1
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Richard M, Kobayashi G, Wang Z, Kurita H, Narita F. Mechanical Properties of Twisted Cellulose Nanofiber-Reinforced Silk Yarns. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2024; 10:4237-4244. [PMID: 38853637 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.4c00071] [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: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Silk has recently attracted considerable interest owing to its versatile properties as a natural fiber, especially in the medical sector. However, the mechanical properties of silk limit its potential applications. In our earlier work, the mechanical performance of silk filaments was enhanced owing to the insertion of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs). Nevertheless, silk filaments must be assembled and twisted to form a continuous yarn. In this study, the mechanical properties of CNF-reinforced silk yarns were evaluated to determine the optimal yarn structure. The evolution of the Young's modulus, ultimate tensile strength, toughness, and elongation at break was assessed as a function of the twist level in comparison with regular silk. The results demonstrated that the most favorable compromise of the mechanical properties was obtained at 1000 twists per meter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëlle Richard
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering, National Institute of Applied Sciences of Lyon (INSA Lyon), 69621 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Genki Kobayashi
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Zhenjin Wang
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kurita
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Fumio Narita
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
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2
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Nawaz T, Gu L, Gibbons J, Hu Z, Zhou R. Bridging Nature and Engineering: Protein-Derived Materials for Bio-Inspired Applications. Biomimetics (Basel) 2024; 9:373. [PMID: 38921253 PMCID: PMC11201842 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9060373] [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: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The sophisticated, elegant protein-polymers designed by nature can serve as inspiration to redesign and biomanufacture protein-based materials using synthetic biology. Historically, petro-based polymeric materials have dominated industrial activities, consequently transforming our way of living. While this benefits humans, the fabrication and disposal of these materials causes environmental sustainability challenges. Fortunately, protein-based biopolymers can compete with and potentially surpass the performance of petro-based polymers because they can be biologically produced and degraded in an environmentally friendly fashion. This paper reviews four groups of protein-based polymers, including fibrous proteins (collagen, silk fibroin, fibrillin, and keratin), elastomeric proteins (elastin, resilin, and wheat glutenin), adhesive/matrix proteins (spongin and conchiolin), and cyanophycin. We discuss the connection between protein sequence, structure, function, and biomimetic applications. Protein engineering techniques, such as directed evolution and rational design, can be used to improve the functionality of natural protein-based materials. For example, the inclusion of specific protein domains, particularly those observed in structural proteins, such as silk and collagen, enables the creation of novel biomimetic materials with exceptional mechanical properties and adaptability. This review also discusses recent advancements in the production and application of new protein-based materials through the approach of synthetic biology combined biomimetics, providing insight for future research and development of cutting-edge bio-inspired products. Protein-based polymers that utilize nature's designs as a base, then modified by advancements at the intersection of biology and engineering, may provide mankind with more sustainable products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taufiq Nawaz
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA;
| | - Liping Gu
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA;
| | | | - Zhong Hu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA;
| | - Ruanbao Zhou
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA;
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3
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Wang X, Wu J, Wang J, Liu D, Bian Q, Zhong J. Total Synthesis of the Sex Pheromone of Clania variegata Snellen and Its Stereoisomers. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4893. [PMID: 38732112 PMCID: PMC11084484 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The paulownia bagworm, Clania variegata Snell, is an economically important pest of agriculture and forests. The sex pheromone of this pest and its stereoisomers were synthesized, and two of the stereoisomers were prepared for the first time. Our strategy was efficient and mainly included the ring-opening reaction of (S)-2-methyloxirane, the coupling of chiral sulfonate, the oxidative cleavage of olefin, and Yamaguchi esterification. Moreover, the overall yields of our synthesis were 23-29%, with eight steps in the longest route.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jiangchun Zhong
- Department of Applied Chemistry, China Agricultural University, 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing 100193, China; (X.W.); (J.W.); (J.W.); (D.L.); (Q.B.)
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4
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Peng Z, Hu W, Yang X, Liu Q, Shi X, Tang X, Zhao P, Xia Q. Overexpression of bond-forming active protein for efficient production of silk with structural changes and properties enhanced in silkworm. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 264:129780. [PMID: 38290638 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Silkworm silk exhibits excellent mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and has potential applications in the biomedical sector. This study focused on enhancing the mechanical properties of Bombyx mori silk by overexpressing three bond-forming active proteins (BFAPs): AFP, HSP, and CRP in the silk glands of silkworms. Rheological tests confirmed increased viscoelasticity in the liquid fibroin stock solution of transgenic silkworms, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) indicated that all three BFAPs participated in the interactions between fibroin molecular networks in transgenic silk. The mechanical property assay indicated that all three BFAPs improved the mechanical characteristics of transgenic silk, with AFP and HSP having the most significant effects. A synchrotron radiation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy assay showed that all three BFAPs increased the β-sheet content of transgenic silk. Synchrotron radiation wide-angle X-ray diffraction assay showed that all three BFAPs changed the crystallinity, crystal size, and orientation factor of the silk. AFP and HSP significantly improved the mechanical attributes of transgenic silk through increased crystallinity, refined crystal size, and a slight decrease in orientation. This study opens new possibilities for modifying silk and other fiber materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangchuan Peng
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Institute of Advanced Pathology, Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing 401329, China
| | - Wenbo Hu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xi Yang
- Chongqing Municipality Clinical Research Center for Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, Chongqing 404000, China
| | - Qingsong Liu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - XiaoTing Shi
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xin Tang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine & Health Science, Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, China
| | - Ping Zhao
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericultural Science, Chongqing 400716, China; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing 400716, China.
| | - Qingyou Xia
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericultural Science, Chongqing 400716, China; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing 400716, China.
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5
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Lu W, Shi R, Li X, Ma S, Yang D, Shang D, Xia Q. A review on complete silk gene sequencing and de novo assembly of artificial silk. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 264:130444. [PMID: 38417762 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Silk, especially spider and insect silk, is a highly versatile biomaterial with potential applications in biomedicine, materials science, and biomimetic engineering. The primary structure of silk proteins is the basis for the mechanical properties of silk fibers. Biotechnologies such as single-molecule sequencing have facilitated an increasing number of reports on new silk genes and assembled silk proteins. Therefore, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in representative spider and insect silk proteins, focusing on identification methods, sequence characteristics, and de novo design and assembly. The review discusses three identification methods for silk genes: polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based sequencing, PCR-free cloning and sequencing, and whole-genome sequencing. Moreover, it reveals the main spider and insect silk proteins and their sequences. Subsequent de novo assembly of artificial silk is covered and future research directions in the field of silk proteins, including new silk genes, customizable artificial silk, and the expansion of silk production and applications are discussed. This review provides a basis for the genetic aspects of silk production and the potential applications of artificial silk in material science and biomedical engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Run Shi
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xue Li
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Sanyuan Ma
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Daiying Yang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Deli Shang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qingyou Xia
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
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6
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Yu Y, Chen K, Wang J, Zhang Z, Hu B, Liu X, Lin Z, Tan A. Custom-designed, mass silk production in genetically engineered silkworms. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae128. [PMID: 38562581 PMCID: PMC10983830 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Genetically engineered silkworms have been widely used to obtain silk with modified characteristics especially by introducing spider silk genes. However, these attempts are still challenging due to limitations in transformation strategies and difficulties in integration of the large DNA fragments. Here, we describe three different transformation strategies in genetically engineered silkworms, including transcription-activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN)-mediated fibroin light chain (FibL) fusion (BmFibL-F), TALEN-mediated FibH replacement (BmFibH-R), and transposon-mediated genetic transformation with the silk gland-specific fibroin heavy chain (FibH) promoter (BmFibH-T). As the result, the yields of exogenous silk proteins, a 160 kDa major ampullate spidroin 2 (MaSp2) from the orb-weaving spider Nephila clavipes and a 226 kDa fibroin heavy chain protein (EvFibH) from the bagworm Eumeta variegate, reach 51.02 and 64.13% in BmFibH-R transformed cocoon shells, respectively. Moreover, the presence of MaSp2 or EvFibH significantly enhances the toughness of genetically engineered silk fibers by ∼86% in BmFibH-T and ∼80% in BmFibH-R silkworms, respectively. Structural analysis reveals a substantial ∼40% increase in fiber crystallinity, primarily attributed to the presence of unique polyalanines in the repetitive sequences of MaSp2 or EvFibH. In addition, RNA-seq analysis reveals that BmFibH-R system only causes minor impact on the expression of endogenous genes. Our study thus provides insights into developing custom-designed silk production using the genetically engineered silkworm as the bioreactor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Kai Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Jingxia Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Zhongjie Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Bo Hu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Xiaojing Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Zhi Lin
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Anjiang Tan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212100, China
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7
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Greco G, Schmuck B, Jalali SK, Pugno NM, Rising A. Influence of experimental methods on the mechanical properties of silk fibers: A systematic literature review and future road map. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:031301. [PMID: 38510706 PMCID: PMC10903380 DOI: 10.1063/5.0155552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Spider silk fibers are of scientific and industrial interest because of their extraordinary mechanical properties. These properties are normally determined by tensile tests, but the values obtained are dependent on the morphology of the fibers, the test conditions, and the methods by which stress and strain are calculated. Because of this, results from many studies are not directly comparable, which has led to widespread misconceptions in the field. Here, we critically review most of the reports from the past 50 years on spider silk mechanical performance and use artificial spider silk and native silks as models to highlight the effect that different experimental setups have on the fibers' mechanical properties. The results clearly illustrate the importance of carefully evaluating the tensile test methods when comparing the results from different studies. Finally, we suggest a protocol for how to perform tensile tests on silk and biobased fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - S. K. Jalali
- Laboratory for Bioinspired, Bionic, Nano, Meta, Materials & Mechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | | | - Anna Rising
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
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8
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Adachi K. Analytical insights for silk science and technology. ANAL SCI 2023; 39:427-429. [PMID: 36991250 DOI: 10.1007/s44211-023-00283-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Adachi
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Sciences & Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, 753-8512, Japan.
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9
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Lu W, Ma S, Sun L, Zhang T, Wang X, Feng M, Wang A, Shi R, Jia L, Xia Q. Combined CRISPR toolkits reveal the domestication landscape and function of the ultra-long and highly repetitive silk genes. Acta Biomater 2023; 158:190-202. [PMID: 36603730 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.12.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Highly repetitive sequences play a major structural and function role in the genome. In the present study, we developed Cas9-assisted cloning and SMRT sequencing of long repetitive sequences (CACS) to sequence and manipulate highly repetitive genes from eukaryotic genomes. CACS combined Cas9-mediated cleavage of a target segment from an intact genome, Gibson assembly cloning, and PacBio SMRT sequencing. Applying CACS, we directly cloned and sequenced the complete sequences of fibroin heavy chain (FibH) genes from 17 domesticated (Bombyx mori) and 7 wild (Bombyx mandarina) silkworms. Our analysis revealed the unique fine structure organization, genetic variations, and domestication dynamics of FibH. We also demonstrated that the length of the repetitive regions determined the mechanical properties of silk fiber, which was further confirmed by Cas9 editing of FibH. CACS is a simple, robust, and efficient approach, providing affordable accessibility to highly repetitive regions of a genome. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Silkworm silk is the earliest and most widely used animal fiber, and its excellent performance mainly depends on the fibroin heavy chain (FibH) protein. The FibH gene is the main breakthrough in understanding the formation mechanism and improvement of silk fiber. In the study, we developed a CACS method for characterizing the fine structure and domestication landscape of 24 silkworm FibH genes. We used CRISPR/Cas9 to edit the repetitive sequence of FibH genes, revealing the relationship between FibH genes and mechanical properties of silkworm silk. Our study is helpful in modifying silk genes to manipulate other valuable highly repetitive sequences, and provides insight for silkworm breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Sanyuan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Le Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xiaogang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine & Health Science, Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing 400065, China
| | - Min Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Aoming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Run Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Ling Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Qingyou Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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10
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Blamires SJ, Rawal A, Edwards AD, Yarger JL, Oberst S, Allardyce BJ, Rajkhowa R. Methods for Silk Property Analyses across Structural Hierarchies and Scales. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28052120. [PMID: 36903366 PMCID: PMC10003856 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Silk from silkworms and spiders is an exceptionally important natural material, inspiring a range of new products and applications due to its high strength, elasticity, and toughness at low density, as well as its unique conductive and optical properties. Transgenic and recombinant technologies offer great promise for the scaled-up production of new silkworm- and spider-silk-inspired fibres. However, despite considerable effort, producing an artificial silk that recaptures the physico-chemical properties of naturally spun silk has thus far proven elusive. The mechanical, biochemical, and other properties of pre-and post-development fibres accordingly should be determined across scales and structural hierarchies whenever feasible. We have herein reviewed and made recommendations on some of those practices for measuring the bulk fibre properties; skin-core structures; and the primary, secondary, and tertiary structures of silk proteins and the properties of dopes and their proteins. We thereupon examine emerging methodologies and make assessments on how they might be utilized to realize the goal of developing high quality bio-inspired fibres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean J. Blamires
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Aditya Rawal
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Angela D. Edwards
- School of Molecular Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, USA
| | - Jeffrey L. Yarger
- School of Molecular Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, USA
| | - Sebastian Oberst
- School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | | | - Rangam Rajkhowa
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
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11
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Yoshioka T, Kameda T, Burghammer M, Riekel C. Mesoscale Confinement in Bagworm Silk: A Hidden Structural Organization. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:827-834. [PMID: 36662558 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c03734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
While silk fibers produced by silkworms and spiders are frequently described as a network of amorphous protein chains reinforced by crystalline β-sheet nanodomains, the importance of higher-order, self-assembled structures has been recognized for advanced modeling of mechanical properties. General acceptance of hierarchical structural models is, however, currently limited by lack of experimental results. Indeed, X-ray scattering studies of spider's dragline-type fibers have been particularly limited by low crystallinities. Here we are reporting on probing the local structure of exceptionally crystalline bagworm silk fibers by X-ray nanobeam scattering. Probing the comparable thickness of cross sections with an X-ray nanobeam allows removing the strong scattering background from the outer sericin layer and reveals a hidden structural organization due to a radial gradient in diameters of mesoscale nanofibrillar bundles in the fibroin phase. Our results provide direct support for lateral interactions between nanofibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiyo Yoshioka
- Silk Materials Research Group, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), 1-2 Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan
| | - Tsunenori Kameda
- Silk Materials Research Group, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), 1-2 Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan
| | - Manfred Burghammer
- The European Synchrotron (ESRF), 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS40220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Christian Riekel
- The European Synchrotron (ESRF), 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS40220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
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12
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Peng Z, Hu W, Li X, Zhao P, Xia Q. Bending–Spinning Produces Silkworm and Spider Silk with Enhanced Mechanical Properties. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhangchuan Peng
- Biological Science Research Center Southwest University, Chongqing400716, China
| | - Wenbo Hu
- Biological Science Research Center Southwest University, Chongqing400716, China
| | - Xinning Li
- Biological Science Research Center Southwest University, Chongqing400716, China
| | - Ping Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology Southwest University, Chongqing400716, China
- Biological Science Research Center Southwest University, Chongqing400716, China
| | - Qingyou Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology Southwest University, Chongqing400716, China
- Biological Science Research Center Southwest University, Chongqing400716, China
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13
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Wang Y, Wu Z, Zhou L, Chen X, Guan J, Shao Z. Peculiar Tensile and Fracture Behaviors of Natural Silk Fiber in the Presence of an Artificial Notch. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zihong Wu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Innovation Center of Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liang Zhou
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People’s Republic of China
| | - Juan Guan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Innovation Center of Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhengzhong Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People’s Republic of China
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14
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Guo K, Zhang X, Zhao D, Qin L, Jiang W, Hu W, Liu X, Xia Q, Dong Z, Zhao P. Identification and characterization of sericin5 reveals non-cocoon silk sericin components with high β-sheet content and adhesive strength. Acta Biomater 2022; 150:96-110. [PMID: 35902035 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Sericins are glue proteins on the surface of silk fibers. Four sericins have been characterized in silkworm, namely sericin1 (Ser1), sericin2 (Ser2), sericin3 (Ser3), and sericin4 (Ser4). In this study, we report a novel sericin, sericin5 (Ser5), which exists only in non-cocoon silk. We describe the sequence, exon-intron structure, and translation products of Ser5 in Bombyx mori. The Ser5 gene is approximately 22-kb long and comprises 16 exons. Ser5 protein has a size of 260 kDa, as determined by SDS-PAGE, western blot, and LC-MS/MS. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that Ser5 co-localizes with Ser1 in the sericin layer. The expression pattern of Ser5 was detected at the transcriptional and translational levels. We systematically analyzed and compared the amino acid composition, repeat regions, and hydrophilicity of silkworm sericins. Morphological observations showed that non-cocoon silk had more sericin than cocoon silk. Circular dichroism spectra revealed that non-cocoon silk sericin contained more β-sheet structures than cocoon silk sericin. In addition, we found that the hydrophilicity and adhesive strength of native sericin increases gradually from the inner layer to the outer layer. This research enhances our understanding of various sericins from cocoon silk and non-cocoon silk with regard to their expression patterns, hydrophilicity, secondary structure and adhesive performances. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: : Sericin is a natural biomaterial with diverse biological properties, which has long been used as tissue engineering and biomedical applications. However, the composition and distribution of sericins in different kinds of silk are still uncertain, and the properties difference between sericins have not yet been reported. Our study makes a significant contribution to the literature as it identifies the sequence, composition, hydrophilicity and adhesive property of sericins. Moreover, it provides key insights into the structure-function and function-distribution relationships associated with sericins. We believe that this study will arouse the interest to the readership of your journal as it identifies the new complete sequence of sericin and revealed the composition and properties of sericin, thus highlighting their future potentials applications in both the biomaterial and technical fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Sericulture Genome and Biotechnology Engineering Laboratory, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Xiaolu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Sericulture Genome and Biotechnology Engineering Laboratory, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Dongchao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Sericulture Genome and Biotechnology Engineering Laboratory, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Lixia Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Sericulture Genome and Biotechnology Engineering Laboratory, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Wenchao Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Wenbo Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Qingyou Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Zhaoming Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Sericulture Genome and Biotechnology Engineering Laboratory, Chongqing 400716, China.
| | - Ping Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.; Sericulture Genome and Biotechnology Engineering Laboratory, Chongqing 400716, China.
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15
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He W, Qian D, Wang Y, Zhang G, Cheng Y, Hu X, Wen K, Wang M, Liu Z, Zhou X, Zhu M. A Protein-Like Nanogel for Spinning Hierarchically Structured Artificial Spider Silk. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2201843. [PMID: 35509216 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202201843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is draw-spun from soluble, β-sheet-crosslinked spidroin in aqueous solution. This spider silk has an excellent combination of strength and toughness, which originates from the hierarchical structure containing β-sheet crosslinking points, spiral nanoassemblies, a rigid sheath, and a soft core. Inspired by the spidroin structure and spider spinning process, a soluble and crosslinked nanogel is prepared and crosslinked fibers are drew spun with spider-silk-like hierarchical structures containing cross-links, aligned nanoassemblies, and sheath-core structures. Introducing nucleation seeds in the nanogel solution, and applying prestretch and a spiral architecture in the nanogel fiber, further tunes the alignment and assembly of the polymer chains, and enhances the breaking strength (1.27 GPa) and toughness (383 MJ m-3 ) to approach those of the best dragline silk. Theoretical modeling provides understanding for the dependence of the fiber's spinning capacity on the nanogel size. This work provides a new strategy for the direct spinning of tough fiber materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqian He
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Dong Qian
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Guanghao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yao Cheng
- Chemical Engineering College, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Huhhot, 010051, China
| | - Xiaoyu Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Kai Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Meilin Wang
- Department of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Zunfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Department of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Meifang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
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16
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Muramatsu W, Yamamoto H. An economical approach for peptide synthesis via regioselective C-N bond cleavage of lactams. Chem Sci 2022; 13:6309-6315. [PMID: 35733900 PMCID: PMC9159104 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc01466a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
An economical, solvent-free, and metal-free method for peptide synthesis via C-N bond cleavage using lactams has been developed. The method not only eliminates the need for condensation agents and their auxiliaries, which are essential for conventional peptide synthesis, but also exhibits high atom economy. The reaction is versatile because it can tolerate side chains bearing a range of functional groups, affording up to >99% yields of the corresponding peptides without racemisation or polymerisation. Moreover, the developed strategy enables peptide segment coupling, providing access to a hexapeptide that occurs as a repeat sequence in spider silk proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Muramatsu
- Peptide Research Center, Chubu University 1200 Matsumoto-cho Kasugai Aichi 487-8501 Japan
| | - Hisashi Yamamoto
- Peptide Research Center, Chubu University 1200 Matsumoto-cho Kasugai Aichi 487-8501 Japan
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17
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Man K, Joukhdar H, Manz XD, Brunet MY, Jiang LH, Rnjak-Kovacina J, Yang XB. Bone tissue engineering using 3D silk scaffolds and human dental pulp stromal cells epigenetic reprogrammed with the selective histone deacetylase inhibitor MI192. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 388:565-581. [PMID: 35362831 PMCID: PMC9110470 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03613-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetics plays a critical role in regulating mesenchymal stem cells’ (MSCs) fate for tissue repair and regeneration. There is increasing evidence that the inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC) isoform 3 can enhance MSC osteogenesis. This study investigated the potential of using a selective HDAC2 and 3 inhibitor, MI192, to promote human dental pulp stromal cells (hDPSCs) bone-like tissue formation in vitro and in vivo within porous Bombyx Mori silk scaffolds. Both 2 and 5 wt% silk scaffolds were fabricated and characterised. The 5 wt% scaffolds possess thicker internal lamellae, reduced scaffold swelling and degradation rates, whilst increased compressive modulus in comparison to the 2 wt% silk scaffold. MI192 pre-treatment of hDPSCs on 5 wt% silk scaffold significantly enhanced hDPSCs alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP). The expression of osteoblast-related genes (RUNX2, ALP, Col1a, OCN) was significantly upregulated in the MI192 pre-treated cells. Histological analysis confirmed that the MI192 pre-treated hDPSCs-silk scaffold constructs promoted bone extracellular matrix (ALP, Col1a, OCN) deposition and mineralisation compared to the untreated group. Following 6 weeks of subcutaneous implantation in nude mice, the MI192 pre-treated hDPSCs-silk scaffold constructs enhanced the vascularisation and extracellular matrix mineralisation compared to untreated control. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate the potential of using epigenetic reprogramming and silk scaffolds to promote hDPSCs bone formation efficacy, which provides evidence for clinical translation of this technology for bone augmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenny Man
- Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering Group, School of Dentistry, University of Leeds, WTBB, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds, LS97TF, UK.,School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Habib Joukhdar
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Xue D Manz
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mathieu Y Brunet
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Lin-Hua Jiang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Xuebin B Yang
- Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering Group, School of Dentistry, University of Leeds, WTBB, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds, LS97TF, UK.
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18
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Ealla KKR, Veeraraghavan VP, Ravula NR, Durga CS, Ramani P, Sahu V, Poola PK, Patil S, Panta P. Silk Hydrogel for Tissue Engineering: A Review. J Contemp Dent Pract 2022; 23:467-477. [PMID: 35945843 DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10024-3322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
AIM This review aims to explore the importance of silk hydrogel and its potential in tissue engineering (TE). BACKGROUND Tissue engineering is a procedure that incorporates cells into the scaffold materials with suitable growth factors to regenerate injured tissue. For tissue formation in TE, the scaffold material plays a key role. Different forms of silk fibroin (SF), such as films, mats, hydrogels, and sponges, can be easily manufactured when SF is disintegrated into an aqueous solution. High precision procedures such as micropatterning and bioprinting of SF-based scaffolds have been used for enhanced fabrication. REVIEW RESULTS In this narrative review, SF physicochemical and mechanical properties have been presented. We have also discussed SF fabrication techniques like electrospinning, spin coating, freeze-drying, and physiochemical cross-linking. The application of SF-based scaffolds for skeletal, tissue, joint, muscle, epidermal, tissue repair, and tympanic membrane regeneration has also been addressed. CONCLUSION SF has excellent mechanical properties, tunability, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and bioresorbability. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Silk hydrogels are an ideal scaffold matrix material that will significantly impact tissue engineering applications, given the rapid scientific advancements in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kranti Kiran Reddy Ealla
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, SIMATS, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Malla Reddy Institute of Dental Sciences, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, e-mail:
| | | | - Nikitha Reddy Ravula
- Center for Research Development and Sustenance, Malla Reddy Health City, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | | | - Pratibha Ramani
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Vikas Sahu
- Center for Research Development and Sustenance, Malla Reddy Health City, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | | | - Shankargouda Patil
- Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, Division of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Prashanth Panta
- Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Malla Reddy Institute of Dental Sciences, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, e-mail:
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19
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Komaba K, Goto H. Preparation of bagworm silk/polyaniline composite. J Appl Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/app.51791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyoka Komaba
- Department of Material Science, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences University of Tsukuba Tsukuba Japan
| | - Hiromasa Goto
- Department of Material Science, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences University of Tsukuba Tsukuba Japan
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20
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Mohammadi P, Gandier JA, Wagermaier W, Miserez A, Penttilä M. Bioinspired Functionally Graded Composite Assembled Using Cellulose Nanocrystals and Genetically Engineered Proteins with Controlled Biomineralization. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2102658. [PMID: 34467572 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202102658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Nature provides unique insights into design strategies evolved by living organisms to construct robust materials with a combination of mechanical properties that are challenging to replicate synthetically. Hereby, inspired by the impact-resistant dactyl club of the stomatopod, a mineralized biocomposite is rationally designed and produced in the complex shapes of dental implant crowns exhibiting high strength, stiffness, and fracture toughness. This material consists of an expanded helicoidal organization of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) mixed with genetically engineered proteins that regulate both binding to CNCs and in situ growth of reinforcing apatite crystals. Critically, the structural properties emerge from controlled self-assembly across multiple length scales regulated by rational engineering and phase separation of the protein components. This work replicates multiscale biomanufacturing of a model biological material and also offers an innovative platform to synthesize multifunctional biocomposites whose properties can be finely regulated by colloidal self-assembly and engineering of its constitutive protein building blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pezhman Mohammadi
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, VTT, Espoo, FI-02044, Finland
| | - Julie-Anne Gandier
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, Espoo, FI-16100, Finland
| | - Wolfgang Wagermaier
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg1, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ali Miserez
- Centre for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, 60 Nanyang Drive, NTU, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Merja Penttilä
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, VTT, Espoo, FI-02044, Finland
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21
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Spinning Methods Used for Construction of One- and Two-Dimensional Fibrous Protein Materials. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34472064 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1574-4_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Natural silk protein fibers have shown a great attraction to the researchers due to the extraordinary mechanical property, biocompatibility, and functional diversity. Unfortunately, the low yield and unevenness have hampered the scale use of the natural silk fibers. Herein, the appearance of the bioinspired artificial spinning strategy offers an effective way to fabricate silk fibers with controllable structures and functionality. This chapter describes an experimental method to prepare silk protein fibers on a large scale and summarizes the method to investigate the effects of the structure-property relationship of the recombinant protein fibers.
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22
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A study of ladder-like silk foothold for the locomotion of bagworms. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16657. [PMID: 34404858 PMCID: PMC8370998 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95809-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
While walking on horizontal substrates, caterpillars skilfully engage all their legs, including three pairs of thoracic legs and a maximum of five pairs of prolegs, to move in a flexible wave-like motion. Such locomotory behaviours, represented by ‘crawling’ and ‘inching’ motions, have widely inspired the development of locomotion systems in soft robotics. However, bagworms are unable to use their prolegs for walking because these are always accommodated in a portable bag; thus, they are unable to walk using such general locomotory behaviours. Indeed, how they walk with only three pairs of thoracic legs is unknown at present. In this study, we show that bagworms construct a ladder-like foothold using their silk to walk without using prolegs. This enables them to walk not only on horizontal floor surfaces but also on wall and ceiling surfaces, even those with slippery or smooth surfaces. They construct the foothold by spinning a continuous silk thread in a zigzag manner and controlling the discharge of adhesive to attach the folded parts of the silk to a substrate. Discovery of this elaborate silk utilisation technique offers fresh insights into the diversity of silk use in lepidopteran larvae and provides potential designs for robot locomotion systems.
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23
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Tsubota T, Yoshioka T, Jouraku A, Suzuki TK, Yonemura N, Yukuhiro K, Kameda T, Sezutsu H. Transcriptomic analysis of the bagworm moth silk gland reveals a number of silk genes conserved within Lepidoptera. INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 28:885-900. [PMID: 32589338 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Lepidopteran insects produce cocoons with unique properties. The cocoons are made of silk produced in the larval tissue silk gland and our understanding of the silk genes is still very limited. Here, we investigated silk genes in the bagworm moth Eumeta variegata, a species that has recently been found to produce extraordinarily strong and tough silk. Using short-read transcriptomic analysis, we identified a partial sequence of the fibroin heavy chain gene and its product was found to have a C-terminal structure that is conserved within nonsaturniid species. This is in accordance with the presence of fibroin light chain/fibrohexamerin genes and it is suggested that the bagworm moth is producing silk composed of fibroin ternary complex. This indicates that the fibroin structure has been evolutionarily conserved longer than previously thought. Other than fibroins we identified candidates for sericin genes, expressed strongly in the middle region of the silk gland and encoding serine-rich proteins, and other silk genes, that are structurally conserved with other lepidopteran homologues. The bagworm moth is thus considered to be producing conventional lepidopteran type of silk. We further found a number of genes expressed in a specific region of the silk gland and some genes showed conserved expression with Bombyx mori counterparts. This is the first study allowing comprehensive silk gene identification and expression analysis in the lepidopteran Psychidae family and should contribute to the understanding of silk gene evolution as well as to the development of novel types of silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Tsubota
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Transgenic Silkworm Research Unit, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Taiyo Yoshioka
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Silk Materials Research Unit, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Akiya Jouraku
- Insect Genome Research and Engineering Unit, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Takao K Suzuki
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Transgenic Silkworm Research Unit, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Yonemura
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Transgenic Silkworm Research Unit, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kenji Yukuhiro
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Silk Materials Research Unit, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Tsunenori Kameda
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Silk Materials Research Unit, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hideki Sezutsu
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Transgenic Silkworm Research Unit, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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24
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Kono N, Nakamura H, Tateishi A, Numata K, Arakawa K. The balance of crystalline and amorphous regions in the fibroin structure underpins the tensile strength of bagworm silk. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2021; 7:11. [PMID: 34311769 PMCID: PMC8314566 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-021-00179-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Protein-based materials are considered versatile biomaterials, and their biodegradability is an advantage for sustainable development. Bagworm produces strong silk for use in unique situations throughout its life stages. Rigorous molecular analyses of Eumeta variegata suggested that the particular mechanical properties of its silk are due to the coexistence of poly-A and GA motifs. However, little molecular information on closely related species is available, and it is not understood how these properties were acquired evolutionarily or whether the motif combination is a conserved trait in other bagworms. Here, we performed a transcriptome analysis of two other bagworm species (Canephora pungelerii and Bambalina sp.) belonging to the family Psychidae to elucidate the relationship between the fibroin gene and silk properties. The obtained transcriptome assemblies and tensile tests indicated that the motif combination and silk properties were conserved among the bagworms. Furthermore, our analysis showed that C. pungelerii produces extraordinarily strong silk (breaking strength of 1.4 GPa) and indicated that the cause may be the C. pungelerii -specific balance of crystalline/amorphous regions in the H-fibroin repetitive domain. This particular H-fibroin architecture may have been evolutionarily acquired to produce strong thread to maintain bag stability during the relatively long development period of Canephora species relative to other bagworms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuaki Kono
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, 403-1 Nihonkoku, Daihouji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata Japan
| | | | - Ayaka Tateishi
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Kyotodaigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Kyotodaigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kazuharu Arakawa
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, 403-1 Nihonkoku, Daihouji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata Japan
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25
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Wan Q, Yang M, Hu J, Lei F, Shuai Y, Wang J, Holland C, Rodenburg C, Yang M. Mesoscale structure development reveals when a silkworm silk is spun. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3711. [PMID: 34140492 PMCID: PMC8211695 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23960-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Silk fibre mechanical properties are attributed to the development of a multi-scale hierarchical structure during spinning. By careful ex vivo processing of a B. mori silkworm silk solution we arrest the spinning process, freezing-in mesoscale structures corresponding to three distinctive structure development stages; gelation, fibrilization and the consolidation phase identified in this work, a process highlighted by the emergence and extinction of 'water pockets'. These transient water pockets are a manifestation of the interplay between protein dehydration, phase separation and nanofibril assembly, with their removal due to nanofibril coalescence during consolidation. We modeled and validated how post-draw improves mechanical properties and refines a silk's hierarchical structure as a result of consolidation. These insights enable a better understanding of the sequence of events that occur during spinning, ultimately leading us to propose a robust definition of when a silkworm silk is actually 'spun'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Wan
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mei Yang
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiaqi Hu
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fang Lei
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yajun Shuai
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jie Wang
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chris Holland
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
| | - Cornelia Rodenburg
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
| | - Mingying Yang
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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Zhao S, Ye X, Wu M, Ruan J, Wang X, Tang X, Zhong B. Recombinant Silk Proteins with Additional Polyalanine Have Excellent Mechanical Properties. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041513. [PMID: 33546270 PMCID: PMC7913374 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper explores the structures of exogenous protein molecules that can effectively improve the mechanical properties of silkworm silk. Several transgenic vectors fused with the silkworm fibroin light chain and type 3 repeats in different multiples of the ampullate dragline silk protein 1 (MaSp1) from black widow spider with different lengths of the polyalanine motifs were constructed for this study. Transgenic silkworms were successfully obtained by piggyBac-mediated microinjection. Molecular detection showed that foreign proteins were successfully secreted and contained within the cocoon shells. According to the prediction of PONDR® VSL2 and PONDR® VL-XT, the type 3 repeats and the polyalanine motif of the MaSp1 protein were amorphous. The results of FTIR analysis showed that the content of β-sheets in the silk of transgenic silkworms engineered with transgenic vectors with additional polyalanine was significantly higher than that of wild-type silkworm silk. Additionally, silk with a higher β-sheet content had better fracture strength and Young’s modulus. The mechanical properties of silk with longer chains of exogenous proteins were improved. In general, our results provide theoretical guidance and technical support for the large-scale production of excellent bionic silk.
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Sun W, Gregory DA, Tomeh MA, Zhao X. Silk Fibroin as a Functional Biomaterial for Tissue Engineering. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031499. [PMID: 33540895 PMCID: PMC7867316 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissue engineering (TE) is the approach to combine cells with scaffold materials and appropriate growth factors to regenerate or replace damaged or degenerated tissue or organs. The scaffold material as a template for tissue formation plays the most important role in TE. Among scaffold materials, silk fibroin (SF), a natural protein with outstanding mechanical properties, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and bioresorbability has attracted significant attention for TE applications. SF is commonly dissolved into an aqueous solution and can be easily reconstructed into different material formats, including films, mats, hydrogels, and sponges via various fabrication techniques. These include spin coating, electrospinning, freeze drying, physical, and chemical crosslinking techniques. Furthermore, to facilitate fabrication of more complex SF-based scaffolds with high precision techniques including micro-patterning and bio-printing have recently been explored. This review introduces the physicochemical and mechanical properties of SF and looks into a range of SF-based scaffolds that have been recently developed. The typical TE applications of SF-based scaffolds including bone, cartilage, ligament, tendon, skin, wound healing, and tympanic membrane, will be highlighted and discussed, followed by future prospects and challenges needing to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhen Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK; (W.S.); (D.A.G.); (M.A.T.)
| | - David Alexander Gregory
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK; (W.S.); (D.A.G.); (M.A.T.)
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7HQ, UK
| | - Mhd Anas Tomeh
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK; (W.S.); (D.A.G.); (M.A.T.)
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK; (W.S.); (D.A.G.); (M.A.T.)
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44(0)-114-222-8256
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Hu L, Chen Q, Yao J, Shao Z, Chen X. Structural Changes in Spider Dragline Silk after Repeated Supercontraction-Stretching Processes. Biomacromolecules 2020; 21:5306-5314. [PMID: 33206498 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is well-known for its excellent combination of strength and extensibility as well as another unique property called supercontraction. In our previous work, the changes in conformations of the Nephila edulis spider dragline silk when subjected to different supercontraction processes were extensively investigated. When a native spider dragline silk had free supercontraction, and then restretched to its original length, the content and molecular orientation of different conformations (β-sheet, helix, and random coil) changed but the mechanical properties remained almost the same. Therefore, herein, further supercontraction-stretching treatment was performed up to three cycles, and the corresponding structural changes were investigated. In addition to the synchrotron radiation FTIR (S-FTIR) microspectroscopy employed in our previous study, synchrotron radiation small-angle X-ray scattering (S-SAXS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were also used in this work to determine the structural changes of spider dragline silk in different scales. The results show that by repeating the supercontraction-stretching treatment, the β-sheet structure content in spider dragline silk was slightly increased, but its orientation degree remained almost the same. Also, with the increase in cycle of supercontraction-stretching treatments, a 10.5 nm long period perpendicular to the silk fiber axis gradually appeared, endowing the spider dragline silk with periodic structure both along (6.6 nm, already existed in native silk and did not change with the supercontraction-stretching treatment) and perpendicular to the silk fiber axis. After the third supercontraction-stretching cycle, the AFM images displayed a clear 210 nm × 80 nm corn kernel-like structure on the surface of nanofibrils in spider dragline silks, which may be related to the aggregation of 10.5 nm × 6.6 nm periodic structure observed via S-SAXS. Finally, although the structure of spider dragline silk became increasingly regular with the rise in supercontraction-stretching cycles, mechanical properties remained constant after every cycle of the supercontraction-stretching treatment. These findings can aid in further understanding the structural changes that are related to the supercontraction of spider dragline silk and provide useful guidance in fabrication of high-performance regenerated or artificial silk fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linli Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Qianying Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinrong Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengzhong Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
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Lozano-Pérez AA, Pagán A, Zhurov V, Hudson SD, Hutter JL, Pruneri V, Pérez-Moreno I, Grbic' V, Cenis JL, Grbic' M, Aznar-Cervantes S. The silk of gorse spider mite Tetranychus lintearius represents a novel natural source of nanoparticles and biomaterials. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18471. [PMID: 33116211 PMCID: PMC7595037 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74766-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider mites constitute an assemblage of well-known pests in agriculture, but are less known for their ability to spin silk of nanoscale diameters and high Young's moduli. Here, we characterize silk of the gorse spider mite Tetranychus lintearius, which produces copious amounts of silk with nano-dimensions. We determined biophysical characteristics of the silk fibres and manufactured nanoparticles and biofilm derived from native silk. We determined silk structure using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and characterized silk nanoparticles using field emission scanning electron microscopy. Comparative studies using T. lintearius and silkworm silk nanoparticles and biofilm demonstrated that spider mite silk supports mammalian cell growth in vitro and that fluorescently labelled nanoparticles can enter cell cytoplasm. The potential for cytocompatibility demonstrated by this study, together with the prospect of recombinant silk production, opens a new avenue for biomedical application of this little-known silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Abel Lozano-Pérez
- Departmento de Biotecnología, Genómica y Mejora Vegetal, IMIDA, C/Mayor, s/n, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Ana Pagán
- Departmento de Biotecnología, Genómica y Mejora Vegetal, IMIDA, C/Mayor, s/n, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain
| | - Vladimir Zhurov
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Stephen D Hudson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Jeffrey L Hutter
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Valerio Pruneri
- ICFO-Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860, Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignacio Pérez-Moreno
- Department of Agriculture and Food, University of La Rioja, C/Madre de Dios, 53, 26006, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - Vojislava Grbic'
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - José Luis Cenis
- Departmento de Biotecnología, Genómica y Mejora Vegetal, IMIDA, C/Mayor, s/n, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain
| | - Miodrag Grbic'
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada.
- Department of Agriculture and Food, University of La Rioja, C/Madre de Dios, 53, 26006, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain.
- Department of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
| | - Salvador Aznar-Cervantes
- Departmento de Biotecnología, Genómica y Mejora Vegetal, IMIDA, C/Mayor, s/n, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain
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30
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Riekel C, Burghammer M, Rosenthal M. Mesoscale structures in amorphous silks from a spider's orb-web. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18205. [PMID: 33097740 PMCID: PMC7584646 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74638-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Of the 7-8 silk fibers making up an orb-web only the hierarchical structural organization of semicrystalline radial fibers -composed of major ampullate silk- has been studied in detail, given its fascinating mechanical features. While major ampullate silk's nanofibrillar morphology is well established, knowhow on mesoscale (> 50-100 nm) assembly and its contribution to mechanical performance is limited. Much less is known on the hierarchical structural organization of other, generally less crystalline fibers contributing to an orb-webs' function. Here we show by scanning X-ray micro&nanodiffraction that two fully amorphous, fine silk fibers from the center of an orb-web have different mesoscale features. One of the fibers has a fibrillar composite structure resembling stiff egg case silk. The other fiber has a skin-core structure based on a nanofibrillar ribbon wound around a disordered core. A fraction of nanofibrils appears to have assembled into mesoscale fibrils. This fiber becomes readily attached to the coat of major ampullate silk fibers. We observe that a detached fiber has ripped out the glycoprotein skin-layer containing polyglycine II nanocrystallites. The anchoring of the fiber in the coat suggests that it could serve for strengthening the tension and cohesion of major ampullate silk fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Riekel
- The European Synchrotron, ESRF, CS40220, 38043, Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
| | - Manfred Burghammer
- The European Synchrotron, ESRF, CS40220, 38043, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Martin Rosenthal
- The European Synchrotron, ESRF, CS40220, 38043, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
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31
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Mu X, Fitzpatrick V, Kaplan DL. From Silk Spinning to 3D Printing: Polymer Manufacturing using Directed Hierarchical Molecular Assembly. Adv Healthc Mater 2020; 9:e1901552. [PMID: 32109007 PMCID: PMC7415583 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201901552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Silk spinning offers an evolution-based manufacturing strategy for industrial polymer manufacturing, yet remains largely inaccessible as the manufacturing mechanisms in biological and synthetic systems, especially at the molecular level, are fundamentally different. The appealing characteristics of silk spinning include the sustainable sourcing of the protein material, the all-aqueous processing into fibers, and the unique material properties of silks in various formats. Substantial progress has been made to mimic silk spinning in artificial manufacturing processes, despite the gap between natural and artificial systems. This report emphasizes the universal spinning conditions utilized by both spiders and silkworms to generate silk fibers in nature, as a scientific and technical framework for directing molecular assembly into high-performance structures. The preparation of regenerated silk feedstocks and mimicking native spinning conditions in artificial manufacturing are discussed, as is progress and challenges in fiber spinning and 3D printing of silk-composites. Silk spinning is a biomimetic model for advanced and sustainable artificial polymer manufacturing, offering benefits in biomedical applications for tissue scaffolds and implantable devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Mu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Vincent Fitzpatrick
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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32
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A marine photosynthetic microbial cell factory as a platform for spider silk production. Commun Biol 2020; 3:357. [PMID: 32641733 PMCID: PMC7343832 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-1099-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Photosynthetic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria, purple bacteria and microalgae have attracted great interest as promising platforms for economical and sustainable production of bioenergy, biochemicals, and biopolymers. Here, we demonstrate heterotrophic production of spider dragline silk proteins, major ampullate spidroins (MaSp), in a marine photosynthetic purple bacterium, Rhodovulum sulfidophilum, under both photoheterotrophic and photoautotrophic growth conditions. Spider silk is a biodegradable and biocompatible material with remarkable mechanical properties. R. sulfidophilum grow by utilizing abundant and renewable nonfood bioresources such as seawater, sunlight, and gaseous CO2 and N2, thus making this photosynthetic microbial cell factory a promising green and sustainable production platform for proteins and biopolymers, including spider silks. Foong et al. demonstrate production of spider dragline silk proteins in Rhodovulum sulfidophilum, a marine photosynthetic purple bacterium. This platform generates promise for the sustainable production of valuable biocompounds in photosynthetic organisms.
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33
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Li Y, Li J, Sun J, He H, Li B, Ma C, Liu K, Zhang H. Bioinspired and Mechanically Strong Fibers Based on Engineered Non‐Spider Chimeric Proteins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202002399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
| | - Jing Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
| | - Haonan He
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
| | - Bo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
| | - Chao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
| | - Kai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- Department of ChemistryTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- Department of ChemistryTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
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34
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Li Y, Li J, Sun J, He H, Li B, Ma C, Liu K, Zhang H. Bioinspired and Mechanically Strong Fibers Based on Engineered Non‐Spider Chimeric Proteins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:8148-8152. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202002399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
| | - Jing Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
| | - Haonan He
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
| | - Bo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
| | - Chao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
| | - Kai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- Department of ChemistryTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- Department of ChemistryTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
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35
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He H, Yang C, Wang F, Wei Z, Shen J, Chen D, Fan C, Zhang H, Liu K. Mechanically Strong Globular‐Protein‐Based Fibers Obtained Using a Microfluidic Spinning Technique. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201915262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Haonan He
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
| | - Chenjing Yang
- Institute of Process EquipmentCollege of energy engineeringZhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 China
| | - Fan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
| | - Zheng Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
| | - Jianlei Shen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringShanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Dong Chen
- Institute of Process EquipmentCollege of energy engineeringZhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 China
| | - Chunhai Fan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringShanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
- Department of ChemistryTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Kai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
- Department of ChemistryTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
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36
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He H, Yang C, Wang F, Wei Z, Shen J, Chen D, Fan C, Zhang H, Liu K. Mechanically Strong Globular‐Protein‐Based Fibers Obtained Using a Microfluidic Spinning Technique. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:4344-4348. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201915262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Haonan He
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
| | - Chenjing Yang
- Institute of Process EquipmentCollege of energy engineeringZhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 China
| | - Fan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
| | - Zheng Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
| | - Jianlei Shen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringShanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Dong Chen
- Institute of Process EquipmentCollege of energy engineeringZhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 China
| | - Chunhai Fan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringShanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
- Department of ChemistryTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Kai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource UtilizationChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of Sciences Changchun 130022 China
- University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China
- Department of ChemistryTsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
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37
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Sarkar A, Connor AJ, Koffas M, Zha RH. Chemical Synthesis of Silk-Mimetic Polymers. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 12:E4086. [PMID: 31817786 PMCID: PMC6947416 DOI: 10.3390/ma12244086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Silk is a naturally occurring high-performance material that can surpass man-made polymers in toughness and strength. The remarkable mechanical properties of silk result from the primary sequence of silk fibroin, which bears semblance to a linear segmented copolymer with alternating rigid ("crystalline") and flexible ("amorphous") blocks. Silk-mimetic polymers are therefore of great emerging interest, as they can potentially exhibit the advantageous features of natural silk while possessing synthetic flexibility as well as non-natural compositions. This review describes the relationships between primary sequence and material properties in natural silk fibroin and furthermore discusses chemical approaches towards the synthesis of silk-mimetic polymers. In particular, step-growth polymerization, controlled radical polymerization, and copolymerization with naturally derived silk fibroin are presented as strategies for synthesizing silk-mimetic polymers with varying molecular weights and degrees of sequence control. Strategies for improving macromolecular solubility during polymerization are also highlighted. Lastly, the relationships between synthetic approach, supramolecular structure, and bulk material properties are explored in this review, with the aim of providing an informative perspective on the challenges facing chemical synthesis of silk-mimetic polymers with desirable properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - R. Helen Zha
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (A.S.); (A.J.C.); (M.K.)
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38
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Asakura T, Okonogi M, Naito A. Toward Understanding the Silk Fiber Structure: 13C Solid-State NMR Studies of the Packing Structures of Alanine Oligomers before and after Trifluoroacetic Acid Treatment. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:6716-6727. [PMID: 31304756 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b04565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Polyalanine (poly-A) sequences with tightly packed antiparallel β sheet (AP-β) structures are frequently observed in silk fibers and serve as a key contributor to the exceptionally high-fiber tensile strength. In general, the poly-A sequence embedded in the amorphous glycine-rich regions has different lengths depending on the fiber type from spiders or wild silkworms. In this paper, the packing structures of AP-β alanine oligomers with different lengths were studied using 13C solid-state NMR as a model of the poly-A sequences. These included alanine oligomers with and without the protection groups (i.e., 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl and polyethylene glycol groups at the N- and C-terminals, respectively). The fractions of the packing structures as well as the conformations were determined by deconvolution analyses of the methyl NMR peaks. Trifluoroacetic acid was used to promote the staggered packing structures, and the line shapes changed significantly for oligomers without the protected groups but only slightly for oligomers with the protected groups. Through NMR analysis of the 3-13C singly labeled alanine heptamer and refined crystal structure of the staggered packing units, a possible mechanism of the staggered packing formation is proposed for the AP-β alanine heptamer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Asakura
- Department of Biotechnology , Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology , Koganei , Tokyo 184-8588 , Japan
| | - Michi Okonogi
- Department of Biotechnology , Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology , Koganei , Tokyo 184-8588 , Japan
| | - Akira Naito
- Department of Biotechnology , Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology , Koganei , Tokyo 184-8588 , Japan
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