1
|
Hu CF, Gan CY, Zhu YJ, Xia XX, Qian ZG. Modulating Polyalanine Motifs of Synthetic Spidroin for Controllable Preassembly and Strong Fiber Formation. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2024; 10:2925-2934. [PMID: 38587986 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c01784] [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] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Spider dragline (major ampullate) silk is one of the toughest known fibers in nature and exhibits an excellent combination of high tensile strength and elasticity. Increasing evidence has indicated that preassembly plays a crucial role in facilitating the proper assembly of silk fibers by bridging the mesoscale gap between spidroin molecules and the final strong fibers. However, it remains challenging to control the preassembly of spidroins and investigate its influence on fiber structural and mechanical properties. In this study, we explored to bridge this gap by modulating the polyalanine (polyA) motifs in repetitive region of spidroins to tune their preassemblies in aqueous dope solutions. Three biomimetic silk proteins with varying numbers of alanine residues in polyA motif and comparable molecular weights were designed and biosynthesized, termed as N16C-5A, N15C-8A, and N13C-12A, respectively. It was found that all three proteins could form nanofibril assemblies in the concentrated aqueous dopes, but the size and structural stability of the fibrils were distinct from each other. The silk protein N15C-8A with 8 alanine residues in polyA motif allowed for the formation of stable nanofibril assemblies with a length of approximately 200 nm, which were not prone to disassemble or aggregate as that of N16C-5A and N13C-12A. More interestingly, the stable fibril assembly of N15C-8A enabled spinning of simultaneously strong (623.3 MPa) and tough (107.1 MJ m-3) synthetic fibers with fine molecular orientation and close interface packing of fibril bundles. This work highlights that modulation of polyA motifs is a feasible way to tune the morphology and stability of the spidroin preassemblies in dope solutions, thus controlling the structural and mechanical properties of the resulting fibers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Fei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao-Yi Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Ya-Jiao Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Xia Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Gang Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jiang P, Wu L, Hu M, Tang S, Qiu Z, Lv T, Elices M, Guinea GV, Pérez-Rigueiro J. Variation in the Elastic Modulus and Increased Energy Dissipation Induced by Cyclic Straining of Argiope bruennichi Major Ampullate Gland Silk. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:biomimetics8020164. [PMID: 37092416 PMCID: PMC10123757 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8020164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The trends exhibited by the parameters that describe the mechanical behaviour of major ampullate gland silk fibers spun by Argiope bruennichi spiders is explored by performing a series of loading-unloading tests at increasing values of strain, and by the subsequent analysis of the true stress-true strain curves obtained from these cycles. The elastic modulus, yields stress, energy absorbed, and energy dissipated in each cycle are computed in order to evaluate the evolution of these mechanical parameters with this cyclic straining. The elastic modulus is observed to increase steadily under these loading conditions, while only a moderate variation is found in the yield stress. It is also observed that a significant proportion of the energy initially absorbed in each cycle is not only dissipated, but that the material may recover partially from the associated irreversible deformation. This variation in the mechanical performance of spider silk is accounted for through a combination of irreversible and reversible deformation micromechanisms in which the viscoelasticity of the material plays a leading role.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ping Jiang
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an 343009, China
| | - Lihua Wu
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Menglei Hu
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an 343009, China
| | - Sisi Tang
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhimin Qiu
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an 343009, China
| | - Taiyong Lv
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Affiliated Hospital in Southwest Medical University, Sichuan Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Manuel Elices
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo V Guinea
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), C/Prof. Martín Lagos s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Technology (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Pérez-Rigueiro
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), C/Prof. Martín Lagos s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Technology (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Exploration of the protein conformation and mechanical properties of different spider silks. J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.133933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
4
|
Sabarees G, Tamilarasi G, Velmurugan V, Alagarsamy V, Sibuh BZ, Sikarwar M, Taneja P, Kumar A, Gupta PK. Emerging trends in silk fibroin based nanofibers for impaired wound healing. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2022.103994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
5
|
Wang M, Xu P, Yang Z, Si M. Analysis of eight spider venom glands using Raman spectroscopy. J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.133009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
6
|
Jin Q, Pan F, Hu CF, Lee SY, Xia XX, Qian ZG. Secretory production of spider silk proteins in metabolically engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum for spinning into tough fibers. Metab Eng 2022; 70:102-114. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2022.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|
7
|
Li J, Zhu Y, Yu H, Dai B, Jun YS, Zhang F. Microbially Synthesized Polymeric Amyloid Fiber Promotes β-Nanocrystal Formation and Displays Gigapascal Tensile Strength. ACS NANO 2021; 15:11843-11853. [PMID: 34251182 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c02944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The ability of amyloid proteins to form stable β-sheet nanofibrils has made them potential candidates for material innovation in nanotechnology. However, such a nanoscale feature has rarely translated into attractive macroscopic properties for mechanically demanding applications. Here, we present a strategy by fusing amyloid peptides with flexible linkers from spidroin; the resulting polymeric amyloid proteins can be biosynthesized using engineered microbes and wet-spun into macroscopic fibers. Using this strategy, fibers from three different amyloid groups were fabricated. Structural analyses unveil the presence of β-nanocrystals that resemble the cross-β structure of amyloid nanofibrils. These polymeric amyloid fibers have displayed strong and molecular-weight-dependent mechanical properties. Fibers made of a protein polymer containing 128 repeats of the FGAILSS sequence displayed an average ultimate tensile strength of 0.98 ± 0.08 GPa and an average toughness of 161 ± 26 MJ/m3, surpassing most recombinant protein fibers and even some natural spider silk fibers. The design strategy and the biosynthetic approach can be expanded to create numerous functional materials, and the macroscopic amyloid fibers will enable a wide range of mechanically demanding applications.
Collapse
|
8
|
Htut KZ, Alicea-Serrano AM, Singla S, Agnarsson I, Garb JE, Kuntner M, Gregorič M, Haney RA, Marhabaie M, Blackledge TA, Dhinojwala A. Correlation between protein secondary structure and mechanical performance for the ultra-tough dragline silk of Darwin's bark spider. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210320. [PMID: 34129788 PMCID: PMC8205537 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The spider major ampullate (MA) silk exhibits high tensile strength and extensibility and is typically a blend of MaSp1 and MaSp2 proteins with the latter comprising glycine-proline-glycine-glycine-X repeating motifs that promote extensibility and supercontraction. The MA silk from Darwin's bark spider (Caerostris darwini) is estimated to be two to three times tougher than the MA silk from other spider species. Previous research suggests that a unique MaSp4 protein incorporates proline into a novel glycine-proline-glycine-proline motif and may explain C. darwini MA silk's extraordinary toughness. However, no direct correlation has been made between the silk's molecular structure and its mechanical properties for C. darwini. Here, we correlate the relative protein secondary structure composition of MA silk from C. darwini and four other spider species with mechanical properties before and after supercontraction to understand the effect of the additional MaSp4 protein. Our results demonstrate that C. darwini MA silk possesses a unique protein composition with a lower ratio of helices (31%) and β-sheets (20%) than other species. Before supercontraction, toughness, modulus and tensile strength correlate with percentages of β-sheets, unordered or random coiled regions and β-turns. However, after supercontraction, only modulus and strain at break correlate with percentages of β-sheets and β-turns. Our study highlights that additional information including crystal size and crystal and chain orientation is necessary to build a complete structure-property correlation model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Zin Htut
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Angela M. Alicea-Serrano
- Department of Biology, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Saranshu Singla
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Jessica E. Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Robert A. Haney
- Department of Biology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306, USA
| | - Mohammad Marhabaie
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Todd A. Blackledge
- Department of Biology, Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Pérez-Rigueiro J, Elices M, Plaza GR, Guinea GV. Basic Principles in the Design of Spider Silk Fibers. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26061794. [PMID: 33806736 PMCID: PMC8004941 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26061794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The prominence of spider silk as a hallmark in biomimetics relies not only on its unrivalled mechanical properties, but also on how these properties are the result of a set of original design principles. In this sense, the study of spider silk summarizes most of the main topics relevant to the field and, consequently, offers a nice example on how these topics could be considered in other biomimetic systems. This review is intended to present a selection of some of the essential design principles that underlie the singular microstructure of major ampullate gland silk, as well as to show how the interplay between them leads to the outstanding tensile behavior of spider silk. Following this rationale, the mechanical behavior of the material is analyzed in detail and connected with its main microstructural features, specifically with those derived from the semicrystalline organization of the fibers. Establishing the relationship between mechanical properties and microstructure in spider silk not only offers a vivid image of the paths explored by nature in the search for high performance materials, but is also a valuable guide for the development of new artificial fibers inspired in their natural counterparts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Pérez-Rigueiro
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223 Madrid, Spain; (M.E.); (G.R.P.); (G.V.G.)
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-9174304
| | - Manuel Elices
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223 Madrid, Spain; (M.E.); (G.R.P.); (G.V.G.)
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo R. Plaza
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223 Madrid, Spain; (M.E.); (G.R.P.); (G.V.G.)
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo V. Guinea
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223 Madrid, Spain; (M.E.); (G.R.P.); (G.V.G.)
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Cho M. Aerodynamics and the role of the earth's electric field in the spiders' ballooning flight. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2021; 207:219-236. [PMID: 33712884 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-021-01474-6] [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: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Some spiders aerially disperse relying on their fine fibres. This behaviour has been known as 'ballooning'. Observations on the ballooning behaviour of spiders have a long history and have more recently received special attention, yet its underlying physics is still poorly understood. It was traditionally believed that spiders rely on the airflows by atmospheric thermal convection to do ballooning. However, a recent experiment showed that exposure to an electric field alone can induce spiders' pre-ballooning behaviours (tiptoe and dropping/dangling) and even pulls them upwards in the air. The controversy between explanations of ballooning by aerodynamic flow or the earth's electric field has long existed. The major obstacle in studying the physics of ballooning is the fact that airflow and electric field are both invisible and our naked eyes can hardly recognise the ballooning silk fibres of spiders. This review explores the theory and evidence for the physical mechanisms of spiders' ballooning connects them to the behavioural physiology of spiders for ballooning. Knowledge gaps that need to be addressed in future studies are identified.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Moonsung Cho
- Animal Physiology, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Str. 3, 18059, Rostock, Germany. .,School of Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering, Korea Aerospace University, 76 Hanggongdaehang-ro, Goyang-si, 10540, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
de C Bittencourt DM, Oliveira PF, Souto BM, de Freitas SM, Silva LP, Murad AM, Michalczechen-Lacerda VA, Lewis RV, Rech EL. Molecular Dynamics of Synthetic Flagelliform Silk Fiber Assembly. MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING 2021; 306:2000530. [PMID: 34539237 PMCID: PMC8445496 DOI: 10.1002/mame.202000530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In order to better understand the relationship between Flagelliform (Flag) spider silk molecular structural organization and the mechanisms of fiber assembly, it was designed and produced the Nephilengys cruentata Flag spidroin analogue rNcFlag2222. The recombinant proteins are composed by the elastic repetitive glycine-rich motifs (GPGGX/GGX) and the spacer region, rich in hydrophilic charged amino acids, present at the native silk spidroin. Using different approaches for nanomolecular protein analysis, the structural data of rNcFlag2222 recombinant proteins were compared in its fibrillar and in its fully solvated states. Based on the results was possible to identify the molecular structural dynamics of NcFlag2222 prior to and after fiber formation. Overal rNcFlag2222 shows a mixture of semiflexible and rigid conformations, characterized mostly by the presence of PPII, β-turn and β-sheet. These results agree with previous studies and bring insights about the molecular mechanisms that might driven Flag silk fibers assembly and elastomeric behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela M de C Bittencourt
- Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation - Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology CENARGEN, Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB, Av. W5 Norte (final), Brasília DF, 70770-917, Brazil
| | - Paula F Oliveira
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan UT, 84322-5305, US
| | - Betulia M Souto
- Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation - Embrapa Agroenergy, STN - Brasília, DF, 70297-400, Brazil
| | - Sonia M de Freitas
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of BiologicDral Sciences, University of Brasilia, Campos Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, Brasilia, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Luciano P Silva
- Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation - Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology CENARGEN, Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB, Av. W5 Norte (final), Brasília DF, 70770-917, Brazil
| | - Andre M Murad
- Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation - Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology CENARGEN, Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB, Av. W5 Norte (final), Brasília DF, 70770-917, Brazil
| | - Valquiria A Michalczechen-Lacerda
- Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation - Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology CENARGEN, Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB, Av. W5 Norte (final), Brasília DF, 70770-917, Brazil
| | - Randolph V Lewis
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan UT, 84322-5305, US
| | - Elibio L Rech
- Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation - Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology CENARGEN, Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB, Av. W5 Norte (final), Brasília DF, 70770-917, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Correlating the secondary protein structure of natural spider silk with its guiding properties for Schwann cells. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2020; 116:111219. [DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2020.111219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
13
|
Esteves FG, Dos Santos-Pinto JRA, Ferro M, Sialana FJ, Smidak R, Rares LC, Nussbaumer T, Rattei T, Bilban M, Bacci Júnior M, Lubec G, Palma MS. Revealing the Venomous Secrets of the Spider's Web. J Proteome Res 2020; 19:3044-3059. [PMID: 32538095 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Orb-weaving spiders use a highly strong, sticky and elastic web to catch their prey. These web properties alone would be enough for the entrapment of prey; however, these spiders may be hiding venomous secrets in the web, which current research is revealing. Here, we provide strong proteotranscriptomic evidence for the presence of toxin/neurotoxin-like proteins, defensins, and proteolytic enzymes on the web silk from Nephila clavipes spider. The results from quantitative-based transcriptomic and proteomic approaches showed that silk-producing glands produce an extensive repertoire of toxin/neurotoxin-like proteins, similar to those already reported in spider venoms. Meanwhile, the insect toxicity results demonstrated that these toxic components can be lethal and/or paralytic chemical weapons used for prey capture on the web, and the presence of fatty acids in the web may be a responsible mechanism opening the way to the web toxins for accessing the interior of prey's body, as shown here. Comparative phylogenomic-level evolutionary analyses revealed orthologous genes among two spider groups, Araneomorphae and Mygalomorphae, and the findings showed protein sequences similar to toxins found in the taxa Scorpiones and Hymenoptera in addition to Araneae. Overall, these data represent a valuable resource to further investigate other spider web toxin systems and also suggest that N. clavipes web is not a passive mechanical trap for prey capture, but it exerts an active role in prey paralysis/killing using a series of neurotoxins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Franciele Grego Esteves
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, University of São Paulo State (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
| | - José Roberto Aparecido Dos Santos-Pinto
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, University of São Paulo State (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Milene Ferro
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, University of São Paulo State (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Fernando J Sialana
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Roman Smidak
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Lucaciu Calin Rares
- Division of Computational System Biology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Nussbaumer
- Division of Computational System Biology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Rattei
- Division of Computational System Biology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Bilban
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Core Facility Genomics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Mauricio Bacci Júnior
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, University of São Paulo State (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Gert Lubec
- Paracelsus Medical University, A 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Mario Sergio Palma
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of General and Applied Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, University of São Paulo State (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Kong N, Wan F, Dai W, Wu P, Su C, Peng C, Zheng K, Chen X, Ling S, Gong J, Yao Y. A Cuboid Spider Silk: Structure–Function Relationship and Polypeptide Signature. Macromol Rapid Commun 2020; 41:e1900583. [DOI: 10.1002/marc.201900583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Na Kong
- School of Physical Science and TechnologyShanghaiTech University 393 Middle Huaxia Road Pudong Shanghai 201210 China
| | - Fengju Wan
- School of Physical Science and TechnologyShanghaiTech University 393 Middle Huaxia Road Pudong Shanghai 201210 China
| | - Wentao Dai
- Shanghai Center for Bioinformation Technology & Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Pharmaceutical TranslationShanghai Industrial Technology Institute 1278 Keyuan Road Shanghai 201203 China
| | - Ping Wu
- National Facility for Protein Science in ShanghaiZhangjiang Lab Shanghai 201210 China
- Shanghai Science Research CenterChinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai 201204 China
| | - Chen Su
- National Facility for Protein Science in ShanghaiZhangjiang Lab Shanghai 201210 China
- Shanghai Science Research CenterChinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai 201204 China
| | - Chao Peng
- National Facility for Protein Science in ShanghaiZhangjiang Lab Shanghai 201210 China
- Shanghai Science Research CenterChinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai 201204 China
| | - Ke Zheng
- School of Physical Science and TechnologyShanghaiTech University 393 Middle Huaxia Road Pudong Shanghai 201210 China
| | - Xuexin Chen
- Institute of Insect ScienceCollege of Agriculture and BiotechnologyZhejiang University 310058 Hangzhou China
| | - Shengjie Ling
- School of Physical Science and TechnologyShanghaiTech University 393 Middle Huaxia Road Pudong Shanghai 201210 China
| | - Jinkang Gong
- School of Physical Science and TechnologyShanghaiTech University 393 Middle Huaxia Road Pudong Shanghai 201210 China
| | - Yuan Yao
- School of Physical Science and TechnologyShanghaiTech University 393 Middle Huaxia Road Pudong Shanghai 201210 China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Iachina I, Brewer JR. Strain-Dependent Structural Changes in Major and Minor Ampullate Spider Silk Revealed by Two-Photon Excitation Polarization. Biomacromolecules 2019; 20:2384-2391. [PMID: 31074979 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.9b00368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk's mechanical properties make it an interesting material for many industrial applications. The structure and nanoscopic organization of its proteins are the basis of these qualities. In this study, the emission maxima of the autofluorescence from the protein core of major and minor ampullate silk fibers from the orb-web-weaving spider Nephila madagascariensis are determined and found to be 534 ± 11 and 547 ± 19 nm, respectively. Molecular conformational changes during applied strain are observed in both fiber types using two-photon excitation polarization measurements. Our findings showed that within the fibers the autofluorescent dipoles are separated into two distinct populations, one randomly orientated (amorphous regions) and one with aligned dipoles as found in crystalline structures. The crystalline-amorphous ratio was determined, and it was found that the crystalline dipoles made up around 30 and 20% of the autofluorescent dipoles in major and minor ampullate silk fibers, respectively. Using two-photon polarization measurements, it is possible to directly observe that the major and minor ampullate silk fibers structurally adapt to the applied stress, as well as discern different molecular conformational changes between major and minor ampullates. It was seen that the crystalline-amorphous ratio increased, with up to 9% for major fibers and 6% for minor fibers, as strain was applied, suggesting a conformational adaptation of the fiber, interpreted as noncrystalline 310-helices transforming into crystalline β-sheets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irina Iachina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , University of Southern Denmark , 5230 Odense , Denmark
| | - Jonathan R Brewer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , University of Southern Denmark , 5230 Odense , Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Xu L, Weatherbee-Martin N, Liu XQ, Rainey JK. Recombinant Silk Fiber Properties Correlate to Prefibrillar Self-Assembly. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1805294. [PMID: 30756524 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201805294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Spider silks are desirable materials with mechanical properties superior to most synthetic materials coupled with biodegradability and biocompatibility. In order to replicate natural silk properties using recombinant spider silk proteins (spidroins) and wet-spinning methods, the focus to date has typically been on modifying protein sequence, protein size, and spinning conditions. Here, an alternative approach is demonstrated. Namely, using the same ≈57 kDa recombinant aciniform silk protein with a consistent wet-spinning protocol, fiber mechanical properties are shown to significantly differ as a function of the solvent used to dissolve the protein at high concentration (the "spinning dope" solution). A fluorinated acid/alcohol/water dope leads to drastic improvement in fibrillar extensibility and, correspondingly, toughness compared to fibers produced using a previously developed fluorinated alcohol/water dope. To understand the underlying cause for these mechanical differences, morphology and structure of the two classes of silk fiber are compared, with features tracing back to dope-state protein structuring and preassembly. Specifically, distinct classes of spidroin nanoparticles appear to form in each dope prior to fiber spinning and these preassembled states are, in turn, linked to fiber morphology, structure, and mechanical properties. Tailoring of dope-state spidroin nanoparticle assembly, thus, appears a promising strategy to modulate fibrillar silk properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Xu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Nathan Weatherbee-Martin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Xiang-Qin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jan K Rainey
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Pérez-Rigueiro J, Madurga R, Gañán-Calvo AM, Elices M, Guinea GV, Tasei Y, Nishimura A, Matsuda H, Asakura T. Emergence of supercontraction in regenerated silkworm (Bombyx mori) silk fibers. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2398. [PMID: 30787337 PMCID: PMC6382804 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38712-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The conditions required for the emergence of supercontraction in regenerated silkworm (Bombyx mori) silk fibers are assessed through an experimental approach that combines the spinning of regenerated fibers with controlled properties and their characterization by 13C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Both supercontracting and non-supercontracting regenerated fibers are produced using the straining flow spinning (SFS) technique from 13C labeled cocoons. The short-range microstructure of the fibers is assessed through 13C CP/MAS in air and 13C DD/MAS in water, and the main microstructural features are identified and quantified. The mechanical properties of the regenerated fibers and their microstructures are compared with those of natural silkworm silk. The combined analysis highlights two possible key elements as responsible for the emergence of supercontraction: (1) the existence of an upper and a lower limit of the amorphous phase compatible with supercontraction, and (2) the existence of two ordered phases, β-sheet A and B, which correspond to different packing arrangements of the protein chains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Pérez-Rigueiro
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, (Madrid), Spain. .,Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain. .,Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Rodrigo Madurga
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, (Madrid), Spain.,Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso M Gañán-Calvo
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros, Universidad de Sevilla, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Manuel Elices
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, (Madrid), Spain.,Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo V Guinea
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, (Madrid), Spain.,Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.,Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Yugo Tasei
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan
| | - Akio Nishimura
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan
| | - Hironori Matsuda
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Asakura
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
dos Santos-Pinto JRA, Esteves FG, Sialana FJ, Ferro M, Smidak R, Rares LC, Nussbaumer T, Rattei T, Bilban M, Bacci Júnior M, Palma MS, Lübec G. A proteotranscriptomic study of silk-producing glands from the orb-weaving spiders. Mol Omics 2019; 15:256-270. [DOI: 10.1039/c9mo00087a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A proteotranscriptomic approach provides a biochemical basis for understanding the intricate spinning process and complex structural features of spider silk proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Franciele Grego Esteves
- Center of the Study of Social Insects
- Department of Biology
- Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro
- São Paulo State University
- Rio Claro
| | | | - Milene Ferro
- Center of the Study of Social Insects
- Department of Biology
- Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro
- São Paulo State University
- Rio Claro
| | - Roman Smidak
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- University of Vienna
- Austria
| | - Lucaciu Calin Rares
- Division of Computational System Biology
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science
- University of Vienna
- 1090 Vienna
- Austria
| | - Thomas Nussbaumer
- Division of Computational System Biology
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science
- University of Vienna
- 1090 Vienna
- Austria
| | - Thomas Rattei
- Division of Computational System Biology
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science
- University of Vienna
- 1090 Vienna
- Austria
| | - Martin Bilban
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Core Facility Genomics
- Medical University of Vienna
- Vienna
- Austria
| | - Maurício Bacci Júnior
- Center of the Study of Social Insects
- Department of Biology
- Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro
- São Paulo State University
- Rio Claro
| | - Mario Sergio Palma
- Center of the Study of Social Insects
- Department of Biology
- Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro
- São Paulo State University
- Rio Claro
| | - Gert Lübec
- Paracelsus Medical University
- A 5020 Salzburg
- Austria
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Dos Santos-Pinto JRA, Arcuri HA, Esteves FG, Palma MS, Lubec G. Spider silk proteome provides insight into the structural characterization of Nephila clavipes flagelliform spidroin. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14674. [PMID: 30279551 PMCID: PMC6168590 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33068-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The capture spiral of web from N. clavipes spider consists of a single type of spidroin - the flagelliform silk protein, a natural material representing a combination of strength and high elasticity. Flagelliform spider silk is the most extensible silk fibre produced by orb weaver spiders and the structure of this remarkable material is still largely unknown. In the present study we used a proteomic approach to elucidate the complete sequence and the post-translational modifications of flagelliform silk proteins. The long sequence of flagelliform silk protein presents 45 hydroxylated proline residues, which may contribute to explain the mechanoelastic property of these fibres, since they are located in the GPGGX motif. The 3D-structure of the protein was modelled considering the three domains together, i.e., the N- and C-terminal non-repetitive domains, and the central repetitive domain. In the resulting molecular model there is a predominance of random structures in the solid fibres of the silk protein. The N-terminal domain is composed of three α-helices and the C-terminal domain is composed of one small helical section. Proteomic data reported herein may be relevant for the development of novel approaches for the synthetic or recombinant production of novel silk-based spider polymers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Roberto Aparecido Dos Santos-Pinto
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, SP, 13500, Brazil
| | - Helen Andrade Arcuri
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, SP, 13500, Brazil
| | - Franciele Grego Esteves
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, SP, 13500, Brazil
| | - Mario Sergio Palma
- Center of the Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, SP, 13500, Brazil.
| | - Gert Lubec
- Paracelsus Medical University, A 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Addison B, Onofrei D, Stengel D, Blass B, Brenneman B, Ayon J, Holland GP. Spider prey-wrapping silk is an α-helical coiled-coil/β-sheet hybrid nanofiber. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:10746-10749. [PMID: 30191228 DOI: 10.1039/c8cc05246h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Solid-State NMR results on 13C-Ala/Ser and 13C-Val enriched Argiope argentata prey-wrapping silk show that native, freshly spun aciniform silk nanofibers are dominated by α-helical (∼50% total) and random-coil (∼35% total) secondary structures, with minor β-sheet nanocrystalline domains (∼15% total). This is the most in-depth study to date characterizing the protein structural conformation of the toughest natural biopolymer: aciniform prey-wrapping silks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B Addison
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182-1030, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Kim Y, Lee M, Baek I, Yoon T, Na S. Mechanically inferior constituents in spider silk result in mechanically superior fibres by adaptation to harsh hydration conditions: a molecular dynamics study. J R Soc Interface 2018; 15:20180305. [PMID: 30021926 PMCID: PMC6073636 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider silk exhibits mechanical properties such as high strength and toughness that are superior to those of any man-made fibre (Bourzac 2015 Nature519, S4-S6 (doi:10.1038/519S4a)). This high strength and toughness originates from a combination of the crystalline (exhibiting robust strength) and amorphous (exhibiting superb extensibility) regions present in the silk (Asakura et al 2015 Macromolecules48, 2345-2357 (doi:10.1021/acs.macromol.5b00160)). The crystalline regions comprise a mixture of poly-alanine and poly-glycine-alanine. Poly-alanine is expected to be stronger than poly-glycine-alanine, because alanine exhibits greater interactions between the strands than glycine (Tokareva et al 2014 Acta Biomater.10, 1612-1626 (doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2013.08.020)). We connect this characteristic sequence to the interactions observed upon the hydration of spider silk. Like most proteinaceous materials, spider silks become highly brittle upon dehydration, and thus water collection is crucial to maintaining its toughness (Gosline et al 1986 Endeavour10, 37-43 (doi:10.1016/0160-9327(86)90049-9)). We report on the molecular dynamic simulations of spider silk structures with different sequences for the crystalline region of the silk structures, of wild-type (WT), poly-alanine, and poly-glycine-alanine. We reveal that the characteristic sequence of spider silk results in the β-sheets being maintained as the degree of hydration changes and that the high water collection capabilities of WT spider silk sequence prevent the silk from becoming brittle and weak in dry conditions. The characteristic crystalline sequence of spider dragline silk is therefore relevant not for maximizing the interactions between the strands but for adaption to changing hydration conditions to maintain an optimal performance even in harsh conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoonjung Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Myeongsang Lee
- Institute of Advanced Machinery Design and Technology, Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Inchul Baek
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Taeyoung Yoon
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungsoo Na
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Muiznieks LD, Keeley FW. Biomechanical Design of Elastic Protein Biomaterials: A Balance of Protein Structure and Conformational Disorder. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2016; 3:661-679. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa D. Muiznieks
- Molecular
Structure and Function Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 0A4
| | - Fred W. Keeley
- Molecular
Structure and Function Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 0A4
- Department
of Biochemistry and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, 1 King’s College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Heppner R, Weichert N, Schierhorn A, Conrad U, Pietzsch M. Low-Tech, Pilot Scale Purification of a Recombinant Spider Silk Protein Analog from Tobacco Leaves. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:E1687. [PMID: 27735843 PMCID: PMC5085719 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17101687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Spider dragline is used by many members of the Araneae family not only as a proteinogenic safety thread but also for web construction. Spider dragline has been shown to possess high tensile strength in combination with elastic behavior. This high tensile strength can be attributed to the presence of antiparallel β-sheets within the thread; these antiparallel β-sheets are why the protein is classified as a silk. Due to the properties of spider silk and its technical and medical uses, including its use as a suture material and as a scaffold for tissue regeneration, spider dragline is a focus of the biotechnology industry. The production of sufficient amounts of spider silk is challenging, as it is difficult to produce large quantities of fibers because of the cannibalistic behavior of spiders and their large spatial requirements. In recent years, the heterologous expression of genes coding for spider silk analogs in various hosts, including plants such as Nicotiana tabacum, has been established. We developed a simple and scalable method for the purification of a recombinant spider silk protein elastin-like peptide fusion protein (Q-/K-MaSp1-100× ELP) after heterologous production in tobacco leaves involving heat and acetone precipitation. Further purification was performed using centrifugal Inverse Transition Cycling (cITC). Up to 400 mg of highly pure spider silk protein derivatives can be isolated from six kilograms of tobacco leaves, which is the highest amount of silk protein derivatives purified from plants thus far.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- René Heppner
- Department of Downstream Processing, Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Sciences I-Biosciences, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 22, Halle 06120, Germany.
| | - Nicola Weichert
- Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research-IPK, Corrensstrasse 3, Seeland OT Gatersleben 06466, Germany.
| | - Angelika Schierhorn
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences I-Biosciences, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3, Halle 06120, Germany.
| | - Udo Conrad
- Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research-IPK, Corrensstrasse 3, Seeland OT Gatersleben 06466, Germany.
| | - Markus Pietzsch
- Department of Downstream Processing, Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Sciences I-Biosciences, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 22, Halle 06120, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Structural characterization of the major ampullate silk spidroin-2 protein produced by the spider Nephila clavipes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2016; 1864:1444-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2016.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
25
|
Sereda V, Ralbovsky NM, Vasudev MC, Naik RR, Lednev IK. Polarized Raman Spectroscopy for Determining the Orientation of di-D-phenylalanine Molecules in a Nanotube. JOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY : JRS 2016; 47:1056-1062. [PMID: 27795612 PMCID: PMC5079532 DOI: 10.1002/jrs.4884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembly of short peptides into nanostructures has become an important strategy for the bottom-up fabrication of nanomaterials. Significant interest to such peptide-based building blocks is due to the opportunity to control the structure and properties of well-structured nanotubes, nanofibrils, and hydrogels. X-ray crystallography and solution NMR, two major tools of structural biology, have significant limitations when applied to peptide nanotubes because of their non-crystalline structure and large weight. Polarized Raman spectroscopy was utilized for structural characterization of well-aligned D-Diphenylalanine nanotubes. The orientation of selected chemical groups relative to the main axis of the nanotube was determined. Specifically, the C-N bond of CNH3+groups is oriented parallel to the nanotube axis, the peptides' carbonyl groups are tilted at approximately 54° from the axis and the COO- groups run perpendicular to the axis. The determined orientation of chemical groups allowed the understanding of the orientation of D-diphenylalanine molecule that is consistent with its equilibrium conformation. The obtained data indicate that there is only one orientation of D-diphenylalanine molecules with respect to the nanotube main axis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Sereda
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Nicole M. Ralbovsky
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Milana C. Vasudev
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Road, Dartmouth MA 02747, United States
| | - Rajesh R. Naik
- Soft Matter Materials Branch, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio 45433, United States
| | - Igor K. Lednev
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States
- Corresponding author: , Phone: (518) 591 8863, Fax: (518) 442-3462
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Dionne J, Lefèvre T, Auger M. Major Ampullate Spider Silk with Indistinguishable Spidroin Dope Conformations Leads to Different Fiber Molecular Structures. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:E1353. [PMID: 27548146 PMCID: PMC5000749 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17081353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
To plentifully benefit from its properties (mechanical, optical, biological) and its potential to manufacture green materials, the structure of spider silk has to be known accurately. To this aim, the major ampullate (MA) silk of Araneus diadematus (AD) and Nephila clavipes (NC) has been compared quantitatively in the liquid and fiber states using Raman spectromicroscopy. The data show that the spidroin conformations of the two dopes are indistinguishable despite their specific amino acid composition. This result suggests that GlyGlyX and GlyProGlyXX amino acid motifs (X = Leu, Glu, Tyr, Ser, etc.) are conformationally equivalent due to the chain flexibility in the aqueous environment. Species-related sequence specificity is expressed more extensively in the fiber: the β-sheet content is lower and width of the orientation distribution of the carbonyl groups is broader for AD (29% and 58°, respectively) as compared to NC (37% and 51°, respectively). β-Sheet content values are close to the proportion of polyalanine segments, suggesting that β-sheet formation is mainly dictated by the spidroin sequence. The extent of molecular alignment seems to be related to the presence of proline (Pro) that may decrease conformational flexibility and inhibit chain extension and alignment upon drawing. It appears that besides the presence of Pro, secondary structure and molecular orientation contribute to the different mechanical properties of MA threads.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justine Dionne
- Regroupement québécois de Recherche sur la Fonction, l'Ingénierie et les Applications des Protéines (PROTEO), Centre de Recherche sur les Matériaux Avancés (CERMA), Centre Québécois sur les Matériaux Fonctionnels (CQMF), Département de Chimie, Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, Ville de Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Thierry Lefèvre
- Regroupement québécois de Recherche sur la Fonction, l'Ingénierie et les Applications des Protéines (PROTEO), Centre de Recherche sur les Matériaux Avancés (CERMA), Centre Québécois sur les Matériaux Fonctionnels (CQMF), Département de Chimie, Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, Ville de Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Michèle Auger
- Regroupement québécois de Recherche sur la Fonction, l'Ingénierie et les Applications des Protéines (PROTEO), Centre de Recherche sur les Matériaux Avancés (CERMA), Centre Québécois sur les Matériaux Fonctionnels (CQMF), Département de Chimie, Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, Ville de Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Weatherbee-Martin N, Xu L, Hupe A, Kreplak L, Fudge DS, Liu XQ, Rainey JK. Identification of Wet-Spinning and Post-Spin Stretching Methods Amenable to Recombinant Spider Aciniform Silk. Biomacromolecules 2016; 17:2737-46. [PMID: 27387592 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.6b00857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Spider silks are outstanding biomaterials with mechanical properties that outperform synthetic materials. Of the six fibrillar spider silks, aciniform (or wrapping) silk is the toughest through a unique combination of strength and extensibility. In this study, a wet-spinning method for recombinant Argiope trifasciata aciniform spidroin (AcSp1) is introduced. Recombinant AcSp1 comprising three 200 amino acid repeat units was solubilized in a 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP)/water mixture, forming a viscous α-helix-enriched spinning dope, and wet-spun into an ethanol/water coagulation bath allowing continuous fiber production. Post-spin stretching of the resulting wet-spun fibers in water significantly improved fiber strength, enriched β-sheet conformation without complete α-helix depletion, and enhanced birefringence. These methods allow reproducible aciniform silk fiber formation, albeit with lower extensibility than native silk, requiring conditions and methods distinct from those previously reported for other silk proteins. This provides an essential starting point for tailoring wet-spinning of aciniform silk to achieve desired properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andre Hupe
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph , Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | | | - Douglas S Fudge
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph , Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Dos Santos-Pinto JRA, Garcia AMC, Arcuri HA, Esteves FG, Salles HC, Lubec G, Palma MS. Silkomics: Insight into the Silk Spinning Process of Spiders. J Proteome Res 2016; 15:1179-93. [PMID: 26923066 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b01056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The proteins from the silk-producing glands were identified using both a bottom-up gel-based proteomic approach as well as from a shotgun proteomic approach. Additionally, the relationship between the functions of identified proteins and the spinning process was studied. A total of 125 proteins were identified in the major ampullate, 101 in the flagelliform, 77 in the aggregate, 75 in the tubuliform, 68 in the minor ampullate, and 23 in aciniform glands. On the basis of the functional classification using Gene Ontology, these proteins were organized into seven different groups according to their general function: (i) web silk proteins-spidroins, (ii) proteins related to the folding/conformation of spidroins, (iii) proteins that protect silk proteins from oxidative stress, (iv) proteins involved in fibrillar preservation of silks in the web, (v) proteins related to ion transport into and out of the glands during silk fiber spinning, (vi) proteins involved in prey capture and pre-digestion, and (vii) housekeeping proteins from all of the glands. Thus, a general mechanism of action for the identified proteins in the silk-producing glands from the Nephila clavipes spider was proposed; the current results also indicate that the webs play an active role in prey capture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Roberto Aparecido Dos Santos-Pinto
- Center of Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP) , Rio Claro, São Paulo 13500, Brazil.,Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Ana Maria Caviquioli Garcia
- Center of Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP) , Rio Claro, São Paulo 13500, Brazil
| | - Helen Andrade Arcuri
- Center of Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP) , Rio Claro, São Paulo 13500, Brazil
| | - Franciele Grego Esteves
- Center of Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP) , Rio Claro, São Paulo 13500, Brazil
| | - Heliana Clara Salles
- Center of Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP) , Rio Claro, São Paulo 13500, Brazil
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Mario Sergio Palma
- Center of Study of Social Insects, Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences of Rio Claro, São Paulo State University (UNESP) , Rio Claro, São Paulo 13500, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Walker AA, Weisman S, Trueman HE, Merritt DJ, Sutherland TD. The other prey-capture silk: Fibres made by glow-worms (Diptera: Keroplatidae) comprise cross-β-sheet crystallites in an abundant amorphous fraction. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2015; 187:78-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2015.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Revised: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
30
|
Numata K, Masunaga H, Hikima T, Sasaki S, Sekiyama K, Takata M. Use of extension-deformation-based crystallisation of silk fibres to differentiate their functions in nature. SOFT MATTER 2015; 11:6335-6342. [PMID: 26166211 DOI: 10.1039/c5sm00757g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
β-Sheet crystals play an important role in determining the stiffness, strength, and optical properties of silk and in the exhibition of silk-type-specific functions. It is important to elucidate the structural changes that occur during the stretching of silk fibres to understand the functions of different types of fibres. Herein, we elucidate the initial crystallisation behaviour of silk molecules during the stretching of three types of silk fibres using synchrotron radiation X-ray analysis. When spider dragline silk was stretched, it underwent crystallisation and the alignment of the β-sheet crystals became disordered initially but was later recovered. On the other hand, silkworm cocoon silk did not exhibit further crystallisation, whereas capture spiral silk was predominantly amorphous. Structural analyses showed that the crystallisation of silks following extension deformation has a critical effect on their mechanical and optical properties. These findings should aid the production of artificial silk fibres and facilitate the development of silk-inspired functional materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keiji Numata
- Enzyme Research Team, Biomass Engineering Program Cooperative Division, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Ubiquitous distribution of salts and proteins in spider glue enhances spider silk adhesion. Sci Rep 2015; 5:9030. [PMID: 25761668 PMCID: PMC4357010 DOI: 10.1038/srep09030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern orb-weaving spiders use micron-sized glue droplets on their viscid silk to retain prey in webs. A combination of low molecular weight salts and proteins makes the glue viscoelastic and humidity responsive in a way not easily achieved by synthetic adhesives. Optically, the glue droplet shows a heterogeneous structure, but the spatial arrangement of its chemical components is poorly understood. Here, we use optical and confocal Raman microscopy to show that salts and proteins are present ubiquitously throughout the droplet. The distribution of adhesive proteins in the peripheral region explains the superior prey capture performance of orb webs as it enables the entire surface area of the glue droplet to act as a site for prey capture. The presence of salts throughout the droplet explains the recent Solid-State NMR results that show salts directly facilitate protein mobility. Understanding the function of individual glue components and the role of the droplet's macro-structure can help in designing better synthetic adhesives for humid environments.
Collapse
|
32
|
Sereda V, Lednev IK. Polarized Raman Spectroscopy of Aligned Insulin Fibrils. JOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY : JRS 2014; 45:665-671. [PMID: 25316956 PMCID: PMC4194063 DOI: 10.1002/jrs.4523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are associated with many neurodegenerative diseases. The application of conventional techniques of structural biology, X-ray crystallography and solution NMR, for fibril characterization is limited because of the non-crystalline and insoluble nature of the fibrils. Here, polarized Raman spectroscopy was used to determine the orientation of selected chemical groups in aligned insulin fibrils, specifically of peptide carbonyls. The methodology is solely based on the measurement of the change in Raman scattered intensity as a function of the angle between the incident laser polarization and the aligned fibrils. The order parameters 〈 P2 〉 and 〈 P4 〉 of the orientation distribution function were obtained, and the most probable distribution of C=O group orientation was calculated. The results indicate that the peptides' carbonyl groups are oriented at an angle of 13±5° from the fibril axis, which is in consistent with previously reported qualitative descriptions of an almost parallel orientation of the C=O groups relative to the main fibril axis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Sereda
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Igor K. Lednev
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Silva LP, Rech EL. Unravelling the biodiversity of nanoscale signatures of spider silk fibres. Nat Commun 2014; 4:3014. [PMID: 24345771 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Living organisms are masters at designing outstanding self-assembled nanostructures through a hierarchical organization of modular proteins. Protein-based biopolymers improved and selected by the driving forces of molecular evolution are among the most impressive archetypes of nanomaterials. One of these biomacromolecules is the myriad of compound fibroins of spider silks, which combine surprisingly high tensile strength with great elasticity. However, no consensus on the nano-organization of spider silk fibres has been reached. Here we explore the biodiversity of spider silk fibres, focusing on nanoscale characterization with high-resolution atomic force microscopy. Our results reveal an evolution of the nanoroughness, nanostiffness, nanoviscoelastic, nanotribological and nanoelectric organization of microfibres, even when they share similar sizes and shapes. These features are related to unique aspects of their molecular structures. The results show that combined nanoscale analyses of spider silks may enable the screening of appropriate motifs for bioengineering synthetic fibres from recombinant proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luciano P Silva
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, PBI, Parque Estação Biológica Final W5 Norte, Brasilia 70770-917, Brazil
| | - Elibio L Rech
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, PBI, Parque Estação Biológica Final W5 Norte, Brasilia 70770-917, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Silva LP, Rech EL. Scrutinizing the datasets obtained from nanoscale features of spider silk fibres. Sci Data 2014; 1:140040. [PMID: 25977795 PMCID: PMC4411006 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2014.40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider silk fibres share unprecedented structural and mechanical properties which span from the macroscale to nanoscale and beyond. This is possible due to the molecular features of modular proteins termed spidroins. Thus, the investigation of the organizational scaffolds observed for spidroins in spider silk fibres is of paramount importance for reverse bioengineering. This dataset consists in describing a rational screening procedure to identify the nanoscale features of spider silk fibres. Using atomic force microscopy operated in multiple acquisition modes, we evaluated silk fibres from nine spider species. Here we present the complete results of the analyses and decrypted a number of novel features that could even rank the silk fibres according to desired mechanostructural features. This dataset will allow other researchers to select the most appropriate models for synthetic biology and also lead to better understanding of spider silk fibres extraordinary performance that is comparable to the best manmade materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luciano P Silva
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, PBI, Parque Estação Biológica Final W5 Norte , Brasília 70770-917, DF, Brazil
| | - Elibio L Rech
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, PBI, Parque Estação Biológica Final W5 Norte , Brasília 70770-917, DF, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Perea GB, Riekel C, Guinea GV, Madurga R, Daza R, Burghammer M, Hayashi C, Elices M, Plaza GR, Pérez-Rigueiro J. Identification and dynamics of polyglycine II nanocrystals in Argiope trifasciata flagelliform silk. Sci Rep 2013; 3:3061. [PMID: 24162473 PMCID: PMC3808813 DOI: 10.1038/srep03061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider silks combine a significant number of desirable characteristics in one material, including large tensile strength and strain at breaking, biocompatibility, and the possibility of tailoring their properties. Major ampullate gland silk (MAS) is the most studied silk and their properties are explained by a double lattice of hydrogen bonds and elastomeric protein chains linked to polyalanine β-nanocrystals. However, many basic details regarding the relationship between composition, microstructure and properties in silks are still lacking. Here we show that this relationship can be traced in flagelliform silk (Flag) spun by Argiope trifasciata spiders after identifying a phase consisting of polyglycine II nanocrystals. The presence of this phase is consistent with the dominant presence of the -GGX- and -GPG- motifs in its sequence. In contrast to the passive role assigned to polyalanine nanocrystals in MAS, polyglycine II nanocrystals can undergo growing/collapse processes that contribute to increase toughness and justify the ability of Flag to supercontract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G. B. Perea
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid). Spain
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales. ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28040. Madrid. Spain
| | - C. Riekel
- European Synchroton Radiation Facility. B.P. 220, F-38043, Grenoble Cedex, France
| | - G. V. Guinea
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid). Spain
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales. ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28040. Madrid. Spain
| | - R. Madurga
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid). Spain
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales. ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28040. Madrid. Spain
| | - R. Daza
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid). Spain
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales. ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28040. Madrid. Spain
| | - M. Burghammer
- European Synchroton Radiation Facility. B.P. 220, F-38043, Grenoble Cedex, France
| | - C. Hayashi
- Department of Biology. University of California, Riverside. CA 92521. USA
| | - M. Elices
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid). Spain
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales. ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28040. Madrid. Spain
| | - G. R. Plaza
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid). Spain
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales. ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28040. Madrid. Spain
| | - J. Pérez-Rigueiro
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid). Spain
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales. ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 28040. Madrid. Spain
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Holland GP, Mou Q, Yarger JL. Determining hydrogen-bond interactions in spider silk with 1H–13C HETCOR fast MAS solid-state NMR and DFT proton chemical shift calculations. Chem Commun (Camb) 2013; 49:6680-2. [DOI: 10.1039/c3cc43737j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
37
|
Xu L, Rainey JK, Meng Q, Liu XQ. Recombinant minimalist spider wrapping silk proteins capable of native-like fiber formation. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50227. [PMID: 23209681 PMCID: PMC3509139 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2012] [Accepted: 10/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider silks are desirable biomaterials characterized by high tensile strength, elasticity, and biocompatibility. Spiders produce different types of silks for different uses, although dragline silks have been the predominant focus of previous studies. Spider wrapping silk, made of the aciniform protein (AcSp1), has high toughness because of its combination of high elasticity and tensile strength. AcSp1 in Argiope trifasciata contains a 200-aa sequence motif that is repeated at least 14 times. Here, we produced in E. coli recombinant proteins consisting of only one to four of the 200-aa AcSp1 repeats, designated W1 to W4. We observed that purified W2, W3 and W4 proteins could be induced to form silk-like fibers by shear forces in a physiological buffer. The fibers formed by W4 were ∼3.4 µm in diameter and up to 10 cm long. They showed an average tensile strength of 115 MPa, elasticity of 37%, and toughness of 34 J cm−3. The smaller W2 protein formed fewer fibers and required a higher protein concentration to form fibers, whereas the smallest W1 protein did not form silk-like fibers, indicating that a minimum of two of the 200-aa repeats was required for fiber formation. Microscopic examinations revealed structural features indicating an assembly of the proteins into spherical structures, fibrils, and silk-like fibers. CD and Raman spectral analysis of protein secondary structures suggested a transition from predominantly α-helical in solution to increasingly β-sheet in fibers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Xu
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai, P.R. China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Jan K. Rainey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Qing Meng
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai, P.R. China
- * E-mail: (QM); (XQL)
| | - Xiang-Qin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- * E-mail: (QM); (XQL)
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Guinea GV, Elices M, Plaza GR, Perea GB, Daza R, Riekel C, Agulló-Rueda F, Hayashi C, Zhao Y, Pérez-Rigueiro J. Minor ampullate silks from Nephila and Argiope spiders: tensile properties and microstructural characterization. Biomacromolecules 2012; 13:2087-98. [PMID: 22668322 DOI: 10.1021/bm3004644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The mechanical behavior and microstructure of minor ampullate gland silk (miS) of two orb-web spinning species, Argiope trifasciata and Nephila inaurata, were extensively characterized, enabling detailed comparison with other silks. The similarities and differences exhibited by miS when compared with the intensively studied major ampullate gland silk (MAS) and silkworm (Bombyx mori) silk offer a genuine opportunity for testing some of the hypotheses proposed to correlate microstructure and tensile properties in silk. In this work, we show that miSs of different species show similar properties, even when fibers spun by spiders that diverged over 100 million years are compared. The tensile properties of miS are comparable to those of MAS when tested in air, significantly in terms of work to fracture, but differ considerably when tested in water. In particular, miS does not show a supercontraction effect and an associated ground state. In this regard, the behavior of miS in water is similar to that of B. mori silk, and it is shown that the initial elastic modulus of both fibers can be explained using a common model. Intriguingly, the microstructural parameters measured in miS are comparable to those of MAS and considerably different from those found in B. mori. This fact suggests that some critical microstructural information is still missing in our description of silks, and our results suggest that the hydrophilicity of the lateral groups or the large scale organization of the sequences might be routes worth exploring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G V Guinea
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Guan J, Porter D, Vollrath F. Silks cope with stress by tuning their mechanical properties under load. POLYMER 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2012.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
|
40
|
Rauscher S, Pomès R. Structural disorder and protein elasticity. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2012; 725:159-83. [PMID: 22399324 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-0659-4_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
An emerging class of disordered proteins underlies the elasticity of many biological tissues. Elastomeric proteins are essential to the function of biological machinery as diverse as the human arterial wall, the capture spiral of spider webs and the jumping mechanism of fleas. In this chapter, we review what is known about the molecular basis and the functional role of structural disorder in protein elasticity. In general, the elastic recoil of proteins is due to a combination of internal energy and entropy. In rubber-like elastomeric proteins, the dominant driving force is the increased entropy of the relaxed state relative to the stretched state. Aggregates of these proteins are intrinsically disordered or fuzzy, with high polypeptide chain entropy. We focus our discussion on the sequence, structure and function of five rubber-like elastomeric proteins, elastin, resilin, spider silk, abductin and ColP. Although we group these disordered elastomers together into one class of proteins, they exhibit a broad range of sequence motifs, mechanical properties and biological functions. Understanding how sequence modulates both disorder and elasticity will help advance the rational design of elastic biomaterials such as artificial skin and vascular grafts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Rauscher
- Molecular Structure and Function, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Huang X, Liu G, Wang X. New secrets of spider silk: exceptionally high thermal conductivity and its abnormal change under stretching. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2012; 24:1482-6. [PMID: 22388863 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201104668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2011] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Two new significant discoveries are reported: i) the dragline silk of N. clavipes spider has an exceptionally high thermal conductivity: up to 416 W/m·K that beats most materials; ii) contrary to normal materials, its thermal conductivity increases with strain (19% increase under ∼20% strain). These new findings will revolutionize the design of polymer fibers to increase their thermal conductivity by orders of magnitude.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Huang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, 50011, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Lepore E, Marchioro A, Isaia M, Buehler MJ, Pugno NM. Evidence of the most stretchable egg sac silk stalk, of the European spider of the year Meta menardi. PLoS One 2012; 7:e30500. [PMID: 22347380 PMCID: PMC3275603 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2011] [Accepted: 12/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider silks display generally strong mechanical properties, even if differences between species and within the same species can be observed. While many different types of silks have been tested, the mechanical properties of stalks of silk taken from the egg sac of the cave spider Meta menardi have not yet been analyzed. Meta menardi has recently been chosen as the "European spider of the year 2012", from the European Society of Arachnology. Here we report a study where silk stalks were collected directly from several caves in the north-west of Italy. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images showed that stalks are made up of a large number of threads, each of them with diameter of 6.03 ± 0.58 µm. The stalks were strained at the constant rate of 2 mm/min, using a tensile testing machine. The observed maximum stress, strain and toughness modulus, defined as the area under the stress-strain curve, are 0.64 GPa, 751% and 130.7 MJ/m(3), respectively. To the best of our knowledge, such an observed huge elongation has never been reported for egg sac silk stalks and suggests a huge unrolling microscopic mechanism of the macroscopic stalk that, as a continuation of the protective egg sac, is expected to be composed by fibres very densely and randomly packed. The Weibull statistics was used to analyze the results from mechanical testing, and an average value of Weibull modulus (m) is deduced to be in the range of 1.5-1.8 with a Weibull scale parameter (σ(0)) in the range of 0.33-0.41 GPa, showing a high coefficient of correlation (R(2) = 0.97).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Lepore
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Nanomechanics “Giuseppe Maria Pugno”, Department of Structural Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Andrea Marchioro
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Nanomechanics “Giuseppe Maria Pugno”, Department of Structural Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Marco Isaia
- Laboratory of Ecology and Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Human and Animal Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Markus J. Buehler
- Laboratory for Atomistic and Molecular Mechanics, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Center for Materials Science and Engineering, and Center for Computational Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nicola M. Pugno
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Nanomechanics “Giuseppe Maria Pugno”, Department of Structural Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics, National Laboratories of Frascati, Frascati, Italy
- National Institute of Metrological Research, Torino, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Bratzel G, Buehler MJ. Molecular mechanics of silk nanostructures under varied mechanical loading. Biopolymers 2011; 97:408-17. [PMID: 22020792 DOI: 10.1002/bip.21729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2011] [Accepted: 09/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is a self-assembling tunable protein composite fiber that rivals many engineering fibers in tensile strength, extensibility, and toughness, making it one of the most versatile biocompatible materials and most inviting for synthetic mimicry. While experimental studies have shown that the peptide sequence and molecular structure of silk have a direct influence on the stiffness, toughness, and failure strength of silk, few molecular-level analyses of the nanostructure of silk assemblies, in particular, under variations of genetic sequences have been reported. In this study, atomistic-level structures of wildtype as well as modified MaSp1 protein from the Nephila clavipes spider dragline silk sequences, obtained using an in silico approach based on replica exchange molecular dynamics and explicit water molecular dynamics, are subjected to simulated nanomechanical testing using different force-control loading conditions including stretch, pull-out, and peel. The authors have explored the effects of the poly-alanine length of the N. clavipes MaSp1 peptide sequence and identify differences in nanomechanical loading conditions on the behavior of a unit cell of 15 strands with 840-990 total residues used to represent a cross-linking β-sheet crystal node in the network within a fibril of the dragline silk thread. The specific loading condition used, representing concepts derived from the protein network connectivity at larger scales, have a significant effect on the mechanical behavior. Our analysis incorporates stretching, pull-out, and peel testing to connect biochemical features to mechanical behavior. The method used in this study could find broad applications in de novo design of silk-like tunable materials for an array of applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Graham Bratzel
- Laboratory for Atomistic and Molecular Mechanics, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Cloutier I, Leclerc J, Lefèvre T, Auger M. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy reveals distinctive protein dynamics in closely related spider silks. CAN J CHEM 2011. [DOI: 10.1139/v11-036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Structurally closely related spider silks, namely, major ampullate silk (MaS) reeled at 0.5 and 10 cm/s, minor ampullate silk (MiS), and cocoon silk have been investigated by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). These silks exhibit different mechanical properties that are not well explained with current structural data. NMR spectra confirm that the secondary structures of these silks are similar, but that differing relaxation dynamics exist at the alanine, glycine, and glutamine residue level. MaS reeled rapidly is made of more mobile proteins in both the β-sheet and amorphous regions, suggesting that reeling speed alters molecular rearrangement during spinning, with the chain packing being less organized in the fastpull fiber. Alanine and glycine relaxation dynamics increases as MaS < MiS < cocoon silk, showing that the whole fiber displays distinctive protein dynamics, chain packing, and intermolecular interactions. Besides molecular orientation, silk extensibility is related to a more mobile structural organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Cloutier
- Department of Chemistry, Regroupement québécois de recherche sur la fonction, la structure et l’ingénierie des protéines (PROTEO), Centre de recherche sur les matériaux avancés (CERMA), Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Jérémie Leclerc
- Department of Chemistry, Regroupement québécois de recherche sur la fonction, la structure et l’ingénierie des protéines (PROTEO), Centre de recherche sur les matériaux avancés (CERMA), Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Thierry Lefèvre
- Department of Chemistry, Regroupement québécois de recherche sur la fonction, la structure et l’ingénierie des protéines (PROTEO), Centre de recherche sur les matériaux avancés (CERMA), Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Michèle Auger
- Department of Chemistry, Regroupement québécois de recherche sur la fonction, la structure et l’ingénierie des protéines (PROTEO), Centre de recherche sur les matériaux avancés (CERMA), Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Lefèvre T, Paquet-Mercier F, Rioux-Dubé JF, Pézolet M. Review structure of silk by raman spectromicroscopy: from the spinning glands to the fibers. Biopolymers 2011; 97:322-36. [PMID: 21882171 DOI: 10.1002/bip.21712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2011] [Accepted: 08/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Raman spectroscopy has long been proved to be a useful tool to study the conformation of protein-based materials such as silk. Thanks to recent developments, linearly polarized Raman spectromicroscopy has appeared very efficient to characterize the molecular structure of native single silk fibers and spinning dopes because it can provide information relative to the protein secondary structure, molecular orientation, and amino acid composition. This review will describe recent advances in the study of the structure of silk by Raman spectromicroscopy. A particular emphasis is put on the spider dragline and silkworm cocoon threads, other fibers spun by orb-weaving spiders, the spinning dope contained in their silk glands and the effect of mechanical deformation. Taken together, the results of the literature show that Raman spectromicroscopy is particularly efficient to investigate all aspects of silk structure and production. The data provided can lead to a better understanding of the structure of the silk dope, transformations occurring during the spinning process, and structure and mechanical properties of native fibers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Lefèvre
- Département de Chimie - Centre de recherche sur les matériaux avancés (CERMA) - Centre québécois sur les matériaux fonctionnels (CQMF), Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Bratzel G, Buehler MJ. Sequence-structure correlations in silk: Poly-Ala repeat of N. clavipes MaSp1 is naturally optimized at a critical length scale. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2011; 7:30-40. [PMID: 22340682 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2011.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2011] [Revised: 07/18/2011] [Accepted: 07/18/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk is a self-assembling biopolymer that outperforms many known materials in terms of its mechanical performance despite being constructed from simple and inferior building blocks. While experimental studies have shown that the molecular structure of silk has a direct influence on the stiffness, toughness, and failure strength of silk, few molecular-level analyses of the nanostructure of silk assemblies in particular under variations of genetic sequences have been reported. Here we report atomistic-level structures of the MaSp1 protein from the Nephila Clavipes spider dragline silk sequence, obtained using an in silico approach based on replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) and explicit water molecular dynamics. We apply this method to study the effects of a systematic variation of the poly-alanine repeat lengths, a parameter controlled by the genetic makeup of silk, on the resulting molecular structure of silk at the nanoscale. Confirming earlier experimental and computational work, a structural analysis reveals that poly-alanine regions in silk predominantly form distinct and orderly β-sheet crystal domains while disorderly regions are formed by glycine-rich repeats that consist of 3(10)-helix type structures and β-turns. Our predictions are directly validated against experimental data based on dihedral angle pair calculations presented in Ramachandran plots combined with an analysis of the secondary structure content. The key result of our study is our finding of a strong dependence of the resulting silk nanostructure depending on the poly-alanine length. We observe that the wildtype poly-alanine repeat length of six residues defines a critical minimum length that consistently results in clearly defined β-sheet nanocrystals. For poly-alanine lengths below six, the β-sheet nanocrystals are not well-defined or not visible at all, while for poly-alanine lengths at and above six, the characteristic nanocomposite structure of silk emerges with no significant improvement of the quality of the β-sheet nanocrystal geometry. We present a simple biophysical model that explains these computational observations based on the mechanistic insight gained from the molecular simulations. Our findings set the stage for understanding how variations in the spidroin sequence can be used to engineer the structure and thereby functional properties of this biological superfiber, and present a design strategy for the genetic optimization of spidroins for enhanced mechanical properties. The approach used here may also find application in the design of other self-assembled molecular structures and fibers and in particular biologically inspired or completely synthetic systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Graham Bratzel
- Laboratory for Atomistic and Molecular Mechanics, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave. Room 1-235A&B, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Elices M, Guinea GV, Plaza GR, Karatzas C, Riekel C, Agulló-Rueda F, Daza R, Pérez-Rigueiro J. Bioinspired Fibers Follow the Track of Natural Spider Silk. Macromolecules 2011. [DOI: 10.1021/ma102291m er] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Elices
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - G. V. Guinea
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - G. R. Plaza
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - C. Karatzas
- Nexia Biotechnologies Inc., Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC J7V 8P5Canada
| | - C. Riekel
- European Synchroton Radiation Facility, B.P. 220, F-38043, Grenoble Cedex, France
| | - F. Agulló-Rueda
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - R. Daza
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - J. Pérez-Rigueiro
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Elices M, Guinea GV, Plaza GR, Karatzas C, Riekel C, Agulló-Rueda F, Daza R, Pérez-Rigueiro J. Bioinspired Fibers Follow the Track of Natural Spider Silk. Macromolecules 2011. [DOI: 10.1021/ma102291m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Elices
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - G. V. Guinea
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - G. R. Plaza
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - C. Karatzas
- Nexia Biotechnologies Inc., Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC J7V 8P5Canada
| | - C. Riekel
- European Synchroton Radiation Facility, B.P. 220, F-38043, Grenoble Cedex, France
| | - F. Agulló-Rueda
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - R. Daza
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - J. Pérez-Rigueiro
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Lefèvre T, Boudreault S, Cloutier C, Pézolet M. Diversity of Molecular Transformations Involved in the Formation of Spider Silks. J Mol Biol 2011; 405:238-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2010.10.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2010] [Revised: 10/26/2010] [Accepted: 10/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
50
|
Humenik M, Scheibel T, Smith A. Spider silk: understanding the structure-function relationship of a natural fiber. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2011; 103:131-85. [PMID: 21999996 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-415906-8.00007-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk is of great interest because of its extraordinary physical properties, such as strength and toughness. Here we discuss how these physical properties relate to the way in which spiders have utilized this material in prey capture, forcing its evolution to a high-performance fiber. Female spiders can produce up to seven different types of silk, and all these have different physical properties, which relate to their various functions. The variation in properties are due to underlying differences in the proteins making up these silks. As our understanding of spider silk has increased in the recent years, it has been possible to produce recombinant versions of the respective proteins. Recombinant proteins open up the potential to produce synthetic silk fibers with properties similar to those of the natural spider silk threads.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Humenik
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | | |
Collapse
|