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Zhu Z, Yan Z, Ni S, Yang H, Xie Y, Wang X, Zou D, Tao C, Jiang W, Jiang J, Su Z, Xia Y, Zhou Z, Sun L, Fan C, Tao TH, Wei X, Qian Y, Liu K. Tissue/Organ Adaptable Bioelectronic Silk-Based Implants. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2405892. [PMID: 39036824 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202405892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Implantable bioelectronic devices, designed for both monitoring and modulating living organisms, require functional and biological adaptability. Pure silk is innovatively employed, which is known for its excellent biocompatibility, to engineer water-triggered, geometrically reconfigurable membranes, on which functions can be integrated by Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) techniques and specially functionalized silk. These devices can undergo programmed shape deformations within 10 min once triggered by water, and thus establishing stable bioelectronic interfaces with natively fitted geometries. As a testament to the applicability of this approach, a twining peripheral nerve electrode is designed, fabricated, and rigorously tested, demonstrating its efficacy in nerve modulation while ensuring biocompatibility for successful implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
- School of Graduate Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 East Yanqi Lake Rd., Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Zhiwen Yan
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200233, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Orthopaedic Material Innovation and Tissue Regeneration, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Siyuan Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
- School of Graduate Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 East Yanqi Lake Rd., Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Huiran Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
| | - Yating Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
- ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Rd., Shanghai, 200120, China
| | - Xueying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
- School of Graduate Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 East Yanqi Lake Rd., Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Dujuan Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
- School of Graduate Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 East Yanqi Lake Rd., Beijing, 101408, China
- 2020 X-Lab, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1455 Pingcheng Rd., Shanghai, 201800, China
| | - Chen Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
- ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Rd., Shanghai, 200120, China
| | - Wanqi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
- School of Graduate Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 East Yanqi Lake Rd., Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Jianbo Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
- School of Graduate Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 East Yanqi Lake Rd., Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Zexi Su
- School of Graduate Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 East Yanqi Lake Rd., Beijing, 101408, China
- 2020 X-Lab, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1455 Pingcheng Rd., Shanghai, 201800, China
| | - Yuxin Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
| | - Zhitao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
- School of Graduate Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 East Yanqi Lake Rd., Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Liuyang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
- School of Graduate Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 East Yanqi Lake Rd., Beijing, 101408, China
- 2020 X-Lab, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1455 Pingcheng Rd., Shanghai, 201800, China
| | - Cunyi Fan
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200233, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Orthopaedic Material Innovation and Tissue Regeneration, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Tiger H Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
- School of Graduate Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 East Yanqi Lake Rd., Beijing, 101408, China
- ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Rd., Shanghai, 200120, China
- 2020 X-Lab, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1455 Pingcheng Rd., Shanghai, 201800, China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Zhuhai, 519031, China
- Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Translational Research, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Xiaoling Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
- School of Graduate Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 East Yanqi Lake Rd., Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Yun Qian
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200233, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Orthopaedic Material Innovation and Tissue Regeneration, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Keyin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 865 Changning Rd., Shanghai, 200050, China
- School of Graduate Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 East Yanqi Lake Rd., Beijing, 101408, China
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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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3
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Nakamura H, Kono N, Mori M, Masunaga H, Numata K, Arakawa K. Composition of Minor Ampullate Silk Makes Its Properties Different from Those of Major Ampullate Silk. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:2042-2051. [PMID: 37002945 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Spider's minor ampullate silk, or MI-silk, exhibits distinct mechanical properties and water resistance compared to its major ampullate counterpart (MA-silk). The principal protein constituent of MI-silk is known as minor ampullate spidroin, or MiSp, and while its sequence has been deciphered and is thought to underlie the differences in properties with MA-silk, the composition of MI-silk and the relationship between its composition and properties remain elusive. In this study, we set out to investigate the mechanical properties, water resistance, and proteome of MA-silk and MI-silk from Araneus ventricosus and Trichonephila clavata. We also synthesized artificial fibers from major ampullate spidroin, MaSp1 and 2, and MiSp to compare their properties. Our proteomic analysis reveals that the MI-silk of both araneids is composed of MiSp, MaSp1, and spidroin constituting elements (SpiCEs). The absence of MaSp2 in the MI-silk proteome and the comparison of the water resistance of artificial fibers suggest that the presence of MaSp2 is the reason for the disparity in water resistance between MI-silk and MA-silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Nakamura
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan
- Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
- Spiber Inc., 234-1 Mizukami, Kakuganji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0052, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Kono
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan
- Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
| | - Masaru Mori
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan
- Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
| | - Hiroyasu Masunaga
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Kazuharu Arakawa
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan
- Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
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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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5
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Exploration of the protein conformation and mechanical properties of different spider silks. J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.133933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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6
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Asakura T, Matsuda H, Aoki A, Naito A. Acetylation and hydration treatment of recombinant spider silk fiber, and their characterization using 13C NMR spectroscopy. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.124605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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7
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Li J, Zhu Y, Yu H, Dai B, Jun YS, Zhang F. Microbially Synthesized Polymeric Amyloid Fiber Promotes β-Nanocrystal Formation and Displays Gigapascal Tensile Strength. ACS NANO 2021; 15:11843-11853. [PMID: 34251182 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c02944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The ability of amyloid proteins to form stable β-sheet nanofibrils has made them potential candidates for material innovation in nanotechnology. However, such a nanoscale feature has rarely translated into attractive macroscopic properties for mechanically demanding applications. Here, we present a strategy by fusing amyloid peptides with flexible linkers from spidroin; the resulting polymeric amyloid proteins can be biosynthesized using engineered microbes and wet-spun into macroscopic fibers. Using this strategy, fibers from three different amyloid groups were fabricated. Structural analyses unveil the presence of β-nanocrystals that resemble the cross-β structure of amyloid nanofibrils. These polymeric amyloid fibers have displayed strong and molecular-weight-dependent mechanical properties. Fibers made of a protein polymer containing 128 repeats of the FGAILSS sequence displayed an average ultimate tensile strength of 0.98 ± 0.08 GPa and an average toughness of 161 ± 26 MJ/m3, surpassing most recombinant protein fibers and even some natural spider silk fibers. The design strategy and the biosynthetic approach can be expanded to create numerous functional materials, and the macroscopic amyloid fibers will enable a wide range of mechanically demanding applications.
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Greco G, Pugno NM. How spiders hunt heavy prey: the tangle web as a pulley and spider's lifting mechanics observed and quantified in the laboratory. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20200907. [PMID: 33530858 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The spiders of Theridiidae's family display a peculiar behaviour when they hunt extremely large prey. They lift the quarry, making it unable to escape, by attaching pre-tensioned silk threads to it. In this work, we analysed for the first time in the laboratory the lifting hunting mechanism and, in order to quantify the phenomenon, we applied the lifting mechanics theory. The comparison between the experiments and the theory suggests that, during the process, spiders do not stretch the silk too much by keeping it in the linear elastic regime. We thus report here further evidence for the strong role of silk in spiders' evolution, especially how spiders can stretch and use it as an external tool to overcome their muscles' limits and capture prey with large mass, e.g. 50 times the spider's mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Greco
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired, Bionic, Nano, Meta Materials and Mechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Nicola M Pugno
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired, Bionic, Nano, Meta Materials and Mechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, 38123 Trento, Italy.,School of Engineering and Material Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
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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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10
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Dong Q, Fang G, Huang Y, Hu L, Yao J, Shao Z, Ling S, Chen X. Effect of stress on the molecular structure and mechanical properties of supercontracted spider dragline silks. J Mater Chem B 2020; 8:168-176. [PMID: 31789330 DOI: 10.1039/c9tb02032b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Supercontraction is one of the most interesting properties of spider dragline silks. In this study, changes in the secondary structures of the Nephila edulis spider dragline silk after it was subjected to different supercontraction processes were investigated by integrating synchrotron Fourier transform infrared (S-FTIR) microspectroscopy and mechanical characterization. The results showed that after free supercontraction, the β-sheet lost most of its orientation, while the helix and random coils were almost totally disordered. Interestingly, by conducting different types of supercontractions (i.e., stretching of the free supercontracted spider dragline silk to its original length or performing constrained supercontraction), it was found that although the molecular structures all changed after supercontraction, the mechanical properties almost remained unchanged when the length of the spider dragline silk did not change significantly. The other interesting conclusion obtained is that the manual stretching of a poorly oriented spider dragline silk cannot selectively improve the orientation degree of the β-sheet in the spider silk, but increase the orientation degree of all conformations (β-sheet, helix, and random). These experimental findings not only help to unveil the structure-property-function relationship of natural spider silks, but also provide a useful guideline for the design of biomimetic spider fiber materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinglin Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
| | - Guangqiang Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yufang Huang
- Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Linli Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, 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, 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, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shengjie Ling
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
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11
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Garb JE, Haney RA, Schwager EE, Gregorič M, Kuntner M, Agnarsson I, Blackledge TA. The transcriptome of Darwin's bark spider silk glands predicts proteins contributing to dragline silk toughness. Commun Biol 2019; 2:275. [PMID: 31372514 PMCID: PMC6658490 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0496-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Darwin's bark spider (Caerostris darwini) produces giant orb webs from dragline silk that can be twice as tough as other silks, making it the toughest biological material. This extreme toughness comes from increased extensibility relative to other draglines. We show C. darwini dragline-producing major ampullate (MA) glands highly express a novel silk gene transcript (MaSp4) encoding a protein that diverges markedly from closely related proteins and contains abundant proline, known to confer silk extensibility, in a unique GPGPQ amino acid motif. This suggests C. darwini evolved distinct proteins that may have increased its dragline's toughness, enabling giant webs. Caerostris darwini's MA spinning ducts also appear unusually long, potentially facilitating alignment of silk proteins into extremely tough fibers. Thus, a suite of novel traits from the level of genes to spinning physiology to silk biomechanics are associated with the unique ecology of Darwin's bark spider, presenting innovative designs for engineering biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E. Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Olsen Hall 414, Lowell, MA 01854 USA
| | - Robert A. Haney
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Olsen Hall 414, Lowell, MA 01854 USA
| | - Evelyn E. Schwager
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Olsen Hall 414, Lowell, MA 01854 USA
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute Jovan Hadži ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, P.O. Box 306, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Biological Institute Jovan Hadži ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, P.O. Box 306, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405 USA
| | - Todd A. Blackledge
- Integrated Bioscience Program, Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325 USA
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McGill M, Holland GP, Kaplan DL. Experimental Methods for Characterizing the Secondary Structure and Thermal Properties of Silk Proteins. Macromol Rapid Commun 2019; 40:e1800390. [PMID: 30073740 PMCID: PMC6425979 DOI: 10.1002/marc.201800390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2018] [Revised: 06/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Silk proteins are biopolymers produced by spinning organisms that have been studied extensively for applications in materials engineering, regenerative medicine, and devices due to their high tensile strength and extensibility. This remarkable combination of mechanical properties arises from their unique semi-crystalline secondary structure and block copolymer features. The secondary structure of silks is highly sensitive to processing, and can be manipulated to achieve a wide array of material profiles. Studying the secondary structure of silks is therefore critical to understanding the relationship between structure and function, the strength and stability of silk-based materials, and the natural fiber synthesis process employed by spinning organisms. However, silks present unique challenges to structural characterization due to high-molecular-weight protein chains, repetitive sequences, and heterogeneity in intra- and interchain domain sizes. Here, experimental techniques used to study the secondary structure of silks, the information attainable from these techniques, and the limitations associated with them are reviewed. Ultimately, the appropriate utilization of a suite of techniques discussed here will enable detailed characterization of silk-based materials, from studying fundamental processing-structure-function relationships to developing commercially useful quality control assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan McGill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Gregory P. Holland
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-1030, USA
| | - David L. Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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13
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Mohammadi P, Aranko AS, Lemetti L, Cenev Z, Zhou Q, Virtanen S, Landowski CP, Penttilä M, Fischer WJ, Wagermaier W, Linder MB. Phase transitions as intermediate steps in the formation of molecularly engineered protein fibers. Commun Biol 2018; 1:86. [PMID: 30271967 PMCID: PMC6123624 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0090-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A central concept in molecular bioscience is how structure formation at different length scales is achieved. Here we use spider silk protein as a model to design new recombinant proteins that assemble into fibers. We made proteins with a three-block architecture with folded globular domains at each terminus of a truncated repetitive silk sequence. Aqueous solutions of these engineered proteins undergo liquid-liquid phase separation as an essential pre-assembly step before fibers can form by drawing in air. We show that two different forms of phase separation occur depending on solution conditions, but only one form leads to fiber assembly. Structural variants with one-block or two-block architectures do not lead to fibers. Fibers show strong adhesion to surfaces and self-fusing properties when placed into contact with each other. Our results show a link between protein architecture and phase separation behavior suggesting a general approach for understanding protein assembly from dilute solutions into functional structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pezhman Mohammadi
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland.
| | - A Sesilja Aranko
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | - Laura Lemetti
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | - Zoran Cenev
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, School of Electrical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | - Quan Zhou
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, School of Electrical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | - Salla Virtanen
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | | | - Merja Penttilä
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | | | - Wolfgang Wagermaier
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Markus B Linder
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland.
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14
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Hoffmann B, Gruat-Henry C, Mulinti P, Jiang L, Brooks BD, Brooks AE. Using hydrodynamic focusing to predictably alter the diameter of synthetic silk fibers. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195522. [PMID: 29649239 PMCID: PMC5896967 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Spiders and silkworms provide a model of superior processing for multifunctional and highly versatile high-performance fibers. Mimicking the spider's complex control system for chemical and mechanical gradients has remained an ongoing obstacle for synthetic silk production. In this study, the use of hydrodynamic fluid focusing within a 3D printed biomimetic spinning system to recapitulate the biological spinneret is explored and shown to produce predictable, small diameter fibers. Mirroring in silico fluid flow simulations using a hydrodynamic microfluidic spinning technique, we have developed a model correlating spinning rates, solution viscosity and fiber diameter outputs that will significantly advance the field of synthetic silk fiber production. The use of hydrodynamic focusing to produce controlled output fiber diameter simulates the natural silk spinning process and continues to build upon a 3D printed biomimetic spinning platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley Hoffmann
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Catherine Gruat-Henry
- Department of Electrical Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Pranothi Mulinti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Long Jiang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Benjamin D. Brooks
- Department of Electrical Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Amanda E. Brooks
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
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15
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Dionne J, Lefèvre T, Bilodeau P, Lamarre M, Auger M. A quantitative analysis of the supercontraction-induced molecular disorientation of major ampullate spider silk. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 19:31487-31498. [PMID: 29159351 DOI: 10.1039/c7cp05739c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Spider silks exhibit remarkable properties, among which the so-called supercontraction, a physical phenomenon by which fibers undergo a longitudinal shrinkage and a radial swelling when exposed to water. The process is marked by a significant decrease in chain orientation resulting from plasticisation of the amorphous phase. Despite several studies that determined the Hermans orientation function, more quantitative data are required to be able to describe theoretically the macroscopic water-induced shrinkage from molecular reorganization. Here, we have examined the supercontraction of the major ampullate silk single fibers of Nephila clavipes (Nc) and Araneus diadematus (Ad) using polarized Raman spectromicroscopy. We determined the order parameters, the orientation distribution and the secondary structure content. Our data suggest that supercontraction induces a slight increase in β-sheet content, consistently with previous works. The β-sheet orientation is slightly affected by supercontraction compared to that of the amorphous phase, which becomes almost isotropic with shrinkage. Despite an initially lower orientation level, the Ad fiber shows a larger orientation decrease than Nc, consistently with its higher shrinkage amplitude. Although they share similar trends, absolute values of the orientation parameters from this work differ from those found in the literature. We took advantage of having determined the distribution of orientation to estimate the amplitude of shrinkage from changes in macromolecular size resulting from molecular disorientation. Our calculations show that more realistic models are needed to correlate molecular reorientation/refolding to macroscopic shrinkage. This work also underlines that more accurate data relative to molecular orientation are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Dionne
- Département de chimie, Regroupement québécois de Recherche sur la Fonction, l'Ingénierie et les Applications des Protéines (PROTEO), Centre de Recherche sur les Matériaux Avancés (CERMA), Centre Québécois sur les Matériaux Fonctionnels (CQMF), Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
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16
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Orientational Mapping Augmented Sub-Wavelength Hyper-Spectral Imaging of Silk. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7419. [PMID: 28785090 PMCID: PMC5547124 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07502-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular alignment underpins optical, mechanical, and thermal properties of materials, however, its direct measurement from volumes with micrometer dimensions is not accessible, especially, for structurally complex bio-materials. How the molecular alignment is linked to extraordinary properties of silk and its amorphous-crystalline composition has to be accessed by a direct measurement from a single silk fiber. Here, we show orientation mapping of the internal silk fiber structure via polarisation-dependent IR absorbance at high spatial resolution of 4.2 μm and 1.9 μm in a hyper-spectral IR imaging by attenuated total reflection using synchrotron radiation in the spectral fingerprint region around 6 μm wavelength. Free-standing longitudinal micro-slices of silk fibers, thinner than the fiber cross section, were prepared by microtome for the four polarization method to directly measure the orientational sensitivity of absorbance in the molecular fingerprint spectral window of the amide bands of β-sheet polypeptides of silk. Microtomed lateral slices of silk fibers, which may avoid possible artefacts that affect spectroscopic measurements with fibers of an elliptical cross sections were used in the study. Amorphisation of silk by ultra-short laser single-pulse exposure is demonstrated.
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17
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Chaw RC, Arensburger P, Clarke TH, Ayoub NA, Hayashi CY. Candidate egg case silk genes for the spider Argiope argentata from differential gene expression analyses. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 25:757-768. [PMID: 27500384 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Orb-web weaving spiders produce a variety of task-specific silks from specialized silk glands. The genetics underlying the synthesis of specific silk types are largely unknown, and transcriptome analysis could be a powerful approach for identifying candidate genes. However, de novo assembly and expression profiling of silk glands with RNA-sequencing (RNAseq) are problematic because the few known gene transcripts for silk proteins are extremely long and highly repetitive. To identify candidate genes for tubuliform (egg case) silk synthesis by the orb-weaver Argiope argentata (Araneidae), we estimated transcript abundance using two sequencing methods: RNAseq reads from throughout the length of mRNA molecules, and 3' digital gene expression reads from the 3' region of mRNA molecules. Both analyses identified similar sets of genes as differentially expressed when comparing tubuliform and nonsilk gland tissue. However, incompletely assembled silk gene transcripts were identified as differentially expressed because of RNAseq read alignments to highly repetitive regions, confounding interpretation of RNAseq results. Homologues of egg case silk protein (ECP) genes were upregulated in tubuliform glands. This discovery is the first description of ECP homologues in an araneid. We also propose additional candidate genes involved in synthesis of tubuliform or other silk types.
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Chaw
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - P Arensburger
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - T H Clarke
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
- Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA, USA
| | - N A Ayoub
- Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA, USA
| | - C Y Hayashi
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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18
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Fang G, Sapru S, Behera S, Yao J, Shao Z, Kundu SC, Chen X. Exploration of the tight structural-mechanical relationship in mulberry and non-mulberry silkworm silks. J Mater Chem B 2016; 4:4337-4347. [PMID: 32263416 DOI: 10.1039/c6tb01049k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The Bombyx mori silkworm is well known as it has been bred by our ancestors with mulberry tree leaves for thousands of years. However, Bombyx mori is not the only silkworm that can produce silk, many other kinds of silkworms can also make silks for commercial use. In this research, we compare the mechanical properties of five different commercial silk fibres including domesticated mulberry Bombyx mori, non-mulberry semi-domesticated eri Samia ricini, and wild tropical tasar Antheraea mylitta and muga Antheraea assamensis. The results demonstrate that the non-mulberry silk fibres have a relatively high extensibility as compared to the mulberry silk fibres. In the meantime, the non-mulberry silk fibres show comparatively unique toughness to the mulberry silk fibres. Synchrotron radiation FTIR microspectroscopy, synchrotron radiation wide angle X-ray diffraction, and Raman dichroism spectroscopy are used to analyze the structural differences among the five species of silk fibres comprehensively. The results clearly show that the mechanical properties of both mulberry and non-mulberry silk fibres are closely related to their structures, such as β-sheet content, crystallinity, and the molecular orientation along the fibre axis. This study aims to understand the differences in the structural and mechanical properties of different mulberry and non-mulberry silk fibres, which are of importance to the related research on understanding and utilizing the non-mulberry silk as a biomaterial. We believe these investigations not only provide insight into the biology of silk fibroins from the non-mulberry silkworms but also offer guidelines for further biomimetic investigations into the design and manufacture of artificial silk protein fibres with novel morphologies and associated material properties for future use in different fields like bioelectronics, biomaterials and biomedical devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangqiang Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Collaborative Innovation Center of Polymers and Polymer Composite Materials, Department of Macromolecular Science, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
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19
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Influence of Sodium Bisulfite and Lithium Bromide Solutions on the Shape Fixation of Camel Guard Hairs in Slenderization Process. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 2016. [DOI: 10.1155/2016/4803254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Outstanding performance of natural camel hair has attracted much attention on the effective use of such specialty fiber to apparel textiles. In this paper, sodium bisulfide (SB) and lithium bromide (LB) solutions were used to process the camel guard hair before its slenderization. It is found that camel guard hair processed by SB solution shows the highest breaking elongation (~140%) due to the breakage of disulfide bonds (reflected by Raman spectra). LB ions result in the disruption of hair crystalline phase with slight benefit to the slenderization (determined by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry). IR spectra indicate that hydrogen bonds of camel guard hair act as fixation switch in the programmed tensile test. It is discovered that guard hair reveals the best water-induced shape memory with 90% of stretching shape recovery, whereas the value remained to be 70% and 60% for hair processed by LB and SB solutions after breaking partial crystalline phase and disulfide cross-links separately (polymer net-points). The poorer shape memory of processed guard hair benefits its slenderization for more stable fixation of stretched length.
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