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Heckenhauer J, Stewart RJ, Ríos-Touma B, Powell A, Dorji T, Frandsen PB, Pauls SU. Characterization of the primary structure of the major silk gene, h-fibroin, across caddisfly (Trichoptera) suborders. iScience 2023; 26:107253. [PMID: 37529107 PMCID: PMC10387566 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Larvae of caddisflies (Trichoptera) produce silk to build various underwater structures allowing them to exploit a wide range of aquatic environments. The silk adheres to various substrates underwater and has high tensile strength, extensibility, and toughness and is of interest as a model for biomimetic adhesives. As a step toward understanding how the properties of underwater silk evolved in Trichoptera, we used genomic data to identify full-length sequences and characterize the primary structure of the major silk protein, h-fibroin, across the order. The h-fibroins have conserved termini and basic motif structure with high variation in repeating modules and variation in the percentage of amino acids, mainly proline. This finding might be linked to differences in mechanical properties related to the different silk usage and sets a starting point for future studies to screen and correlate amino acid motifs and other sequence features with quantifiable silk properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Heckenhauer
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Hesse 60325, Germany
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Hesse 60325, Germany
| | - Russell J. Stewart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Blanca Ríos-Touma
- Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Ingeniería Ambiental, Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud (BIOMAS), Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, EC 170124, Ecuador
| | - Ashlyn Powell
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Tshering Dorji
- Department of Environment and Climate Studies, Royal University of Bhutan, Punakha 13001, Bhutan
| | - Paul B. Frandsen
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Hesse 60325, Germany
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
- Data Science Lab, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Steffen U. Pauls
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Hesse 60325, Germany
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Hesse 60325, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University, Gießen, Hesse 35392; Germany
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2
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Hotaling S, Wilcox ER, Heckenhauer J, Stewart RJ, Frandsen PB. Highly accurate long reads are crucial for realizing the potential of biodiversity genomics. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:117. [PMID: 36927511 PMCID: PMC10018877 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09193-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Generating the most contiguous, accurate genome assemblies given available sequencing technologies is a long-standing challenge in genome science. With the rise of long-read sequencing, assembly challenges have shifted from merely increasing contiguity to correctly assembling complex, repetitive regions of interest, ideally in a phased manner. At present, researchers largely choose between two types of long read data: longer, but less accurate sequences, or highly accurate, but shorter reads (i.e., >Q20 or 99% accurate). To better understand how these types of long-read data as well as scale of data (i.e., mean length and sequencing depth) influence genome assembly outcomes, we compared genome assemblies for a caddisfly, Hesperophylax magnus, generated with longer, but less accurate, Oxford Nanopore (ONT) R9.4.1 and highly accurate PacBio HiFi (HiFi) data. Next, we expanded this comparison to consider the influence of highly accurate long-read sequence data on genome assemblies across 6750 plant and animal genomes. For this broader comparison, we used HiFi data as a surrogate for highly accurate long-reads broadly as we could identify when they were used from GenBank metadata. RESULTS HiFi reads outperformed ONT reads in all assembly metrics tested for the caddisfly data set and allowed for accurate assembly of the repetitive ~ 20 Kb H-fibroin gene. Across plants and animals, genome assemblies that incorporated HiFi reads were also more contiguous. For plants, the average HiFi assembly was 501% more contiguous (mean contig N50 = 20.5 Mb) than those generated with any other long-read data (mean contig N50 = 4.1 Mb). For animals, HiFi assemblies were 226% more contiguous (mean contig N50 = 20.9 Mb) versus other long-read assemblies (mean contig N50 = 9.3 Mb). In plants, we also found limited evidence that HiFi may offer a unique solution for overcoming genomic complexity that scales with assembly size. CONCLUSIONS Highly accurate long-reads generated with HiFi or analogous technologies represent a key tool for maximizing genome assembly quality for a wide swath of plants and animals. This finding is particularly important when resources only allow for one type of sequencing data to be generated. Ultimately, to realize the promise of biodiversity genomics, we call for greater uptake of highly accurate long-reads in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Hotaling
- Department of Watershed Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA.
| | - Edward R Wilcox
- DNA Sequencing Center, Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Jacqueline Heckenhauer
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, 60325, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Russell J Stewart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Paul B Frandsen
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Germany.
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
- Data Science Lab, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
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3
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Miserez A, Yu J, Mohammadi P. Protein-Based Biological Materials: Molecular Design and Artificial Production. Chem Rev 2023; 123:2049-2111. [PMID: 36692900 PMCID: PMC9999432 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Polymeric materials produced from fossil fuels have been intimately linked to the development of industrial activities in the 20th century and, consequently, to the transformation of our way of living. While this has brought many benefits, the fabrication and disposal of these materials is bringing enormous sustainable challenges. Thus, materials that are produced in a more sustainable fashion and whose degradation products are harmless to the environment are urgently needed. Natural biopolymers─which can compete with and sometimes surpass the performance of synthetic polymers─provide a great source of inspiration. They are made of natural chemicals, under benign environmental conditions, and their degradation products are harmless. Before these materials can be synthetically replicated, it is essential to elucidate their chemical design and biofabrication. For protein-based materials, this means obtaining the complete sequences of the proteinaceous building blocks, a task that historically took decades of research. Thus, we start this review with a historical perspective on early efforts to obtain the primary sequences of load-bearing proteins, followed by the latest developments in sequencing and proteomic technologies that have greatly accelerated sequencing of extracellular proteins. Next, four main classes of protein materials are presented, namely fibrous materials, bioelastomers exhibiting high reversible deformability, hard bulk materials, and biological adhesives. In each class, we focus on the design at the primary and secondary structure levels and discuss their interplays with the mechanical response. We finally discuss earlier and the latest research to artificially produce protein-based materials using biotechnology and synthetic biology, including current developments by start-up companies to scale-up the production of proteinaceous materials in an economically viable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Miserez
- Center for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore637553.,School of Biological Sciences, NTU, Singapore637551
| | - Jing Yu
- Center for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore637553.,Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science (IDMxS), NTU, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore637553
| | - Pezhman Mohammadi
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, UusimaaFI-02044, Finland
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4
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Sun J, Monreal Santiago G, Yan F, Zhou W, Rudolf P, Portale G, Kamperman M. Bioinspired Processing of Keratin into Upcycled Fibers through pH-Induced Coacervation. ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING 2023; 11:1985-1994. [PMID: 36778523 PMCID: PMC9906721 DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c06865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Keratin is an important byproduct of the animal industry, but almost all of it ends up in landfills due to a lack of efficient recycling methods. To make better use of keratin-based natural resources, the current extraction and processing strategies need to be improved or replaced by more sustainable and cost-effective processes. Here, we developed a simple and environmentally benign method to process extracted keratin, using HCl to induce the formation of a coacervate, a separate aqueous phase with a very high protein concentration. Remarkably, this pH-induced coacervation did not result in the denaturation of keratin, and we could even observe an increase in the amount of ordered secondary structures. The low-pH coacervates could be extruded and wet-spun into high-performance keratin fibers, without requiring heating or any organic solvents. The secondary structure of keratin was largely conserved in these regenerated fibers, which exhibited excellent mechanical performance. The process developed in this study represents a simple and environmentally friendly strategy to upcycle waste keratin into high-performance materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianwu Sun
- Polymer
Science, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Guillermo Monreal Santiago
- Polymer
Science, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Feng Yan
- Surfaces
and Thin Films, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747
AG Groningen, The
Netherlands
| | - Wen Zhou
- Products
and Processes for Biotechnology, Engineering and Technology Institute
Groningen, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Petra Rudolf
- Surfaces
and Thin Films, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747
AG Groningen, The
Netherlands
| | - Giuseppe Portale
- Macromolecular
Chemistry and New Polymeric Materials, Zernike Institute for Advanced
Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marleen Kamperman
- Polymer
Science, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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Bio-Inspired Muco-Adhesive Polymers for Drug Delivery Applications. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14245459. [PMID: 36559825 PMCID: PMC9785024 DOI: 10.3390/polym14245459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Muco-adhesive drug delivery systems continue to be one of the most studied for controlled pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Briefly, muco-adhesive polymers, can be described as bio-polymers that adhere to the mucosal (mucus) surface layer, for an extended residency period of time at the site of application, by the help of interfacial forces resulting in improved drug delivery. When compared to traditional drug delivery systems, muco-adhesive carriers have the potential to enhance therapeutic performance and efficacy, locally and systematically, in oral, rectal, vaginal, amongst other routes. Yet, the achieving successful muco-adhesion in a novel polymeric drug delivery solution is a complex process involving key physico-chemico-mechanical parameters such as adsorption, wettability, polymer chain length, inter-penetration and cross-linking, to list a few. Hence, and in light of accruing progress, evidence and interest, during the last decade, this review aims to provide the reader with an overview of the theories, principles, properties, and underlying mechanisms of muco-adhesive polymers for pharmaceutics; from basics to design to characterization to optimization to evaluation to market. A special focus is devoted to recent advances incorporating bio-inspired polymers for designing controlled muco-adhesive drug delivery systems.
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Christoforo C, Fleming B, Zeitler M, Haws H, Smith AM. Metal-binding proteins and cross-linking in the defensive glue of the slug Arion subfuscus. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220611. [PMID: 36415975 PMCID: PMC9682298 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0611] [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: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of metals in forming the primary cross-links in slug glue was investigated. Several metal-binding proteins were identified in the defensive glue produced by the slug Arion subfuscus. Notably, the C-lectins that are unique to the glue are iron-binding proteins. This is unusual for C-lectins. Dissociating these proteins from iron does not affect the glue's stiffness. Similarly, several proteins that can bind to zinc were identified, but dissociating the proteins from zinc did not weaken the glue. These results suggest that metal coordination is not involved in the primary cross-links of this hydrogel glue. The stable cross-links that provide stiffness are more likely to be created by a catalytic event involving protein oxidation. Cross-linking was unexpectedly difficult to prevent. Collecting the glue into a large volume of ice-cold buffer with reagents aimed at inhibiting oxidative cross-linking caused a slight loss of cross-linking, as demonstrated by the appearance of uncross-linked proteins in native gel electrophoresis. Notable among these was a protein that is normally heavily oxidized (asmp165). Nevertheless, this effect was not large, suggesting that the primary cross-links form before secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Beth Fleming
- Department of Biology, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | - Haley Haws
- Department of Biology, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Stewart RJ, Frandsen PB, Pauls SU, Heckenhauer J. Conservation of Three-Dimensional Structure of Lepidoptera and Trichoptera L-Fibroins for 290 Million Years. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27185945. [PMID: 36144689 PMCID: PMC9504780 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27185945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The divergence of sister orders Trichoptera (caddisflies) and Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) from a silk-spinning ancestor occurred around 290 million years ago. Trichoptera larvae are mainly aquatic, and Lepidoptera larvae are almost entirely terrestrial—distinct habitats that required molecular adaptation of their silk for deployment in water and air, respectively. The major protein components of their silks are heavy chain and light chain fibroins. In an effort to identify molecular changes in L-fibroins that may have contributed to the divergent use of silk in water and air, we used the ColabFold implementation of AlphaFold2 to predict three-dimensional structures of L-fibroins from both orders. A comparison of the structures revealed that despite the ancient divergence, profoundly different habitats, and low sequence conservation, a novel 10-helix core structure was strongly conserved in L-fibroins from both orders. Previously known intra- and intermolecular disulfide linkages were accurately predicted. Structural variations outside of the core may represent molecular changes that contributed to the evolution of insect silks adapted to water or air. The distributions of electrostatic potential, for example, were not conserved and present distinct order-specific surfaces for potential interactions with or modulation by external factors. Additionally, the interactions of L-fibroins with the H-fibroin C-termini are different for these orders; lepidopteran L-fibroins have N-terminal insertions that are not present in trichopteran L-fibroins, which form an unstructured ribbon in isolation but become part of an intermolecular β-sheet when folded with their corresponding H-fibroin C-termini. The results are an example of protein structure prediction from deep sequence data of understudied proteins made possible by AlphaFold2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell J. Stewart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Paul B. Frandsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84062, USA
| | - Steffen U. Pauls
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Jacqueline Heckenhauer
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
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8
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Mussel adhesion: A fundamental perspective on factors governing strong underwater adhesion. Biointerphases 2022; 17:058501. [DOI: 10.1116/6.0002051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-based underwater adhesives of marine organisms exhibit extraordinary binding strength in high salinity based on utilizing a variety of molecular interaction mechanisms. These include acid-base interactions, bidentate bindings or complex hydrogen bonding interactions, and electrochemical manipulation of interfacial bonding. In this Perspective, we briefly review recent progress in the field, and we discuss how interfacial electrochemistry can vary interfacial forces by concerted tuning of surface charging, hydration forces, and tuning of the interfacial ion concentration. We further discuss open questions, controversial findings, and new paths into understanding and utilizing redox-proteins and derived polymers for enhancing underwater adhesion in a complex salt environment.
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9
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Rouhová L, Sehadová H, Pauchová L, Hradilová M, Žurovcová M, Šerý M, Rindoš M, Žurovec M. Using the multi-omics approach to reveal the silk composition in Plectrocnemia conspersa. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:945239. [PMID: 36060257 PMCID: PMC9432349 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.945239] [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: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Similar to Lepidoptera, the larvae of Trichoptera are also capable of producing silk. Plectrocnemia conspersa, a predatory species belonging to the suborder Annulipalpia, builds massive silken retreats with preycapturing nets. In this study, we describe the silk glands of P. conspersa and use the multi-omics methods to obtain a complete picture of the fiber composition. A combination of silk gland-specific transcriptome and proteomic analyses of the spun-out fibers yielded 27 significant candidates whose full-length sequences and gene structures were retrieved from the publicly available genome database. About one-third of the candidates were completely novel proteins for which there are no described homologs, including a group of five pseudofibroins, proteins with a composition similar to fibroin heavy chain. The rest were homologs of lepidopteran silk proteins, although some had a larger number of paralogs. On the other hand, P. conspersa fibers lacked some proteins that are regular components in moth silk. In summary, the multi-omics approach provides an opportunity to compare the overall composition of silk with other insect species. A sufficient number of such studies will make it possible to distinguish between the basic components of all silks and the proteins that represent the adaptation of the fibers for specific purposes or environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Rouhová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Hana Sehadová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Lucie Pauchová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Miluše Hradilová
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Praha, Czechia
| | - Martina Žurovcová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Michal Šerý
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Michal Rindoš
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Michal Žurovec
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Michal Žurovec,
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10
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Nitzsche KN, Wakaki S, Yamashita K, Shin K, Kato Y, Kamauchi H, Tayasu I. Calcium and strontium stable isotopes reveal similar behaviors of essential Ca and nonessential Sr in stream food webs. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kai Nils Nitzsche
- RIHN Center Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN) Kyoto Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Wakaki
- Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research Japan Agency for Marine‐Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) Kochi Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Yamashita
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science Okayama University Okayama Japan
| | - Ki‐Cheol Shin
- RIHN Center Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN) Kyoto Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Kato
- RIHN Center Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN) Kyoto Japan
| | - Hiromitsu Kamauchi
- RIHN Center Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN) Kyoto Japan
| | - Ichiro Tayasu
- RIHN Center Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN) Kyoto Japan
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11
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Diverse silk and silk-like proteins derived from terrestrial and marine organisms and their applications. Acta Biomater 2021; 136:56-71. [PMID: 34551332 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Organisms develop unique systems in a given environment. In the process of adaptation, they employ materials in a clever way, which has inspired mankind extensively. Understanding the behavior and material properties of living organisms provides a way to emulate these natural systems and engineer various materials. Silk is a material that has been with human for over 5000 years, and the success of mass production of silkworm silk has realized its applications to medical, pharmaceutical, optical, and even electronic fields. Spider silk, which was characterized later, has expanded the application sectors to textile and military materials based on its tough mechanical properties. Because silk proteins are main components of these materials and there are abundant creatures producing silks that have not been studied, the introduction of new silk proteins would be a breakthrough of engineering materials to open innovative industry fields. Therefore, in this review, we present diverse silk and silk-like proteins and how they are utilized with respect to organism's survival. Here, the range of organisms are not constrained to silkworms and spiders but expanded to other insects, and even marine creatures which produce silk-like proteins that are not observed in terrestrial silks. This viewpoint broadening of silk and silk-like proteins would suggest diverse targets of engineering to design promising silk-based materials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Silk has been developed as a biomedical material due to unique mechanical and chemical properties. For decades, silks from various silkworm and spider species have been intensively studied. More recently, other silk and silk-like proteins with different sequences and structures have been reported, not only limited to terrestrial organisms (honeybee, green lacewing, caddisfly, and ant), but also from marine creatures (mussel, squid, sea anemone, and pearl oyster). Nevertheless, there has hardly been well-organized literature on silks from such organisms. Regarding the relationship among sequence-structure-properties, this review addresses how silks have been utilized with respect to organism's survival. Finally, this information aims to improve the understanding of diverse silk and silk-like proteins which can offer a significant interest to engineering fields.
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12
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Nanoscale Material Heterogeneity of Glowworm Capture Threads Revealed by AFM. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26123500. [PMID: 34201363 PMCID: PMC8226719 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Adhesive materials used by many arthropods for biological functions incorporate sticky substances and a supporting material that operate synergistically by exploiting substrate attachment and energy dissipation. While there has been much focus on the composition and properties of the sticky glues of these bio-composites, less attention has been given to the materials that support them. In particular, as these materials are primarily responsible for dissipation during adhesive pull-off, little is known of the structures that give rise to functionality, especially at the nano-scale. In this study we used tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) to analyze unstretched and stretched glowworm (Arachnocampa tasmaniensis) capture threads and revealed nano-scale features corresponding to variation in surface structure and elastic modulus near the surface of the silk. Phase images demonstrated a high resolution of viscoelastic variation and revealed mostly globular and elongated features in the material. Increased vertical orientation of 11–15 nm wide fibrillar features was observed in stretched threads. Fast Fourier transform analysis of phase images confirmed these results. Relative viscoelastic properties were also highly variable at inter- and intra-individual levels. Results of this study demonstrate the practical usefulness of TM-AFM, especially phase angle imaging, in investigating the nano-scale structures that give rise to macro-scale function of soft and highly heterogeneous materials of both natural and synthetic origins.
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13
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Davey PA, Power AM, Santos R, Bertemes P, Ladurner P, Palmowski P, Clarke J, Flammang P, Lengerer B, Hennebert E, Rothbächer U, Pjeta R, Wunderer J, Zurovec M, Aldred N. Omics-based molecular analyses of adhesion by aquatic invertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1051-1075. [PMID: 33594824 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Many aquatic invertebrates are associated with surfaces, using adhesives to attach to the substratum for locomotion, prey capture, reproduction, building or defence. Their intriguing and sophisticated biological glues have been the focus of study for decades. In all but a couple of specific taxa, however, the precise mechanisms by which the bioadhesives stick to surfaces underwater and (in many cases) harden have proved to be elusive. Since the bulk components are known to be based on proteins in most organisms, the opportunities provided by advancing 'omics technologies have revolutionised bioadhesion research. Time-consuming isolation and analysis of single molecules has been either replaced or augmented by the generation of massive data sets that describe the organism's translated genes and proteins. While these new approaches have provided resources and opportunities that have enabled physiological insights and taxonomic comparisons that were not previously possible, they do not provide the complete picture and continued multi-disciplinarity is essential. This review covers the various ways in which 'omics have contributed to our understanding of adhesion by aquatic invertebrates, with new data to illustrate key points. The associated challenges are highlighted and priorities are suggested for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Davey
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Anne Marie Power
- Ryan Institute, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Room 226, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Romana Santos
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente (MARE), Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Philip Bertemes
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Peter Ladurner
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Pawel Palmowski
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Jessica Clarke
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Patrick Flammang
- Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics Unit, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Place du Parc 23, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Birgit Lengerer
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Elise Hennebert
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Place du Parc 23, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Ute Rothbächer
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Robert Pjeta
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Julia Wunderer
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Michal Zurovec
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Nick Aldred
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, U.K
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14
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Dong C, Fan H, Tang F, Gao X, Feng K, Wang J, Jin Z. Mussel byssus cuticle-inspired ultrastiff and stretchable triple-crosslinked hydrogels. J Mater Chem B 2021; 9:373-380. [PMID: 33283808 DOI: 10.1039/d0tb01993c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Applications in the harsh environment require hydrogels with ultra-stiffness, toughness, and stretchability. However, it remains a challenge to increase the elastic modulus without sacrificing the maximum elongation of hydrogels, because of the trade-off between stiffness and extensibility. Inspired by the crosslinking hierarchy of mussel byssus cuticle, here, we report a strategy to fabricate an ultra-stiff, tough and stretchable triple-crosslinked (TC) hydrogel. The polymer is crosslinked by chemical crosslinker at first, subsequently by introducing a polyphenolic compound, tannic acid (TA), and metal ions. The hydrogen-bond-based network between the polymer and TA works as an extensible and energy-dissipative network, mimicking the matrix of the cuticle, while the higher crosslinked domains formed by the coordinate bonds between TA and metal ions contribute to the stiffness. The triple-crosslinked hydrogel exhibits two orders of magnitude increase in stiffness (E = 58 MPa), but without sacrificing the maximum elongation (ε = 850%), compared with those of metal-free hydrogels (E = 0.18 MPa, and ε = 860%). The combination of ultra-stiffness, toughness, and stretchability in hydrogels is successfully achieved through leveraging the hierarchically cross-linked network based on hydrogen bonding and coordination bonding. Moreover, utilizing the wide distribution of bonding strength of coordination interaction, the mechanical properties of triple-crosslinked hydrogels can be manipulated by using different kinds of catechol-metal coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglong Dong
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, P. R. China.
| | - Hailong Fan
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, N21W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
| | - Feng Tang
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, P. R. China.
| | - Xiaobin Gao
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, P. R. China.
| | - Kai Feng
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, P. R. China.
| | - Jiahui Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, P. R. China.
| | - Zhaoxia Jin
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, P. R. China.
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15
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Koeppel A, Laity PR, Holland C. The influence of metal ions on native silk rheology. Acta Biomater 2020; 117:204-212. [PMID: 33007482 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.09.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Whilst flow is the basis for silk fibre formation, subtle changes in a silk feedstocks' chemical environment may serve to increase both energetic efficiency and control hierarchical structure development during spinning. Despite the role of pH being largely understood, the influence of metal ions is not, only being inferred by correlative work and observations. Through a combination of rheology and microscopy, we provide a causative study of how the most abundant metal ions in the silk feedstock, Ca2+ and K+, affect its flow properties and structure. Our results show that Ca2+ ions increase viscosity and prevent molecular alignment and aggregation, providing ideal storage conditions for unspun silk. In contrast, the addition of K+ ions promotes molecular alignment and aggregation and therefore seems to transfer the silk feedstock into a spinning state which confirms recent 'sticky reptation' modelling hypotheses. Additionally, we characterised the influence of the ubiquitous kosmotropic agent Li+, used to prepare regenerated silk solutions, and find that it promotes molecular alignment and prevents aggregation which may permit a range of interesting artificial silk processing techniques to be developed. In summary, our results provide a clearer picture of how metal ions co-ordinate, control and thus contribute towards silk protein self-assembly which in turn can inspire structuring approaches in other biopolymer systems.
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16
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Structure and topology of the linkers in the conserved lepidosaur β-keratin chain with four 34-residue repeats support an interfilament role for the central linker. J Struct Biol 2020; 212:107599. [PMID: 32800921 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2020.107599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The β-keratin chain with four 34-residue repeats that is conserved across the lepidosaurs (lizards, snakes and tuatara) contains three linker regions as well as a short, conserved N-terminal domain and a longer, more variable C-terminal domain. Earlier modelling had shown that only six classes of structure involving the four 34-residue repeats were possible. In three of these the 34-residue repeats were confined to a single filament (Classes 1, 2 and 3) whereas in the remaining three classes the repeats lay in two, three or four filaments, with some of the linkers forming interfilament connections (Classes 4, 5 and 6). In this work the members of each class of structure (a total of 20 arrangements) have been described and a comparison has been made of the topologies of each of the linker regions. This provides new constraints on the structure of the chain as a whole. Also, analysis of the sequences of the three linker regions has revealed that the central linker (and only the central linker) contains four short regions displaying a distinctive dipeptide repeat of the form (S-X)2,3 separated by short regions containing proline and cysteine residues. By analogy with silk fibroin proteins this has the capability of forming a β-sheet-like conformation. Using the topology and sequence data the evidence suggests that the four 34-residue repeat chain adopts a Class 4a structure with a β-sandwich in filament 1 connected through the central linker to a β-sandwich in filament 2.
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17
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Heckenhauer J, Frandsen PB, Gupta DK, Paule J, Prost S, Schell T, Schneider JV, Stewart RJ, Pauls SU. Annotated Draft Genomes of Two Caddisfly Species Plectrocnemia conspersa CURTIS and Hydropsyche tenuis NAVAS (Insecta: Trichoptera). Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:3445-3451. [PMID: 31774498 PMCID: PMC6916706 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the speciose insect order Trichoptera (caddisflies) provide important ecosystem services, for example, nutrient cycling through breaking down of organic matter. They are also of industrial interest due to their larval silk secretions. These form the basis for their diverse case-making behavior that allows them to exploit a wide range of ecological niches. Only five genomes of this order have been published thus far, with variable qualities regarding contiguity and completeness. A low-cost sequencing strategy, that is, using a single Oxford Nanopore flow cell per individual along with Illumina sequence reads was successfully used to generate high-quality genomes of two Trichoptera species, Plectrocnemia conspersa and Hydropsyche tenuis. Of the de novo assembly methods compared, assembly of low coverage Nanopore reads (∼18×) and subsequent polishing with long reads followed by Illumina short reads (∼80-170× coverage) yielded the highest genome quality both in terms of contiguity and BUSCO completeness. The presented genomes are the shortest to date and extend our knowledge of genome size across caddisfly families. The genomic region that encodes for light (L)-chain fibroin, a protein component of larval caddisfly silk was identified and compared with existing L-fibroin gene clusters. The new genomic resources presented in this paper are among the highest quality Trichoptera genomes and will increase the knowledge of this important insect order by serving as the basis for phylogenomic and comparative genomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Heckenhauer
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG), Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Entomology III, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Paul B Frandsen
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG), Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Plant & Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
- Data Science Lab, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
| | - Deepak K Gupta
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG), Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Juraj Paule
- Department of Botany and Molecular Evolution, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Prost
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG), Frankfurt, Germany
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Tilman Schell
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG), Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julio V Schneider
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Entomology III, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Russell J Stewart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Steffen U Pauls
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG), Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Entomology III, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University, Gießen, Germany
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18
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Wei W, Zhu M, Wu S, Shen X, Li S. Stimuli-Responsive Biopolymers: An Inspiration for Synthetic Smart Materials and Their Applications in Self-Controlled Catalysis. J Inorg Organomet Polym Mater 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10904-019-01382-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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19
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Frandsen PB, Bursell MG, Taylor AM, Wilson SB, Steeneck A, Stewart RJ. Exploring the underwater silken architectures of caddisworms: comparative silkomics across two caddisfly suborders. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190206. [PMID: 31495307 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Caddisfly (Trichoptera) larvae assemble a variety of underwater structures using bioadhesive silk. The order is divided into two primary sub-orders distinguished by how the larvae deploy their silk. Foraging Integripalpia larvae construct portable tube cases. Annulipalpia larvae construct stationary retreats, some with suspended nets to capture food. To identify silk molecular adaptations that may have contributed to caddisfly diversification, we report initial characterization of silk from a net-spinner genus, Parapsyche, for comparison with the silk of a tube case-maker genus, Hesperophylax. Overall, general features of silk structure and processing are conserved across the sub-orders despite approximately 200 Ma of divergence: the H-fibroin proteins comprise repeating phosphoserine-rich motifs, naturally spun silk fibres contain approximately 1 : 1 molar ratios of divalent metal ions to phosphate, silk fibre precursors are stored as complex fluids of at least two types of complexes, and silk gland proteins contain only traces of divalent metal ions, suggesting metal ions that solidify the fibres are absorbed from the aqueous environment after silk extrusion. However, the number and arrangement of the repeating phosphoserine blocks differ between genera, suggesting molecular adaptation of H-fibroin through duplication and shuffling of conserved structural modules may correspond with the radiation of caddisflies into diverse environments. This article is part of the theme issue 'Transdisciplinary approaches to the study of adhesion and adhesives in biological systems'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Frandsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA.,Data Science Lab, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20002, USA
| | - Madeline G Bursell
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Adam M Taylor
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Seth B Wilson
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Amy Steeneck
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Russell J Stewart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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20
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Horbelt N, Eder M, Bertinetti L, Fratzl P, Harrington MJ. Unraveling the Rapid Assembly Process of Stiff Cellulosic Fibers from Mistletoe Berries. Biomacromolecules 2019; 20:3094-3103. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.9b00648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nils Horbelt
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam 14424, Germany
| | - Michaela Eder
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam 14424, Germany
| | - Luca Bertinetti
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam 14424, Germany
| | - Peter Fratzl
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam 14424, Germany
| | - Matthew J. Harrington
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
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21
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Morse JC, Frandsen PB, Graf W, Thomas JA. Diversity and Ecosystem Services of Trichoptera. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10050125. [PMID: 31052441 PMCID: PMC6572163 DOI: 10.3390/insects10050125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The holometabolous insect order Trichoptera (caddisflies) includes more known species than all of the other primarily aquatic orders of insects combined. They are distributed unevenly; with the greatest number and density occurring in the Oriental Biogeographic Region and the smallest in the East Palearctic. Ecosystem services provided by Trichoptera are also very diverse and include their essential roles in food webs, in biological monitoring of water quality, as food for fish and other predators (many of which are of human concern), and as engineers that stabilize gravel bed sediment. They are especially important in capturing and using a wide variety of nutrients in many forms, transforming them for use by other organisms in freshwaters and surrounding riparian areas. The general pattern of evolution for trichopteran families is becoming clearer as more genes from more taxa are sequenced and as morphological characters are becoming understood in greater detail. This increasingly credible phylogeny provides a foundation for interpreting and hypothesizing the functional traits of this diverse order of freshwater organisms and for understanding the richness of the ecological services corresponding with those traits. Our research also is gaining insight into the timing of evolutionary diversification in the order. Correlations for the use of angiosperm plant material as food and case construction material by the earliest ancestors of infraorder Plenitentoria—by at least 175 Ma—may provide insight into the timing of the origin of angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Morse
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, E-143 Poole Agricultural Center, Clemson, SC 29634-0310, USA.
| | - Paul B Frandsen
- Department of Plant & Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 701 E University Parkway Drive, Provo, UT 84602, USA.
- Data Science Lab, Smithsonian Institution, 600 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, D.C. 20024, USA.
| | - Wolfram Graf
- BOKU, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecology Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor Mendelstr. 33, A-1180 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Jessica A Thomas
- Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York Y010 5DD, UK.
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22
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Luo S, Tang M, Frandsen PB, Stewart RJ, Zhou X. The genome of an underwater architect, the caddisfly Stenopsyche tienmushanensis Hwang (Insecta: Trichoptera). Gigascience 2018; 7:5202446. [PMID: 30476205 PMCID: PMC6302954 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giy143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) are a highly adapted freshwater group of insects split from a common ancestor with Lepidoptera. They are the most diverse (>16,000 species) of the strictly aquatic insect orders and are widely employed as bio-indicators in water quality assessment and monitoring. Among the numerous adaptations to aquatic habitats, caddisfly larvae use silk and materials from the environment (e.g., stones, sticks, leaf matter) to build composite structures such as fixed retreats and portable cases. Understanding how caddisflies have adapted to aquatic habitats will help explain the evolution and subsequent diversification of the group. Findings We sequenced a retreat-builder caddisfly Stenopsyche tienmushanensis Hwang and assembled a high-quality genome from both Illumina and Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) sequencing. In total, 601.2 M Illumina reads (90.2 Gb) and 16.9 M PacBio subreads (89.0 Gb) were generated. The 451.5 Mb assembled genome has a contig N50 of 1.29 M, has a longest contig of 4.76 Mb, and covers 97.65% of the 1,658 insect single-copy genes as assessed by Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs. The genome comprises 36.76% repetitive elements. A total of 14,672 predicted protein-coding genes were identified. The genome revealed gene expansions in specific groups of the cytochrome P450 family and olfactory binding proteins, suggesting potential genomic features associated with pollutant tolerance and mate finding. In addition, the complete gene complex of the highly repetitive H-fibroin, the major protein component of caddisfly larval silk, was assembled. Conclusions We report the draft genome of Stenopsyche tienmushanensis, the highest-quality caddisfly genome so far. The genome information will be an important resource for the study of caddisflies and may shed light on the evolution of aquatic insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqi Luo
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Min Tang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Paul B Frandsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 701 E University Parkway Drive, Provo, UT 84602, USA.,Data Science Lab, Smithsonian Institution, 600 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, DC 20002, USA
| | - Russell J Stewart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Xin Zhou
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
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23
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Xu P, Dai X, Wang D, Miao Y, Zhang X, Wang S, Teng L, Dong B, Bao Z, Wang S, Lyu Q, Liu W. The discovered chimeric protein plays the cohesive role to maintain scallop byssal root structural integrity. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17082. [PMID: 30459329 PMCID: PMC6244088 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35265-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Adhesion is essential for many marine sessile organisms. Unraveling the compositions and assembly of marine bioadheisves is the fundamental to understand their physiological roles. Despite the remarkable diversity of animal bioadhesion, our understanding of this biological process remains limited to only a few animal lineages, leaving the majority of lineages remain enigmatic. Our previous study demonstrated that scallop byssus had distinct protein composition and unusual assembly mechanism apart from mussels. Here a novel protein (Sbp9) was discovered from the key part of the byssus (byssal root), which contains two Calcium Binding Domain (CBD) and 49 tandem Epidermal Growth Factor-Like (EGFL) domain repeats. Modular architecture of Sbp9 represents a novel chimeric gene family resulting from a gene fusion event through the acquisition of CBD2 domain by tenascin like (TNL) gene from Na+/Ca2+exchanger 1 (NCX1) gene. Finally, free thiols are present in Sbp9 and the results of a rescue assay indicated that Sbp9 likely plays the cohesive role for byssal root integrity. This study not only aids our understanding of byssus assembly but will also inspire biomimetic material design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingping Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiaoting Dai
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Dandan Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yan Miao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiaokang Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Shuoshuo Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Luyao Teng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Bo Dong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhenmin Bao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Shi Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Qianqian Lyu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China. .,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.
| | - Weizhi Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China. .,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.
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24
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Laity PR, Baldwin E, Holland C. Changes in Silk Feedstock Rheology during Cocoon Construction: The Role of Calcium and Potassium Ions. Macromol Biosci 2018; 19:e1800188. [PMID: 30040173 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201800188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Variation in silk feedstocks is a barrier both to our understanding of natural spinning and biomimetic endeavors. To address this, compositional changes are investigated in feedstock specimens from the domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori). It is found that the feedstock viscosity decreased systematically by over two orders of magnitude during cocoon construction. Potential factors such as protein concentration, molecular weight, pH, or the presence of trehalose are excluded, whereas a clear correlation appear between viscosity and the relative concentrations of Ca2+ and K+ ions. It is expected that Ca2+ ions would favor "salt bridges" between acidic (Asp and Glu) amino acids, leading to an increased viscosity, whereas K+ ions would compete for these sites, thereby reducing viscosity. Thus, these findings suggest a simple, systematic yet sophisticated control of feedstock viscosity in the silkworm, which in turn can be applied to future industrial silk production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter R Laity
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - Elizabeth Baldwin
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - Chris Holland
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
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25
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Ashton NN, Stewart RJ. Aquatic caddisworm silk is solidified by environmental metal ions during the natural fiber-spinning process. FASEB J 2018; 33:572-583. [PMID: 29985645 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201801029r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Aquatic caddisfly larvae (caddisworms) wet-spin fibers to construct composite cases of silk and stone. The silk emerges from labial ducts as a nanofibrous fluid gel, flowing over the stone substrate and making intimate interfacial adhesive contacts before being drawn into tough fibers that rapidly solidify underwater to span gaps in the construction. Divalent metal ions are responsible for the unique mechanical properties of naturally spun silk fibers; however, when and where divalent metal ions are incorporated into the metallofibers and other aspects of the fiber solidification mechanism are poorly understood. To investigate, the elemental composition and secondary structure of silk precursors stored in the silk gland lumen were compared with naturally spun fibers by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Naturally spun fibers contained near equimolar ratios of Ca2+ to P. In contrast, silk precursors stored in the silk gland lumen contained only traces of Ca2+ and other multivalent metal ions. Ca2+ was also undetectable in anterior lumenal silk using the histochemical Ca2+ indicator, alizarin S red. Addition of Ca2+ to isolated lumenal silk resulted in Ca2+ complexation by H-fibroin phosphoserines (pSs) and a shift in secondary structure from random coils to β-structures, creating infrared spectra in the phosphate and amide I regions nearly equivalent to those found in naturally spun Ca2+-containing silk fibers. Light and electron microscopy within distinct regions of the silk gland suggested that posterior gland silk colloidal complexes transition into a nanofibrous morphology as they pass into the chitin-lined anterior lumen. Altogether, the results suggest that environmental Ca2+ absorbed from natural water triggers silk fiber solidification postdraw by complexing H-fibroin pSs, creating Ca2+-stabilized crystalline β-nanodomains that cross-link and toughen the freshly drawn silk fibers.-Ashton, N. N., Stewart, R. J. Aquatic caddisworm silk is solidified by environmental metal ions during the natural fiber-spinning process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas N Ashton
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Russell J Stewart
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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Balik JA, Taylor BW, Washko SE, Wissinger SA. High interspecific variation in nutrient excretion within a guild of closely related caddisfly species. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jared A. Balik
- Departments of Biology and Environmental Science Allegheny College Meadville Pennsylvania 16335 USA
- Department of Applied Ecology North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina 27695 USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory PO Box 519 Crested Butte Colorado 81224 USA
| | - Brad W. Taylor
- Department of Applied Ecology North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina 27695 USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory PO Box 519 Crested Butte Colorado 81224 USA
| | - Susan E. Washko
- Departments of Biology and Environmental Science Allegheny College Meadville Pennsylvania 16335 USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory PO Box 519 Crested Butte Colorado 81224 USA
- Department of Watershed Sciences Utah State University Logan Utah 84321 USA
| | - Scott A. Wissinger
- Departments of Biology and Environmental Science Allegheny College Meadville Pennsylvania 16335 USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory PO Box 519 Crested Butte Colorado 81224 USA
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Buffet JP, Corre E, Duvernois-Berthet E, Fournier J, Lopez PJ. Adhesive gland transcriptomics uncovers a diversity of genes involved in glue formation in marine tube-building polychaetes. Acta Biomater 2018; 72:316-328. [PMID: 29597026 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Tube-building sabellariid polychaetes are hermatypic organisms capable of forming vast reefs in highly turbulent marine habitats. Sabellariid worms assemble their tube by gluing together siliceous and calcareous clastic particles using a polyelectrolytic biocement. Here, we performed transcriptomic analyses to investigate the genes that are differentially expressed in the parathorax region, which contains the adhesive gland and tissues, from the rest of the body. We found a large number of candidate genes to be involved in the composition and formation of biocement in two species: Sabellaria alveolata and Phragmatopoma caudata. Our results indicate that the glue is likely to be composed by a large diversity of cement-related proteins, including Poly(S), GY-rich, H-repeat and miscellaneous categories. However, sequences divergence and differences in expression profiles between S. alveolata and P. caudata of cement-related proteins may reflect adaptation to the type of substratum used to build their tube, and/or to their habitat (temperate vs tropical, amplitude of pH, salinity …). Related to the L-DOPA metabolic pathways and linked with the genes that were differentially expressed in the parathorax region, we found that tyrosinase and peroxidase gene families may have undergone independent expansion in the two Sabellariidae species investigated. Our data also reinforce the importance of protein modifications in cement formation. Altogether these new genomic resources help to identify novel transcripts encoding for cement-related proteins, but also important enzymes putatively involved in the chemistry of the adhesion process, such as kinases, and may correspond to new targets to develop biomimetic approaches. STATEMENTS OF SIGNIFICANCE The diversity of bioadhesives elaborated by marine invertebrates is a tremendous source of inspiration to develop biomimetic approaches for biomedical and technical applications. Recent studies on the adhesion system of mussel, barnacle and sea star had highlighted the usefulness of high-throughput RNA sequencing in accelerating the development of biomimetic adhesives. Adhesion in sandcastle worms, which involves catechol and phosphate chemistries, polyelectrolyte complexes, supramolecular architectures, and a coacervation process, is a useful model to develop multipurpose wet adhesives. Using transcriptomic tools, we have explored the diversity of genes encoding for structural and catalytic proteins involved in cement formation of two sandcastle worm species, Sabellaria alveolata and Phragmatopoma caudata. The important genomic resource generated should help to design novel "blue" adhesives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Philippe Buffet
- UMR Biologie des Organismes et des Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, MNHN/CNRS-7208 Sorbonne Université/IRD-207/UCN /UA, 43 rue Cuvier, Paris 75005, France
| | - Erwan Corre
- Station Biologique - FR 2424, CNRS/Sorbonne Université, ABiMS, Roscoff 29680, France
| | | | - Jérôme Fournier
- UMR Biologie des Organismes et des Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, MNHN/CNRS-7208 Sorbonne Université/IRD-207/UCN /UA, 43 rue Cuvier, Paris 75005, France
| | - Pascal Jean Lopez
- UMR Biologie des Organismes et des Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, MNHN/CNRS-7208 Sorbonne Université/IRD-207/UCN /UA, 43 rue Cuvier, Paris 75005, France.
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Song IT, Stewart RJ. Complex coacervation of Mg(ii) phospho-polymethacrylate, a synthetic analog of sandcastle worm adhesive phosphoproteins. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:379-386. [PMID: 29147716 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm01654a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The highly phosphorylated Pc3 proteins, major components of the sandcastle worm adhesive, are sequestered with Mg as spherical sub-granules within heterogeneous secretory granules in adhesive gland cells. The phase behavior of a synthetic phospho-polymethacrylate analog of the Pc3 phosphoproteins, in the presense of Mg(ii), was characterized to determine whether it is chemically possible for the natural adhesive components to be packaged and stored as liquid complex coacervates. Of several multivalent metal salts tested, only MgCl induced complex coacervation of the phospho-copolymer. Complex coacervates formed at Mg/P ratios from 0.5-8, and in [NaCl]s from 0-3 M. At low temperature and pH, the complex coacervates were clear and homogeneous. At higher temperatures and pH, the coacervate phases were translucent. The elastic and viscous moduli initially decreased as temperature increased, but then increased significantly near the temperature boundary between clear and translucent forms. A mechanism is proposed in which relatively weak, ionic strength-independent, outer shell crossbridging of -PO32- sidechains by Mg[H2O]62+ complex ions is responsible for the clear homogeneous lower viscosity coacervate form. At higher temperature and pH, displacement of inner shell H2O molecules by phosphate O- ligands creates stronger crossbridges, additional dehydration, and more viscous coacervates. The results demonstrate that Pc3 phosphoproteins can exist as condensed phospho/Mg(ii) complex coacervates under conditions expected in the adhesive glands of sandcastle worms in their natural environment. Considering the common regulatory role of phosphorylation and the intracellular abundance of Mg2+ it is possible that soft bridging of phosphate groups by Mg[H2O]n2+ may promote other regulated cellular liquid liquid phase separation phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- In Taek Song
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, 20 S. 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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Montero de Espinosa L, Meesorn W, Moatsou D, Weder C. Bioinspired Polymer Systems with Stimuli-Responsive Mechanical Properties. Chem Rev 2017; 117:12851-12892. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Worarin Meesorn
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Dafni Moatsou
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Weder
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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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.
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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.
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Nyarko A, Barton H, Dhinojwala A. Scaling down for a broader understanding of underwater adhesives - a case for the Caulobacter crescentus holdfast. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:9132-9141. [PMID: 27812588 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm02163h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The adhesion of two materials in the presence of water is greatly impeded by a boundary layer of water between the adhesive and the adherend, resulting in adhesive failure of most synthetic adhesives; however, life evolved first in water and there are many aquatic organisms that have to overcome this impediment to underwater adhesion. For example, multicellular aquatic organisms like the mussel, sandcastle worm and the caddisfly larva employ well-studied adhesive mechanisms for sticking in the presence of water. Unicellular organisms such as bacteria also make use of various means for attaching to surfaces, within similar environmental conditions. Prominent among them is the aquatic bacteria, Caulobacter crescentus which utilizes a unique adhesive secretion, the holdfast, to adhere strongly in the presence of water. Here we review the attachment mechanisms of some multicellular aquatic organisms and compare the similarities and differences in the composition and structure of the C. crescentus holdfast, which holds promise as a potential source for bio-inspired synthetic underwater adhesives with prospective applications in medicine, engineering and biomimetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Nyarko
- Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3909, USA.
| | - Hazel Barton
- Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908, USA
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3909, USA.
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Rodrigues M, Ostermann T, Kremeser L, Lindner H, Beisel C, Berezikov E, Hobmayer B, Ladurner P. Profiling of adhesive-related genes in the freshwater cnidarian Hydra magnipapillata by transcriptomics and proteomics. BIOFOULING 2016; 32:1115-1129. [PMID: 27661452 PMCID: PMC5080974 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2016.1233325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The differentiated ectodermal basal disc cells of the freshwater cnidarian Hydra secrete proteinaceous glue to temporarily attach themselves to underwater surfaces. Using transcriptome sequencing and a basal disc-specific RNA-seq combined with in situ hybridisation a highly specific set of candidate adhesive genes was identified. A de novo transcriptome assembly of 55,849 transcripts (>200 bp) was generated using paired-end and single reads from Illumina libraries constructed from different polyp conditions. Differential transcriptomics and spatial gene expression analysis by in situ hybridisation allowed the identification of 40 transcripts exclusively expressed in the ectodermal basal disc cells. Comparisons after mass spectrometry analysis of the adhesive secretion showed a total of 21 transcripts to be basal disc specific and eventually secreted through basal disc cells. This is the first study to survey adhesion-related genes in Hydra. The candidate list presented in this study provides a platform for unravelling the molecular mechanism of underwater adhesion of Hydra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Rodrigues
- Institute of Zoology and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas Ostermann
- Institute of Zoology and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Leopold Kremeser
- Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Herbert Lindner
- Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Eugene Berezikov
- ERIBA, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bert Hobmayer
- Institute of Zoology and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Peter Ladurner
- Institute of Zoology and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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33
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Liu C, Xie L, Zhang R. Ca2+ Mediates the Self-Assembly of the Foot Proteins of Pinctada fucata from the Nanoscale to the Microscale. Biomacromolecules 2016; 17:3347-3355. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.6b01125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chuang Liu
- Institute
of Marine Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 China
- Tsinghua-Peking
Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 China
| | - Liping Xie
- Institute
of Marine Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 China
| | - Rongqing Zhang
- Institute
of Marine Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 China
- Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province 314006, China
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34
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Wang CS, Pan H, Weerasekare GM, Stewart RJ. Peroxidase-catalysed interfacial adhesion of aquatic caddisworm silk. J R Soc Interface 2016; 12:rsif.2015.0710. [PMID: 26490632 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2015.0710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Casemaker caddisfly (Hesperophylax occidentalis) larvae use adhesive silk fibres to construct protective shelters under water. The silk comprises a distinct peripheral coating on a viscoelastic fibre core. Caddisworm silk peroxinectin (csPxt), a haem-peroxidase, was shown to be glycosylated by lectin affinity chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Using high-resolution H2O2 and peroxidase-dependent silver ion reduction and nanoparticle deposition, imaged by electron microscopy, csPxt activity was shown to be localized in the peripheral layer of drawn silk fibres. CsPxt catalyses dityrosine cross-linking within the adhesive peripheral layer post-draw, initiated perhaps by H2O2 generated by a silk gland-specific superoxide dismutase 3 (csSOD3) from environmental reactive oxygen species present in natural water. CsSOD3 was also shown to be a glycoprotein and is likely localized in the peripheral layer. Using a synthetic fluorescent phenolic copolymer and confocal microscopy, it was shown that csPxt catalyses oxidative cross-linking to external polyphenolic compounds capable of diffusive interpenetration into the fuzzy peripheral coating, including humic acid, a natural surface-active polyphenol. The results provide evidence of enzyme-mediated covalent cross-linking of a natural bioadhesive to polyphenol conditioned interfaces as a mechanism of permanent adhesion underwater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Shuen Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Huaizhong Pan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | | | - Russell J Stewart
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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35
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Ashton NN, Pan H, Stewart RJ. Connecting caddisworm silk structure and mechanical properties: combined infrared spectroscopy and mechanical analysis. Open Biol 2016; 6:160067. [PMID: 27278649 PMCID: PMC4929942 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.160067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The underwater silk of an aquatic casemaking caddisfly larvae (Hesperophylax occidentalis) is viscoelastic, and displays distinct yield behaviour, large strain cycle hysteresis and near complete recovery of its initial strength and stiffness when unloaded. Yield followed by a stress plateau has been attributed to sequential rupture of serial Ca(2+)-cross-linked phosphoserine (pS) β-domains. Spontaneous recovery has been attributed to refolding of the Ca(2+)/pS domains powered by an elastic network. In this study, native Ca(2+) ions were exchanged with other metal ions, followed by combined mechanical and FTIR analysis to probe the contribution of pS/metal ion complexes to silk mechanical properties. After exchange of Ca(2+) with Na(+), the fibres are soft elastomers and the infrared spectra are consistent with Cv3 symmetry of the -[Formula: see text] groups. Multivalent metal ions decreased the -[Formula: see text] symmetry and the symmetric stretching modes (vs) split in a manner characteristic of ordered phosphate compounds, such as phosphate minerals and lamellar bilayers of phosphatidic acid lipids. Integrated intensities of the vs bands, indicative of the metal ion's effect on transition dipole moment of the P-O bonds, and thereby the strength of the phosphate metal complex, increased in the order: Na(+) < Mg(2+) < Sr(2+) < Ba(2+) < Ca(2+) < Eu(3+) < La(3+) < Zn(2+) < Fe(2+) With a subset of the metal ion series, the initial stiffness and yield stress of metal ion-exchanged fibres increased in the same order: [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] establishing the link between phosphate transition dipole moments and silk fibre strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas N Ashton
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Huaizhong Pan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Russell J Stewart
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
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36
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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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda E Brooks
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University Fargo, ND, USA
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37
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Liu C, Li S, Huang J, Liu Y, Jia G, Xie L, Zhang R. Extensible byssus of Pinctada fucata: Ca(2+)-stabilized nanocavities and a thrombospondin-1 protein. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15018. [PMID: 26446436 PMCID: PMC4597212 DOI: 10.1038/srep15018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The extensible byssus is produced by the foot of bivalve animals, including the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata, and enables them to attach to hard underwater surfaces. However, the mechanism of their extensibility is not well understood. To understand this mechanism, we analyzed the ultrastructure, composition and mechanical properties of the P. fucata byssus using electron microscopy, elemental analysis, proteomics and mechanical testing. In contrast to the microstructures of Mytilus sp. byssus, the P. fucata byssus has an exterior cuticle without granules and an inner core with nanocavities. The removal of Ca2+ by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) treatment expands the nanocavities and reduces the extensibility of the byssus, which is accompanied by a decrease in the β-sheet conformation of byssal proteins. Through proteomic methods, several proteins with antioxidant and anti-corrosive properties were identified as the main components of the distal byssus regions. Specifically, a protein containing thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), which is highly expressed in the foot, is hypothesized to be responsible for byssus extensibility. Together, our findings demonstrate the importance of inorganic ions and multiple proteins for bivalve byssus extension, which could guide the future design of biomaterials for use in seawater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuang Liu
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Deep Sea Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 China
| | - Shiguo Li
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Deep Sea Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 China
| | - Jingliang Huang
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Deep Sea Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 China
| | - Yangjia Liu
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Deep Sea Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 China
| | - Ganchu Jia
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Deep Sea Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 China
| | - Liping Xie
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Deep Sea Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 China
| | - Rongqing Zhang
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Deep Sea Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 China
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38
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Lane DD, Kaur S, Weerasakare GM, Stewart RJ. Toughened hydrogels inspired by aquatic caddisworm silk. SOFT MATTER 2015; 11:6981-6990. [PMID: 26234366 DOI: 10.1039/c5sm01297j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic caddisworm silk is a tough adhesive fiber. Part of the toughening mechanism resides in serial, Ca(2+)-phosphate crosslinked nano-domains that comprise H-fibroin, the major structural protein. To mimic the toughening mechanism, a synthetic phosphate-graft-methacrylate prepolymer, as a simple H-fibroin analog, was copolymerized within a covalent elastic network of polyacrylamide. Above a critical phosphate sidechain density, hydrogels equilibrated with Ca(2+) or Zn(2+) ions displayed greatly increased initial stiffness, strain-rate dependent yield behavior, and required 100 times more work to fracture than hydrogels equilibrated with Mg(2+) or Na(+) ions. Conceptually, the enhanced toughness is attributed to energy-dissipating, viscous unfolding of clustered phosphate-metal ion crosslinks at a critical stress. The toughness of the bioinspired hydrogels exceeds the toughness of cartilage and meniscus suggesting potential application as prosthetic biomaterials. The tough hydrogels also provide a simplified model to test hypotheses about caddisworm silk architecture, phosphate metal ion interactions, and mechanochemical toughening mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dwight D Lane
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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39
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Wilks AM, Rabice SR, Garbacz HS, Harro CC, Smith AM. Double-network gels and the toughness of terrestrial slug glue. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 218:3128-37. [PMID: 26276864 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.128991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The terrestrial slug Arion subfuscus produces a defensive secretion that is sticky and tough, despite being a dilute gel. It is unusual in having high stiffness for a gel, yet retaining the high extensibility typical of mucus. In tensile tests, it sustains an average peak stress of 101 kPa, and fails at an average strain of 9.5. This gives the gel toughness; it requires much greater strain energy to fracture than most gels. This toughness may arise from a double-network type mechanism. In this mechanism, two separate, interpenetrating networks of polymers with different properties combine to give toughness that can be several orders of magnitude greater than either network individually. Native gel electrophoresis suggests that A. subfuscus glue consists of two networks: a network of negatively charged proteins ranging in Mr from 40×10(3) to 220×10(3) that can be dissociated by hydroxylamine and a network of heparan sulfate-like proteoglycans. The two networks are not tightly linked, though proteins of Mr 40×10(3) and 165×10(3) may associate with the carbohydrates. Targeted disruption of either network separately, using enzymatic hydrolysis, disulfide bond breakage or imine bond disruption completely disrupted the glue, resulting in no measurable toughness. Thus, the two networks separately provide little toughness, but together they work synergistically to create a tough material, as predicted in the double-network mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M Wilks
- Department of Biology, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Sarah R Rabice
- Department of Biology, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | | | - Cailin C Harro
- Department of Biology, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Andrew M Smith
- Department of Biology, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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40
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Hatano T, Nagashima T. The secretion process of liquid silk with nanopillar structures from Stenopsyche marmorata (Trichoptera: Stenopsychidae). Sci Rep 2015; 5:9237. [PMID: 25783626 PMCID: PMC4363863 DOI: 10.1038/srep09237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Stenopsyche marmorata larvae spin underwater adhesive silk for constructing nests and capture nets. The silk can be divided into fiber and adhesive regions, according to their function. The silk fiber region has a two-layer structure: a core layer situated at the center of the fiber and S. marmorata fibroin, the major component of the silk. In the anterior part of the anterior silk gland, the morphological characteristics suggest that the silk insolubilization leading to fibrillation occurs by luminal pH neutralization. The adhesive region is composed of three layers: the outermost (OM), B, and C layers. On the B layer, coated with the OM layer, numerous nano-order pillar structures (nanopillar structures) are located at regular intervals. A nanopillar structure is approximately 40 nm in diameter and 125 nm in length. The precursor materials of the nanopillar structure are electron-dense globules of approximately 25 nm in diameter that are located in the A layer of the lumen of the middle silk gland. The precursor globules autonomously connect to one another on the B layer when the liquid silk is transported to the lumen of the bulbous region. The nanopillar structures probably contribute to the strong underwater adhesion of S. marmorata silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Hatano
- Tokyo University of Agriculture, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0034, Japan
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41
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Ashton NN, Stewart RJ. Self-recovering caddisfly silk: energy dissipating, Ca(2+)-dependent, double dynamic network fibers. SOFT MATTER 2015; 11:1667-1676. [PMID: 25525713 DOI: 10.1039/c4sm02435d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Single fibers of the sticky underwater larval silk of the casemaker caddisfly (H. occidentalis) are viscoelastic, display large strain cycle hysteresis, and self-recover 99% of their initial stiffness and strength within 120 min. Mechanical response to cyclical strains suggested viscoelasticity is due to two independent, self-recovering Ca(2+)-crosslinked networks. The networks display distinct pH dependence. The first network is attributed to Ca(2+)-stabilized phosphoserine motifs in H-fibroin, the second to Ca(2+) complexed carboxylate groups in the N-terminus of H-fibroin and a PEVK-like protein. These assignments were corroborated by IR spectroscopy. The results are consolidated into a multi-network model in which reversible rupture of the Ca(2+)-crosslinked domains at a critical stress results in pseudo-plastic deformation. Slow refolding of the domains results in nearly full recovery of fiber length, stiffness, and strength. The fiber toughening, energy dissipation, and recovery mechanisms, are highly adaptive for the high energy aquatic environment of caddisfly larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas N Ashton
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA.
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42
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Tszydel M, Zabłotni A, Wojciechowska D, Michalak M, Krucińska I, Szustakiewicz K, Maj M, Jaruszewska A, Strzelecki J. Research on possible medical use of silk produced by caddisfly larvae of Hydropsyche angustipennis (Trichoptera, Insecta). J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2015; 45:142-53. [PMID: 25723346 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2015.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2014] [Revised: 01/31/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Silk products are used in medicine as biomaterials, and are particularly promising as scaffolds in tissue engineering. To date only silkworm and spider silk medical potential has been evaluated, whereas the possible application of the material spun by caddisflies in wet environment has not been examined. Biomedical application of every natural material requires biocompatibility testing and evaluation of unique microbiological and mechanical properties. This article focuses on silk fibers formed in caddisflies cocoons of Hydropsyche angustipennis (Insecta, Trichoptera) larvae. Preliminary biological evaluation shows that trichopteran silk is not cytotoxic to human cells. Caddisfly silk itself does not possess antiseptic properties and thus sterilization is indispensable for its application in medicine. Among tested methods of sterilization and disinfection only thermal methods (tyndallization and autoclaving) enabled complete eradication of bacteria and gave fully sterile material. Caddisfly silk appeared to be resistant to high temperature. Fully sterile fibers can be stored without a loss of breaking force and tensile strength. Our work shows that trichopteran silk has a significant potential to be used as a biomaterial.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tszydel
- Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, 12/16 Banacha Str., 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
| | - A Zabłotni
- Department of General Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, 12/16 Banacha Str., 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
| | - D Wojciechowska
- Department of Material and Commodity Sciences and Textile Metrology, Faculty of Material Technologies and Textile Design, Lodz University of Technology, 116 Żeromskiego Str., 90-543 Łódź, Poland.
| | - M Michalak
- Department of Material and Commodity Sciences and Textile Metrology, Faculty of Material Technologies and Textile Design, Lodz University of Technology, 116 Żeromskiego Str., 90-543 Łódź, Poland.
| | - I Krucińska
- Department of Material and Commodity Sciences and Textile Metrology, Faculty of Material Technologies and Textile Design, Lodz University of Technology, 116 Żeromskiego Str., 90-543 Łódź, Poland
| | - K Szustakiewicz
- Polymer Engineering and Technology Division, Wrocław University of Technology, 27 Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego Str., 50-370 Wrocław, Poland.
| | - M Maj
- Tissue Engineering Department, L. Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 24 Karłowicza Str., 85-092 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
| | - A Jaruszewska
- Institute of Physics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 5 Grudziądzka Str., 87-100 Toruń, Poland.
| | - J Strzelecki
- Institute of Physics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 5 Grudziądzka Str., 87-100 Toruń, Poland.
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43
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Miserez A, Weaver JC, Chaudhuri O. Biological materials and molecular biomimetics – filling up the empty soft materials space for tissue engineering applications. J Mater Chem B 2015; 3:13-24. [DOI: 10.1039/c4tb01267d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The discovery and molecular (genetic) characterization of novel biological materials offers great potential to expand the range of soft materials used for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Miserez
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- Nanyang Technological University
- Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences
- Nanyang Technological University
| | - James C. Weaver
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
- Harvard University
- Cambridge
- USA
| | - Ovijit Chaudhuri
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Stanford University
- Stanford
- USA
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44
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Wang CS, Ashton NN, Weiss RB, Stewart RJ. Peroxinectin catalyzed dityrosine crosslinking in the adhesive underwater silk of a casemaker caddisfly larvae, Hysperophylax occidentalis. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 54:69-79. [PMID: 25220661 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2014.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic caddisfly larvae use sticky silk fibers as an adhesive tape to construct protective composite structures under water. Three new silk fiber components were identified by transcriptome and proteome analysis of the silk gland: a heme-peroxidase in the peroxinectin (Pxt) sub-family, a superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3) that generates the H2O2 substrate of the silk fiber Pxt from environmental reactive oxygen species (eROS), and a novel structural component with sequence similarity to the elastic PEVK region of the muscle protein, titin. All three proteins are co-drawn with fibroins to form silk fibers. The Pxt and SOD3 enzymes retain activity in drawn fibers. In native fibers, Pxt activity and dityrosine crosslinks are co-localized at the boundary of a peripheral layer and the silk fiber core. To our knowledge, dityrosine crosslinks, heme peroxidase, and SOD3 activities have not been previously reported in an insect silk. The PEVK-like protein is homogeneously distributed throughout the fiber core. The results are consolidated into a model in which caddisfly silk Pxt-catalyzed dityrosine crosslinking occurs post-draw using H2O2 generated within the silk fibers by SOD3. The ROS substrate of caddisfly silk SOD3 occurs naturally in aquatic environments, from biotic and abiotic sources. The radially inhomogeneous dityrosine crosslinking and a potential titin-like PEVK protein network have important implications for the mechanical properties of caddifly silk fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Shuen Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Nicholas N Ashton
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Robert B Weiss
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Russell J Stewart
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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46
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Degtyar E, Harrington MJ, Politi Y, Fratzl P. Die Bedeutung von Metallionen für die mechanischen Eigenschaften von Biomaterialien auf Proteinbasis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201404272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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47
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Degtyar E, Harrington MJ, Politi Y, Fratzl P. The Mechanical Role of Metal Ions in Biogenic Protein-Based Materials. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014; 53:12026-44. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201404272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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48
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Yang YJ, Jung D, Yang B, Hwang BH, Cha HJ. Aquatic proteins with repetitive motifs provide insights to bioengineering of novel biomaterials. Biotechnol J 2014; 9:1493-502. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201400070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Revised: 06/20/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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49
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Addison JB, Weber WS, Mou Q, Ashton NN, Stewart RJ, Holland GP, Yarger JL. Reversible assembly of β-sheet nanocrystals within caddisfly silk. Biomacromolecules 2014; 15:1269-75. [PMID: 24576204 DOI: 10.1021/bm401822p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments reveal the structural importance of divalent cation-phosphate complexes in the formation of β-sheet nanocrystals from phosphorylated serine-rich regions within aquatic silk from caddisfly larvae of the species Hesperophyla consimilis. Wide angle XRD data on native caddisfly silk show that the silk contains a significant crystalline component with a repetitive orthorhombic unit cell aligned along the fiber axis with dimensions of 5.9 Å × 23.2 Å × 17.3 Å. These nanocrystalline domains depend on multivalent cations, which can be removed through chelation with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). A comparison of wide angle X-ray diffraction data before and after EDTA treatment reveals that the integrated peak area of reflections corresponding to the nanocrystalline regions decreases by 15-25% while that of the amorphous background reflections increases by 20%, indicating a partial loss of crystallinity. (31)P solid-state NMR data on native caddisfly silk also show that the phosphorylated serine-rich motifs transform from a rigid environment to one that is highly mobile and water-solvated after treatment with EDTA. The removal of divalent cations through exchange and chelation has therefore caused a collapse of the β-sheet structure. However, NMR results show that the rigid phosphorus environment is mostly recovered after the silk is re-treated with calcium. The (31)P spin-lattice (T1) relaxation times were measured at 7.6 ± 3.1 and 1 ± 0.5 s for this calcium-recovered sample and the native silk sample, respectively. The shorter (31)P T1 relaxation times measured for the native silk sample are attributed to the presence of paramagnetic iron that is stripped away during EDTA chelation treatment and replaced with diamagnetic calcium.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Bennett Addison
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona 85287-1604, United States
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50
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Addison JB, Popp TMO, Weber WS, Edgerly JS, Holland GP, Yarger JL. Structural characterization of nanofiber silk produced by embiopterans (webspinners). RSC Adv 2014; 4:41301-41313. [PMID: 25383190 DOI: 10.1039/c4ra07567f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Embiopterans produce silken galleries and sheets using exceptionally fine silk fibers in which they live and breed. In this study, we use electron microscopy (EM), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) techniques to elucidate the molecular level protein structure of webspinner (embiid) silks. Silks from two species Antipaluria urichi and Aposthonia ceylonica are studied in this work. Electron microscopy images show that the fibers are about 90-100 nm in diameter, making webspinner silks among the finest of all known animal silks. Structural studies reveal that the silk protein core is dominated by β-sheet structures, and that the protein core is coated with a hydrophobic alkane-rich surface coating. FTIR spectra of native embiid silk shows characteristic alkane CH2 stretchings near 2800-2900 cm-1, which decrease approximately 50% after washing the silk with 2 : 1 CHCl3 : MeOH. Furthermore, 13C ssNMR data shows a significant CH2 resonance that is strongly affected by the presence of water, supporting the idea that the silk fibers are coated with a hydrocarbon-rich layer. Such a layer is likely used to protect the colonies from rain. FTIR data also suggests that embiid silks are dominated by β-sheet secondary structures similar to spider and silkworm silk fibers. NMR data confirms the presence of β-sheet nanostructures dominated by serine-rich repetitive regions. A deconvolution of the serine Cβ NMR resonance reveals that approximately 70% of all seryl residues exist in a β-sheet structure. This is consistent with WAXD results that suggest webspinner silks are 70% crystalline, which is the highest crystalline fraction reported for any animal silks. The work presented here provides a molecular level structural picture of silk fibers produced by webspinners.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Bennett Addison
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1604, USA
| | - Thomas M Osborn Popp
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1604, USA
| | - Warner S Weber
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1604, USA
| | - Janice S Edgerly
- Department of Biology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, USA
| | - Gregory P Holland
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1604, USA
| | - Jeffery L Yarger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1604, USA
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