of Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - My Hedhammar
- Department
of Protein Science, School of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health
(CBH), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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3
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Simmons JR, Gasmi-Seabrook G, Rainey JK. Structural features, intrinsic disorder, and modularity of a pyriform spidroin 1 core repetitive domain. Biochem Cell Biol 2023; 101:271-283. [PMID: 36802452 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2022-0338] [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] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Orb-weaving spiders produce up to seven silk types, each with distinct biological roles, protein compositions, and mechanics. Pyriform (or piriform) silk is composed of pyriform spidroin 1 (PySp1) and is the fibrillar component of attachment discs that attach webs to substrates and to each other. Here, we characterize the 234-residue repeat unit (the "Py unit") from the core repetitive domain of Argiope argentata PySp1. Solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based backbone chemical shift and dynamics analysis demonstrate a structured core flanked by disordered tails, structuring that is maintained in a tandem protein of two connected Py units, indicative of structural modularity of the Py unit in the context of the repetitive domain. Notably, AlphaFold2 predicts the Py unit structure with low confidence, echoing low confidence and poor agreement to the NMR-derived structure for the Argiope trifasciata aciniform spidroin (AcSp1) repeat unit. Rational truncation, validated through NMR spectroscopy, provided a 144-residue construct retaining the Py unit core fold, enabling near-complete backbone and side chain 1H, 13C, and 15N resonance assignment. A six α-helix globular core is inferred, flanked by regions of intrinsic disorder that would link helical bundles in tandem repeat proteins in a beads-on-a-string architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey R Simmons
- Department of Biochemistry& Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | | | - Jan K Rainey
- Department of Biochemistry& Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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4
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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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5
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Recombinant Spider Silk Fiber with High Dimensional Stability in Water and Its NMR Characterization. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27238479. [PMID: 36500566 PMCID: PMC9739919 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27238479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk has unique characteristics of strength and extensibility, including supercontraction. When we use it as a biomaterial or material for textiles, it is important to suppress the effect of water on the fiber by as much as possible in order to maintain dimensional stability. In order to produce spider silk with a highly hydrophobic character, based on the sequence of ADF-3 silk, we produced recombinant silk (RSSP(VLI)) where all QQ sequences were replaced by VL, while single Q was replaced by I. The artificial RSSP(VLI) fiber was prepared using formic acid as the spinning solvent and methanol as the coagulant solvent. The dimensional stability and water absorption experiments of the fiber were performed for eight kinds of silk fiber. RSSP(VLI) fiber showed high dimensional stability, which is suitable for textiles. A remarkable decrease in the motion of the fiber in water was made evident by 13C solid-state NMR. This study using 13C solid-state NMR is the first trial to put spider silk to practical use and provide information regarding the molecular design of new recombinant spider silk materials with high dimensional stability in water, allowing recombinant spider silk proteins to be used in next-generation biomaterials and materials for textiles.
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6
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Peng X, Cui Y, Chen J, Gao C, Yang Y, Yu W, Rai K, Zhang M, Nian R, Bao Z, Sun Y. High-Strength Collagen-Based Composite Films Regulated by Water-Soluble Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins and Water Annealing. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:3341-3353. [PMID: 35894734 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00416] [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: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk has attracted extensive attention in the development of high-performance tissue engineering materials because of its excellent physical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Although high-molecular-weight recombinant spider silk proteins can be obtained through metabolic engineering of host bacteria, the solubility of the recombinant protein products is always poor. Strong denaturants and organic solvents have thus had to be exploited for their dissolution, and this seriously limits the applications of recombinant spider silk protein-based composite biomaterials. Herein, through adjusting the temperature, ionic strength, and denaturation time during the refolding process, we successfully prepared water-soluble recombinant spider major ampullate spidroin 1 (sMaSp1) with different repeat modules (24mer, 48mer, 72mer, and 96mer). Then, MaSp1 was introduced into the collagen matrix for fabricating MaSp1-collagen composite films. The introduction of spider silk proteins was demonstrated to clearly alter the internal structure of the composite films and improve the mechanical properties of the collagen-based films and turn the opaque protein films into transparency ones. More interestingly, the composite film prepared with sMaSp1 exhibited better performance in mechanical strength and cell adhesion compared to that prepared with water-insoluble MaSp1 (pMaSp1), which might be attributed to the effect of the initial dissolved state of MaSp1 on the microstructure of composite films. Additionally, the molecular weight of MaSp1 was also shown to significantly influence the mechanical strength (enhanced to 1.1- to 2.3-fold) and cell adhesion of composite films, and 72mer of sMaSp1 showed the best physical properties with good bioactivity. This study provides a method to produce recombinant spider silk protein with excellent water solubility, making it possible to utilize this protein under environmentally benign, mild conditions. This paves the way for the application of recombinant spider silk proteins in the development of diverse composite biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinying Peng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuting Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Jinhong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, No. 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Cungang Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Yang Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Wenfa Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Kamal Rai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Qingdao Youheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd., No. 130 Jiushui East Road, Qingdao 266199, China
| | - Rui Nian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Zixian Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, No. 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yue Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
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7
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Asakura T, Matsuda H, Naito A, Abe Y. Formylation of Recombinant Spider Silk in Formic Acid and Wet Spinning Studied Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Infrared Spectroscopies. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:2390-2402. [PMID: 35532754 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00151] [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: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We reported wet spinning of recombinant spider silk protein (RSSP) and formylation of RSSP in formic acid (FA). First, FA was selected as the spinning solvent and the detailed spinning condition was determined. Next, the mechanical property was compared between the RSSP fiber spun after allowing the spinning solution dissolved in FA to stand for 2 days and the fiber spun immediately after being dissolved in FA for 4 h. The tensile strength of the former fiber was lower than the strength of the latter fiber. This difference can be explained by the difference in the degree of formylation as follows. FA is a known formylating agent, although most researchers who prepared silk fiber by wet spinning with FA have not pointed out about formylation. The formylation of the Ser OH group was confirmed by 13C solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and the time course of formylation of the RSSP film prepared from the FA solution was tracked by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The 13C solid-state NMR spectra were also compared between two kinds of the formylated RSSP fibers and indicated that the packing state was tighter for the latter fiber than the former one, which could explain higher tensile strength of the latter fiber in the dry state. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis indicated that the RSSP sample decomposed gradually with storage time in FA and the decomposition has begun partly even at 2 h after dissolution in FA. The decomposition by formylation seems to have no significant effect on the backbone structure of the RSSP fiber, although the packing of the fiber becomes loose as a whole. Finally, preliminary trial of deformylation of the formylated RSSP fiber was performed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Asakura
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Hironori Matsuda
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Akira Naito
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Yunoske Abe
- Spiber Inc., 234-1 Mizukami, Kakuganji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0052, Japan
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8
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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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9
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Li X, Qi X, Cai YM, Sun Y, Wen R, Zhang R, Johansson J, Meng Q, Chen G. Customized Flagelliform Spidroins Form Spider Silk-like Fibers at pH 8.0 with Outstanding Tensile Strength. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 8:119-127. [PMID: 34908395 PMCID: PMC8753598 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c01354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Spider flagelliform silk shows the best extensibility among various types of silk, but its biomimetic preparation has not been much studied. Herein, five customized flagelliform spidroins (FlSps: S and NTDFl-Sn-CTDFl, n = 1-4), in which the repetitive region (S) and N-/C- terminal domains (NTDFl and CTDFl) are from the same spidroin and spider species, were produced recombinantly. The recombinant spidroins with terminal domains were able to form silk-like fibers with diameters of ∼5 μm by manual pulling at pH 8.0, where the secondary structure transformation occurred. The silk-like fibers from NTDFl-S4-CTDFl showed the highest tensile strength (∼250 MPa), while those ones with 1-3 S broke at a similar stress (∼180 MPa), suggesting that increasing the amounts of the repetitive region can improve the tensile strength, but a certain threshold might need to be reached. This study shows successful preparation of flagelliform silk-like fibers with good mechanical properties, providing general insights into efficient biomimetic preparations of spider silks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Li
- Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Ultrasound Research and Education Institute, Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment, Tongji University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, China.,Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, China
| | - Xingmei Qi
- The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yu-Ming Cai
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ Southampton, Hampshire, U.K
| | - Yuan Sun
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Wen
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary Circulation, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14157 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Qing Meng
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, China
| | - Gefei Chen
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14157 Huddinge, Sweden
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10
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Bhattacharyya G, Oliveira P, Krishnaji ST, Chen D, Hinman M, Bell B, Harris TI, Ghazitabatabaei A, Lewis RV, Jones JA. Large scale production of synthetic spider silk proteins in Escherichia coli. Protein Expr Purif 2021; 183:105839. [PMID: 33746079 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2021.105839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk, which has remarkable mechanical properties, is a natural protein fiber produced by spiders. Spiders cannot be farmed because of their cannibalistic and territorial nature. Hence, large amounts of spider silk cannot be produced from spiders. Genetic engineering is an alternative approach to produce large quantities of spider silk. Our group has produced synthetic spider silk proteins in E. coli to study structure/function and to produce biomaterials comparable to the silks produced by orb-weaving spiders. Here we give a detailed description of our cloning, expression, and purification methods of synthetic spider silk proteins ranging from ~30 to ~200 kDa. We have cloned the relevant genes of the spider Nephila clavipes and introduced them into bacteria to produce synthetic spider silk proteins using small and large-scale bioreactors. We have optimized the fermentation process, and we have developed protein purification methods as well. The purified proteins are spun into fibers and are used to make alternative materials like films and adhesives with various possible commercial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gargi Bhattacharyya
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA; Department of Chemistry, Eberly College of Science, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Sreevidhya T Krishnaji
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, India
| | - Dong Chen
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA
| | | | - Brianne Bell
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA
| | | | | | | | - Justin A Jones
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA.
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11
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Belbéoch C, Lejeune J, Vroman P, Salaün F. Silkworm and spider silk electrospinning: a review. ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS 2021; 19:1737-1763. [PMID: 33424525 PMCID: PMC7779161 DOI: 10.1007/s10311-020-01147-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Issues of fossil fuel and plastic pollution are shifting public demand toward biopolymer-based textiles. For instance, silk, which has been traditionally used during at least 5 milleniums in China, is re-emerging in research and industry with the development of high-tech spinning methods. Various arthropods, e.g. insects and arachnids, produce silky proteinic fiber of unique properties such as resistance, elasticity, stickiness and toughness, that show huge potential for biomaterial applications. Compared to synthetic analogs, silk presents advantages of low density, degradability and versatility. Electrospinning allows the creation of nonwoven mats whose pore size and structure show unprecedented characteristics at the nanometric scale, versus classical weaving methods or modern techniques such as melt blowing. Electrospinning has recently allowed to produce silk scaffolds, with applications in regenerative medicine, drug delivery, depollution and filtration. Here we review silk production by the spinning apparatus of the silkworm Bombyx mori and the spiders Aranea diadematus and Nephila Clavipes. We present the biotechnological procedures to get silk proteins, and the preparation of a spinning dope for electrospinning. We discuss silk's mechanical properties in mats obtained from pure polymer dope and multi-composites. This review highlights the similarity between two very different yarn spinning techniques: biological and electrospinning processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Belbéoch
- ENSAIT: Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts et Industries Textiles, Roubaix, France
| | - Joseph Lejeune
- ENSAIT: Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts et Industries Textiles, Roubaix, France
| | - Philippe Vroman
- ENSAIT: Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts et Industries Textiles, Roubaix, France
| | - Fabien Salaün
- ENSAIT: Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts et Industries Textiles, Roubaix, France
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12
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Tian LY, Meng Q, Lin Y. Expression and characterization of chimeric spidroins from flagelliform-aciniform repetitive modules. Biopolymers 2020; 111:e23404. [PMID: 33075850 DOI: 10.1002/bip.23404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Spiders can produce up to seven different types of silks or glues with different mechanical properties. Of these, flagelliform (Flag) silk is the most elastic, and aciniform (AcSp1) silk is the toughest. To produce a chimeric spider silk (spidroin) FlagR -AcSp1R , we fused one repetitive module of flagelliform silk from Araneus ventricosus and one repetitive module of aciniform silk from Argiope trifasciata. The recombinant protein expressed in E. coli formed silk-like fibers by manual-drawing. CD analysis showed that the secondary structure of FlagR -AcSp1R spidroin remained stable during the gradual reduction of pH from 7.0 to 5.5. The spectrum of FTIR indicated that the secondary structure of FlagR -AcSp1R changed from α-helix to β-sheet. The conformation change of FlagR -AcSp1R was similar to other spidroins in the fiber formation process. SEM analysis revealed that the mean diameter of the fibers was around 1 ~ 2 μm, and the surface was smooth and uniform. The chimeric fibers exhibited superior toughness (~33.1 MJ/m3 ) and tensile strength (~261.4 MPa). This study provides new insight into design of chimeric spider silks with high mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Yang Tian
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Meng
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Lin
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai, China
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Li X, Mi J, Wen R, Zhang J, Cai Y, Meng Q, Lin Y. Wet-Spinning Synthetic Fibers from Aggregate Glue: Aggregate Spidroin 1 (AgSp1). ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2020; 3:5957-5965. [PMID: 35021824 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c00619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Spidroin has the potential of wide applications in the biomedicine field as a natural biomaterial. Various synthetic fibers with outstanding mechanical properties have been produced from different spidroins. However, studies on the structural analysis or biomimetic exploration of aggregate spidroin (AgSp) remain scarce. Here, three recombinant AgSp1 spidroins (1RP, 1RC, 3RP) were constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli, followed by purification via coupling heating and ammonium sulfate precipitation. Circular dichroism (CD) spectrum-based secondary structural analysis shows that 1RP and 3RP have similar structures (mainly random coil) in water and PB buffer, while 1RC is mainly composed of α-helix structure and HFIP can change all of the recombinant AgSp1 into helix structure. Through the wet-spinning method, six types of synthetic fibers were produced from these three recombinant AgSp1 spidroins. Subsequently, the properties and structures of synthetic fibers were characterized by mechanical testing and ATR-FTIR. Synthetic fibers spun from 3RP have considerable tensile strength and extensibility (∼37.56 MPa and ∼4.5%, respectively). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first synthetic fiber obtained from AgSp spidroin. Our results demonstrated that AgSp1 can be regarded as an available source of spidroin for silklike fiber production and may provide valuable perspectives on the AgSp1 biomimetic process for certain applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Li
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, P. R. China
| | - Junpeng Mi
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, P. R. China
| | - Rui Wen
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, P. R. China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, P. R. China
| | - Yuming Cai
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, P. R. China
| | - Qing Meng
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, P. R. China
| | - Ying Lin
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, P. R. China
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Expanding Canonical Spider Silk Properties through a DNA Combinatorial Approach. MATERIALS 2020; 13:ma13163596. [PMID: 32823912 PMCID: PMC7475873 DOI: 10.3390/ma13163596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The properties of native spider silk vary within and across species due to the presence of different genes containing conserved repetitive core domains encoding a variety of silk proteins. Previous studies seeking to understand the function and material properties of these domains focused primarily on the analysis of dragline silk proteins, MaSp1 and MaSp2. Our work seeks to broaden the mechanical properties of silk-based biomaterials by establishing two libraries containing genes from the repetitive core region of the native Latrodectus hesperus silk genome (Library A: genes masp1, masp2, tusp1, acsp1; Library B: genes acsp1, pysp1, misp1, flag). The expressed and purified proteins were analyzed through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR). Some of these new proteins revealed a higher portion of β-sheet content in recombinant proteins produced from gene constructs containing a combination of masp1/masp2 and acsp1/tusp1 genes than recombinant proteins which consisted solely of dragline silk genes (Library A). A higher portion of β-turn and random coil content was identified in recombinant proteins from pysp1 and flag genes (Library B). Mechanical characterization of selected proteins purified from Library A and Library B formed into films was assessed by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and suggested Library A recombinant proteins had higher elastic moduli when compared to Library B recombinant proteins. Both libraries had higher elastic moduli when compared to native spider silk proteins. The preliminary approach demonstrated here suggests that repetitive core regions of the aforementioned genes can be used as building blocks for new silk-based biomaterials with varying mechanical properties.
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Sun J, Su J, Ma C, Göstl R, Herrmann A, Liu K, Zhang H. Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of Engineered Protein-Based Adhesives and Fibers. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e1906360. [PMID: 31805206 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201906360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Protein-based structural biomaterials are of great interest for various applications because the sequence flexibility within the proteins may result in their improved mechanical and structural integrity and tunability. As the two representative examples, protein-based adhesives and fibers have attracted tremendous attention. The typical protein adhesives, which are secreted by mussels, sandcastle worms, barnacles, and caddisfly larvae, exhibit robust underwater adhesion performance. In order to mimic the adhesion performance of these marine organisms, two main biological adhesives are presented, including genetically engineered protein-based adhesives and biomimetic chemically synthetized adhesives. Moreover, various protein-based fibers inspired by spider and silkworm proteins, collagen, elastin, and resilin are studied extensively. The achievements in synthesis and fabrication of structural biomaterials by DNA recombinant technology and chemical regeneration certainly will accelerate the explorations and applications of protein-based adhesives and fibers in wound healing, tissue regeneration, drug delivery, biosensors, and other high-tech applications. However, the mechanical properties of the biological structural materials still do not match those of natural systems. More efforts need to be devoted to the study of the interplay of the protein structure, cohesion and adhesion effects, fiber processing, and mechanical performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Juanjuan Su
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Chao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Robert Göstl
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Andreas Herrmann
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Kai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022, Changchun, China
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Peng CA, Kozubowski L, Marcotte WR. Advances in Plant-Derived Scaffold Proteins. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:122. [PMID: 32161608 PMCID: PMC7052361 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Scaffold proteins form critical biomatrices that support cell adhesion and proliferation for regenerative medicine and drug screening. The increasing demand for such applications urges solutions for cost effective and sustainable supplies of hypoallergenic and biocompatible scaffold proteins. Here, we summarize recent efforts in obtaining plant-derived biosynthetic spider silk analogue and the extracellular matrix protein, collagen. Both proteins are composed of a large number of tandem block repeats, which makes production in bacterial hosts challenging. Furthermore, post-translational modification of collagen is essential for its function which requires co-transformation of multiple copies of human prolyl 4-hydroxylase. We discuss our perspectives on how the GAANTRY system could potentially assist the production of native-sized spider dragline silk proteins and prolyl hydroxylated collagen. The potential of recombinant scaffold proteins in drug delivery and drug discovery is also addressed.
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Xu S, Li X, Zhou Y, Lin Y, Meng Q. Structural characterization and mechanical properties of chimeric Masp1/Flag minispidroins. Biochimie 2020; 168:251-258. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2019.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Chi N, Zheng S, Clutter E, Wang R. Silk-CNT Mediated Fibroblast Stimulation toward Chronic Wound Repair. RECENT PROGRESS IN MATERIALS 2019; 1. [PMID: 32550604 PMCID: PMC7299232 DOI: 10.21926/rpm.1904007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Background Diabetic patients suffer from chronic wounds partly due to altered function of fibroblasts. Fibroblasts of diabetic patients synthesize collagen I (COLI) at a much higher level than collagen III (COLIII), resulting in delayed tissue granulation and, consequently, a delay in the overall wound healing process. Methods We aimed to revive the matrix protein productivity of diabetic fibroblasts by employing aligned, electrically conductive and biocompatible spider silk-CNT fibers as a cell culture matrix to mediate the electrical stimulation of fibroblasts to induce cell polarization and activation. Results A 5.2 and 42.7 fold increase in COLI and COLIII production was induced in diabetic fibroblasts. The stimulated cells synthesized a substantially high level of COLIII to reduce the abnormally high COLI/COLIII ratio, and the matrix metalloproteinases expression was markedly suppressed. The protein expression profile was consistent with favorable wound healing. The modulation effect was also demonstrated in normal fibroblasts of healthy individuals, suggesting that the developed method can be utilized generally for connective tissue repair. Silkworm silk-CNT fibers corroborated similar effects on restoring the function of diabetic fibroblasts. Conclusions The approach of using an engineered biopolymer matrix to remedy dysfunctional fibroblasts of patients offers the opportunity of developing personalized cell therapy for noninvasive treatments and inspires the design of multi-functional biometrics for effective tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiwei Chi
- Department of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 60616, USA
| | - Shuyao Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 60616, USA
| | - Elwin Clutter
- Department of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 60616, USA
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 60616, USA
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Harris TI, Paterson CA, Farjood F, Wadsworth ID, Caldwell L, Lewis RV, Jones JA, Vargis E. Utilizing Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins To Develop a Synthetic Bruch's Membrane for Modeling the Retinal Pigment Epithelium. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2019; 5:4023-4036. [PMID: 33448804 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.9b00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Spider silks are intriguing biomaterials that have a high potential as innovative biomedical processes and devices. The intent of this study was to evaluate the capacity of recombinant spider silk proteins (rSSps) as a synthetic Bruch's membrane. Nonporous silk membranes were prepared with comparable thicknesses (<10 μm) to that of native Bruch's membrane. Biomechanical characterization was performed prior to seeding cells. The ability of RPE cells (ARPE-19) to attach and grow on the membranes was then evaluated with bright-field and electron microscopy, intracellular DNA quantification, and immunocytochemical staining (ZO-1 and F-actin). Controls were cultured on permeable Transwell support membranes and characterized with the same methods. A size-dependent permeability assay, using FITC-dextran, was used to determine cell-membrane barrier function. Compared to Transwell controls, RPE cells cultured on rSSps membranes developed more native-like "cobblestone" morphologies, exhibited higher intracellular DNA content, and expressed key organizational proteins more consistently. Comparisons of the membranes to native structures revealed that the silk membranes exhibited equivalent thicknesses, biomechanical properties, and barrier functions. These findings support the use of recombinant spider silk proteins to model Bruch's membrane and develop more biomimetic retinal models.
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20
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Microwave Assisted Sol-Gel Synthesis of Silica-Spider Silk Composites. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24142521. [PMID: 31295838 PMCID: PMC6681061 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24142521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This study introduces a simple and environmentally friendly method to synthesize silica-protein nanocomposite materials using microwave energy to solubilize hydrophobic protein in an aqueous solution of pre-hydrolyzed organo- or fluoro-silane. Sol-gel functionality can be enhanced through biomacromolecule incorporation to tune mechanical properties, surface energy, and biocompatibility. Here, synthetic spider silk protein and organo- and fluoro-silane precursors were dissolved and mixed in weakly acidic aqueous solution using microwave technology. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images revealed the formation of spherical nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 100 to 500 nm depending, in part, on silane fluoro- or organo-side chain chemistry. The silane-protein interaction in the nanocomposite was assessed through infrared spectroscopy. Deconvoluted ATR-FTIR (Attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) spectra revealed silane chemistry-specific conformational changes in the protein-silane nanocomposites. Relative to microwave-solubilized spider silk protein, the β structure content increased by 14% in the spider silk-organo-silica nanocomposites, but decreased by a net 20% in the spider silk-fluoro-silica nanocomposites. Methods of tuning the secondary structures, and in particular β-sheets that are the cross-linking moieties in spider silks and other self-assembling fibrillar proteins, may provide a unique means to promote protein interactions, favor subsequent epitaxial growth process, and enhance the properties of the protein-silane nanocomposites.
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21
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Toward Spider Glue: Long Read Scaffolding for Extreme Length and Repetitious Silk Family Genes AgSp1 and AgSp2 with Insights into Functional Adaptation. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2019; 9:1909-1919. [PMID: 30975702 PMCID: PMC6553539 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
An individual orb weaving spider can spin up to seven different types of silk, each with unique functions and material properties. The capture spiral silk of classic two-dimensional aerial orb webs is coated with an amorphous glue that functions to retain prey that get caught in a web. This unique modified silk is partially comprised of spidroins (spider fibroins) encoded by two members of the silk gene family. The glue differs from solid silk fibers as it is a viscoelastic, amorphic, wet material that is responsive to environmental conditions. Most spidroins are encoded by extremely large, highly repetitive genes that cannot be sequenced using short read technology alone, as the repetitive regions are longer than read length. We sequenced for the first time the complete genomic Aggregate Spidroin 1 (AgSp1) and Aggregate Spidroin 2 (AgSp2) glue genes of orb weaving spider Argiope trifasciata using error-prone long reads to scaffold for high accuracy short reads. The massive coding sequences are 42,270 bp (AgSp1) and 20,526 bp (AgSp2) in length, the largest silk genes currently described. The majority of the predicted amino acid sequence of AgSp1 consists of two similar but distinct motifs that are repeated ∼40 times each, while AgSp2 contains ∼48 repetitions of an AgSp1-similar motif, interspersed by regions high in glutamine. Comparisons of AgSp repetitive motifs from orb web and cobweb spiders show regions of strict conservation followed by striking diversification. Glues from these two spider families have evolved contrasting material properties in adhesion (stickiness), extensibility (stretchiness), and elasticity (the ability of the material to resume its native shape), which we link to mechanisms established for related silk genes in the same family. Full-length aggregate spidroin sequences from diverse species with differing material characteristics will provide insights for designing tunable bio-inspired adhesives for a variety of unique purposes.
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Xu L, Weatherbee-Martin N, Liu XQ, Rainey JK. Recombinant Silk Fiber Properties Correlate to Prefibrillar Self-Assembly. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1805294. [PMID: 30756524 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201805294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Spider silks are desirable materials with mechanical properties superior to most synthetic materials coupled with biodegradability and biocompatibility. In order to replicate natural silk properties using recombinant spider silk proteins (spidroins) and wet-spinning methods, the focus to date has typically been on modifying protein sequence, protein size, and spinning conditions. Here, an alternative approach is demonstrated. Namely, using the same ≈57 kDa recombinant aciniform silk protein with a consistent wet-spinning protocol, fiber mechanical properties are shown to significantly differ as a function of the solvent used to dissolve the protein at high concentration (the "spinning dope" solution). A fluorinated acid/alcohol/water dope leads to drastic improvement in fibrillar extensibility and, correspondingly, toughness compared to fibers produced using a previously developed fluorinated alcohol/water dope. To understand the underlying cause for these mechanical differences, morphology and structure of the two classes of silk fiber are compared, with features tracing back to dope-state protein structuring and preassembly. Specifically, distinct classes of spidroin nanoparticles appear to form in each dope prior to fiber spinning and these preassembled states are, in turn, linked to fiber morphology, structure, and mechanical properties. Tailoring of dope-state spidroin nanoparticle assembly, thus, appears a promising strategy to modulate fibrillar silk properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Xu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Nathan Weatherbee-Martin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Xiang-Qin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jan K Rainey
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
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Chi N, Wang R. Electrospun protein-CNT composite fibers and the application in fibroblast stimulation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 504:211-217. [PMID: 30172370 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.08.157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Functional biopolymer scaffolds are in high demand for tissue regeneration. In this study, we incorporated functionalized CNT in collagen or silk protein solution to generate biocomposite fibers by electrospinning. The addition of CNT reinforced the strength of the scaffolds and rendered the fibers electrical conductivity to not only facilitate the E-spun fiber formation but also grant the fibers an additional functionality that can be utilized for cell stimulation. Considering fiber dimension, alignment, mechanical strength, electrical conductivity and biocompatibility, silk-CNT fibers containing a minute amount of CNT (0.05%) outperformed other fiber types. The modulation effect of these fibers was examined by their application in inducing polarization and activation of fibroblasts with cellular deficit. While the fibroblasts on both collagen-CNT and silk-CNT fibers synthesized a substantially higher level of collagen type III (COLIII) than cells on pure protein fibers to reduce the abnormally high COLI/COLIII ratio, electrical stimulation boosted the collagen productivity by 20 folds in cells on silk-CNT than on collagen-CNT due to silk-CNT's high electrical conductivity. The developed approach can be potentially utilized to remedy the dysfunctional fibroblasts for therapeutic treatment of diseases and health conditions associated with collagen disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiwei Chi
- Department of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL, 60616, USA
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL, 60616, USA.
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24
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Zheng K, Ling S. De Novo Design of Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins for Material Applications. Biotechnol J 2018; 14:e1700753. [PMID: 29781251 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201700753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Spider silks are well known for their superior mechanical properties that are stronger and tougher than steel despite being assembled at close to ambient conditions and using water as the solvent. However, it is a significant challenge to utilize spider silks for practical applications due to their limited sources. Fortunately, genetic engineering techniques offer a promising approach to produce useable amounts of spider silk variants. Starting from these recombinant spider silk proteins, a series of experiments and simulations strategies are developed to improve the recombinant spider silk proteins (RSSP) material design and fabrication with the aim of biomimicking the structure-property-function relationships of spider silks. Accordingly, in this review, the authors first introduce the structure-property-function relationship of spider silks. Then, the recent progress in the genetic synthesis of RSSPs is discussed and their related multiscale self-assembly behaviors is summarized. Finally, the authors outline works utilizing multiscale modeling to assist RSSP material design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zheng
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Shengjie Ling
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
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25
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Xu L, Lefèvre T, Orrell KE, Meng Q, Auger M, Liu XQ, Rainey JK. Structural and Mechanical Roles for the C-Terminal Nonrepetitive Domain Become Apparent in Recombinant Spider Aciniform Silk. Biomacromolecules 2017; 18:3678-3686. [PMID: 28934550 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.7b01057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Spider aciniform (or wrapping) silk is the toughest of the seven types of spider silks/glue due to a combination of high elasticity and strength. Like most spider silk proteins (spidroins), aciniform spidroin (AcSp1) has a large core repetitive domain flanked by relatively short N- and C-terminal nonrepetitive domains (the NTD and CTD, respectively). The major ampullate silk protein (MaSp) CTD has been shown to control protein solubility and fiber formation, but the aciniform CTD function remains unknown. Here, we compare fiber mechanical properties, solution-state structuring, and fibrous state secondary structural composition, and orientation relative to native aciniform silk for two AcSp1 repeat units with or without fused AcSp1- and MaSp-derived CTDs alongside three AcSp1 repeat units without a CTD. The native AcSp1 CTD uniquely modulated fiber mechanical properties, relative to all other constructs, directly correlating to a native-like structural transformation and alignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Xu
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University , Shanghai 201620, P.R. China
| | - Thierry Lefèvre
- Département de Chimie, Regroupement Québécois de Recherche sur la Fonction, la Structure et l'Ingénierie des Protéines (PROTEO), Centre de Recherche sur les Matériaux Avancés (CERMA) Université Laval , Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | | | - Qing Meng
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University , Shanghai 201620, P.R. China
| | - Michèle Auger
- Département de Chimie, Regroupement Québécois de Recherche sur la Fonction, la Structure et l'Ingénierie des Protéines (PROTEO), Centre de Recherche sur les Matériaux Avancés (CERMA) Université Laval , Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
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26
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Zhu B, Li W, Chi N, Lewis RV, Osamor J, Wang R. Optimization of Glutaraldehyde Vapor Treatment for Electrospun Collagen/Silk Tissue Engineering Scaffolds. ACS OMEGA 2017; 2:2439-2450. [PMID: 28691110 PMCID: PMC5494641 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.7b00290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Freestanding fibrous matrices with proper protein composition and desirable mechanical properties, stability, and biocompatibility are in high demand for tissue engineering. Electrospun (E-spun) collagen-silk composite fibers are promising tissue engineering scaffolds. However, as-spun fibers are mechanically weak and unstable. In this work, we applied glutaraldehyde (GA) vapor treatment to improve the fiber performance, and the effect on the properties of E-spun collagen-silk fibers was studied systematically. GA treatment was found to affect collagen and silk distinctively. Whereas GA chemically links collagen peptides, it induces conformational transitions to enrich β-sheets in silk. The combined effects impose a control of the mechanical properties, stability, and degradability of the composite fibers, which are dependent on the extent of GA treatment. In addition, a mild treatment of the fibers did not diminish cell proliferation and viability. However, overly treated fibers demonstrated reduced cell-matrix adhesion. The understanding of GA treatment effects on collagen, silk, and the composite fibers enables effective control and fine tuning of the fiber properties to warrant their diverse in vitro and in vivo applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bofan Zhu
- Department
of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60616, United States
| | - Wen Li
- Department
of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60616, United States
| | - Naiwei Chi
- Department
of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60616, United States
| | - Randolph V. Lewis
- Department
of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322, United States
| | - Jude Osamor
- Department
of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60616, United States
| | - Rong Wang
- Department
of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60616, United States
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27
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Munro T, Putzeys T, Copeland CG, Xing C, Lewis RV, Ban H, Glorieux C, Wubbenhorst M. Investigation of synthetic spider silk crystallinity and alignment via electrothermal, pyroelectric, literature XRD, and tensile techniques. MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING 2017; 302:1600480. [PMID: 29430211 PMCID: PMC5804743 DOI: 10.1002/mame.201600480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The processes used to create synthetic spider silk greatly affect the properties of the produced fibers. This paper investigates the effect of process variations during artificial spinning on the thermal and mechanical properties of the produced silk. Property values are also compared to the ones of the natural dragline silk of the N. clavipes spider, and to unprocessed (as-spun) synthetic silk. Structural characterization by scanning pyroelectric microscopy is employed to provide insight into the axial orientation of the crystalline regions of the fiber and is supported by XRD data. The results show that stretching and passage through liquid baths induce crystal formation and axial alignment in synthetic fibers, but with different structural organization than natural silks. Furthermore, an increase in thermal diffusivity and elastic modulus is observed with decreasing fiber diameter, trending towards properties of natural fiber. This effect seems to be related to silk fibers being subjected to a radial gradient during production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy Munro
- Mechanical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Tristan Putzeys
- Functional Organic Materials and Devices, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, TU/e Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, the Netherlands Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Heverlee B-3001, Belgium
| | - Cameron G Copeland
- Synthetic Bioproducts Center, Biology Dept., Utah State University, North Logan, UT 84341, USA
| | - Changhu Xing
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Randolph V Lewis
- Synthetic Bioproducts Center, Biology Dept., Utah State University, North Logan, UT 84341, USA
| | - Heng Ban
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Christ Glorieux
- Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Heverlee B-3001, Belgium
| | - Michael Wubbenhorst
- Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Heverlee B-3001, Belgium
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28
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Peng CA, Russo J, Lyda TA, Marcotte WR. Polyelectrolyte Fiber Assembly of Plant-Derived Spider Silk-like Proteins. Biomacromolecules 2017; 18:740-746. [PMID: 28196414 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.6b01552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is a proteinaceous material that combines superior toughness and biocompatibility, which makes it a promising biomaterial. The distinct protein structure and the fiber formation process contribute to the superior toughness of dragline silk. Previously, we have produced recombinant spider silk-like proteins in transgenic tobacco that are readily purified from plant extracts. The plant-derived spidroin-like proteins consisted of native major ampullate spidroin 1 or spidroin 2 N- and C-termini flanking 8, 16, or 32 copies of their respective consensus block repeats (mini-spidroins). Here, we present the generation of fibers from mini-spidroins (rMaSp1R8 and rMaSp2R8) by polyelectrolyte complex formation using an anionic polyelectrolyte, gellan gum. Mini-spidroins, when treated with acetic acid and cross-linked by glutaraldehyde, formed a thin film at the interface when overlaid with a gellan gum solution. Immediate pulling of the film resulted in autofluorescent fibrous materials from either mini-spidroin alone or a combination of rMaSp1R8 and rMaSp2R8 (70:30). Addition of chitosan to the mini-spidroin solutions permitted continuous fiber production until the spinning dope supply was exhausted. When air-dried as-spun fibers were rehydrated and stretched in water, the fiber diameter decreased and the overall toughness improved. This study showed that spider silk-like fibers can be produced in large quantities through charge attraction that assembles chitosan, mini-spidroins, and gellan gum into fibrous complexes. We speculate that the spider silk self-assembly process in the duct may involve attraction of variously charged chitinous polymers, spidroins, and glycoproteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congyue Annie Peng
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University , 130 McGinty Court, Robert F. Poole Agricultural Center, Room 154, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Julia Russo
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University , 130 McGinty Court, Robert F. Poole Agricultural Center, Room 154, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Todd A Lyda
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University , 130 McGinty Court, Robert F. Poole Agricultural Center, Room 154, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - William R Marcotte
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University , 130 McGinty Court, Robert F. Poole Agricultural Center, Room 154, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
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29
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Lin S, Chen G, Liu X, Meng Q. Chimeric spider silk proteins mediated by intein result in artificial hybrid silks. Biopolymers 2017; 105:385-92. [PMID: 26948769 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Hybrid silks hold a great potential as specific biomaterials due to its controlled mechanical properties. To produce fibers with tunable properties, here we firstly made chimeric proteins in vitro, called W2C4CT and W2C8CT, with ligation of MaSp repetitive modules (C) with AcSp modules (W) by intein trans splicing technology from smaller precursors without final yield reduction. Intein mediated chimeric proteins form fibers at a low concentration of 0.4 mg/mL in 50 mM K3 PO4 pH 7.5 just drawn by hand. Hybrid fibers show smoother surface, and also have stronger chemical resistance as compared with fibers from W2CT (W fibers) and mixture of W2CT/C8CT (MHF8 fibers). Fibers from chimeric protein W2C4CT (HFH4) have improved mechanical properties than W fibers; however, with more C modules W2C8CT fibers (HFH8) properties decreased, indicates the length proportion of various modules is very important and should be optimized for fibers with specific properties. Generally, hybrid silks generated via chimeric proteins, which can be simplified by intein trans splicing, has greater potential to produce fibers with tunable properties. Our research shows that intein mediated directional protein ligation is a novel way to make large chimeric spider silk proteins and hybrid silks. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 105: 385-392, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senzhu Lin
- Institute of Biological Sciences & Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China.,Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada, B3H 4R2
| | - Gefei Chen
- Institute of Biological Sciences & Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangqin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada, B3H 4R2
| | - Qing Meng
- Institute of Biological Sciences & Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China
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30
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Koeppel A, Holland C. Progress and Trends in Artificial Silk Spinning: A Systematic Review. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2017; 3:226-237. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Koeppel
- Department of Materials
Science
and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Holland
- Department of Materials
Science
and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, United Kingdom
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31
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Peng Q, Zhang Y, Lu L, Shao H, Qin K, Hu X, Xia X. Recombinant spider silk from aqueous solutions via a bio-inspired microfluidic chip. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36473. [PMID: 27819339 PMCID: PMC5098227 DOI: 10.1038/srep36473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Spiders achieve superior silk fibres by controlling the molecular assembly of silk proteins and the hierarchical structure of fibres. However, current wet-spinning process for recombinant spidroins oversimplifies the natural spinning process. Here, water-soluble recombinant spider dragline silk protein (with a low molecular weight of 47 kDa) was adopted to prepare aqueous spinning dope. Artificial spider silks were spun via microfluidic wet-spinning, using a continuous post-spin drawing process (WS-PSD). By mimicking the natural spinning apparatus, shearing and elongational sections were integrated in the microfluidic spinning chip to induce assembly, orientation of spidroins, and fibril structure formation. The additional post-spin drawing process following the wet-spinning section partially mimics the spinning process of natural spider silk and substantially contributes to the compact aggregation of microfibrils. Subsequent post-stretching further improves the hierarchical structure of the fibres, including the crystalline structure, orientation, and fibril melting. The tensile strength and elongation of post-treated fibres reached up to 510 MPa and 15%, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingfa Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibres and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Yaopeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibres and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Li Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibres and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Huili Shao
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibres and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Kankan Qin
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xuechao Hu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibres and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Xiaoxia Xia
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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32
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Muiznieks LD, Keeley FW. Biomechanical Design of Elastic Protein Biomaterials: A Balance of Protein Structure and Conformational Disorder. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2016; 3:661-679. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa D. Muiznieks
- Molecular
Structure and Function Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 0A4
| | - Fred W. Keeley
- Molecular
Structure and Function Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 0A4
- Department
of Biochemistry and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, 1 King’s College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8
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33
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Warren KM, Islam MM, LeDuc PR, Steward R. 2D and 3D Mechanobiology in Human and Nonhuman Systems. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:21869-21882. [PMID: 27214883 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b12064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Mechanobiology involves the investigation of mechanical forces and their effect on the development, physiology, and pathology of biological systems. The human body has garnered much attention from many groups in the field, as mechanical forces have been shown to influence almost all aspects of human life ranging from breathing to cancer metastasis. Beyond being influential in human systems, mechanical forces have also been shown to impact nonhuman systems such as algae and zebrafish. Studies of nonhuman and human systems at the cellular level have primarily been done in two-dimensional (2D) environments, but most of these systems reside in three-dimensional (3D) environments. Furthermore, outcomes obtained from 3D studies are often quite different than those from 2D studies. We present here an overview of a select group of human and nonhuman systems in 2D and 3D environments. We also highlight mechanobiological approaches and their respective implications for human and nonhuman physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M Warren
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computational Biology, and Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Md Mydul Islam
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida , Orlando, Florida 32827, United States
| | - Philip R LeDuc
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computational Biology, and Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Robert Steward
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida , Orlando, Florida 32827, United States
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34
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Pahlevan M, Alam P. Flagelliform silk inspired free amino acid bio-glues in bacterial cellulose biomaterials. POLYMER 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2016.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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35
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Weatherbee-Martin N, Xu L, Hupe A, Kreplak L, Fudge DS, Liu XQ, Rainey JK. Identification of Wet-Spinning and Post-Spin Stretching Methods Amenable to Recombinant Spider Aciniform Silk. Biomacromolecules 2016; 17:2737-46. [PMID: 27387592 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.6b00857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Spider silks are outstanding biomaterials with mechanical properties that outperform synthetic materials. Of the six fibrillar spider silks, aciniform (or wrapping) silk is the toughest through a unique combination of strength and extensibility. In this study, a wet-spinning method for recombinant Argiope trifasciata aciniform spidroin (AcSp1) is introduced. Recombinant AcSp1 comprising three 200 amino acid repeat units was solubilized in a 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP)/water mixture, forming a viscous α-helix-enriched spinning dope, and wet-spun into an ethanol/water coagulation bath allowing continuous fiber production. Post-spin stretching of the resulting wet-spun fibers in water significantly improved fiber strength, enriched β-sheet conformation without complete α-helix depletion, and enhanced birefringence. These methods allow reproducible aciniform silk fiber formation, albeit with lower extensibility than native silk, requiring conditions and methods distinct from those previously reported for other silk proteins. This provides an essential starting point for tailoring wet-spinning of aciniform silk to achieve desired properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andre Hupe
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph , Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | | | - Douglas S Fudge
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph , Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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36
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Dos Santos-Pinto JRA, Garcia AMC, Arcuri HA, Esteves FG, Salles HC, Lubec G, Palma MS. Silkomics: Insight into the Silk Spinning Process of Spiders. J Proteome Res 2016; 15:1179-93. [PMID: 26923066 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b01056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The proteins from the silk-producing glands were identified using both a bottom-up gel-based proteomic approach as well as from a shotgun proteomic approach. Additionally, the relationship between the functions of identified proteins and the spinning process was studied. A total of 125 proteins were identified in the major ampullate, 101 in the flagelliform, 77 in the aggregate, 75 in the tubuliform, 68 in the minor ampullate, and 23 in aciniform glands. On the basis of the functional classification using Gene Ontology, these proteins were organized into seven different groups according to their general function: (i) web silk proteins-spidroins, (ii) proteins related to the folding/conformation of spidroins, (iii) proteins that protect silk proteins from oxidative stress, (iv) proteins involved in fibrillar preservation of silks in the web, (v) proteins related to ion transport into and out of the glands during silk fiber spinning, (vi) proteins involved in prey capture and pre-digestion, and (vii) housekeeping proteins from all of the glands. Thus, a general mechanism of action for the identified proteins in the silk-producing glands from the Nephila clavipes spider was proposed; the current results also indicate that the webs play an active role in prey capture.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Roberto Aparecido Dos Santos-Pinto
- Center of Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP) , Rio Claro, São Paulo 13500, Brazil.,Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Ana Maria Caviquioli Garcia
- Center of Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP) , Rio Claro, São Paulo 13500, Brazil
| | - Helen Andrade Arcuri
- Center of Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP) , Rio Claro, São Paulo 13500, Brazil
| | - Franciele Grego Esteves
- Center of Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP) , Rio Claro, São Paulo 13500, Brazil
| | - Heliana Clara Salles
- Center of Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP) , Rio Claro, São Paulo 13500, Brazil
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Mario Sergio Palma
- Center of Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP) , Rio Claro, São Paulo 13500, Brazil
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37
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Copeland CG, Bell BE, Christensen CD, Lewis RV. Development of a Process for the Spinning of Synthetic Spider Silk. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2015; 1:577-584. [PMID: 27064312 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.5b00092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Spider silks have unique mechanical properties but current efforts to duplicate those properties with recombinant proteins have been unsuccessful. This study was designed to develop a single process to spin fibers with excellent and consistent mechanical properties. As-spun fibers produced were brittle, but by stretching the fibers the mechanical properties were greatly improved. A water-dip or water-stretch further increased the strength and elongation of the synthetic spider silk fibers. Given the promising results of the water stretch, a mechanical double-stretch system was developed. Both a methanol/water mixture and an isopropanol/water mixture were independently used to stretch the fibers with this system. It was found that the methanol mixture produced fibers with high tensile strength while the isopropanol mixture produced fibers with high elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron G Copeland
- Department of Biological Engineering and Synthetic Biomanufacturing Center, Utah State University, 650 East 1600 North, Logan, Utah 84341, United States
| | - Brianne E Bell
- Department of Biological Engineering and Synthetic Biomanufacturing Center, Utah State University, 650 East 1600 North, Logan, Utah 84341, United States
| | - Chad D Christensen
- Department of Biological Engineering and Synthetic Biomanufacturing Center, Utah State University, 650 East 1600 North, Logan, Utah 84341, United States
| | - Randolph V Lewis
- Department of Biological Engineering and Synthetic Biomanufacturing Center, Utah State University, 650 East 1600 North, Logan, Utah 84341, United States
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38
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An B, Tang-Schomer M, Huang W, He J, Jones J, Lewis RV, Kaplan DL. Physical and biological regulation of neuron regenerative growth and network formation on recombinant dragline silks. Biomaterials 2015; 48:137-146. [PMID: 25701039 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.01.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2014] [Revised: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Recombinant spider silks produced in transgenic goat milk were studied as cell culture matrices for neuronal growth. Major ampullate spidroin 1 (MaSp1) supported neuronal growth, axon extension and network connectivity, with cell morphology comparable to the gold standard poly-lysine. In addition, neurons growing on MaSp1 films had increased neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) expression at both mRNA and protein levels. The results indicate that MaSp1 films present useful surface charge and substrate stiffness to support the growth of primary rat cortical neurons. Moreover, a putative neuron-specific surface binding sequence GRGGL within MaSp1 may contribute to the biological regulation of neuron growth. These findings indicate that MaSp1 could regulate neuron growth through its physical and biological features. This dual regulation mode of MaSp1 could provide an alternative strategy for generating functional silk materials for neural tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo An
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
| | - Min Tang-Schomer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
| | - Wenwen Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
| | - Jiuyang He
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
| | - Justin Jones
- Department of Biology, Synthetic Biomanufacturing Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322
| | - Randolph V Lewis
- Department of Biology, Synthetic Biomanufacturing Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
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39
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Zhu B, Li W, Lewis RV, Segre CU, Wang R. E-spun composite fibers of collagen and dragline silk protein: fiber mechanics, biocompatibility, and application in stem cell differentiation. Biomacromolecules 2014; 16:202-13. [PMID: 25405355 PMCID: PMC4294589 DOI: 10.1021/bm501403f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Biocomposite
matrices with high mechanical strength, high stability,
and the ability to direct matrix-specific stem cell differentiation
are essential for the reconstruction of lesioned tissues in tissue
engineering and cell therapeutics. Toward this end, we used the electrospinning
technique to fabricate well-aligned composite fibers from collagen
and spider dragline silk protein, obtained from the milk of transgenic
goats, mimicking the native extracellular matrix (ECM) on a similar
scale. Collagen and the dragline silk proteins were found to mix homogeneously
at all ratios in the electrospun (E-spun) fibers. As a result, the
ultimate tensile strength and elasticity of the fibers increased monotonically
with silk percentage, whereas the stretchability was slightly reduced.
Strikingly, we found that the incorporation of silk proteins to collagen
dramatically increased the matrix stability against excessive fiber
swelling and shape deformation in cell culture medium. When human
decidua parietalis placental stem cells (hdpPSCs) were seeded on the
collagen–silk matrices, the matrices were found to support
cell proliferation at a similar rate as that of the pure collagen
matrix, but they provided cell adhesion with reduced strengths and
induced cell polarization at varied levels. Matrices containing 15
and 30 wt % silk in collagen (CS15, CS30) were found to induce a level
of neural differentiation comparable to that of pure collagen. In
particular, CS15 matrix induced the highest extent of cell polarization
and promoted the development of extended 1D neural filaments strictly
in-line with the aligned fibers. Taking the increased mechanical strength
and fiber stability into consideration, CS15 and CS30 E-spun fibers
offer better alternatives to pure collagen fibers as scaffolds that
can be potentially utilized in neural tissue repair and the development
of future nanobiodevices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bofan Zhu
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, ‡Department of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology , Chicago, Illinois 60616, United States
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40
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Desai MS, Lee SW. Protein-based functional nanomaterial design for bioengineering applications. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2014; 7:69-97. [DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2014] [Revised: 08/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Malav S. Desai
- Department of Bioengineering; University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley CA USA
- Physical Biosciences Division; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Berkeley CA USA
| | - Seung-Wuk Lee
- Department of Bioengineering; University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley CA USA
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41
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Tucker CL, Jones JA, Bringhurst HN, Copeland CG, Addison JB, Weber WS, Mou Q, Yarger JL, Lewis RV. Mechanical and physical properties of recombinant spider silk films using organic and aqueous solvents. Biomacromolecules 2014; 15:3158-70. [PMID: 25030809 PMCID: PMC4130237 DOI: 10.1021/bm5007823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Spider
silk has exceptional mechanical and biocompatibility properties.
The goal of this study was optimization of the mechanical properties
of synthetic spider silk thin films made from synthetic forms of MaSp1
and MaSp2, which compose the dragline silk of Nephila
clavipes. We increased the mechanical stress of MaSp1
and 2 films solubilized in both HFIP and water by adding glutaraldehyde
and then stretching them in an alcohol based stretch bath. This resulted
in stresses as high as 206 MPa and elongations up to 35%, which is
4× higher than the as-poured controls. Films were analyzed using
NMR, XRD, and Raman, which showed that the secondary structure after
solubilization and film formation in as-poured films is mainly a helical
conformation. After the post-pour stretch in a methanol/water bath,
the MaSp proteins in both the HFIP and water-based films formed aligned
β-sheets similar to those in spider silk fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chauncey L Tucker
- Departments of †Biological Engineering and ‡Biology, Utah State University , Logan, Utah 84322, United States
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42
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Humenik M, Scheibel T. Nanomaterial building blocks based on spider silk-oligonucleotide conjugates. ACS NANO 2014; 8:1342-1349. [PMID: 24405063 DOI: 10.1021/nn404916f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembling protein nanofibrils are promising structures for the "bottom-up" fabrication of bionanomaterials. Here, the recombinant protein eADF4(C16), a variant of Araneus diadematus dragline silk ADF4, which self-assembles into nanofibrils, and short oligonucleotides were modified for site-specific azide-alkyne coupling. Corresponding oligonuleotide-eADF4(C16) "click" conjugates were hybridized in linear or branched fashion according to the designed complementarities of the DNA moieties. Self-assembly properties of higher ordered structures of the spider silk-DNA conjugates were dominated by the silk component. Assembled β-sheet rich conjugate fibrils were similar in appearance to fibrils of unmodified eADF4(C16) but enabled the specific attachment of neutravidin-modified gold nanoparticles on their surface directed by complementary biotin-oligonucleotides, providing the basis for functionalization of such conjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Humenik
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth , Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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Whittaker J, Balu R, Choudhury NR, Dutta NK. Biomimetic protein-based elastomeric hydrogels for biomedical applications. POLYM INT 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/pi.4670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Whittaker
- Ian Wark Research Institute, Mawson Lakes Campus; University of South Australia; Mawson Lakes Adelaide SA 5095 Australia
| | - Rajkamal Balu
- Ian Wark Research Institute, Mawson Lakes Campus; University of South Australia; Mawson Lakes Adelaide SA 5095 Australia
| | - Namita R. Choudhury
- Ian Wark Research Institute, Mawson Lakes Campus; University of South Australia; Mawson Lakes Adelaide SA 5095 Australia
| | - Naba K. Dutta
- Ian Wark Research Institute, Mawson Lakes Campus; University of South Australia; Mawson Lakes Adelaide SA 5095 Australia
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Whittaker JL, Choudhury NR, Dutta NK, Zannettino A. Facile and rapid ruthenium mediated photo-crosslinking of Bombyx mori silk fibroin. J Mater Chem B 2014; 2:6259-6270. [DOI: 10.1039/c4tb00698d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
We report a unique and facile way of preparing silk fibroin gel by ruthenium-mediated photocrosslinking of silk solution. Compared to existing methods, this approach is faster, taking only a few minutes to form the gel with tunable modulus. Hydrogels demonstrate their potential suitability as biomaterials for tissue engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Naba K. Dutta
- Ian Wark Research Institute
- University of South Australia
- Adelaide, Australia
| | - Andrew Zannettino
- Myeloma Research Laboratory
- School of Medical Sciences
- University of Adelaide
- Adelaide, Australia
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46
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Hinman MB, Teulé F, Perry D, An B, Adrianos S, Albertson A, Lewis R. Modular Spider Silk Fibers: Defining New Modules and Optimizing Fiber Properties. BIOTECHNOLOGY OF SILK 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7119-2_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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47
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Tokareva O, Michalczechen-Lacerda VA, Rech EL, Kaplan DL. Recombinant DNA production of spider silk proteins. Microb Biotechnol 2013; 6:651-63. [PMID: 24119078 PMCID: PMC3815454 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.12081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2013] [Revised: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 08/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is considered to be the toughest biopolymer on Earth due to an extraordinary combination of strength and elasticity. Moreover, silks are biocompatible and biodegradable protein-based materials. Recent advances in genetic engineering make it possible to produce recombinant silks in heterologous hosts, opening up opportunities for large-scale production of recombinant silks for various biomedical and material science applications. We review the current strategies to produce recombinant spider silks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olena Tokareva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts UniversityMedford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Valquíria A Michalczechen-Lacerda
- Department of Cell Biology, Campus Universitario Darcy Ribeiro, Institute of Biology, University of BrasiliaBrasilia, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Elíbio L Rech
- Embrapa Genetics Resources and Biotechnology, Biotechnology UnitParque Estação Biológica PqEB W5 Norte, Brasilia, 70770-900, DF, Brazil
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts UniversityMedford, MA, 02155, USA
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48
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Albertson AE, Teulé F, Weber W, Yarger JL, Lewis RV. Effects of different post-spin stretching conditions on the mechanical properties of synthetic spider silk fibers. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2013; 29:225-34. [PMID: 24113297 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2013.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2013] [Revised: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 09/01/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk is a biomaterial with impressive mechanical properties, resulting in various potential applications. Recent research has focused on producing synthetic spider silk fibers with the same mechanical properties as the native fibers. For this study, three proteins based on the Argiope aurantia Major ampullate Spidroin 2 consensus repeat sequence were expressed, purified and spun into fibers. A number of post-spin draw conditions were tested to determine the effect of each condition on the mechanical properties of the fiber. In all cases, post-spin stretching improved the mechanical properties of the fibers. Aqueous isopropanol was the most effective solution for increasing extensibility, while other solutions worked best for each fiber type for increasing tensile strength. The strain values of the stretched fibers correlated with the length of the proline-rich protein sequence. Structural analysis, including X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, showed surprisingly little change in the initial as-spun fibers compared with the post-spin stretched fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Albertson
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.
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49
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Tokareva O, Jacobsen M, Buehler M, Wong J, Kaplan DL. Structure-function-property-design interplay in biopolymers: spider silk. Acta Biomater 2013; 10:1612-26. [PMID: 23962644 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2013] [Revised: 08/06/2013] [Accepted: 08/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Spider silks have been a focus of research for almost two decades due to their outstanding mechanical and biophysical properties. Recent advances in genetic engineering have led to the synthesis of recombinant spider silks, thus helping to unravel a fundamental understanding of structure-function-property relationships. The relationships between molecular composition, secondary structures and mechanical properties found in different types of spider silks are described, along with a discussion of artificial spinning of these proteins and their bioapplications, including the role of silks in biomineralization and fabrication of biomaterials with controlled properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olena Tokareva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Matthew Jacobsen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Markus Buehler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Joyce Wong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
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Adrianos SL, Teulé F, Hinman MB, Jones JA, Weber WS, Yarger JL, Lewis RV. Nephila clavipes Flagelliform silk-like GGX motifs contribute to extensibility and spacer motifs contribute to strength in synthetic spider silk fibers. Biomacromolecules 2013; 14:1751-60. [PMID: 23646825 DOI: 10.1021/bm400125w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Flagelliform spider silk is the most extensible silk fiber produced by orb weaver spiders, though not as strong as the dragline silk of the spider. The motifs found in the core of the Nephila clavipes flagelliform Flag protein are GGX, spacer, and GPGGX. Flag does not contain the polyalanine motif known to provide the strength of dragline silk. To investigate the source of flagelliform fiber strength, four recombinant proteins were produced containing variations of the three core motifs of the Nephila clavipes flagelliform Flag protein that produces this type of fiber. The as-spun fibers were processed in 80% aqueous isopropanol using a standardized process for all four fiber types, which produced improved mechanical properties. Mechanical testing of the recombinant proteins determined that the GGX motif contributes extensibility and the spacer motif contributes strength to the recombinant fibers. Recombinant protein fibers containing the spacer motif were stronger than the proteins constructed without the spacer that contained only the GGX motif or the combination of the GGX and GPGGX motifs. The mechanical and structural X-ray diffraction analysis of the recombinant fibers provide data that suggests a functional role of the spacer motif that produces tensile strength, though the spacer motif is not clearly defined structurally. These results indicate that the spacer is likely a primary contributor of strength, with the GGX motif supplying mobility to the protein network of native N. clavipes flagelliform silk fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherry L Adrianos
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming , Laramie, Wyoming 82071, United States.
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