1
|
Greco G, Schmuck B, Jalali SK, Pugno NM, Rising A. Influence of experimental methods on the mechanical properties of silk fibers: A systematic literature review and future road map. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:031301. [PMID: 38510706 PMCID: PMC10903380 DOI: 10.1063/5.0155552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Spider silk fibers are of scientific and industrial interest because of their extraordinary mechanical properties. These properties are normally determined by tensile tests, but the values obtained are dependent on the morphology of the fibers, the test conditions, and the methods by which stress and strain are calculated. Because of this, results from many studies are not directly comparable, which has led to widespread misconceptions in the field. Here, we critically review most of the reports from the past 50 years on spider silk mechanical performance and use artificial spider silk and native silks as models to highlight the effect that different experimental setups have on the fibers' mechanical properties. The results clearly illustrate the importance of carefully evaluating the tensile test methods when comparing the results from different studies. Finally, we suggest a protocol for how to perform tensile tests on silk and biobased fibers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - S. K. Jalali
- Laboratory for Bioinspired, Bionic, Nano, Meta, Materials & Mechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | | | - Anna Rising
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Trossmann VT, Lentz S, Scheibel T. Factors Influencing Properties of Spider Silk Coatings and Their Interactions within a Biological Environment. J Funct Biomater 2023; 14:434. [PMID: 37623678 PMCID: PMC10455157 DOI: 10.3390/jfb14080434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomaterials are an indispensable part of biomedical research. However, although many materials display suitable application-specific properties, they provide only poor biocompatibility when implanted into a human/animal body leading to inflammation and rejection reactions. Coatings made of spider silk proteins are promising alternatives for various applications since they are biocompatible, non-toxic and anti-inflammatory. Nevertheless, the biological response toward a spider silk coating cannot be generalized. The properties of spider silk coatings are influenced by many factors, including silk source, solvent, the substrate to be coated, pre- and post-treatments and the processing technique. All these factors consequently affect the biological response of the environment and the putative application of the appropriate silk coating. Here, we summarize recently identified factors to be considered before spider silk processing as well as physicochemical characterization methods. Furthermore, we highlight important results of biological evaluations to emphasize the importance of adjustability and adaption to a specific application. Finally, we provide an experimental matrix of parameters to be considered for a specific application and a guided biological response as exemplarily tested with two different fibroblast cell lines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa T. Trossmann
- Chair of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Straße 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; (V.T.T.); (S.L.)
| | - Sarah Lentz
- Chair of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Straße 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; (V.T.T.); (S.L.)
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Chair of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Straße 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; (V.T.T.); (S.L.)
- Bayreuth Center for Colloids and Interfaces (BZKG), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bavarian Polymer Institute (BPI), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Molecular Biosciences (BZMB), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Materials Center (BayMAT), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Pleicherwall 2, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Tenchurin TK, Sharikov RV, Belousov SI, Streltsov DR, Malakhov SN, Yastremsky EV, Chesnokov YM, Davydova LI, Bogush VG, Chvalun SN. Effect of Recombinant Spidroins Self-Assembly on Rheological Behavior of Their Dispersions and Structure of Electrospun Nanofibrous Materials. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:3001. [PMID: 37514391 PMCID: PMC10384844 DOI: 10.3390/polym15143001] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of primary amino acid sequence in recombinant spidroins on their spatial organization is crucial for the fabrication of artificial fibers and fibrous materials. This study focuses on the rheological properties of aqueous and alcoholic solutions of recombinant analogs of natural spidroins (rS1/9 and rS2/12), as well as the structure of their films and nanofibrous materials. Non-Newtonian flow behavior of aqueous solutions of these proteins was observed at certain concentrations in contrast to their solutions in hexafluoroisopropanol. The secondary structure of recombinant spidroins was addressed by IR spectroscopy, whereas their self-organization in various solvents was studied by AFM and cryo-TEM. The influence of the solvent on the structure and properties of the films and nanofibrous materials produced by electrospinning has been established.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Roman V Sharikov
- National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", 123182 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergei I Belousov
- National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", 123182 Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry R Streltsov
- National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", 123182 Moscow, Russia
- Enikolopov Institute of Synthetic Polymeric Materials, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117393 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey N Malakhov
- National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", 123182 Moscow, Russia
| | - Evgeny V Yastremsky
- Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Federal Research Center Crystallography and Photonics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119333 Moscow, Russia
| | - Yuri M Chesnokov
- National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", 123182 Moscow, Russia
| | - Lyubov I Davydova
- National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", 123182 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir G Bogush
- National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", 123182 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergei N Chvalun
- National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", 123182 Moscow, Russia
- Enikolopov Institute of Synthetic Polymeric Materials, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117393 Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Recombinant Spider Silk Fiber with High Dimensional Stability in Water and Its NMR Characterization. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27238479. [PMID: 36500566 PMCID: PMC9739919 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27238479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk has unique characteristics of strength and extensibility, including supercontraction. When we use it as a biomaterial or material for textiles, it is important to suppress the effect of water on the fiber by as much as possible in order to maintain dimensional stability. In order to produce spider silk with a highly hydrophobic character, based on the sequence of ADF-3 silk, we produced recombinant silk (RSSP(VLI)) where all QQ sequences were replaced by VL, while single Q was replaced by I. The artificial RSSP(VLI) fiber was prepared using formic acid as the spinning solvent and methanol as the coagulant solvent. The dimensional stability and water absorption experiments of the fiber were performed for eight kinds of silk fiber. RSSP(VLI) fiber showed high dimensional stability, which is suitable for textiles. A remarkable decrease in the motion of the fiber in water was made evident by 13C solid-state NMR. This study using 13C solid-state NMR is the first trial to put spider silk to practical use and provide information regarding the molecular design of new recombinant spider silk materials with high dimensional stability in water, allowing recombinant spider silk proteins to be used in next-generation biomaterials and materials for textiles.
Collapse
|
5
|
Preparation and Characterization of Nanofibrous Membranes Electro-Spun from Blended Poly(l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) and Recombinant Spider Silk Protein as Potential Skin Regeneration Scaffold. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214055. [PMID: 36430534 PMCID: PMC9698895 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomaterial scaffolding serves as an important strategy in skin tissue engineering. In this research, recombinant spider silk protein (RSSP) and poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) were blended in different ratios to fabricate nanofibrous membranes as potential skin regeneration scaffolds with an electro-spinning process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angles measurement, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), tensile mechanical tests and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) were carried out to characterize the nanofibrous membranes. The results showed that the blending of RSSP greatly decreased the nanofibers' average diameter, enhanced the hydrophilicity, changed the microstructure and thermal properties, and could enable tailored mechanical properties of the nanofibrous membranes. Among the blended membranes, the PLCL/RSSP (75/25) membrane was chosen for further investigation on biocompatibility. The results of hemolysis assays and for proliferation of human foreskin fibroblast cells (hFFCs) confirmed the membranes potential use as skin-regeneration scaffolds. Subsequent culture of mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (NIH-3T3) demonstrated the feasibility of the blended membranes as a human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) delivery matrix. The PLCL/RSSP (75/25) membrane possessed good properties comparable to those of human skin with high biocompatibility and the ability of hEGF delivery. Further studies can be carried out on such membranes with chemical or genetic modifications to make better scaffolds for skin regeneration.
Collapse
|
6
|
Bell BE, Burton IK, Arreola-Patino J, Harris TI, Oliveira P, Chen D, Lewis RV, Jones JA. Scalable purification of recombinant structural proteins, hagfish intermediate filament α and ɣ, from inclusion bodies for fiber formation. Protein Expr Purif 2022; 199:106152. [PMID: 35963595 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2022.106152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine a method to purify recombinant hagfish intermediate filament proteins, alpha and gamma, in a scalable manner. The study succeeded by having an increase in protein recovery of up to 35% when comparing centrifuge purification and the developed tangential flow purification. The proteins were approximately the same purity of 70% pure but further purification increased the purity of the proteins by 16%, based on ImageJ analysis. The developed tangential flow filtration purification and final purification methods could be easily scaled up to meet industry scale purification needs. The scaled-up processes described in this study did not interfere with fiber production or formation, indicating the methods can produce usable proteins for material development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brianne E Bell
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Isaac K Burton
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | | | - Thomas I Harris
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Paula Oliveira
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Dong Chen
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Randolph V Lewis
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Justin A Jones
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bittencourt DMDC, Oliveira P, Michalczechen-Lacerda VA, Rosinha GMS, Jones JA, Rech EL. Bioengineering of spider silks for the production of biomedical materials. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:958486. [PMID: 36017345 PMCID: PMC9397580 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.958486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider silks are well known for their extraordinary mechanical properties. This characteristic is a result of the interplay of composition, structure and self-assembly of spider silk proteins (spidroins). Advances in synthetic biology have enabled the design and production of spidroins with the aim of biomimicking the structure-property-function relationships of spider silks. Although in nature only fibers are formed from spidroins, in vitro, scientists can explore non-natural morphologies including nanofibrils, particles, capsules, hydrogels, films or foams. The versatility of spidroins, along with their biocompatible and biodegradable nature, also placed them as leading-edge biological macromolecules for improved drug delivery and various biomedical applications. Accordingly, in this review, we highlight the relationship between the molecular structure of spider silk and its mechanical properties and aims to provide a critical summary of recent progress in research employing recombinantly produced bioengineered spidroins for the production of innovative bio-derived structural materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Matias de C. Bittencourt
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, National Institute of Science and Technology—Synthetic Biology, Brasília, DF, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Elibio L. Rech, ; Daniela Matias de C. Bittencourt,
| | - Paula Oliveira
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
| | | | - Grácia Maria Soares Rosinha
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, National Institute of Science and Technology—Synthetic Biology, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Justin A. Jones
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
| | - Elibio L. Rech
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, National Institute of Science and Technology—Synthetic Biology, Brasília, DF, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Elibio L. Rech, ; Daniela Matias de C. Bittencourt,
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Peng X, Cui Y, Chen J, Gao C, Yang Y, Yu W, Rai K, Zhang M, Nian R, Bao Z, Sun Y. High-Strength Collagen-Based Composite Films Regulated by Water-Soluble Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins and Water Annealing. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:3341-3353. [PMID: 35894734 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk has attracted extensive attention in the development of high-performance tissue engineering materials because of its excellent physical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Although high-molecular-weight recombinant spider silk proteins can be obtained through metabolic engineering of host bacteria, the solubility of the recombinant protein products is always poor. Strong denaturants and organic solvents have thus had to be exploited for their dissolution, and this seriously limits the applications of recombinant spider silk protein-based composite biomaterials. Herein, through adjusting the temperature, ionic strength, and denaturation time during the refolding process, we successfully prepared water-soluble recombinant spider major ampullate spidroin 1 (sMaSp1) with different repeat modules (24mer, 48mer, 72mer, and 96mer). Then, MaSp1 was introduced into the collagen matrix for fabricating MaSp1-collagen composite films. The introduction of spider silk proteins was demonstrated to clearly alter the internal structure of the composite films and improve the mechanical properties of the collagen-based films and turn the opaque protein films into transparency ones. More interestingly, the composite film prepared with sMaSp1 exhibited better performance in mechanical strength and cell adhesion compared to that prepared with water-insoluble MaSp1 (pMaSp1), which might be attributed to the effect of the initial dissolved state of MaSp1 on the microstructure of composite films. Additionally, the molecular weight of MaSp1 was also shown to significantly influence the mechanical strength (enhanced to 1.1- to 2.3-fold) and cell adhesion of composite films, and 72mer of sMaSp1 showed the best physical properties with good bioactivity. This study provides a method to produce recombinant spider silk protein with excellent water solubility, making it possible to utilize this protein under environmentally benign, mild conditions. This paves the way for the application of recombinant spider silk proteins in the development of diverse composite biomaterials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinying Peng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuting Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Jinhong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, No. 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Cungang Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Yang Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Wenfa Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Kamal Rai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Qingdao Youheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd., No. 130 Jiushui East Road, Qingdao 266199, China
| | - Rui Nian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Zixian Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, No. 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yue Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Asakura T, Matsuda H, Naito A, Abe Y. Formylation of Recombinant Spider Silk in Formic Acid and Wet Spinning Studied Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Infrared Spectroscopies. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:2390-2402. [PMID: 35532754 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We reported wet spinning of recombinant spider silk protein (RSSP) and formylation of RSSP in formic acid (FA). First, FA was selected as the spinning solvent and the detailed spinning condition was determined. Next, the mechanical property was compared between the RSSP fiber spun after allowing the spinning solution dissolved in FA to stand for 2 days and the fiber spun immediately after being dissolved in FA for 4 h. The tensile strength of the former fiber was lower than the strength of the latter fiber. This difference can be explained by the difference in the degree of formylation as follows. FA is a known formylating agent, although most researchers who prepared silk fiber by wet spinning with FA have not pointed out about formylation. The formylation of the Ser OH group was confirmed by 13C solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and the time course of formylation of the RSSP film prepared from the FA solution was tracked by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The 13C solid-state NMR spectra were also compared between two kinds of the formylated RSSP fibers and indicated that the packing state was tighter for the latter fiber than the former one, which could explain higher tensile strength of the latter fiber in the dry state. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis indicated that the RSSP sample decomposed gradually with storage time in FA and the decomposition has begun partly even at 2 h after dissolution in FA. The decomposition by formylation seems to have no significant effect on the backbone structure of the RSSP fiber, although the packing of the fiber becomes loose as a whole. Finally, preliminary trial of deformylation of the formylated RSSP fiber was performed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Asakura
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Hironori Matsuda
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Akira Naito
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Yunoske Abe
- Spiber Inc., 234-1 Mizukami, Kakuganji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0052, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
![]()
The tiny spider makes
dragline silk fibers with unbeatable toughness,
all under the most innocuous conditions. Scientists have persistently
tried to emulate its natural silk spinning process using recombinant
proteins with a view toward creating a new wave of smart materials,
yet most efforts have fallen short of attaining the native fiber’s
excellent mechanical properties. One reason for these shortcomings
may be that artificial spider silk systems tend to be overly simplified
and may not sufficiently take into account the true complexity of
the underlying protein sequences and of the multidimensional aspects
of the natural self-assembly process that give rise to the hierarchically
structured fibers. Here, we discuss recent findings regarding the
material constituents of spider dragline silk, including novel spidroin
subtypes, nonspidroin proteins, and possible involvement of post-translational
modifications, which together suggest a complexity that transcends
the two-component MaSp1/MaSp2 system. We subsequently consider insights
into the spidroin domain functions, structures, and overall mechanisms
for the rapid transition from disordered soluble protein into a highly
organized fiber, including the possibility of viewing spider silk
self-assembly through a framework relevant to biomolecular condensates.
Finally, we consider the concept of “biomimetics” as
it applies to artificial spider silk production with a focus on key
practical aspects of design and evaluation that may hopefully inform
efforts to more closely reproduce the remarkable structure and function
of the native silk fiber using artificial methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ali D Malay
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hamish C Craig
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Jianming Chen
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Nur Alia Oktaviani
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.,Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Li J, Li S, Huang J, Khan AQ, An B, Zhou X, Liu Z, Zhu M. Spider Silk-Inspired Artificial Fibers. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2103965. [PMID: 34927397 PMCID: PMC8844500 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202103965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Spider silk is a natural polymeric fiber with high tensile strength, toughness, and has distinct thermal, optical, and biocompatible properties. The mechanical properties of spider silk are ascribed to its hierarchical structure, including primary and secondary structures of the spidroins (spider silk proteins), the nanofibril, the "core-shell", and the "nano-fishnet" structures. In addition, spider silk also exhibits remarkable properties regarding humidity/water response, water collection, light transmission, thermal conductance, and shape-memory effect. This motivates researchers to prepare artificial functional fibers mimicking spider silk. In this review, the authors summarize the study of the structure and properties of natural spider silk, and the biomimetic preparation of artificial fibers from different types of molecules and polymers by taking some examples of artificial fibers exhibiting these interesting properties. In conclusion, biomimetic studies have yielded several noteworthy findings in artificial fibers with different functions, and this review aims to provide indications for biomimetic studies of functional fibers that approach and exceed the properties of natural spider silk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiatian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Sitong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Jiayi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Abdul Qadeer Khan
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Baigang An
- School of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Science and Technology LiaoningAnshan114051China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- Department of ScienceChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing211198China
| | - Zunfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
- School of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Science and Technology LiaoningAnshan114051China
| | - Meifang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer MaterialsCollege of Materials Science and EngineeringDonghua UniversityShanghai201620China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Vėbraitė I, Hanein Y. Soft Devices for High-Resolution Neuro-Stimulation: The Interplay Between Low-Rigidity and Resolution. FRONTIERS IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2022; 3:675744. [PMID: 35047928 PMCID: PMC8757739 DOI: 10.3389/fmedt.2021.675744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The field of neurostimulation has evolved over the last few decades from a crude, low-resolution approach to a highly sophisticated methodology entailing the use of state-of-the-art technologies. Neurostimulation has been tested for a growing number of neurological applications, demonstrating great promise and attracting growing attention in both academia and industry. Despite tremendous progress, long-term stability of the implants, their large dimensions, their rigidity and the methods of their introduction and anchoring to sensitive neural tissue remain challenging. The purpose of this review is to provide a concise introduction to the field of high-resolution neurostimulation from a technological perspective and to focus on opportunities stemming from developments in materials sciences and engineering to reduce device rigidity while optimizing electrode small dimensions. We discuss how these factors may contribute to smaller, lighter, softer and higher electrode density devices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ieva Vėbraitė
- School of Electrical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yael Hanein
- School of Electrical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Jin Q, Pan F, Hu CF, Lee SY, Xia XX, Qian ZG. Secretory production of spider silk proteins in metabolically engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum for spinning into tough fibers. Metab Eng 2022; 70:102-114. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2022.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|
14
|
Bakhshandeh B, Nateghi SS, Gazani MM, Dehghani Z, Mohammadzadeh F. A review on advances in the applications of spider silk in biomedical issues. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 192:258-271. [PMID: 34627845 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.09.201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Spider silk, as one of the hardest natural and biocompatible substances with extraordinary strength and flexibility, have become an ideal option in various areas of science and have made their path onto the biomedical industry. Despite its growing popularity, the difficulties in the extraction of silks from spiders and farming them have made it unaffordable and almost impossible for industrial scale. Biotechnology helped production of spider silks recombinantly in different hosts and obtaining diverse morphologies out of them based on different processing and assembly procedures. Herein, the characteristics of these morphologies and their advantages and disadvantages are summarized. A detailed view about applications of recombinant silks in skin regeneration and cartilage, tendon, bone, teeth, cardiovascular, and neural tissues engineering are brought out, where there is a need for strong scaffolds to support cell growth. Likewise, spider silk proteins have applications as conduit constructs, medical sutures, and 3D printer bioinks. Other characteristics of spider silks, such as low immunogenicity, hydrophobicity, homogeneity, and adjustability, have attracted much attention in drug and gene delivery. Finally, the challenges and obstacles ahead for industrializing the production of spider silk proteins in sufficient quantities in biomedicine, along with solutions to overcome these barriers, are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Behnaz Bakhshandeh
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Seyedeh Saba Nateghi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Maddah Gazani
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, College of Science, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Dehghani
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, College of Science, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Mohammadzadeh
- Department of Polymer Engineering and Color Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Kim Y, Chang H, Yoon T, Park W, Choi H, Na S. Nano-fishnet formation of silk controlled by Arginine density. Acta Biomater 2021; 128:201-208. [PMID: 33862282 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.04.001] [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: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Silk fiber is renowned for its superb mechanical properties, such as over 7 times the toughness of Kevlar 49 Fibre. As the spider silk is tougher than any man-made fiber, there is a lot to be learned from spider silk. Recently, it has been reported that a large portion of the properties of silk is from naturally formed nano-fishnet structures of silk, but neither its formation mechanism nor its formation condition has been explained. Here, we show how the formation and disappearance of nano-fishnet of silk is determined by humidity, and how the humidity-dependency of nano-fishnet formation can be overcome by changing density of Arginine through sequence mutation. We demonstrate that the nano-fishnet-structured silk exhibits higher strength and toughness than its counterparts. This information on controllable nano-fishnet formation of silk is expected to pave the way for development of protein and synthetic fiber design. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Silk fibers are a very interesting material in that it exhibits superb mechanical properties such as 7 times the toughness of Kevlar 49 Fibre, despite being only composed of proteins. Therefore, it is important that we understand the principle of its high mechanical properties so that it may be applied in designing synthetic fibers. Recently, it has been reported that a large portion of its mechanical property comes from its nano-fishnet structures, but no detailed explanation on the condition or mechanism of formation. Through molecular dynamic simulations, we simulated the nano-fishnet formation of silk and analyzed the condition and mechanism behind it, and showed how the formation of nano-fishnet structures could be controlled by changing the density of Arginine residues. Our study provides information on fiber enhancement mechanism that could be applied to synthetic and protein fiber design.
Collapse
|
16
|
Whittall DR, Baker KV, Breitling R, Takano E. Host Systems for the Production of Recombinant Spider Silk. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 39:560-573. [PMID: 33051051 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk is renowned for its impressive mechanical properties. It is one of the strongest known biomaterials, possessing mechanical properties that outmatch both steel and Kevlar. However, the farming of spiders for their silk is unfeasible. Consequently, production of recombinant spider silk proteins (spidroins) in more amenable hosts is an exciting field of research. For large-scale production to be viable, a heterologous silk production system that is both highly efficient and cost effective is essential. Genes encoding recombinant spidroin have been expressed in bacterial, yeast, insect, and mammalian cells, in addition to many other platforms. This review discusses the recent advances in exploiting an increasingly diverse range of host platforms in the heterologous production of recombinant spidroins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominic R Whittall
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Katherine V Baker
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Rainer Breitling
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Eriko Takano
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Bhattacharyya G, Oliveira P, Krishnaji ST, Chen D, Hinman M, Bell B, Harris TI, Ghazitabatabaei A, Lewis RV, Jones JA. Large scale production of synthetic spider silk proteins in Escherichia coli. Protein Expr Purif 2021; 183:105839. [PMID: 33746079 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2021.105839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk, which has remarkable mechanical properties, is a natural protein fiber produced by spiders. Spiders cannot be farmed because of their cannibalistic and territorial nature. Hence, large amounts of spider silk cannot be produced from spiders. Genetic engineering is an alternative approach to produce large quantities of spider silk. Our group has produced synthetic spider silk proteins in E. coli to study structure/function and to produce biomaterials comparable to the silks produced by orb-weaving spiders. Here we give a detailed description of our cloning, expression, and purification methods of synthetic spider silk proteins ranging from ~30 to ~200 kDa. We have cloned the relevant genes of the spider Nephila clavipes and introduced them into bacteria to produce synthetic spider silk proteins using small and large-scale bioreactors. We have optimized the fermentation process, and we have developed protein purification methods as well. The purified proteins are spun into fibers and are used to make alternative materials like films and adhesives with various possible commercial applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gargi Bhattacharyya
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA; Department of Chemistry, Eberly College of Science, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Sreevidhya T Krishnaji
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, India
| | - Dong Chen
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA
| | | | - Brianne Bell
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA
| | | | | | | | - Justin A Jones
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Zhu H, Rising A, Johansson J, Zhang X, Lin Y, Zhang L, Yi T, Mi J, Meng Q. Tensile properties of synthetic pyriform spider silk fibers depend on the number of repetitive units as well as the presence of N- and C-terminal domains. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 154:765-772. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.03.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|
19
|
Zhu H, Sun Y, Yi T, Wang S, Mi J, Meng Q. Tough synthetic spider-silk fibers obtained by titanium dioxide incorporation and formaldehyde cross-linking in a simple wet-spinning process. Biochimie 2020; 175:77-84. [PMID: 32417459 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Due to its unique mechanical properties, spider silk shows great promise as a strong super-thin fiber in many fields. Although progress has been made in the field of synthesizing spider-silk fiber from recombinant spidroin (spider silk protein) in the last few decades, methods to obtain synthetic spider-silk fibers as tough as natural silk from small-sized recombinant protein with a simple spinning process have eluded scientists. In this paper, a recombinant spidroin (MW: 93.4 kDa) was used to spin tough synthetic spider-silk fibers with a simple wet-spinning process. Titanium oxide incorporation and formaldehyde cross-linking were used to improve the mechanical properties of synthetic spider-silk fibers. Fibers treated with incorporation or/and cross-linking varied in microstructure, strength and extensibility while all exhibited enhanced strength and toughness. In particular, one fiber possessed a toughness of 249 ± 22 MJ/m3. This paper presents a new method to successfully spin tough spider-silk fibers in a simple way.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongnian Zhu
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Yuan Sun
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Tuo Yi
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Suyang Wang
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Junpeng Mi
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Qing Meng
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Harris TI, Paterson CA, Farjood F, Wadsworth ID, Caldwell L, Lewis RV, Jones JA, Vargis E. Utilizing Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins To Develop a Synthetic Bruch's Membrane for Modeling the Retinal Pigment Epithelium. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2019; 5:4023-4036. [PMID: 33448804 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.9b00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Spider silks are intriguing biomaterials that have a high potential as innovative biomedical processes and devices. The intent of this study was to evaluate the capacity of recombinant spider silk proteins (rSSps) as a synthetic Bruch's membrane. Nonporous silk membranes were prepared with comparable thicknesses (<10 μm) to that of native Bruch's membrane. Biomechanical characterization was performed prior to seeding cells. The ability of RPE cells (ARPE-19) to attach and grow on the membranes was then evaluated with bright-field and electron microscopy, intracellular DNA quantification, and immunocytochemical staining (ZO-1 and F-actin). Controls were cultured on permeable Transwell support membranes and characterized with the same methods. A size-dependent permeability assay, using FITC-dextran, was used to determine cell-membrane barrier function. Compared to Transwell controls, RPE cells cultured on rSSps membranes developed more native-like "cobblestone" morphologies, exhibited higher intracellular DNA content, and expressed key organizational proteins more consistently. Comparisons of the membranes to native structures revealed that the silk membranes exhibited equivalent thicknesses, biomechanical properties, and barrier functions. These findings support the use of recombinant spider silk proteins to model Bruch's membrane and develop more biomimetic retinal models.
Collapse
|
21
|
Xu L, Weatherbee-Martin N, Liu XQ, Rainey JK. Recombinant Silk Fiber Properties Correlate to Prefibrillar Self-Assembly. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1805294. [PMID: 30756524 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201805294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Spider silks are desirable materials with mechanical properties superior to most synthetic materials coupled with biodegradability and biocompatibility. In order to replicate natural silk properties using recombinant spider silk proteins (spidroins) and wet-spinning methods, the focus to date has typically been on modifying protein sequence, protein size, and spinning conditions. Here, an alternative approach is demonstrated. Namely, using the same ≈57 kDa recombinant aciniform silk protein with a consistent wet-spinning protocol, fiber mechanical properties are shown to significantly differ as a function of the solvent used to dissolve the protein at high concentration (the "spinning dope" solution). A fluorinated acid/alcohol/water dope leads to drastic improvement in fibrillar extensibility and, correspondingly, toughness compared to fibers produced using a previously developed fluorinated alcohol/water dope. To understand the underlying cause for these mechanical differences, morphology and structure of the two classes of silk fiber are compared, with features tracing back to dope-state protein structuring and preassembly. Specifically, distinct classes of spidroin nanoparticles appear to form in each dope prior to fiber spinning and these preassembled states are, in turn, linked to fiber morphology, structure, and mechanical properties. Tailoring of dope-state spidroin nanoparticle assembly, thus, appears a promising strategy to modulate fibrillar silk properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Xu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Nathan Weatherbee-Martin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Xiang-Qin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jan K Rainey
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
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.
Collapse
|
23
|
Decker RE, Harris TI, Memmott DR, Peterson CJ, Lewis RV, Jones JA. Method for the Destruction of Endotoxin in Synthetic Spider Silk Proteins. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12166. [PMID: 30111805 PMCID: PMC6093939 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29719-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although synthetic spider silk has impressive potential as a biomaterial, endotoxin contamination of the spider silk proteins is a concern, regardless of the production method. The purpose of this research was to establish a standardized method to either remove or destroy the endotoxins present in synthetic spider silk proteins, such that the endotoxin level was consistently equal to or less than 0.25 EU/mL, the FDA limit for similar implant materials. Although dry heat is generally the preferred method for endotoxin destruction, heating the silk proteins to the necessary temperatures led to compromised mechanical properties in the resultant materials. In light of this, other endotoxin destruction methods were investigated, including caustic rinses and autoclaving. It was found that autoclaving synthetic spider silk protein dopes three times in a row consistently decreased the endotoxin level 10–20 fold, achieving levels at or below the desired level of 0.25 EU/mL. Products made from triple autoclaved silk dopes maintained mechanical properties comparable to products from untreated dopes while still maintaining low endotoxin levels. Triple autoclaving is an effective and scalable method for preparing synthetic spider silk proteins with endotoxin levels sufficiently low for use as biomaterials without compromising the mechanical properties of the materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard E Decker
- Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322, United States
| | - Thomas I Harris
- Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322, United States
| | - Dylan R Memmott
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322, United States
| | | | - Randolph V Lewis
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322, United States
| | - Justin A Jones
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Dao AT, Shimokata J, Takeuchi K, Nakayama K, Taniike T. Stabilization of recombinant spider silk in thermo-oxidative degradation: High-throughput screening for antioxidants. Polym Degrad Stab 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2018.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
|
25
|
Zheng K, Ling S. De Novo Design of Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins for Material Applications. Biotechnol J 2018; 14:e1700753. [PMID: 29781251 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201700753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Spider silks are well known for their superior mechanical properties that are stronger and tougher than steel despite being assembled at close to ambient conditions and using water as the solvent. However, it is a significant challenge to utilize spider silks for practical applications due to their limited sources. Fortunately, genetic engineering techniques offer a promising approach to produce useable amounts of spider silk variants. Starting from these recombinant spider silk proteins, a series of experiments and simulations strategies are developed to improve the recombinant spider silk proteins (RSSP) material design and fabrication with the aim of biomimicking the structure-property-function relationships of spider silks. Accordingly, in this review, the authors first introduce the structure-property-function relationship of spider silks. Then, the recent progress in the genetic synthesis of RSSPs is discussed and their related multiscale self-assembly behaviors is summarized. Finally, the authors outline works utilizing multiscale modeling to assist RSSP material design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zheng
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Shengjie Ling
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Edlund AM, Jones J, Lewis R, Quinn JC. Economic feasibility and environmental impact of synthetic spider silk production from escherichia coli. N Biotechnol 2018; 42:12-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2017.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
27
|
Tsuchiya K, Ishii T, Masunaga H, Numata K. Spider dragline silk composite films doped with linear and telechelic polyalanine: Effect of polyalanine on the structure and mechanical properties. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3654. [PMID: 29483536 PMCID: PMC5827030 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21970-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider dragline silks have attracted intensive attention as eco-friendly tough materials because of their excellent mechanical property and biomass-based origin. Composite films based on a recombinant spider dragline silk protein (ADF3) from Araneus diadematus were prepared by doping with linear or telechelic poly(L-alanine) (L- or T-polyA, respectively) as a reinforcing agent. Higher tensile strength and toughness of the composite films were achieved with the addition of polyA compared with the tensile strength and toughness of the silk-only film. The difference in the reinforcing behavior between L- and T-polyA was associated with their primary structures, which were revealed by wide angle X-ray diffraction analysis. L-polyA showed a tendency to aggregate in the composite films and induce crystallization of the inherent silk β-sheet to afford rigid but brittle films. By contrast, T-polyA dispersion in the composite films led to the formation of β-sheet crystal of both T-polyA and the inherent silk, which imparted high strength and toughness to the silk films.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kousuke Tsuchiya
- Enzyme Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Takaoki Ishii
- Enzyme Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hiroyasu Masunaga
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5198, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Enzyme Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Tasei Y, Nishimura A, Suzuki Y, Sato TK, Sugahara J, Asakura T. NMR Investigation about Heterogeneous Structure and Dynamics of Recombinant Spider Silk in the Dry and Hydrated States. Macromolecules 2017. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yugo Tasei
- Department
of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Akio Nishimura
- Department
of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Yu Suzuki
- Tenure-Track
Program for Innovative Research, University of Fukui, 3-9-1 Bunkyo, Fukui-shi, Fukui 910-8507, Japan
| | - Takehiro K. Sato
- Spiber Inc., 234-1 Mizukami, Kakuganji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0052, Japan
| | - Junichi Sugahara
- Spiber Inc., 234-1 Mizukami, Kakuganji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0052, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Asakura
- Department
of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Wolff JO, Wells D, Reid CR, Blamires SJ. Clarity of objectives and working principles enhances the success of biomimetic programs. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2017; 12:051001. [PMID: 28820140 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/aa86ff] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Biomimetics, the transfer of functional principles from living systems into product designs, is increasingly being utilized by engineers. Nevertheless, recurring problems must be overcome if it is to avoid becoming a short-lived fad. Here we assess the efficiency and suitability of methods typically employed by examining three flagship examples of biomimetic design approaches from different disciplines: (1) the creation of gecko-inspired adhesives; (2) the synthesis of spider silk, and (3) the derivation of computer algorithms from natural self-organizing systems. We find that identification of the elemental working principles is the most crucial step in the biomimetic design process. It bears the highest risk of failure (e.g. losing the target function) due to false assumptions about the working principle. Common problems that hamper successful implementation are: (i) a discrepancy between biological functions and the desired properties of the product, (ii) uncertainty about objectives and applications, (iii) inherent limits in methodologies, and (iv) false assumptions about the biology of the models. Projects that aim for multi-functional products are particularly challenging to accomplish. We suggest a simplification, modularisation and specification of objectives, and a critical assessment of the suitability of the model. Comparative analyses, experimental manipulation, and numerical simulations followed by tests of artificial models have led to the successful extraction of working principles. A searchable database of biological systems would optimize the choice of a model system in top-down approaches that start at an engineering problem. Only when biomimetic projects become more predictable will there be wider acceptance of biomimetics as an innovative problem-solving tool among engineers and industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas O Wolff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Fu J, Guerette PA, Pavesi A, Horbelt N, Lim CT, Harrington MJ, Miserez A. Artificial hagfish protein fibers with ultra-high and tunable stiffness. NANOSCALE 2017; 9:12908-12915. [PMID: 28832693 DOI: 10.1039/c7nr02527k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Stiff fibers are used as reinforcing phases in a wide range of high-performance composite materials. Silk is one of the most widely studied bio-fibers, but alternative materials with specific advantages are also being explored. Among these, native hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) slime thread is an attractive protein-based polymer. These threads consist of coiled-coil intermediate filaments (IFs) as nano-scale building blocks, which can be transformed into extended β-sheet-containing chains upon draw-processing, resulting in fibers with impressive mechanical performance. Here, we report artificial hagfish threads produced by recombinant protein expression, which were subsequently self-assembled into coiled-coil nanofilaments, concentrated, and processed into β-sheet-rich fibers by a "picking-up" method. These artificial fibers experienced mechanical performance enhancement during draw-processing. We exploited the lysine content to covalently cross-link the draw-processed fibers and obtained moduli values (E) in tension as high as ∼20 GPa, which is stiffer than most reported artificial proteinaceous materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Fu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore 639798
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Zhu B, Li W, Chi N, Lewis RV, Osamor J, Wang R. Optimization of Glutaraldehyde Vapor Treatment for Electrospun Collagen/Silk Tissue Engineering Scaffolds. ACS OMEGA 2017; 2:2439-2450. [PMID: 28691110 PMCID: PMC5494641 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.7b00290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Freestanding fibrous matrices with proper protein composition and desirable mechanical properties, stability, and biocompatibility are in high demand for tissue engineering. Electrospun (E-spun) collagen-silk composite fibers are promising tissue engineering scaffolds. However, as-spun fibers are mechanically weak and unstable. In this work, we applied glutaraldehyde (GA) vapor treatment to improve the fiber performance, and the effect on the properties of E-spun collagen-silk fibers was studied systematically. GA treatment was found to affect collagen and silk distinctively. Whereas GA chemically links collagen peptides, it induces conformational transitions to enrich β-sheets in silk. The combined effects impose a control of the mechanical properties, stability, and degradability of the composite fibers, which are dependent on the extent of GA treatment. In addition, a mild treatment of the fibers did not diminish cell proliferation and viability. However, overly treated fibers demonstrated reduced cell-matrix adhesion. The understanding of GA treatment effects on collagen, silk, and the composite fibers enables effective control and fine tuning of the fiber properties to warrant their diverse in vitro and in vivo applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bofan Zhu
- Department
of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60616, United States
| | - Wen Li
- Department
of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60616, United States
| | - Naiwei Chi
- Department
of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60616, United States
| | - Randolph V. Lewis
- Department
of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322, United States
| | - Jude Osamor
- Department
of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60616, United States
| | - Rong Wang
- Department
of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60616, United States
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Munro T, Putzeys T, Copeland CG, Xing C, Lewis RV, Ban H, Glorieux C, Wubbenhorst M. Investigation of synthetic spider silk crystallinity and alignment via electrothermal, pyroelectric, literature XRD, and tensile techniques. MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING 2017; 302:1600480. [PMID: 29430211 PMCID: PMC5804743 DOI: 10.1002/mame.201600480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The processes used to create synthetic spider silk greatly affect the properties of the produced fibers. This paper investigates the effect of process variations during artificial spinning on the thermal and mechanical properties of the produced silk. Property values are also compared to the ones of the natural dragline silk of the N. clavipes spider, and to unprocessed (as-spun) synthetic silk. Structural characterization by scanning pyroelectric microscopy is employed to provide insight into the axial orientation of the crystalline regions of the fiber and is supported by XRD data. The results show that stretching and passage through liquid baths induce crystal formation and axial alignment in synthetic fibers, but with different structural organization than natural silks. Furthermore, an increase in thermal diffusivity and elastic modulus is observed with decreasing fiber diameter, trending towards properties of natural fiber. This effect seems to be related to silk fibers being subjected to a radial gradient during production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Troy Munro
- Mechanical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Tristan Putzeys
- Functional Organic Materials and Devices, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, TU/e Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, the Netherlands Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Heverlee B-3001, Belgium
| | - Cameron G Copeland
- Synthetic Bioproducts Center, Biology Dept., Utah State University, North Logan, UT 84341, USA
| | - Changhu Xing
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Randolph V Lewis
- Synthetic Bioproducts Center, Biology Dept., Utah State University, North Logan, UT 84341, USA
| | - Heng Ban
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Christ Glorieux
- Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Heverlee B-3001, Belgium
| | - Michael Wubbenhorst
- Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Heverlee B-3001, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Koeppel A, Holland C. Progress and Trends in Artificial Silk Spinning: A Systematic Review. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2017; 3:226-237. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Koeppel
- Department of Materials
Science
and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Holland
- Department of Materials
Science
and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Abstract
Silk is a protein-based material which is predominantly produced by insects and spiders. Hundreds of millions of years of evolution have enabled these animals to utilize different, highly adapted silk types in a broad variety of applications. Silk occurs in several morphologies, such as sticky glue or in the shape of fibers and can, depending on the application by the respective animal, dissipate a high mechanical energy, resist heat and radiation, maintain functionality when submerged in water and withstand microbial settling. Hence, it's unsurprising that silk piqued human interest a long time ago, which catalyzed the domestication of silkworms for the production of silk to be used in textiles. Recently, scientific progress has enabled the development of analytic tools to gain profound insights into the characteristics of silk proteins. Based on these investigations, the biotechnological production of artificial and engineered silk has been accomplished, which allows the production of a sufficient amount of silk materials for several industrial applications. This chapter provides a review on the biotechnological production of various silk proteins from different species, as well as on the processing techniques to fabricate application-oriented material morphologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gregor Lang
- Research Group Biopolymer Processing, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Heike Herold
- Department of Biomaterials, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Department of Biomaterials, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Kametani S, Tasei Y, Nishimura A, Asakura T. Distinct solvent- and temperature-dependent packing arrangements of anti-parallel β-sheet polyalanines studied with solid-state 13C NMR and MD simulation. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:20829-20838. [DOI: 10.1039/c7cp03693k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Change from rectangular arrangement to staggered arrangement of (Ala)6 by heat treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Kametani
- Department of Biotechnology
- Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
- Koganei
- Japan
- Mitsui Chemical Analysis & Consulting Service, Inc
| | - Yugo Tasei
- Department of Biotechnology
- Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
- Koganei
- Japan
| | - Akio Nishimura
- Department of Biotechnology
- Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
- Koganei
- Japan
| | - Tetsuo Asakura
- Department of Biotechnology
- Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
- Koganei
- Japan
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Jones JA, Harris TI, Oliveira PF, Bell BE, Alhabib A, Lewis RV. Importance of Heat and Pressure for Solubilization of Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins in Aqueous Solution. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17111955. [PMID: 27886066 PMCID: PMC5133949 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17111955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The production of recombinant spider silk proteins continues to be a key area of interest for a number of research groups. Several key obstacles exist in their production as well as in their formulation into useable products. The original reported method to solubilize recombinant spider silk proteins (rSSp) in an aqueous solution involved using microwaves to quickly generate heat and pressure inside of a sealed vial containing rSSp and water. Fibers produced from this system are remarkable in their mechanical ability and demonstrate the ability to be stretched and recover 100 times. The microwave method dissolves the rSSPs with dissolution time increasing with higher molecular weight constructs, increasing concentration of rSSPs, protein type, and salt concentration. It has proven successful in solvating a number of different rSSPs including native-like sequences (MaSp1, MaSp2, piriform, and aggregate) as well as chimeric sequences (FlAS) in varied concentrations that have been spun into fibers and formed into films, foams, sponges, gels, coatings, macro and micro spheres and adhesives. The system is effective but inherently unpredictable and difficult to control. Provided that the materials that can be generated from this method of dissolution are impressive, an alternative means of applying heat and pressure that is controllable and predictable has been developed. Results indicate that there are combinations of heat and pressure (135 °C and 140 psi) that result in maximal dissolution without degrading the recombinant MaSp2 protein tested, and that heat and pressure are the key elements to the method of dissolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Jones
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84341, USA.
| | - Thomas I Harris
- Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84341, USA.
| | - Paula F Oliveira
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84341, USA.
| | - Brianne E Bell
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84341, USA.
| | | | - Randolph V Lewis
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84341, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Harris TI, Gaztambide DA, Day BA, Brock CL, Ruben AL, Jones JA, Lewis RV. Sticky Situation: An Investigation of Robust Aqueous-Based Recombinant Spider Silk Protein Coatings and Adhesives. Biomacromolecules 2016; 17:3761-3772. [PMID: 27704788 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.6b01267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The mechanical properties and biocompatibility of spider silks have made them one of the most sought after and studied natural biomaterials. A biomimetic process has been developed that uses water to solvate purified recombinant spider silk proteins (rSSps) prior to material formation. The absence of harsh organic solvents increases cost effectiveness, safety, and decreases the environmental impact of these materials. This development allows for the investigation of aqueous-based rSSps as coatings and adhesives and their potential applications. In these studies it was determined that fiber-based rSSps in nonfiber formations have the capability to coat and adhere numerous substrates, whether rough, smooth, hydrophobic, or hydrophilic. Further, these materials can be functionalized for a variety of processes. Drug-eluting coatings have been made with the capacity to release a variety of compounds in addition to their inherent ability to prevent blood clotting and biofouling. Additionally, spider silk protein adhesives are strong enough to outperform some conventional glues and still display favorable tissue implantation properties. The physical properties, corresponding capabilities, and potential applications of these nonfibrous materials were characterized in this study. Mechanical properties, ease of manufacturing, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and functionality are the hallmarks of these revolutionary spider silk protein materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas I Harris
- Departments of Biological Engineering, §Biology, and ∥Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences, Utah State University , Logan, Utah 84322, United States
| | - Danielle A Gaztambide
- Departments of Biological Engineering, §Biology, and ∥Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences, Utah State University , Logan, Utah 84322, United States
| | - Breton A Day
- Departments of Biological Engineering, §Biology, and ∥Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences, Utah State University , Logan, Utah 84322, United States
| | - Cameron L Brock
- Departments of Biological Engineering, §Biology, and ∥Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences, Utah State University , Logan, Utah 84322, United States
| | - Ashley L Ruben
- Departments of Biological Engineering, §Biology, and ∥Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences, Utah State University , Logan, Utah 84322, United States
| | - Justin A Jones
- Departments of Biological Engineering, §Biology, and ∥Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences, Utah State University , Logan, Utah 84322, United States
| | - Randolph V Lewis
- Departments of Biological Engineering, §Biology, and ∥Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences, Utah State University , Logan, Utah 84322, United States
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Hiew SH, Miserez A. Squid Sucker Ring Teeth: Multiscale Structure-Property Relationships, Sequencing, and Protein Engineering of a Thermoplastic Biopolymer. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2016; 3:680-693. [PMID: 33440495 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The arms and tentacles of Decapodiform cephalopods (squids and cuttlefish) are lined with suckers, each of which contains embedded sucker ring teeth (SRT), which are used by the animal for prey capture and handling. SRT exhibit intriguing physicochemical and thermomechanical characteristics that have so far not been observed in other protein-based biomaterials. Notably, despite their comparatively high mechanical properties, SRT are almost fully soluble in chaotropic solvents and can be readily reconstituted after solvent evaporation into three-dimensional structures. SRT also exhibit thermoplastic characteristics: they can be melted and reshaped multiple times with no-or only minimal-loss of mechanical performance postprocessing. Intrigued by these unusual material characteristics, in recent years, we have conducted in-depth fundamental studies to unveil structure/property relationships of SRT from the molecular (genetic) level to the macroscopic scale. These investigations have demonstrated that SRT are entirely assembled from a protein family called "suckerins" that self-assemble into semicrystalline polymer infinite networks. Suckerins are block copolymers at the molecular level, whose closest analogy appears to be silk fibroins, although significant differences exist between these two protein families. Parallel to these studies, there have been efforts to mimic and engineer suckerins by protein engineering and to demonstrate potential applications through proof-of-concept studies, with a focus on the biomedical field. Both fundamental aspects and emerging applications are presented in this short review. Given the rather unusual source of this model structure, we start by a brief historical account of SRT and suckerin discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shu Hui Hiew
- School of Material Science and Engineering and ‡Center for Biomimetic Sensor Science, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), 50 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 639798
| | - Ali Miserez
- School of Material Science and Engineering and Center for Biomimetic Sensor Science, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), 50 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 639798
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Weatherbee-Martin N, Xu L, Hupe A, Kreplak L, Fudge DS, Liu XQ, Rainey JK. Identification of Wet-Spinning and Post-Spin Stretching Methods Amenable to Recombinant Spider Aciniform Silk. Biomacromolecules 2016; 17:2737-46. [PMID: 27387592 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.6b00857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Spider silks are outstanding biomaterials with mechanical properties that outperform synthetic materials. Of the six fibrillar spider silks, aciniform (or wrapping) silk is the toughest through a unique combination of strength and extensibility. In this study, a wet-spinning method for recombinant Argiope trifasciata aciniform spidroin (AcSp1) is introduced. Recombinant AcSp1 comprising three 200 amino acid repeat units was solubilized in a 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP)/water mixture, forming a viscous α-helix-enriched spinning dope, and wet-spun into an ethanol/water coagulation bath allowing continuous fiber production. Post-spin stretching of the resulting wet-spun fibers in water significantly improved fiber strength, enriched β-sheet conformation without complete α-helix depletion, and enhanced birefringence. These methods allow reproducible aciniform silk fiber formation, albeit with lower extensibility than native silk, requiring conditions and methods distinct from those previously reported for other silk proteins. This provides an essential starting point for tailoring wet-spinning of aciniform silk to achieve desired properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andre Hupe
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph , Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | | | - Douglas S Fudge
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph , Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Brooks AE. The Potential of Silk and Silk-Like Proteins as Natural Mucoadhesive Biopolymers for Controlled Drug Delivery. Front Chem 2015; 3:65. [PMID: 26636069 PMCID: PMC4659904 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2015.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug delivery across mucus membranes is a particularly effective route of administration due to the large surface area. However, the unique environment present at the mucosa necessitates altered drug formulations designed to (1) deliver sensitive biologic molecules, (2) promote intimate contact between the mucosa and the drug, and (3) prolong the drug's local residence time. Thus, the pharmaceutical industry has an interest in drug delivery systems formulated around the use of mucoadhesive polymers. Mucoadhesive polymers, both synthetic and biological, have a history of use in local drug delivery. Prominently featured in the literature are chitosan, alginate, and cellulose derivatives. More recently, silk and silk-like derivatives have been explored for their potential as mucoadhesive polymers. Both silkworms and spiders produce sticky silk-like glue substances, sericin and aggregate silk respectively, that may prove an effective, natural matrix for drug delivery to the mucosa. This mini review will explore the potential of silk and silk-like derivatives as a biocompatible mucoadhesive polymer matrix for local controlled drug delivery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda E Brooks
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University Fargo, ND, USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
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]
|
44
|
Copeland CG, Bell BE, Christensen CD, Lewis RV. Development of a Process for the Spinning of Synthetic Spider Silk. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2015; 1:577-584. [PMID: 27064312 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.5b00092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Spider silks have unique mechanical properties but current efforts to duplicate those properties with recombinant proteins have been unsuccessful. This study was designed to develop a single process to spin fibers with excellent and consistent mechanical properties. As-spun fibers produced were brittle, but by stretching the fibers the mechanical properties were greatly improved. A water-dip or water-stretch further increased the strength and elongation of the synthetic spider silk fibers. Given the promising results of the water stretch, a mechanical double-stretch system was developed. Both a methanol/water mixture and an isopropanol/water mixture were independently used to stretch the fibers with this system. It was found that the methanol mixture produced fibers with high tensile strength while the isopropanol mixture produced fibers with high elongation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cameron G Copeland
- Department of Biological Engineering and Synthetic Biomanufacturing Center, Utah State University, 650 East 1600 North, Logan, Utah 84341, United States
| | - Brianne E Bell
- Department of Biological Engineering and Synthetic Biomanufacturing Center, Utah State University, 650 East 1600 North, Logan, Utah 84341, United States
| | - Chad D Christensen
- Department of Biological Engineering and Synthetic Biomanufacturing Center, Utah State University, 650 East 1600 North, Logan, Utah 84341, United States
| | - Randolph V Lewis
- Department of Biological Engineering and Synthetic Biomanufacturing Center, Utah State University, 650 East 1600 North, Logan, Utah 84341, United States
| |
Collapse
|