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Joel AC, Rawal A, Yao Y, Jenner A, Ariotti N, Weissbach M, Adler L, Stafstrom J, Blamires SJ. Physico-chemical properties of functionally adhesive spider silk nanofibres. Biomater Sci 2023; 11:2139-2150. [PMID: 36727424 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm01599d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Currently, synthetic fibre production focuses primarily on high performance materials. For high performance fibrous materials, such as silks, this involves interpreting the structure-function relationship and downsizing to a smaller scale to then harness those properties within synthetic products. Spiders create an array of fibres that range in size from the micrometre to nanometre scale. At about 20 nm diameter spider cribellate silk, the smallest of these silks, is too small to contain any of the typical secondary protein structures of other spider silks, let alone a hierarchical skin-core-type structure. Here, we performed a multitude of investigations to elucidate the structure of cribellate spider silk. These confirmed our hypothesis that, unlike all other types of spider silk, it has a disordered molecular structure. Alanine and glycine, the two amino acids predominantly found in other spider silks, were much less abundant and did not form the usual α-helices and β-sheet secondary structural arrangements. Correspondingly, we characterized the cribellate silk nanofibre to be very compliant. This characterization matches its function as a dry adhesive within the capture threads of cribellate spiders. Our results imply that at extremely small scales there may be a limit reached below which a silk will lose its structural, but not functional, integrity. Nano-sized fibres, such as cribellate silk, thus offer a new opportunity for inspiring the creation of novel scaled-down functional adhesives and nano meta-materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Christin Joel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. .,School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Aditya Rawal
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Yin Yao
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Andrew Jenner
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nicholas Ariotti
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Lewis Adler
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jay Stafstrom
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Sean J Blamires
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Correa-Garhwal SM, Baker RH, Clarke TH, Ayoub NA, Hayashi CY. The evolutionary history of cribellate orb-weaver capture thread spidroins. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:89. [PMID: 35810286 PMCID: PMC9270836 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02042-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Spiders have evolved two types of sticky capture threads: one with wet adhesive spun by ecribellate orb-weavers and another with dry adhesive spun by cribellate spiders. The evolutionary history of cribellate capture threads is especially poorly understood. Here, we use genomic approaches to catalog the spider-specific silk gene family (spidroins) for the cribellate orb-weaver Uloborus diversus. Results We show that the cribellar spidroin, which forms the puffy fibrils of cribellate threads, has three distinct repeat units, one of which is conserved across cribellate taxa separated by ~ 250 Mya. We also propose candidates for a new silk type, paracribellar spidroins, which connect the puffy fibrils to pseudoflagelliform support lines. Moreover, we describe the complete repeat architecture for the pseudoflagelliform spidroin (Pflag), which contributes to extensibility of pseudoflagelliform axial fibers. Conclusions Our finding that Pflag is closely related to Flag, supports homology of the support lines of cribellate and ecribellate capture threads. It further suggests an evolutionary phase following gene duplication, in which both Flag and Pflag were incorporated into the axial lines, with subsequent loss of Flag in uloborids, and increase in expression of Flag in ecribellate orb-weavers, explaining the distinct mechanical properties of the axial lines of these two groups. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-02042-5.
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Baumgart L, Schaa EM, Menzel F, Joel AC. Change of mechanical characteristics in spider silk capture threads after contact with prey. Acta Biomater 2022; 153:355-363. [PMID: 36167237 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.09.056] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Most spiders rely on specialized capture threads to subdue prey. Cribellate spiders use capture threads, whose adhesion is based on thousands of nanofibers instead of specialized glue. The nanofibers adhere due to van der Waals and hygroscopic forces, but the adhesion is strengthened by an interaction with the cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) covering almost all insects. The interaction between CHCs and cribellate threads becomes visible through migration of the CHCs into the thread even far beyond the point of contact. In this study, we were able to show that the migrated CHCs not only influence adhesion but also change the mechanical characteristics of the thread. While adhesion, extensibility and total energy decreased in threads treated with CHCs from different insects, we observed an increasing force required to break threads. Such mechanical changes could be beneficial for the spider: Upon the first impact of the insect in the web, it is important to absorb all the energy without breaking. Afterwards, a reduction in extensibility could cause the insect to stay closer to the web and thus become additionally entangled in neighboring threads. An increased tensile force would additionally ensure that for insects already in the web, it is even harder to free themselves. Taken together, all these changes make it unlikely that cribellate spiders reuse their capture threads, if not reacting rapidly and removing the prey insect before the CHCs can spread across the thread. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Cribellate spiders use capture threads that, unlike other spiders, consist of nanofibers and do not rely glue. Instead, prey adheres mainly because their surface compounds, so-called cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), interact with the thread, this way generating strong adhesion forces. Previous studies on biomechanics and adhesion of cribellate threads only dealt with artificial surfaces, neglecting any interaction with surface compounds. This study examines the dramatical mechanical changes of a cribellate thread after interaction with prey CHCs, showing modifications of the thread's extensibility, tensile force and total energy. Our results highlight the importance of studying mechanical properties of silk not only in an artificial context, but also in real life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Baumgart
- Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Eva-Marie Schaa
- Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Anna-Christin Joel
- Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
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Ambient Climate Influences Anti-Adhesion between Biomimetic Structured Foil and Nanofibers. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11123222. [PMID: 34947571 PMCID: PMC8707556 DOI: 10.3390/nano11123222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Due to their uniquely high surface-to-volume ratio, nanofibers are a desired material for various technical applications. However, this surface-to-volume ratio also makes processing difficult as van der Waals forces cause nanofibers to adhere to virtually any surface. The cribellate spider Uloborus plumipes represents a biomimetic paragon for this problem: these spiders integrate thousands of nanofibers into their adhesive capture threads. A comb on their hindmost legs, termed calamistrum, enables the spiders to process the nanofibers without adhering to them. This anti-adhesion is due to a rippled nanotopography on the calamistrum. Via laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS), these nanostructures can be recreated on artificial surfaces, mimicking the non-stickiness of the calamistrum. In order to advance the technical implementation of these biomimetic structured foils, we investigated how climatic conditions influence the anti-adhesive performance of our surfaces. Although anti-adhesion worked well at low and high humidity, technical implementations should nevertheless be air-conditioned to regulate temperature: we observed no pronounced anti-adhesive effect at temperatures above 30 °C. This alteration between anti-adhesion and adhesion could be deployed as a temperature-sensitive switch, allowing to swap between sticking and not sticking to nanofibers. This would make handling even easier.
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Piorkowski D, Liao CP, Joel AC, Wu CL, Doran N, Blamires SJ, Pugno NM, Tso IM. Adhesion of spider cribellate silk enhanced in high humidity by mechanical plasticization of the underlying fiber. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2020; 114:104200. [PMID: 33214109 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2020.104200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The disruptive nature of water presents a significant challenge when designing synthetic adhesives that maintain functionality in wet conditions. However, many animal adhesives can withstand high humidity or underwater conditions, and some are even enhanced by them. An understudied mechanism in such systems is the influence of material plasticization by water to induce adhesive work through deformation. Cribellate silk is a dry adhesive used by particular spiders to capture moving prey. It presents as a candidate for testing the water plasticization model as it can remain functional at high humidity despite lacking an aqueous component. We performed herein tensile and adhesion tests on cribellate threads from the spider, Hickmania troglodytes; a spider that lives within wet cave environments. We found that the work of adhesion of its cribellate threads increased as the axial fibre deformed during pull-off experiments. This effect was enhanced when the silk was wetted and as spider body size increased. Dry threads on the other hand were stiff with low adhesion. We rationalized our experiments by a series of scaling law models. We concluded that these cribellate threads operate best when the nanofibrils and axial fibers both contribute to adhesion. Design of future synthetic materials could draw inspiration from how water facilitates, rather than diminishes, cribellate silk adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota Piorkowski
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung, 40704, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Pan Liao
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung, 40704, Taiwan; Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Anna-Christin Joel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia; Institute of Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Chung-Lin Wu
- Center for Measurement Standards, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | | | - Sean J Blamires
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicola M Pugno
- Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Bionic, Nano Meta Materials & Mechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, I-38123, Trento, Italy; School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University, Mile End Rd, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - I-Min Tso
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung, 40704, Taiwan; Center for Tropical Ecology and Biodiversity, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan.
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Piorkowski D, Blackledge TA. Punctuated evolution of viscid silk in spider orb webs supported by mechanical behavior of wet cribellate silk. Naturwissenschaften 2017; 104:67. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1489-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 07/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Yoshioka T, Tashiro K, Ohta N. Observation of Water-Stimulated Supercontraction of Uniaxially Oriented Poly(vinyl alcohol) and the Related Hierarchical Structure Change Revealed by the Time-Resolved WAXD/SAXS Measurements. Macromolecules 2017. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.6b02523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Taiyo Yoshioka
- Department
of Future Industry-oriented Basic Science and Materials, Graduate
School of Engineering, Toyota Technological Institute, Tempaku, Nagoya 468-8511, Japan
| | - Kohji Tashiro
- Department
of Future Industry-oriented Basic Science and Materials, Graduate
School of Engineering, Toyota Technological Institute, Tempaku, Nagoya 468-8511, Japan
| | - Noboru Ohta
- Japan Synchrotron
Radiation Research Institute, 1-1 Koto, Mikazuki-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
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Joel AC, Baumgartner W. Nanofibre production in spiders without electric charge. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:2243-2249. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.157594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Technical nanofibre production is linked to high voltage, because they are typically produced by electrospinning. Spiders on the contrary have evolved a way to produce nanofibres without high voltage. These spiders are called cribellate spiders and produce nanofibres within their capture thread production. It is suggested that their nanofibres are frictionally charged when being brushed over a continuous area on the calamistrum, a comb-like structure at the metatarsus of the fourth leg. Although there are indications that electrostatic charges are involved in the formation of the threads structure, final proof is missing. We proposed three claims to validate this hypothesis: 1. The removal of any charge during or after thread production has an influence on the structure of the thread, 2. The characteristic structure of the thread can be regenerated by charging, and 3. The thread is attracted to, respectively repelled from differently charged objects. None of these three claims were proven true. Furthermore, mathematical calculations reveal that even at low charges, the calculated structural assembly of the thread does not match the observed reality. Electrostatic forces are therefore not involved in the production of cribellate capture threads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Christin Joel
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Biology II, Worringerweg 3, Germany
| | - Werner Baumgartner
- JKU Linz, Institute of Biomedical Mechatronics, Altenberger Straße 69, Austria
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Sahni V, Miyoshi T, Chen K, Jain D, Blamires SJ, Blackledge TA, Dhinojwala A. Direct Solvation of Glycoproteins by Salts in Spider Silk Glues Enhances Adhesion and Helps To Explain the Evolution of Modern Spider Orb Webs. Biomacromolecules 2014; 15:1225-32. [DOI: 10.1021/bm401800y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vasav Sahni
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Toshikazu Miyoshi
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Kelley Chen
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Dharamdeep Jain
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
| | - Sean J. Blamires
- Department
of Life Sciences, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan
| | - Todd A. Blackledge
- Department
of Biology, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3908, United States
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- Department
of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States
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