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Arguelles J, Baker RH, Perez-Rigueiro J, Guinea GV, Elices M, Hayashi CY. Relating spidroin motif prevalence and periodicity to the mechanical properties of major ampullate spider silks. J Comp Physiol B 2023; 193:25-36. [PMID: 36342510 PMCID: PMC9852138 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-022-01464-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Spider dragline fibers exhibit incredible mechanical properties, outperforming many synthetic polymers in toughness assays, and possess desirable properties for medical and other human applications. These qualities make dragline fibers popular subjects for biomimetics research. The enormous diversity of spiders presents both an opportunity for the development of new bioinspired materials and a challenge for the identification of fundamental design principles, as the mechanical properties of dragline fibers show both intraspecific and interspecific variations. In this regard, the stress-strain curves of draglines from different species have been shown to be effectively compared by the α* parameter, a value derived from maximum-supercontracted silk fibers. To identify potential molecular mechanisms impacting α* values, here we analyze spider fibroin (spidroin) sequences of the Western black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) and the black and yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia). This study serves as a primer for investigating the molecular properties of spidroins that underlie species-specific α* values. Initial findings are that while overall motif composition was similar between species, certain motifs and higher level periodicities of glycine-rich region lengths showed variation, notably greater distances between poly-A motifs in A. aurantia sequences. In addition to increased period lengths, A. aurantia spidroins tended to have an increased prevalence of charged and hydrophobic residues. These increases may impact the number and strength of hydrogen bond networks within fibers, which have been implicated in conformational changes and formation of nanocrystals, contributing to the greater extensibility of A. aurantia draglines compared to those of L. hesperus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Arguelles
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024 USA
| | - Richard H. Baker
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024 USA
| | - Jose Perez-Rigueiro
- Center for Biomedical Engineering (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain ,Centro de Investigatión Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain ,Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Peurtos, 28040 Madrid, Spain ,Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Calle Prof. Martín Lagos s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo V. Guinea
- Center for Biomedical Engineering (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain ,Centro de Investigatión Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain ,Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Peurtos, 28040 Madrid, Spain ,Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Calle Prof. Martín Lagos s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Elices
- Centro de Investigatión Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cheryl Y. Hayashi
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024 USA
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2
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Differences in the Elastomeric Behavior of Polyglycine-Rich Regions of Spidroin 1 and 2 Proteins. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14235263. [PMID: 36501657 PMCID: PMC9738160 DOI: 10.3390/polym14235263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Two different polyglycine-rich fragments were selected as representatives of major ampullate gland spidroins (MaSp) 1 and 2 types, and their behavior in a water-saturated environment was simulated within the framework of molecular dynamics (MD). The selected fragments are found in the sequences of the proteins MaSp1a and MaSp2.2a of Argiope aurantia with respective lengths of 36 amino acids (MaSp1a) and 50 amino acids (MaSp2.2s). The simulation took the fully extended β-pleated conformation as reference, and MD was used to determine the equilibrium configuration in the absence of external forces. Subsequently, MD were employed to calculate the variation in the distance between the ends of the fragments when subjected to an increasing force. Both fragments show an elastomeric behavior that can be modeled as a freely jointed chain with links of comparable length, and a larger number of links in the spidroin 2 fragment. It is found, however, that the maximum recovery force recorded from the spidroin 2 peptide (Fmax ≈ 400 pN) is found to be significantly larger than that of the spidroin 1 (Fmax ≈ 250 pN). The increase in the recovery force of the spidroin 2 polyglycine-rich fragment may be correlated with the larger values observed in the strain at breaking of major ampullate silk fibers spun by Araneoidea species, which contain spidroin 2 proteins, compared to the material produced by spider species that lack these spidroins (RTA-clade).
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Pérez-Rigueiro J, Elices M, Plaza GR, Guinea GV. Basic Principles in the Design of Spider Silk Fibers. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26061794. [PMID: 33806736 PMCID: PMC8004941 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26061794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The prominence of spider silk as a hallmark in biomimetics relies not only on its unrivalled mechanical properties, but also on how these properties are the result of a set of original design principles. In this sense, the study of spider silk summarizes most of the main topics relevant to the field and, consequently, offers a nice example on how these topics could be considered in other biomimetic systems. This review is intended to present a selection of some of the essential design principles that underlie the singular microstructure of major ampullate gland silk, as well as to show how the interplay between them leads to the outstanding tensile behavior of spider silk. Following this rationale, the mechanical behavior of the material is analyzed in detail and connected with its main microstructural features, specifically with those derived from the semicrystalline organization of the fibers. Establishing the relationship between mechanical properties and microstructure in spider silk not only offers a vivid image of the paths explored by nature in the search for high performance materials, but is also a valuable guide for the development of new artificial fibers inspired in their natural counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Pérez-Rigueiro
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223 Madrid, Spain; (M.E.); (G.R.P.); (G.V.G.)
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-9174304
| | - Manuel Elices
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223 Madrid, Spain; (M.E.); (G.R.P.); (G.V.G.)
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo R. Plaza
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223 Madrid, Spain; (M.E.); (G.R.P.); (G.V.G.)
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo V. Guinea
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223 Madrid, Spain; (M.E.); (G.R.P.); (G.V.G.)
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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4
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Pérez-Rigueiro J, Madurga R, Gañán-Calvo AM, Elices M, Guinea GV, Tasei Y, Nishimura A, Matsuda H, Asakura T. Emergence of supercontraction in regenerated silkworm (Bombyx mori) silk fibers. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2398. [PMID: 30787337 PMCID: PMC6382804 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38712-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The conditions required for the emergence of supercontraction in regenerated silkworm (Bombyx mori) silk fibers are assessed through an experimental approach that combines the spinning of regenerated fibers with controlled properties and their characterization by 13C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Both supercontracting and non-supercontracting regenerated fibers are produced using the straining flow spinning (SFS) technique from 13C labeled cocoons. The short-range microstructure of the fibers is assessed through 13C CP/MAS in air and 13C DD/MAS in water, and the main microstructural features are identified and quantified. The mechanical properties of the regenerated fibers and their microstructures are compared with those of natural silkworm silk. The combined analysis highlights two possible key elements as responsible for the emergence of supercontraction: (1) the existence of an upper and a lower limit of the amorphous phase compatible with supercontraction, and (2) the existence of two ordered phases, β-sheet A and B, which correspond to different packing arrangements of the protein chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Pérez-Rigueiro
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, (Madrid), Spain. .,Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain. .,Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Rodrigo Madurga
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, (Madrid), Spain.,Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso M Gañán-Calvo
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros, Universidad de Sevilla, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Manuel Elices
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, (Madrid), Spain.,Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo V Guinea
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, (Madrid), Spain.,Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.,Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Yugo Tasei
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan
| | - Akio Nishimura
- 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
| | - Tetsuo Asakura
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan.
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Dionne J, Lefèvre T, Bilodeau P, Lamarre M, Auger M. A quantitative analysis of the supercontraction-induced molecular disorientation of major ampullate spider silk. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 19:31487-31498. [PMID: 29159351 DOI: 10.1039/c7cp05739c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Spider silks exhibit remarkable properties, among which the so-called supercontraction, a physical phenomenon by which fibers undergo a longitudinal shrinkage and a radial swelling when exposed to water. The process is marked by a significant decrease in chain orientation resulting from plasticisation of the amorphous phase. Despite several studies that determined the Hermans orientation function, more quantitative data are required to be able to describe theoretically the macroscopic water-induced shrinkage from molecular reorganization. Here, we have examined the supercontraction of the major ampullate silk single fibers of Nephila clavipes (Nc) and Araneus diadematus (Ad) using polarized Raman spectromicroscopy. We determined the order parameters, the orientation distribution and the secondary structure content. Our data suggest that supercontraction induces a slight increase in β-sheet content, consistently with previous works. The β-sheet orientation is slightly affected by supercontraction compared to that of the amorphous phase, which becomes almost isotropic with shrinkage. Despite an initially lower orientation level, the Ad fiber shows a larger orientation decrease than Nc, consistently with its higher shrinkage amplitude. Although they share similar trends, absolute values of the orientation parameters from this work differ from those found in the literature. We took advantage of having determined the distribution of orientation to estimate the amplitude of shrinkage from changes in macromolecular size resulting from molecular disorientation. Our calculations show that more realistic models are needed to correlate molecular reorientation/refolding to macroscopic shrinkage. This work also underlines that more accurate data relative to molecular orientation are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Dionne
- Département de chimie, Regroupement québécois de Recherche sur la Fonction, l'Ingénierie et les Applications des Protéines (PROTEO), Centre de Recherche sur les Matériaux Avancés (CERMA), Centre Québécois sur les Matériaux Fonctionnels (CQMF), Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
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6
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Conservation of a pH-sensitive structure in the C-terminal region of spider silk extends across the entire silk gene family. Heredity (Edinb) 2018; 120:574-580. [PMID: 29445119 PMCID: PMC5943517 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-018-0050-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Spiders produce multiple silks with different physical properties that allow them to occupy a diverse range of ecological niches, including the underwater environment. Despite this functional diversity, past molecular analyses show a high degree of amino acid sequence similarity between C-terminal regions of silk genes that appear to be independent of the physical properties of the resulting silks; instead, this domain is crucial to the formation of silk fibers. Here, we present an analysis of the C-terminal domain of all known types of spider silk and include silk sequences from the spider Argyroneta aquatica, which spins the majority of its silk underwater. Our work indicates that spiders have retained a highly conserved mechanism of silk assembly, despite the extraordinary diversification of species, silk types and applications of silk over 350 million years. Sequence analysis of the silk C-terminal domain across the entire gene family shows the conservation of two uncommon amino acids that are implicated in the formation of a salt bridge, a functional bond essential to protein assembly. This conservation extends to the novel sequences isolated from A. aquatica. This finding is relevant to research regarding the artificial synthesis of spider silk, suggesting that synthesis of all silk types will be possible using a single process.
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7
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Malay AD, Arakawa K, Numata K. Analysis of repetitive amino acid motifs reveals the essential features of spider dragline silk proteins. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183397. [PMID: 28832627 PMCID: PMC5568437 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The extraordinary mechanical properties of spider dragline silk are dependent on the highly repetitive sequences of the component proteins, major ampullate spidroin 1 and 2 (MaSp2 and MaSp2). MaSp sequences are dominated by repetitive modules composed of short amino acid motifs; however, the patterns of motif conservation through evolution and their relevance to silk characteristics are not well understood. We performed a systematic analysis of MaSp sequences encompassing infraorder Araneomorphae based on the conservation of explicitly defined motifs, with the aim of elucidating the essential elements of MaSp1 and MaSp2. The results show that the GGY motif is nearly ubiquitous in the two types of MaSp, while MaSp2 is invariably associated with GP and di-glutamine (QQ) motifs. Further analysis revealed an extended MaSp2 consensus sequence in family Araneidae, with implications for the classification of the archetypal spidroins ADF3 and ADF4. Additionally, the analysis of RNA-seq data showed the expression of a set of distinct MaSp-like variants in genus Tetragnatha. Finally, an apparent association was uncovered between web architecture and the abundance of GP, QQ, and GGY motifs in MaSp2, which suggests a co-expansion of these motifs in response to the evolution of spiders' prey capture strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali D. Malay
- Enzyme Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan
- * E-mail: (ADM); (KN)
| | - Kazuharu Arakawa
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Kakuganji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Enzyme Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan
- * E-mail: (ADM); (KN)
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Tietsch V, Alencastre J, Witte H, Torres F. Exploring the shock response of spider webs. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2016; 56:1-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2015.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Revised: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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9
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Xu D, Shi X, Thompson F, Weber WS, Mou Q, Yarger JL. Protein secondary structure of Green Lynx spider dragline silk investigated by solid-state NMR and X-ray diffraction. Int J Biol Macromol 2015; 81:171-9. [PMID: 26226457 PMCID: PMC4874476 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2015.07.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the secondary structure of the major ampullate silk from Peucetia viridans (Green Lynx) spiders is characterized by X-ray diffraction and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. From X-ray diffraction measurement, β-sheet nanocrystallites were observed and found to be highly oriented along the fiber axis, with an orientational order, fc≈0.98. The size of the nanocrystallites was determined to be on average 2.5nm×3.3nm×3.8nm. Besides a prominent nanocrystalline region, a partially oriented amorphous region was also observed with an fa≈0.89. Two-dimensional (13)C-(13)C through-space and through-bond solid-state NMR experiments were employed to elucidate structure details of P. viridans silk proteins. It reveals that β-sheet nanocrystallites constitutes 40.0±1.2% of the protein and are dominated by alanine-rich repetitive motifs. Furthermore, based upon the NMR data, 18±1% of alanine, 60±2% glycine and 54±2% serine are incorporated into helical conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dian Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, United States
| | - Xiangyan Shi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, United States
| | - Forrest Thompson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, United States
| | - Warner S Weber
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, United States
| | - Qiushi Mou
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, United States
| | - Jeffery L Yarger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, United States.
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Perea GB, Solanas C, Plaza GR, Guinea GV, Jorge I, Vázquez J, Pérez Mateos JM, Marí-Buyé N, Elices M, Pérez-Rigueiro J. Unexpected behavior of irradiated spider silk links conformational freedom to mechanical performance. SOFT MATTER 2015; 11:4868-4878. [PMID: 25994594 DOI: 10.1039/c5sm00395d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Silk fibers from Argiope trifasciata and Nephila inaurata orb-web weaving spiders were UV irradiated to modify the molecular weight of the constituent proteins. Fibers were characterized either as forcibly silked or after being subjected to maximum supercontraction. The effect of irradiation on supercontraction was also studied, both in terms of the percentage of supercontraction and the tensile properties exhibited by irradiated and subsequently supercontracted fibers. The effects of UV exposure at the molecular level were assessed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. It is shown that UV-irradiated fibers show a steady decrease in their main tensile parameters, most notably, tensile strength and strain. The combination of the mechanical and biochemical data suggests that the restricted conformational freedom of the proteins after UV irradiation is critical in the reduction of these properties. Consequently, an adequate topological organization of the protein chains emerges as a critical design principle in the performance of spider silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Belén Perea
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.
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11
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Sampath S, Yarger JL. Structural hysteresis in dragline spider silks induced by supercontraction: An x-ray fiber micro-diffraction study. RSC Adv 2015; 5:1462-1473. [PMID: 25621168 DOI: 10.1039/c4ra13936d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Interaction with water causes shrinkage and significant changes in the structure of spider dragline silks, which has been referred to as supercontraction in the literature. Preferred orientation or alignment of protein chains with respect to the fiber axis is extensively changed during this supercontraction process. Synchrotron x-ray micro-fiber diffraction experiments have been performed on Nephila clavipes and Argiope aurantia major and minor ampullate dragline spider fibers in the native dry, contracted (by immersion in water) and restretched (from contracted) states. Changes in the orientation of β-sheet nanocrystallites and the oriented component of the amorphous network have been determined from wide-angle x-ray diffraction patterns. While both the crystalline and amorphous components lose preferred orientation on wetting with water, the nano-crystallites regain their orientation on wet-restretching, whereas the oriented amorphous components only partially regain their orientation. Dragline major ampullate silks in both the species contract more than their minor ampullate silks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujatha Sampath
- Dept. of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA ; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1604, USA
| | - Jeffery L Yarger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1604, USA
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Torres FG, Troncoso OP, Torres C, Cabrejos W. An experimental confirmation of thermal transitions in native and regenerated spider silks. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2013; 33:1432-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2012.12.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2012] [Revised: 11/12/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Menezes GM, Teulé F, Lewis RV, Silva LP, Rech EL. Nanoscale investigations of synthetic spider silk fibers modified by physical and chemical processes. Polym J 2013. [DOI: 10.1038/pj.2013.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Biomaterial evolution parallels behavioral innovation in the origin of orb-like spider webs. Sci Rep 2012; 2:833. [PMID: 23150784 PMCID: PMC3495280 DOI: 10.1038/srep00833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2012] [Accepted: 10/25/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Correlated evolution of traits can act synergistically to facilitate organism function. But, what happens when constraints exist on the evolvability of some traits, but not others? The orb web was a key innovation in the origin of >12,000 species of spiders. Orb evolution hinged upon the origin of novel spinning behaviors and innovations in silk material properties. In particular, a new major ampullate spidroin protein (MaSp2) increased silk extensibility and toughness, playing a critical role in how orb webs stop flying insects. Here, we show convergence between pseudo-orb-weaving Fecenia and true orb spiders. As in the origin of true orbs, Fecenia dragline silk improved significantly compared to relatives. But, Fecenia silk lacks the high compliance and extensibility found in true orb spiders, likely due in part to the absence of MaSp2. Our results suggest how constraints limit convergent evolution and provide insight into the evolution of nature's toughest fibers.
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15
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Sequential origin in the high performance properties of orb spider dragline silk. Sci Rep 2012; 2:782. [PMID: 23110251 PMCID: PMC3482764 DOI: 10.1038/srep00782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2012] [Accepted: 10/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Major ampullate (MA) dragline silk supports spider orb webs, combining strength and extensibility in the toughest biomaterial. MA silk evolved ~376 MYA and identifying how evolutionary changes in proteins influenced silk mechanics is crucial for biomimetics, but is hindered by high spinning plasticity. We use supercontraction to remove that variation and characterize MA silk across the spider phylogeny. We show that mechanical performance is conserved within, but divergent among, major lineages, evolving in correlation with discrete changes in proteins. Early MA silk tensile strength improved rapidly with the origin of GGX amino acid motifs and increased repetitiveness. Tensile strength then maximized in basal entelegyne spiders, ~230 MYA. Toughness subsequently improved through increased extensibility within orb spiders, coupled with the origin of a novel protein (MaSp2). Key changes in MA silk proteins therefore correlate with the sequential evolution high performance orb spider silk and could aid design of biomimetic fibers.
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Guinea GV, Elices M, Plaza GR, Perea GB, Daza R, Riekel C, Agulló-Rueda F, Hayashi C, Zhao Y, Pérez-Rigueiro J. Minor ampullate silks from Nephila and Argiope spiders: tensile properties and microstructural characterization. Biomacromolecules 2012; 13:2087-98. [PMID: 22668322 DOI: 10.1021/bm3004644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The mechanical behavior and microstructure of minor ampullate gland silk (miS) of two orb-web spinning species, Argiope trifasciata and Nephila inaurata, were extensively characterized, enabling detailed comparison with other silks. The similarities and differences exhibited by miS when compared with the intensively studied major ampullate gland silk (MAS) and silkworm (Bombyx mori) silk offer a genuine opportunity for testing some of the hypotheses proposed to correlate microstructure and tensile properties in silk. In this work, we show that miSs of different species show similar properties, even when fibers spun by spiders that diverged over 100 million years are compared. The tensile properties of miS are comparable to those of MAS when tested in air, significantly in terms of work to fracture, but differ considerably when tested in water. In particular, miS does not show a supercontraction effect and an associated ground state. In this regard, the behavior of miS in water is similar to that of B. mori silk, and it is shown that the initial elastic modulus of both fibers can be explained using a common model. Intriguingly, the microstructural parameters measured in miS are comparable to those of MAS and considerably different from those found in B. mori. This fact suggests that some critical microstructural information is still missing in our description of silks, and our results suggest that the hydrophilicity of the lateral groups or the large scale organization of the sequences might be routes worth exploring.
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Affiliation(s)
- G V Guinea
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Elices M, Guinea GV, Plaza GR, Karatzas C, Riekel C, Agulló-Rueda F, Daza R, Pérez-Rigueiro J. Bioinspired Fibers Follow the Track of Natural Spider Silk. Macromolecules 2011. [DOI: 10.1021/ma102291m er] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Elices
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - G. V. Guinea
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - G. R. Plaza
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - C. Karatzas
- Nexia Biotechnologies Inc., Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC J7V 8P5Canada
| | - C. Riekel
- European Synchroton Radiation Facility, B.P. 220, F-38043, Grenoble Cedex, France
| | - F. Agulló-Rueda
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - R. Daza
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - J. Pérez-Rigueiro
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Elices M, Guinea GV, Plaza GR, Karatzas C, Riekel C, Agulló-Rueda F, Daza R, Pérez-Rigueiro J. Bioinspired Fibers Follow the Track of Natural Spider Silk. Macromolecules 2011. [DOI: 10.1021/ma102291m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Elices
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - G. V. Guinea
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - G. R. Plaza
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - C. Karatzas
- Nexia Biotechnologies Inc., Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC J7V 8P5Canada
| | - C. Riekel
- European Synchroton Radiation Facility, B.P. 220, F-38043, Grenoble Cedex, France
| | - F. Agulló-Rueda
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - R. Daza
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - J. Pérez-Rigueiro
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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