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Yin Y, Griffo A, Gutiérrez Cruz A, Hähl H, Jacobs K, Linder MB. Effect of Phosphate on the Molecular Properties, Interactions, and Assembly of Engineered Spider Silk Proteins. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:3990-4000. [PMID: 38916967 PMCID: PMC11238326 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Phosphate plays a vital role in spider silk spinning and has been utilized in numerous artificial silk spinning attempts to replicate the remarkable mechanical properties of natural silk fiber. Its application in artificial processes has, however, yielded varying outcomes. It is thus necessary to investigate the origins and mechanisms behind these differences. By using recombinant silk protein SC-ADF3 derived from the garden spider Araneus diadematus, here, we describe its conformational changes under various conditions, elucidating the effect of phosphate on SC-ADF3 silk protein properties and interactions. Our results demonstrate that elevated phosphate levels induce the irreversible conformational conversion of SC-ADF3 from random coils to β-sheet structures, leading to decreased protein solubility over time. Furthermore, exposure of SC-ADF3 to phosphate stiffens already formed structures and reduces the ability to form new interactions. Our findings offer insights into the underlying mechanism through which phosphate-induced β-sheet structures in ADF3-related silk proteins impede fiber formation in the subsequent phases. From a broader perspective, our studies emphasize the significance of silk protein conformation for functional material formation, highlighting that the formation of β-sheet structures at the initial stages of protein assembly will affect the outcome of material forming processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Yin
- Department
of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Kemistintie 1, 02150 Espoo, Finland
- Finnish
Centre of Excellence in Life-Inspired Hybrid Materials (LIBER), Aalto University, Kemistintie 1, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Alessandra Griffo
- Biophysical
Engineering Group, Max Planck Institute
for Medical Research, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department
of Experimental Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Adrián Gutiérrez Cruz
- Department
of Experimental Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Hendrik Hähl
- Department
of Experimental Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Karin Jacobs
- Department
of Experimental Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- Max
Planck School “Matter to Life”, Jahnstraße 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus B. Linder
- Department
of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Kemistintie 1, 02150 Espoo, Finland
- Finnish
Centre of Excellence in Life-Inspired Hybrid Materials (LIBER), Aalto University, Kemistintie 1, 02150 Espoo, Finland
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2
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Li J, Yang GZ, Li X, Tan HL, Wong ZW, Jiang S, Yang D. Nanoassembly of spider silk protein mediated by intrinsically disordered regions. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 271:132438. [PMID: 38761906 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Spider silk is the self-assembling product of silk proteins each containing multiple repeating units. Each repeating unit is entirely intrinsically disordered or contains a small disordered domain. The role of the disordered domain/unit in conferring silk protein storage and self-assembly is not fully understood yet. Here, we used biophysical and biochemical techniques to investigate the self-assembly of a miniature version of a minor ampullate spidroin (denoted as miniMiSp). miniMiSp consists of two identical intrinsically disordered domains, one folded repetitive domain, and two folded terminal domains. Our data indicated that miniMiSp self-assembles into oligomers and further into liquid droplets. The oligomerization is attributed to the aggregation-prone property of both the disordered domains and the folded repetitive domain. Our results support the model of micellar structure for silk proteins at high protein concentrations. The disordered domain is indispensable for liquid droplet formation via liquid-liquid phase separation, and tyrosine residues located in the disordered domain make dominant contributions to stability of the liquid droplets. As the same tyrosine residues are also critical to fibrillation, the liquid droplets are likely an intermediate state between the solution state and the fiber state. Additionally, the terminal domains contribute to the pH- and salt-dependent self-assembly properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Gabriel Z Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Hao Lei Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Zhi Wei Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Shimin Jiang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Daiwen Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
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3
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Lu W, Shi R, Li X, Ma S, Yang D, Shang D, Xia Q. A review on complete silk gene sequencing and de novo assembly of artificial silk. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 264:130444. [PMID: 38417762 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Silk, especially spider and insect silk, is a highly versatile biomaterial with potential applications in biomedicine, materials science, and biomimetic engineering. The primary structure of silk proteins is the basis for the mechanical properties of silk fibers. Biotechnologies such as single-molecule sequencing have facilitated an increasing number of reports on new silk genes and assembled silk proteins. Therefore, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in representative spider and insect silk proteins, focusing on identification methods, sequence characteristics, and de novo design and assembly. The review discusses three identification methods for silk genes: polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based sequencing, PCR-free cloning and sequencing, and whole-genome sequencing. Moreover, it reveals the main spider and insect silk proteins and their sequences. Subsequent de novo assembly of artificial silk is covered and future research directions in the field of silk proteins, including new silk genes, customizable artificial silk, and the expansion of silk production and applications are discussed. This review provides a basis for the genetic aspects of silk production and the potential applications of artificial silk in material science and biomedical engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Run Shi
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xue Li
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Sanyuan Ma
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Daiying Yang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Deli Shang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qingyou Xia
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
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4
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Mu X, Amouzandeh R, Vogts H, Luallen E, Arzani M. A brief review on the mechanisms and approaches of silk spinning-inspired biofabrication. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1252499. [PMID: 37744248 PMCID: PMC10512026 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1252499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Silk spinning, observed in spiders and insects, exhibits a remarkable biological source of inspiration for advanced polymer fabrications. Because of the systems design, silk spinning represents a holistic and circular approach to sustainable polymer fabrication, characterized by renewable resources, ambient and aqueous processing conditions, and fully recyclable "wastes." Also, silk spinning results in structures that are characterized by the combination of monolithic proteinaceous composition and mechanical strength, as well as demonstrate tunable degradation profiles and minimal immunogenicity, thus making it a viable alternative to most synthetic polymers for the development of advanced biomedical devices. However, the fundamental mechanisms of silk spinning remain incompletely understood, thus impeding the efforts to harness the advantageous properties of silk spinning. Here, we present a concise and timely review of several essential features of silk spinning, including the molecular designs of silk proteins and the solvent cues along the spinning apparatus. The solvent cues, including salt ions, pH, and water content, are suggested to direct the hierarchical assembly of silk proteins and thus play a central role in silk spinning. We also discuss several hypotheses on the roles of solvent cues to provide a relatively comprehensive analysis and to identify the current knowledge gap. We then review the state-of-the-art bioinspired fabrications with silk proteins, including fiber spinning and additive approaches/three-dimensional (3D) printing. An emphasis throughout the article is placed on the universal characteristics of silk spinning developed through millions of years of individual evolution pathways in spiders and silkworms. This review serves as a stepping stone for future research endeavors, facilitating the in vitro recapitulation of silk spinning and advancing the field of bioinspired polymer fabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Mu
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
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5
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Luo H, Li P, Ma J, Li X, Zhu H, Cheng Y, Li Q, Xu Q, Zhang Y, Song Y. Bioinspired "cage traps" for closed-loop lead management of perovskite solar cells under real-world contamination assessment. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4730. [PMID: 37550327 PMCID: PMC10406821 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40421-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the remarkable progress made in perovskite solar cells, great concerns regarding potential Pb contamination risk and environmental vulnerability risks associated with perovskite solar cells pose a significant obstacle to their real-world commercialization. In this study, we took inspiration from the ensnaring prey behavior of spiders and chemical components in spider web to strategically implant a multifunctional mesoporous amino-grafted-carbon net into perovskite solar cells, creating a biomimetic cage traps that could effectively mitigate Pb leakage and shield the external invasion under extreme weather conditions. The synergistic Pb capturing mechanism in terms of chemical chelation and physical adsorption is in-depth explored. Additionally, the Pb contamination assessment of end-of-life perovskite solar cells in the real-world ecosystem, including Yellow River water and soil, is proposed. The sustainable closed-loop Pb management process is also successfully established involving four critical steps: Pb precipitation, Pb adsorption, Pb desorption, and Pb recycling. Our findings provide inspiring insights for promoting green and sustainable industrialization of perovskite solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaiqing Luo
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, PR China
| | - Pengwei Li
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, PR China
| | - Junjie Ma
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, PR China.
| | - Xue Li
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, PR China
| | - He Zhu
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, PR China
| | - Yajie Cheng
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, PR China
| | - Qin Li
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, PR China
| | - Qun Xu
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, PR China
| | - Yiqiang Zhang
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, PR China.
| | - Yanlin Song
- Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Nanomaterials for Green Printing Technology, National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, 100190, Beijing, PR China.
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6
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Välisalmi T, Roas-Escalona N, Meinander K, Mohammadi P, Linder MB. Highly Hydrophobic Films of Engineered Silk Proteins by a Simple Deposition Method. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:4370-4381. [PMID: 36926896 PMCID: PMC10061925 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c03442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Molecular engineering of protein structures offers a uniquely versatile route for novel functionalities in materials. Here, we describe a method to form highly hydrophobic thin films using genetically engineered spider silk proteins. We used structurally engineered protein variants containing ADF3 and AQ12 spider silk sequences. Wetting properties were studied using static and dynamic contact angle measurements. Solution conditions and the surrounding humidity during film preparation were key parameters to obtain high hydrophobicity, as shown by contact angles in excess of 120°. Although the surface layer was highly hydrophobic, its structure was disrupted by the added water droplets. Crystal-like structures were found at the spots where water droplets had been placed. To understand the mechanism of film formation, different variants of the proteins, the topography of the films, and secondary structures of the protein components were studied. The high contact angle in the films demonstrates that the conformations that silk proteins take in the protein layer very efficiently expose their hydrophobic segments. This work reveals a highly amphiphilic nature of silk proteins and contributes to an understanding of their assembly mechanisms. It will also help in designing diverse technical uses for recombinant silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teemu Välisalmi
- Department
of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
- Centre
of Excellence in Life-Inspired Hybrid Materials (LIBER), Aalto University, Post Office Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Nelmary Roas-Escalona
- Department
of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
- Centre
of Excellence in Life-Inspired Hybrid Materials (LIBER), Aalto University, Post Office Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Kristoffer Meinander
- Department
of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
- Centre
of Excellence in Life-Inspired Hybrid Materials (LIBER), Aalto University, Post Office Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Pezhman Mohammadi
- VTT
Technical Research Centre of Finland, Limited (VTT), FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
- Centre
of Excellence in Life-Inspired Hybrid Materials (LIBER), Aalto University, Post Office Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Markus B. Linder
- Department
of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
- Centre
of Excellence in Life-Inspired Hybrid Materials (LIBER), Aalto University, Post Office Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, Finland
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7
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Saric M, Scheibel T. Two-in-One Spider Silk Protein with Combined Mechanical Features in All-Aqueous Spun Fibers. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1744-1750. [PMID: 36913547 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Major ampullate (MA) spider silk reveals outstanding mechanical properties in terms of a unique combination of high tensile strength and extensibility, unmatched by most other known native or synthetic fiber materials. MA silk contains at least two spider silk proteins (spidroins), and here, a novel two-in-one (TIO) spidroin was engineered, resembling amino acid sequences of such two of the European garden spider. The combination of mechanical and chemical features of both underlying proteins facilitated the hierarchical self-assembly into β-sheet-rich superstructures. Due to the presence of native terminal dimerization domains, highly concentrated aqueous spinning dopes could be prepared from recombinant TIO spidroins. Subsequently, fibers were spun in a biomimetic, aqueous wet-spinning process, yielding mechanical properties at least twice as high as fibers spun from individual spidroins or blends. The presented processing route holds great potential for future applications using ecological green high-performance fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merisa Saric
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Zentrum für Kolloide und Grenzflächen (BZKG), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Materialzentrum (BayMat), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Zentrum für Molekulare Biowissenschaften (BZMB), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayrisches Polymerinstitut (BPI), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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8
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Stengel D, Saric M, Johnson HR, Schiller T, Diehl J, Chalek K, Onofrei D, Scheibel T, Holland GP. Tyrosine's Unique Role in the Hierarchical Assembly of Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins: From Spinning Dope to Fibers. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1463-1474. [PMID: 36791420 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Producing recombinant spider silk fibers that exhibit mechanical properties approaching native spider silk is highly dependent on the constitution of the spinning dope. Previously published work has shown that recombinant spider silk fibers spun from dopes with phosphate-induced pre-assembly (biomimetic dopes) display a toughness approaching native spider silks far exceeding the mechanical properties of fibers spun from dopes without pre-assembly (classical dopes). Dynamic light scattering experiments comparing the two dopes reveal that biomimetic dope displays a systematic increase in assembly size over time, while light microscopy indicates liquid-liquid-phase separation (LLPS) as evidenced by the formation of micron-scale liquid droplets. Solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) shows that the structural state in classical and biomimetic dopes displays a general random coil conformation in both cases; however, some subtle but distinct differences are observed, including a more ordered state for the biomimetic dope and small chemical shift perturbations indicating differences in hydrogen bonding of the protein in the different dopes with notable changes occurring for Tyr residues. Solid-state NMR demonstrates that the final wet-spun fibers from the two dopes display no structural differences of the poly(Ala) stretches, but biomimetic fibers display a significant difference in Tyr ring packing in non-β-sheet, disordered helical domains that can be traced back to differences in dope preparations. It is concluded that phosphate pre-orders the recombinant silk protein in biomimetic dopes resulting in LLPS and fibers that exhibit vastly improved toughness that could be due to aromatic ring packing differences in non-β-sheet domains that contain Tyr.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillan Stengel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - Merisa Saric
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Street 1, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Hannah R Johnson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - Tim Schiller
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Street 1, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Johannes Diehl
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Street 1, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Kevin Chalek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - David Onofrei
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Street 1, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Gregory P Holland
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
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Chitin and cuticle proteins form the cuticular layer in the spinning duct of silkworm. Acta Biomater 2022; 145:260-271. [PMID: 35364319 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.03.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Chitin is found in the exoskeleton and peritrophic matrix of arthropods, but recent studies have also identified chitin in the spinning duct of silk-spinning arthropods. Here, we report the presence and function of chitin and cuticle proteins ASSCP1 and ASSCP2 in the spinning duct of silkworm. We show that chitin and these proteins are co-located in the cuticular layer of the spinning duct. Ultrastructural analysis indicates that the cuticular layer has a multilayer structure by layered stacking of the chitin laminae. After knocking down ASSCP1 and ASSCP2, the fine structure of this layer was disrupted, which had negative impacts on the mechanical properties of silk. This work clarifies the function of chitin in the spinning duct of silkworm. Chitin and cuticle proteins are the main components of the cuticular layer, providing the shearing stress during silk fibrillogenesis and regulating the final mechanical properties of silk. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Recent studies have identified chitin in the spinning duct of silk-spinning arthropods. However, the role of chitin in this specific organ remains unclear. This study reports that chitin and cuticle proteins form the cuticular layer, a unique structure of the spinning duct of silkworm. This layer with a precise laminate structure gives the spinning duct flexible properties, provides shearing forces for silk fibrillogenesis, and contributes to silk final mechanical properties. Our work clarifies the component, ultrastructure, and biological significance of the silkworm cuticular layer, describes the specific process of silk fiber formation, and proposes new molecular targets (chitin and cuticle proteins) for the improvement of animal silks.
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10
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Nutritionally induced nanoscale variations in spider silk structural and mechanical properties. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2021; 125:104873. [PMID: 34653899 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.104873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Spider major ampullate (MA) silk is characterized by high strength and toughness and is adaptable across environments. Experiments depriving spiders of protein have enabled researchers to examine nutritionally induced changes in gene expression, protein structures, and bulk properties of MA silk. However, it has not been elucidated if it varies in a similar way at a nanoscale. Here we used Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to simultaneously examine the topographic, structural, and mechanical properties of silks spun by two species of spider, Argiope keyserlingi and Latrodectus hasselti, at a nanoscale when protein fed or deprived. We found height, a measure of localized width, to substantially vary across species and treatments. We also found that Young's modulus, which may be used as an estimate of localized stiffness, decreased with protein deprivation in both species' silk. Our results suggest that nanoscale skin-core structures of A. keyserlingi's MA silk varied significantly across treatments, whereas only slight structural and functional variability was found for L. hasselti's silk. These results largely agreed with examinations of the bulk properties of each species' silk. However, we could not directly attribute the decoupling between protein structures and bulk mechanics in L. hasselti's silk to nanoscale features. Our results advance the understanding of processes inducing skin and core structural variations in spider silks at a nanoscale, which serves to enhance the prospect of developing biomimetic engineering programs.
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11
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General Methods to Produce and Assemble Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34472055 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1574-4_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Orb-weaving spiders are known to spin up to seven types of silks/glues from different silk glands. The inherent mechanical variety of these silks makes them attractive models for a variety of biomaterial design, from superglues to extremely strong and/or extendible fibers. Spider silk spinning is a process in which spinning dope stored in specific glands assembles into fibrils upon chemical and mechanical stimuli. The exploration of silk protein assembly into controllable filaments is vital for both uncovering biological functions and molecular structure relationship, as well as fabricating new biomaterials. This chapter describes the methods for biosynthesis and assembly of recombinant spider silk proteins, which will provide insights into the mechanism exploration of fiber formation and spider silk-based material manufacture.
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12
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Stellwagen SD, Burns M. Repeat variation resolves a complete aggregate silk sequence of bolas spider Mastophora phrynosoma. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1450-1458. [PMID: 33944935 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species of spider use a modified silk adhesive, called aggregate glue, to aid in prey capture. Aggregate spidroins (spider fibroins) are modified members of the spider silk family, however they are not spun into fibers as are their solid silk relatives. The genes that encode for aggregate spidroins are the largest of the known spidroin genes and are similarly highly repetitive. In this study, we used long read sequencing to discover the aggregate spidroin genes of the toad-like bolas spider, Mastophora phrynosoma, which employs the glue in a unique way, using only a single, large droplet to capture moths. While Aggregate Spidroin 1 (AgSp1) remains incomplete, AgSp2 is more than an extraordinary 62 kilobases of coding sequence, 20 kb longer than the longest spidroin on record. The structure of repeats from both aggregate silk proteins follows a similar pattern seen in other species, with the same strict conservation of amino acid residue number for much of the repeats' lengths. Interestingly, AgSp2 lacks the elevated number and groupings of glutamine residues seen in the other reported AgSp2 of a classic orb weaving species. The role of gene length in glue functionality remains a mystery, and thus discovering length differences across species will allow understanding and harnessing of this attribute for the next generation of bio-inspired adhesives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah D Stellwagen
- Department of Biological Sciences, UNC Charlotte, 9201, University City Blvd, NC 28223, USA
| | - Mercedes Burns
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, MD 21250, USA
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13
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Mu X, Agostinacchio F, Xiang N, Pei Y, Khan Y, Guo C, Cebe P, Motta A, Kaplan DL. Recent Advances in 3D Printing with Protein-Based Inks. Prog Polym Sci 2021; 115:101375. [PMID: 33776158 PMCID: PMC7996313 DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2021.101375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a transformative manufacturing strategy, allowing rapid prototyping, customization, and flexible manipulation of structure-property relationships. Proteins are particularly appealing to formulate inks for 3D printing as they serve as essential structural components of living systems, provide a support presence in and around cells and for tissue functions, and also provide the basis for many essential ex vivo secreted structures in nature. Protein-based inks are beneficial in vivo due to their mechanics, chemical and physical match to the specific tissue, and full degradability, while also to promoting implant-host integration and serving as an interface between technology and biology. Exploiting the biological, chemical, and physical features of protein-based inks can provide key opportunities to meet the needs of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Despite these benefits, protein-based inks impose nontrivial challenges to 3D printing such as concentration and rheological features and reconstitution of the structural hierarchy observed in nature that is a source of the robust mechanics and functions of these materials. This review introduces photo-crosslinking mechanisms and rheological principles that underpins a variety of 3D printing techniques. The review also highlights recent advances in the design, development, and biomedical utility of monolithic and composite inks from a range of proteins, including collagen, silk, fibrinogen, and others. One particular focus throughout the review is to introduce unique material characteristics of proteins, including amino acid sequences, molecular assembly, and secondary conformations, which are useful for designing printing inks and for controlling the printed structures. Future perspectives of 3D printing with protein-based inks are also provided to support the promising spectrum of biomedical research accessible to these materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Mu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Francesca Agostinacchio
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - Ning Xiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Ying Pei
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Yousef Khan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Chengchen Guo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Peggy Cebe
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Antonella Motta
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - David L. Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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14
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Saric M, Eisoldt L, Döring V, Scheibel T. Interplay of Different Major Ampullate Spidroins during Assembly and Implications for Fiber Mechanics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2006499. [PMID: 33496360 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202006499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Major ampullate (MA) spider silk has fascinating mechanical properties combining strength and elasticity. All known natural MA silks contain at least two or more different spidroins; however, it is unknown why and if there is any interplay in the spinning dope. Here, two different spidroins from Araneus diadematus are co-produced in Escherichia coli to study the possible dimerization and effects thereof on the mechanical properties of fibers. During the production of the two spidroins, a mixture of homo- and heterodimers is formed triggered by the carboxyl-terminal domains. Interestingly, homodimeric species of the individual spidroins self-assemble differently in comparison to heterodimers, and stoichiometric mixtures of homo- and heterodimers yield spidroin networks upon assembly with huge impact on fiber mechanics upon spinning. The obtained results provide the basis for man-made tuning of spinning dopes to yield high-performance fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merisa Saric
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Universität Bayreuth, Prof-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, Bayreuth, 95447, Germany
| | - Lukas Eisoldt
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Universität Bayreuth, Prof-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, Bayreuth, 95447, Germany
| | - Volker Döring
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Universität Bayreuth, Prof-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, Bayreuth, 95447, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Universität Bayreuth, Prof-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, Bayreuth, 95447, Germany
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15
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Guo K, Zhang X, Dong Z, Ni Y, Chen Y, Zhang Y, Li H, Xia Q, Zhao P. Ultrafine and High-Strength Silk Fibers Secreted by Bimolter Silkworms. Polymers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2537. [PMID: 33143336 PMCID: PMC7693878 DOI: 10.3390/polym12112537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Ultrafine fibers are widely employed because of their lightness, softness, and warmth retention. Although silkworm silk is one of the most applied natural silks, it is coarse and difficult to transform into ultrafine fibers. Thus, to obtain ultrafine high-performance silk fibers, we employed anti-juvenile hormones in this study to induce bimolter silkworms. We found that the bimolter cocoons were composed of densely packed thin fibers and small apertures, wherein the silk diameter was 54.9% less than that of trimolter silk. Further analysis revealed that the bimolter silk was cleaner and lighter than the control silk. In addition, it was stronger (739 MPa versus 497 MPa) and more stiffness (i.e., a higher Young's modulus) than the trimolter silk. FTIR and X-ray diffraction results revealed that the excellent mechanical properties of bimolter silk can be attributed to the higher β-sheet content and crystallinity. Chitin staining of the anterior silk gland suggested that the lumen is narrower in bimolters, which may lead to the formation of greater numbers of β-sheet structures in the silk. Therefore, this study reveals the relationship between the structures and mechanical properties of bimolter silk and provides a valuable reference for producing high-strength and ultrafine silk fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (K.G.); (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (Y.C.); (H.L.)
- Biological Science Research Center Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (Z.D.); (Y.Z.); (Q.X.)
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Xiaolu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (K.G.); (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (Y.C.); (H.L.)
- Biological Science Research Center Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (Z.D.); (Y.Z.); (Q.X.)
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Zhaoming Dong
- Biological Science Research Center Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (Z.D.); (Y.Z.); (Q.X.)
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Yuhui Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (K.G.); (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (Y.C.); (H.L.)
| | - Yuqing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (K.G.); (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (Y.C.); (H.L.)
| | - Yan Zhang
- Biological Science Research Center Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (Z.D.); (Y.Z.); (Q.X.)
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Haoyun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (K.G.); (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (Y.C.); (H.L.)
- Biological Science Research Center Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (Z.D.); (Y.Z.); (Q.X.)
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Qingyou Xia
- Biological Science Research Center Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (Z.D.); (Y.Z.); (Q.X.)
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Ping Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (K.G.); (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (Y.C.); (H.L.)
- Biological Science Research Center Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (Z.D.); (Y.Z.); (Q.X.)
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing 400716, China
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16
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Mu X, Fitzpatrick V, Kaplan DL. From Silk Spinning to 3D Printing: Polymer Manufacturing using Directed Hierarchical Molecular Assembly. Adv Healthc Mater 2020; 9:e1901552. [PMID: 32109007 PMCID: PMC7415583 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201901552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Silk spinning offers an evolution-based manufacturing strategy for industrial polymer manufacturing, yet remains largely inaccessible as the manufacturing mechanisms in biological and synthetic systems, especially at the molecular level, are fundamentally different. The appealing characteristics of silk spinning include the sustainable sourcing of the protein material, the all-aqueous processing into fibers, and the unique material properties of silks in various formats. Substantial progress has been made to mimic silk spinning in artificial manufacturing processes, despite the gap between natural and artificial systems. This report emphasizes the universal spinning conditions utilized by both spiders and silkworms to generate silk fibers in nature, as a scientific and technical framework for directing molecular assembly into high-performance structures. The preparation of regenerated silk feedstocks and mimicking native spinning conditions in artificial manufacturing are discussed, as is progress and challenges in fiber spinning and 3D printing of silk-composites. Silk spinning is a biomimetic model for advanced and sustainable artificial polymer manufacturing, offering benefits in biomedical applications for tissue scaffolds and implantable devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Mu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Vincent Fitzpatrick
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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17
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Finnigan W, Roberts AD, Ligorio C, Scrutton NS, Breitling R, Blaker JJ, Takano E. The effect of terminal globular domains on the response of recombinant mini-spidroins to fiber spinning triggers. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10671. [PMID: 32606438 PMCID: PMC7327021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67703-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider silk spidroins consist of long repetitive protein strands, flanked by globular terminal domains. The globular domains are often omitted in recombinant spidroins, but are thought to be essential for the spiders' natural spinning process. Mimicking this spinning process could be an essential step towards producing strong synthetic spider silk. Here we describe the production of a range of mini-spidroins with both terminal domains, and characterize their response to a number of biomimetic spinning triggers. Our results suggest that mini-spidroins which are able to form protein micelles due to the addition of both terminal domains exhibit shear-thinning, a property which native spidroins also show. Furthermore, our data also suggest that a pH drop alone is insufficient to trigger assembly in a wet-spinning process, and must be combined with salting-out for effective fiber formation. With these insights, we applied these assembly triggers for relatively biomimetic wet spinning. This work adds to the foundation of literature for developing improved biomimetic spinning techniques, which ought to result in synthetic silk that more closely approximates the unique properties of native spider silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Finnigan
- Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Aled D Roberts
- Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Cosimo Ligorio
- Department of Materials, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Nigel S Scrutton
- Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Rainer Breitling
- Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Jonny J Blaker
- Bio-Active Materials Group, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Eriko Takano
- Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
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18
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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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19
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Mohammadi P, Jonkergouw C, Beaune G, Engelhardt P, Kamada A, Timonen JVI, Knowles TPJ, Penttila M, Linder MB. Controllable coacervation of recombinantly produced spider silk protein using kosmotropic salts. J Colloid Interface Sci 2019; 560:149-160. [PMID: 31670097 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2019.10.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Recent developments suggest that the phase transition of natural and synthetic biomacromolecules represents an important and ubiquitous mechanism underlying structural assemblies toward the fabrication of high-performance materials. Such a transition results in the formation of condensed liquid droplets, described as condensates or coacervates. Being able to effectively control the assembly of such entities is essential for tuning the quality and their functionality. Here we describe how self-coacervation of genetically engineered spidroin-inspired proteins can be preceded by a wide range of kosmotropic salts. We studied the kinetics and mechanisms of coacervation in different conditions, from direct observation of initial phase separation to the early stage of nucleation/growth and fusion into large fluid assemblies. We found that coacervation induced by kosmotropic salts follows the classical nucleation theory and critically relies on precursor clusters of few weak-interacting protein monomers. Depending on solution conditions and the strength of the supramolecular interaction as a function of time, coacervates with a continuum of physiochemical properties were observed. We observed similar characteristics in other protein-based coacervates, which include having a spherical-ellipsoid shape in solution, an interconnected bicontinuous network, surface adhesion, and wetting properties. Finally, we demonstrated the use of salt-induced self-coacervates of spidroin-inspired protein as a cellulosic binder in dried condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pezhman Mohammadi
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo FI-02044, Finland.
| | - Christopher Jonkergouw
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, FI-16100 Espoo, Finland
| | - Grégory Beaune
- Department of Applied Physics, School of Science, Aalto University, FI-02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Peter Engelhardt
- Department of Applied Physics, School of Science, Aalto University, FI-02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Ayaka Kamada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Jaakko V I Timonen
- Department of Applied Physics, School of Science, Aalto University, FI-02150 Espoo, Finland
| | | | - Merja Penttila
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo FI-02044, Finland
| | - Markus B Linder
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, FI-16100 Espoo, Finland
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20
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Garb JE, Haney RA, Schwager EE, Gregorič M, Kuntner M, Agnarsson I, Blackledge TA. The transcriptome of Darwin's bark spider silk glands predicts proteins contributing to dragline silk toughness. Commun Biol 2019; 2:275. [PMID: 31372514 PMCID: PMC6658490 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0496-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Darwin's bark spider (Caerostris darwini) produces giant orb webs from dragline silk that can be twice as tough as other silks, making it the toughest biological material. This extreme toughness comes from increased extensibility relative to other draglines. We show C. darwini dragline-producing major ampullate (MA) glands highly express a novel silk gene transcript (MaSp4) encoding a protein that diverges markedly from closely related proteins and contains abundant proline, known to confer silk extensibility, in a unique GPGPQ amino acid motif. This suggests C. darwini evolved distinct proteins that may have increased its dragline's toughness, enabling giant webs. Caerostris darwini's MA spinning ducts also appear unusually long, potentially facilitating alignment of silk proteins into extremely tough fibers. Thus, a suite of novel traits from the level of genes to spinning physiology to silk biomechanics are associated with the unique ecology of Darwin's bark spider, presenting innovative designs for engineering biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E. Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Olsen Hall 414, Lowell, MA 01854 USA
| | - Robert A. Haney
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Olsen Hall 414, Lowell, MA 01854 USA
| | - Evelyn E. Schwager
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Olsen Hall 414, Lowell, MA 01854 USA
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute Jovan Hadži ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, P.O. Box 306, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute Jovan Hadži ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, P.O. Box 306, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405 USA
| | - Todd A. Blackledge
- Integrated Bioscience Program, Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325 USA
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21
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Roberts AD, Finnigan W, Wolde-Michael E, Kelly P, Blaker JJ, Hay S, Breitling R, Takano E, Scrutton NS. Synthetic biology for fibres, adhesives and active camouflage materials in protection and aerospace. MRS COMMUNICATIONS 2019; 9:486-504. [PMID: 31281737 PMCID: PMC6609449 DOI: 10.1557/mrc.2019.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology has huge potential to produce the next generation of advanced materials by accessing previously unreachable (bio)chemical space. In this prospective review, we take a snapshot of current activity in this rapidly developing area, focussing on prominent examples for high-performance applications such as those required for protective materials and the aerospace sector. The continued growth of this emerging field will be facilitated by the convergence of expertise from a range of diverse disciplines, including molecular biology, polymer chemistry, materials science and process engineering. This review highlights the most significant recent advances and address the cross-disciplinary challenges currently being faced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aled D. Roberts
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology
Research Centre SYBIOCHEM, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK, M1 7DN
- Bio-Active Materials Group, School of Materials, The University of
Manchester, Manchester, UK, M13 9PL
| | - William Finnigan
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology
Research Centre SYBIOCHEM, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK, M1 7DN
| | - Emmanuel Wolde-Michael
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology
Research Centre SYBIOCHEM, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK, M1 7DN
| | - Paul Kelly
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology
Research Centre SYBIOCHEM, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK, M1 7DN
| | - Jonny J. Blaker
- Bio-Active Materials Group, School of Materials, The University of
Manchester, Manchester, UK, M13 9PL
| | - Sam Hay
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology
Research Centre SYBIOCHEM, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK, M1 7DN
| | - Rainer Breitling
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology
Research Centre SYBIOCHEM, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK, M1 7DN
| | - Eriko Takano
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology
Research Centre SYBIOCHEM, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK, M1 7DN
| | - Nigel S. Scrutton
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology
Research Centre SYBIOCHEM, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK, M1 7DN
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22
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Nanostructured, Self-Assembled Spider Silk Materials for Biomedical Applications. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1174:187-221. [PMID: 31713200 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-9791-2_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The extraordinary mechanical properties of spider silk fibers result from the interplay of composition, structure and self-assembly of spider silk proteins (spidroins). Genetic approaches enabled the biotechnological production of recombinant spidroins which have been employed to unravel the self-assembly and spinning process. Various processing conditions allowed to explore non-natural morphologies including nanofibrils, particles, capsules, hydrogels, films or foams. Recombinant spider silk proteins and materials made thereof can be utilized for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, tissue engineering or 3D-biomanufacturing.
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23
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Hierarchical spidroin micellar nanoparticles as the fundamental precursors of spider silks. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:11507-11512. [PMID: 30348773 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1810203115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Many natural silks produced by spiders and insects are unique materials in their exceptional toughness and tensile strength, while being lightweight and biodegradable-properties that are currently unparalleled in synthetic materials. Myriad approaches have been attempted to prepare artificial silks from recombinant spider silk spidroins but have each failed to achieve the advantageous properties of the natural material. This is because of an incomplete understanding of the in vivo spidroin-to-fiber spinning process and, particularly, because of a lack of knowledge of the true morphological nature of spidroin nanostructures in the precursor dope solution and the mechanisms by which these nanostructures transform into micrometer-scale silk fibers. Herein we determine the physical form of the natural spidroin precursor nanostructures stored within spider glands that seed the formation of their silks and reveal the fundamental structural transformations that occur during the initial stages of extrusion en route to fiber formation. Using a combination of solution phase diffusion NMR and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), we reveal direct evidence that the concentrated spidroin proteins are stored in the silk glands of black widow spiders as complex, hierarchical nanoassemblies (∼300 nm diameter) that are composed of micellar subdomains, substructures that themselves are engaged in the initial nanoscale transformations that occur in response to shear. We find that the established micelle theory of silk fiber precursor storage is incomplete and that the first steps toward liquid crystalline organization during silk spinning involve the fibrillization of nanoscale hierarchical micelle subdomains.
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24
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Mohammadi P, Aranko AS, Lemetti L, Cenev Z, Zhou Q, Virtanen S, Landowski CP, Penttilä M, Fischer WJ, Wagermaier W, Linder MB. Phase transitions as intermediate steps in the formation of molecularly engineered protein fibers. Commun Biol 2018; 1:86. [PMID: 30271967 PMCID: PMC6123624 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0090-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A central concept in molecular bioscience is how structure formation at different length scales is achieved. Here we use spider silk protein as a model to design new recombinant proteins that assemble into fibers. We made proteins with a three-block architecture with folded globular domains at each terminus of a truncated repetitive silk sequence. Aqueous solutions of these engineered proteins undergo liquid-liquid phase separation as an essential pre-assembly step before fibers can form by drawing in air. We show that two different forms of phase separation occur depending on solution conditions, but only one form leads to fiber assembly. Structural variants with one-block or two-block architectures do not lead to fibers. Fibers show strong adhesion to surfaces and self-fusing properties when placed into contact with each other. Our results show a link between protein architecture and phase separation behavior suggesting a general approach for understanding protein assembly from dilute solutions into functional structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pezhman Mohammadi
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland.
| | - A Sesilja Aranko
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | - Laura Lemetti
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | - Zoran Cenev
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, School of Electrical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | - Quan Zhou
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, School of Electrical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | - Salla Virtanen
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | | | - Merja Penttilä
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | | | - Wolfgang Wagermaier
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Markus B Linder
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland.
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25
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Humenik M, Lang G, Scheibel T. Silk nanofibril self-assembly versus electrospinning. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2018; 10:e1509. [PMID: 29393590 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Natural silk fibers represent one of the most advanced blueprints for (bio)polymer scientists, displaying highly optimized mechanical properties due to their hierarchical structures. Biotechnological production of silk proteins and implementation of advanced processing methods enabled harnessing the potential of these biopolymer not just based on the mechanical properties. In addition to fibers, diverse morphologies can be produced, such as nonwoven meshes, films, hydrogels, foams, capsules and particles. Among them, nanoscale fibrils and fibers are particularly interesting concerning medical and technical applications due to their biocompatibility, environmental and mechanical robustness as well as high surface-to-volume ratio. Therefore, we introduce here self-assembly of silk proteins into hierarchically organized structures such as supramolecular nanofibrils and fabricated materials based thereon. As an alternative to self-assembly, we also present electrospinning a technique to produce nanofibers and nanofibrous mats. Accordingly, we introduce a broad range of silk-based dopes, used in self-assembly and electrospinning: natural silk proteins originating from natural spinning glands, natural silk protein solutions reconstituted from fibers, engineered recombinant silk proteins designed from natural blueprints, genetic fusions of recombinant silk proteins with other structural or functional peptides and moieties, as well as hybrids of recombinant silk proteins chemically conjugated with nonproteinaceous biotic or abiotic molecules. We highlight the advantages but also point out drawbacks of each particular production route. The scope includes studies of the natural self-assembly mechanism during natural silk spinning, production of silk fibrils as new nanostructured non-native scaffolds allowing dynamic morphological switches, as well as studying potential applications. This article is categorized under: Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Peptide-Based Structures Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Humenik
- Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Gregor Lang
- Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuth Center for Colloids and Interfaces (BZKG), Research Center Bio-Macromolecules (BIOmac), Bayreuth Center for Molecular Biosciences (BZMB), Bayreuth Center for Material Science (BayMAT), Bavarian Polymer Institute (BPI), Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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26
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Anton AM, Heidebrecht A, Mahmood N, Beiner M, Scheibel T, Kremer F. Foundation of the Outstanding Toughness in Biomimetic and Natural Spider Silk. Biomacromolecules 2017; 18:3954-3962. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.7b00990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Markus Anton
- Peter
Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Leipzig University, Linnéstr. 5, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Aniela Heidebrecht
- Department
for Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Nasir Mahmood
- Institute
of Chemistry, Martin Luther University Halle Wittenberg, Heinrich-Damerow-Str.
4, D-06120 Halle
(Saale), Germany
| | - Mario Beiner
- Institute
of Chemistry, Martin Luther University Halle Wittenberg, Heinrich-Damerow-Str.
4, D-06120 Halle
(Saale), Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, Walter Hülse Str. 1, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Department
for Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Research
Center for Bio Macromolecules (BIOmac), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth
Center for Colloids and Interfaces (BZKG), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth
Center for Molecular Biosciences (BZMB), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth
Center for Material Science and Engineering (BayMAT), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Friedrich Kremer
- Peter
Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Leipzig University, Linnéstr. 5, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
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27
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Cao H, Parveen S, Ding D, Xu H, Tan T, Liu L. Metabolic engineering for recombinant major ampullate spidroin 2 (MaSp2) synthesis in Escherichia coli. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11365. [PMID: 28900203 PMCID: PMC5595792 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11845-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In this research, metabolic engineering was employed to synthesize the artificial major ampullate spidroin 2 (MaSp2) in the engineered Escherichia coli. An iterative seamless splicing strategy was used to assemble the MaSp2 gene, which could reach 10000 base pairs, and more than 100 kDa protein was expected. However, only 55 kDa recombinant MaSp2 was obtained. Because MaSp2 is rich in alanine and glycine residues, Glycyl/alanyl-tRNA pool and extra amino acids adding were adopted in order to supplement alanine and glycine in the protein translation process. With the supplementary alanine and glycine (0.05 wt%) in the medium, MaSp2 constructed in pET28a(+) and Gly/Ala-tRNA constructed in pET22b(+) were co-expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). As results, the artificial MaSp2 with 110 kDa molecular weight was obtained in the present work. This work demonstrates a successful example of applying metabolic engineering approaches and provided a potential way with the enhanced Glycyl/alanyl-tRNA pool to achieve the expression of high molecular weight protein with the repeated motifs in the engineered Escherichia coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Cao
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
| | - Shafaq Parveen
- Beijing Bioprocess Key Laboratory, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Ding Ding
- Beijing Bioprocess Key Laboratory, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Haijun Xu
- Beijing Bioprocess Key Laboratory, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Tianwei Tan
- Beijing Bioprocess Key Laboratory, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Luo Liu
- Beijing Bioprocess Key Laboratory, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China.
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28
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Thamm C, DeSimone E, Scheibel T. Characterization of Hydrogels Made of a Novel Spider Silk Protein eMaSp1s and Evaluation for 3D Printing. Macromol Biosci 2017; 17. [PMID: 28805010 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201700141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Recombinantly produced spider silk proteins have high potential for bioengineering and various biomedical applications because of their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low immunogenicity. Here, the recently described small spider silk protein eMaSp1s is assembled into hydrogels, which can be 3D printed into scaffolds. Further, blending with a recombinantly produced MaSp2 derivative eADF4(C16) alters the mechanical properties of the resulting hydrogels. Different spider silk hydrogels also show a distinct recovery after a high shear stress deformation, exhibiting the tunability of their features for selected applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Thamm
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Elise DeSimone
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Zentrum für Kolloide und Grenzflächen (BZKG), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayerisches Polymerinstitut (BPI), Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Zentrum für Molekulare Biowissenschaften (BZMB), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.,Institut für Bio-Makromoleküle (bio-mac), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Materialzentrum (BayMAT), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
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29
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Bauer J, Scheibel T. Dimerization of the Conserved N-Terminal Domain of a Spider Silk Protein Controls the Self-Assembly of the Repetitive Core Domain. Biomacromolecules 2017. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.7b00672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joschka Bauer
- Lehrstuhl
Biomaterialien, ‡Forschungszentrum für Bio-Makromoleküle (BIOmac), §Bayreuther Zentrum für
Kolloide und Grenzflächen (BZKG), ∥Bayreuther Materialzentrum (BayMat), ⊥Bayreuther Zentrum für Molekulare Biowissenschaften
(BZMB), and #Bayrisches
Polymerinstitut (BPI), Universität Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Lehrstuhl
Biomaterialien, ‡Forschungszentrum für Bio-Makromoleküle (BIOmac), §Bayreuther Zentrum für
Kolloide und Grenzflächen (BZKG), ∥Bayreuther Materialzentrum (BayMat), ⊥Bayreuther Zentrum für Molekulare Biowissenschaften
(BZMB), and #Bayrisches
Polymerinstitut (BPI), Universität Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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30
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Thamm C, Scheibel T. Recombinant Production, Characterization, and Fiber Spinning of an Engineered Short Major Ampullate Spidroin (MaSp1s). Biomacromolecules 2017; 18:1365-1372. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.7b00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Bayerisches Polymerinstitut (BPI), Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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31
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Blamires SJ, Blackledge TA, Tso IM. Physicochemical Property Variation in Spider Silk: Ecology, Evolution, and Synthetic Production. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 62:443-460. [PMID: 27959639 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-031616-035615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The unique combination of great stiffness, strength, and extensibility makes spider major ampullate (MA) silk desirable for various biomimetic and synthetic applications. Intensive research on the genetics, biochemistry, and biomechanics of this material has facilitated a thorough understanding of its properties at various levels. Nevertheless, methods such as cloning, recombination, and electrospinning have not successfully produced materials with properties as impressive as those of spider silk. It is nevertheless becoming clear that silk properties are a consequence of whole-organism interactions with the environment in addition to genetic expression, gland biochemistry, and spinning processes. Here we assimilate the research done and assess the techniques used to determine distinct forms of spider silk chemical and physical property variability. We suggest that more research should focus on testing hypotheses that explain spider silk property variations in ecological and evolutionary contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean J Blamires
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan;
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia;
| | - Todd A Blackledge
- Department of Biology, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325;
| | - I-Min Tso
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan;
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32
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Marelli B, Patel N, Duggan T, Perotto G, Shirman E, Li C, Kaplan DL, Omenetto FG. Programming function into mechanical forms by directed assembly of silk bulk materials. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:451-456. [PMID: 28028213 PMCID: PMC5255612 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1612063114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We report simple, water-based fabrication methods based on protein self-assembly to generate 3D silk fibroin bulk materials that can be easily hybridized with water-soluble molecules to obtain multiple solid formats with predesigned functions. Controlling self-assembly leads to robust, machinable formats that exhibit thermoplastic behavior consenting material reshaping at the nanoscale, microscale, and macroscale. We illustrate the versatility of the approach by realizing demonstrator devices where large silk monoliths can be generated, polished, and reshaped into functional mechanical components that can be nanopatterned, embed optical function, heated on demand in response to infrared light, or can visualize mechanical failure through colorimetric chemistries embedded in the assembled (bulk) protein matrix. Finally, we show an enzyme-loaded solid mechanical part, illustrating the ability to incorporate biological function within the bulk material with possible utility for sustained release in robust, programmably shapeable mechanical formats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetto Marelli
- Silklab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
| | - Nereus Patel
- Silklab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
| | - Thomas Duggan
- Silklab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
| | - Giovanni Perotto
- Silklab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
| | - Elijah Shirman
- Silklab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
| | - Chunmei Li
- Silklab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
| | - David L Kaplan
- Silklab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
| | - Fiorenzo G Omenetto
- Silklab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155;
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
- Department of Physics, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
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33
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Wang X, Li Y, Liu Q, Chen Q, Xia Q, Zhao P. In vivo effects of metal ions on conformation and mechanical performance of silkworm silks. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2016; 1861:567-576. [PMID: 27865996 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanism of silk fiber formation is of particular interest. Although in vitro evidence has shown that metal ions affect conformational transitions of silks, the in vivo effects of metal ions on silk conformations and mechanical performance are still unclear. METHODS This study explored the effects of metal ions on silk conformations and mechanical properties of silk fibers by adding K+ and Cu2+ into the silk fibroin solutions or injecting them into the silkworms. Aimed by CD analysis, FTIR analysis, and mechanical testing, the conformational and mechanical changes of the silks were estimated. By using BION Web Server, the interactions of K+ and N-terminal of silk fibroin were also simulated. RESULTS We presented that K+ and Cu2+ induced the conformational transitions of silk fibroin by forming β-sheet structures. Moreover, the mechanical parameters of silk fibers, such as strength, toughness and Young's modulus, were also improved after K+ or Cu2+ injection. Using BION Web Server, we found that potassium ions may have strong electrostatic interactions with the negatively charged residues. CONCLUSION We suggest that K+ and Cu2+ play crucial roles in the conformation and mechanical performances of silks and they are involved in the silk fiber formation in vivo. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Our results are helpful for clarifying the mechanism of silk fiber formation, and provide insights for modifying the mechanical properties of silk fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China
| | - Qingsong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China
| | - Quanmei Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Qingyou Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China
| | - Ping Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China.
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34
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Structural characterization of the major ampullate silk spidroin-2 protein produced by the spider Nephila clavipes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2016; 1864:1444-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2016.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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35
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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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36
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Werner V, Meinel L. From silk spinning in insects and spiders to advanced silk fibroin drug delivery systems. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2015; 97:392-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2015.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Revised: 03/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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37
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To spin or not to spin: spider silk fibers and more. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 99:9361-80. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-6948-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2015] [Revised: 08/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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38
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dos Santos-Pinto JRA, Arcuri HA, Priewalder H, Salles HC, Palma MS, Lubec G. Structural Model for the Spider Silk Protein Spidroin-1. J Proteome Res 2015. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b00243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José Roberto Aparecido dos Santos-Pinto
- Center
of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of
Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, SP 13500, Brazil
- Department
of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Helen Andrade Arcuri
- Center
of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of
Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, SP 13500, Brazil
| | - Helga Priewalder
- Department
of Paleontology, Geological Survey of Austria, Vienna 1230, Austria
| | - Heliana Clara Salles
- Center
of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of
Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, SP 13500, Brazil
| | - Mario Sergio Palma
- Center
of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of
Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, SP 13500, Brazil
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department
of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
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39
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Lin S, Ryu S, Tokareva O, Gronau G, Jacobsen MM, Huang W, Rizzo DJ, Li D, Staii C, Pugno NM, Wong JY, Kaplan DL, Buehler MJ. Predictive modelling-based design and experiments for synthesis and spinning of bioinspired silk fibres. Nat Commun 2015; 6:6892. [PMID: 26017575 PMCID: PMC4996357 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Scalable computational modelling tools are required to guide the rational design of complex hierarchical materials with predictable functions. Here, we utilize mesoscopic modelling, integrated with genetic block copolymer synthesis and bioinspired spinning process, to demonstrate de novo materials design that incorporates chemistry, processing and material characterization. We find that intermediate hydrophobic/hydrophilic block ratios observed in natural spider silks and longer chain lengths lead to outstanding silk fibre formation. This design by nature is based on the optimal combination of protein solubility, self-assembled aggregate size and polymer network topology. The original homogeneous network structure becomes heterogeneous after spinning, enhancing the anisotropic network connectivity along the shear flow direction. Extending beyond the classical polymer theory, with insights from the percolation network model, we illustrate the direct proportionality between network conductance and fibre Young's modulus. This integrated approach provides a general path towards de novo functional network materials with enhanced mechanical properties and beyond (optical, electrical or thermal) as we have experimentally verified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangchao Lin
- Laboratory for Atomistic and Molecular Mechanics (LAMM), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering Program, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, USA
| | - Seunghwa Ryu
- Laboratory for Atomistic and Molecular Mechanics (LAMM), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-338, Korea
| | - Olena Tokareva
- Laboratory for Atomistic and Molecular Mechanics (LAMM), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
| | - Greta Gronau
- Laboratory for Atomistic and Molecular Mechanics (LAMM), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Institute for Particle Technology, Technische Universitat Braunschweig, Braunschweig 38104, Germany
| | - Matthew M Jacobsen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Wenwen Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
| | - Daniel J Rizzo
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Center for Nanoscopic Physics, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
| | - David Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Cristian Staii
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Center for Nanoscopic Physics, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
| | - Nicola M Pugno
- Laboratory of Bio-Inspired and Graphene Nanomechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, I-38123 Trento, Italy
- Centre for Materials and Microsystems, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Via Sommarive 18, I-38123 Trento, Italy
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Joyce Y Wong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
| | - Markus J Buehler
- Laboratory for Atomistic and Molecular Mechanics (LAMM), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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Heidebrecht A, Eisoldt L, Diehl J, Schmidt A, Geffers M, Lang G, Scheibel T. Biomimetic fibers made of recombinant spidroins with the same toughness as natural spider silk. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2015; 27:2189-94. [PMID: 25689835 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201404234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Revised: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Using a self-assembly of recombinant spidroins, biomimetic spinning dopes are produced and wet-spun into fibers. Upon varying the molecular design of the underlying recombinant spidroins, the influence of the amino- and carboxy-terminal domains, as well as the size of the repetitive core domain on fiber mechanics, is determined. Fiber toughness upon biomimetic processing equals and even slightly exceeds that of natural ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniela Heidebrecht
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
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41
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Drachuk I, Calabrese R, Harbaugh S, Kelley-Loughnane N, Kaplan DL, Stone M, Tsukruk VV. Silk macromolecules with amino acid-poly(ethylene glycol) grafts for controlling layer-by-layer encapsulation and aggregation of recombinant bacterial cells. ACS NANO 2015; 9:1219-35. [PMID: 25588116 DOI: 10.1021/nn504890z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
This study introduces double-brush designs of functionalized silk polyelectrolytes based upon regenerated silk fibroin (SF), which is modified with poly-L-lysine (SF-PLL), poly-L-glutamic acid (SF-PGA), and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) side chains with different grafting architecture and variable amino acid-PEG graft composition for cell encapsulation. The molecular weight of poly amino acids (length of side chains), molecular weight and degree of PEG grafting (D) were varied in order to assess the formation of cytocompatible and robust layer-by-layer (LbL) shells on two types of bacterial cells (Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria). We observed that shells assembled with charged polycationic amino acids adversely effected the properties of microbial cells while promoting the formation of large cell aggregates. In contrast, hydrogen-bonded shells with high PEG grafting density were the most cytocompatible, while promoting formation of stable colloidal suspensions of individual cell encapsulates. The stability to degradation of silk shells (under standard cell incubation procedure) was related to the intrinsic properties of thermodynamic bonding forces, with shells based on electrostatic interactions having stronger resistance to deterioration compared to pure hydrogen-bonded silk shells. By optimizing the charge density of silk polyelectrolytes brushes, as well as the length and the degree of PEG side grafts, robust and cytocompatible cell coatings were engineered that can control aggregation of cells for biosensor devices and other potential biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Drachuk
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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42
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Silva LP, Rech EL. Unravelling the biodiversity of nanoscale signatures of spider silk fibres. Nat Commun 2014; 4:3014. [PMID: 24345771 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Living organisms are masters at designing outstanding self-assembled nanostructures through a hierarchical organization of modular proteins. Protein-based biopolymers improved and selected by the driving forces of molecular evolution are among the most impressive archetypes of nanomaterials. One of these biomacromolecules is the myriad of compound fibroins of spider silks, which combine surprisingly high tensile strength with great elasticity. However, no consensus on the nano-organization of spider silk fibres has been reached. Here we explore the biodiversity of spider silk fibres, focusing on nanoscale characterization with high-resolution atomic force microscopy. Our results reveal an evolution of the nanoroughness, nanostiffness, nanoviscoelastic, nanotribological and nanoelectric organization of microfibres, even when they share similar sizes and shapes. These features are related to unique aspects of their molecular structures. The results show that combined nanoscale analyses of spider silks may enable the screening of appropriate motifs for bioengineering synthetic fibres from recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciano P Silva
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, PBI, Parque Estação Biológica Final W5 Norte, Brasilia 70770-917, Brazil
| | - Elibio L Rech
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, PBI, Parque Estação Biológica Final W5 Norte, Brasilia 70770-917, Brazil
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Krishnaji ST, Huang W, Cebe P, Kaplan DL. Influence of Solution Parameters on Phase Diagram of Recombinant Spider Silk-Like Block Copolymers. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.201400135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sreevidhya Tarakkad Krishnaji
- Department of Chemistry; Tufts University; Medford MA 02155 USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering; Tufts University; Medford MA 02155 USA
| | - Wenwen Huang
- Department of Physics & Astronomy; Center for Nanoscopic Physics, Tufts University; Medford MA 02155 USA
| | - Peggy Cebe
- Department of Physics & Astronomy; Center for Nanoscopic Physics, Tufts University; Medford MA 02155 USA
| | - David L. Kaplan
- Department of Chemistry; Tufts University; Medford MA 02155 USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering; Tufts University; Medford MA 02155 USA
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Germershaus O, Werner V, Kutscher M, Meinel L. Deciphering the mechanism of protein interaction with silk fibroin for drug delivery systems. Biomaterials 2014; 35:3427-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.12.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2013] [Accepted: 12/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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dos Santos-Pinto JRA, Lamprecht G, Chen WQ, Heo S, Hardy JG, Priewalder H, Scheibel TR, Palma MS, Lubec G. Structure and post-translational modifications of the web silk protein spidroin-1 from Nephila spiders. J Proteomics 2014; 105:174-85. [PMID: 24434585 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2014.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2013] [Revised: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 01/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Spidroin-1 is one of the major ampullate silk proteins produced by spiders for use in the construction of the frame and radii of orb webs, and as a dragline to escape from predators. Only partial sequences of spidroin-1 produced by Nephila clavipes have been reported up to now, and there is no information on post-translational modifications (PTMs). A gel-based mass spectrometry strategy with ETD and CID fragmentation methods were used to sequence and determine the presence/location of any PTMs on the spidroin-1. Sequence coverage of 98.06%, 95.05%, and 98.37% were obtained for N. clavipes, Nephila edulis and for Nephila madagascariensis, respectively. Phosphorylation was the major PTM observed with 8 phosphorylation sites considered reliable on spidroin-1 produced by N. clavipes, 4 in N. madagascariensis and 2 for N. edulis. Dityrosine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (formed by oxidation of the spidroin-1) were observed, although the mechanism by which they are formed (i.e. exposure to UV radiation or to peroxidases in the major ampullate silk gland) is uncertain. Herein we present structural information on the spidroin-1 produced by three different Nephila species; these findings may be valuable for understanding the physicochemical properties of the silk proteins and moreover, future designs of recombinantly produced spider silk proteins. Biotechnological significance The present investigation shows for the first time spidroin structure and post-translational modifications observed on the major ampullate silk spidroin-1. The many site specific phosphorylations (localized within the structural motifs) along with the probably photoinduction of hydroxylations may be relevant for scientists in material science, biology, biochemistry and environmental scientists. Up to now all the mechanical properties of the spidroin have been characterized without any consideration about the existence of PTMs in the sequence of spidroins. Thus, these findings for major ampullate silk spidroin-1 from Nephila spiders provide the basis for mechanical-elastic property studies of silk for biotechnological and biomedical potential applications. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Proteomics of non-model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Roberto Aparecido dos Santos-Pinto
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, SP 13500, Brazil; Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Günther Lamprecht
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna 1230, Austria
| | - Wei-Qiang Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Seok Heo
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - John George Hardy
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Helga Priewalder
- Department of Paleontology, Geological Survey of Austria, Vienna 1230, Austria
| | - Thomas Rainer Scheibel
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth 95447, Germany
| | - Mario Sergio Palma
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, SP 13500, Brazil.
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria.
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Drachuk I, Shchepelina O, Harbaugh S, Kelley-Loughnane N, Stone M, Tsukruk VV. Cell surface engineering with edible protein nanoshells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2013; 9:3128-3137. [PMID: 23606641 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201202992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2012] [Revised: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Natural protein (silk fibroin) nanoshells are assembled on the surface of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells without compromising their viability. The nanoshells facilitate initial protection of the cells and allow them to function in encapsulated state for some time period, afterwards being completely biodegraded and consumed by the cells. In contrast to a traditional methanol treatment, the gentle ionic treatment suggested here stabilizes the shell silk fibroin structure but does not compromise the viability of the cells, as indicated by the fast response of the encapsulated cells, with an immediate activation by the inducer molecules. Extremely high viability rates (up to 97%) and preserved activity of encapsulated cells are facilitated by cytocompatibility of the natural proteins and the formation of highly porous shells in contrast to traditional polyelectrolyte-based materials. Moreover, in a high contrast to traditional synthetic shells, the silk proteins are biodegradable and can be consumed by cells at a later stage of growth, thus releasing the cells from their temporary protective capsules. These on-demand encapsulated cells can be considered a valuable platform for biocompatible and biodegradable cell encapsulation, controlled cell protection in a synthetic environment, transfer to a device environment, and cell implantation followed by biodegradation and consumption of protective protein shells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Drachuk
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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48
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Bai S, Liu S, Zhang C, Xu W, Lu Q, Han H, Kaplan DL, Zhu H. Controllable transition of silk fibroin nanostructures: an insight into in vitro silk self-assembly process. Acta Biomater 2013; 9:7806-13. [PMID: 23628774 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2013] [Revised: 04/15/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Silk fiber is one of the strongest and toughest biological materials with hierarchical structures, where nanofibril with size <20nm is a critical factor in determining its excellent mechanical properties. Although silk nanofibrils have been found in natural and regenerated silk solutions, there is no way to actively control nanofibril formation in aqueous solution. This study shows a simple but effective method of preparing silk nanofibrils by regulating the silk self-assembly process. Through a repeated drying-dissolving process, a silk fibroin solution composed of metastable nanoparticles was first prepared and then used to reassemble nanofibrils with different sizes and secondary conformations under various temperatures and concentrations. These nanofibrils have a similar size to that of natural fibers, providing a suitable unit to further assemble the hierarchical structure in vitro. Several important issues, such as the relationships between silk nanofibrils, secondary conformations and viscosity, are also investigated, giving a new insight into the self-assembly process. In summary, besides rebuilding silk nanofibrils in aqueous solution, this study provides an important model for furthering the understanding of silk structures, properties and forming mechanisms, making it possible to regenerate silk materials with exceptional properties in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Bai
- National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
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Leclerc J, Lefèvre T, Gauthier M, Gagné SM, Auger M. Hydrodynamical properties of recombinant spider silk proteins: Effects of pH, salts and shear, and implications for the spinning process. Biopolymers 2013; 99:582-93. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2012] [Revised: 12/14/2012] [Accepted: 01/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Thierry Lefèvre
- Department of Chemistry; 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; QC G1V 0A6; Canada
| | | | | | - Michèle Auger
- Department of Chemistry; 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; QC G1V 0A6; Canada
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50
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Heidebrecht A, Scheibel T. Recombinant production of spider silk proteins. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2013; 82:115-53. [PMID: 23415154 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-407679-2.00004-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Natural spider silk fibers combine extraordinary properties such as stability and flexibility which results in a toughness superseding that of all other fiber materials. As the spider's aggressive territorial behavior renders their farming not feasible, the biotechnological production of spider silk proteins (spidroins) is essential in order to investigate and employ them for applications. In order to accomplish this task, two approaches have been tested: firstly, the expression of partial cDNAs, and secondly, the expression of synthetic genes in several host organisms, including bacteria, yeast, plants, insect cells, mammalian cells, and transgenic animals. The experienced problems include genetic instability, limitations of the translational and transcriptional machinery, and low solubility of the produced proteins. Here, an overview of attempts to recombinantly produce spidroins will be given, and advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches and host organisms will be discussed.
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