1
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Wang K, Pan Q, Li X, Zhao Z, Zan X, Wang C. Dimerization and liquid-liquid phase separation of the nonrepetitive domains of pyriform spidroin 1 controls the pyriform silk formation. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 277:134280. [PMID: 39084421 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.134280] [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: 06/01/2024] [Revised: 07/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Spiders spin high performance silks with diverse mechanical properties for specific biological functions. Of these spider silk types, pyriform silk stands out as a unique combination of wet glue and dry fibers. Investigation of self-assembly process of spider silk proteins is necessary for elucidating the silk formation mechanism. However, the functions of nonrepetitive domains in the silk formation of pyriform spidroins from liquid proteins to solid fibers are still unclear, making it difficult to achieve efficient biomimetic preparations of pyriform silk with good mechanical properties. In this study, we investigate the roles of the N-linker repeat (NLR) and both terminal domains of pyriform spidroin 1 (PySp1) in the silk formation. We demonstrate for the first time that the PySp1 NLR alone is sufficient to self-assemble into high strength fibers. Moreover, we showed that the ability to promote the pyriform silk formation by the addition of the NLR. We also found that the pH-sensitive dimerization property for N-terminal domain and the liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) coupled with acidification triggers the self-assembly mediated by the C-terminal domain. Overall, our results provide new insight into the role of nonrepetitive domains in the pyriform silk formation mechanism and the basis for producing new protein-based materials derived from spider pyriform silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangkang Wang
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China; Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 317099, China
| | - Qixian Pan
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
| | - Xue Li
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
| | - Zhenzhou Zhao
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
| | - Xingjie Zan
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China.
| | - Cheng Wang
- Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 317099, China.
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2
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Sonavane S, Hassan S, Chatterjee U, Soler L, Holm L, Mollbrink A, Greco G, Fereydouni N, Vinnere Pettersson O, Bunikis I, Churcher A, Lantz H, Johansson J, Reimegård J, Rising A. Origin, structure, and composition of the spider major ampullate silk fiber revealed by genomics, proteomics, and single-cell and spatial transcriptomics. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn0597. [PMID: 39141739 PMCID: PMC11323941 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn0597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Spiders produce nature's toughest fiber using renewable components at ambient temperatures and with water as solvent, making it highly interesting to replicate for the materials industry. Despite this, much remains to be understood about the bioprocessing and composition of spider silk fibers. Here, we identify 18 proteins that make up the spiders' strongest silk type, the major ampullate fiber. Single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics revealed that the secretory epithelium of the gland harbors six cell types. These cell types are confined to three distinct glandular zones that produce specific combinations of silk proteins. Image analysis of histological sections showed that the secretions from the three zones do not mix, and proteomics analysis revealed that these secretions form layers in the final fiber. Using a multi-omics approach, we provide substantial advancements in the understanding of the structure and function of the major ampullate silk gland as well as of the architecture and composition of the fiber it produces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumalata Sonavane
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sameer Hassan
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Urmimala Chatterjee
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Lucile Soler
- National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lena Holm
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Annelie Mollbrink
- Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SciLifeLab, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gabriele Greco
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Noah Fereydouni
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Olga Vinnere Pettersson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, National Genomics Infrastructure, SciLifeLab, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ignas Bunikis
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, National Genomics Infrastructure, SciLifeLab, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Allison Churcher
- Department of Molecular Biology, NBIS, SciLifeLab, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Henrik Lantz
- National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Johan Reimegård
- National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Huddinge, Sweden
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3
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Leppert A, Feng J, Railaite V, Bohn Pessatti T, Cerrato CP, Mörman C, Osterholz H, Lane DP, Maia FRNC, Linder MB, Rising A, Landreh M. Controlling Drug Partitioning in Individual Protein Condensates through Laser-Induced Microscale Phase Transitions. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:19555-19565. [PMID: 38963823 PMCID: PMC11258780 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c06688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Gelation of protein condensates formed by liquid-liquid phase separation occurs in a wide range of biological contexts, from the assembly of biomaterials to the formation of fibrillar aggregates, and is therefore of interest for biomedical applications. Soluble-to-gel (sol-gel) transitions are controlled through macroscopic processes such as changes in temperature or buffer composition, resulting in bulk conversion of liquid droplets into microgels within minutes to hours. Using microscopy and mass spectrometry, we show that condensates of an engineered mini-spidroin (NT2repCTYF) undergo a spontaneous sol-gel transition resulting in the loss of exchange of proteins between the soluble and the condensed phase. This feature enables us to specifically trap a silk-domain-tagged target protein in the spidroin microgels. Surprisingly, laser pulses trigger near-instant gelation. By loading the condensates with fluorescent dyes or drugs, we can control the wavelength at which gelation is triggered. Fluorescence microscopy reveals that laser-induced gelation significantly further increases the partitioning of the fluorescent molecules into the condensates. In summary, our findings demonstrate direct control of phase transitions in individual condensates, opening new avenues for functional and structural characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Leppert
- Department
of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, S-75124 Uppsala, Sweden
- Department
of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Jianhui Feng
- Bioproducts
and Biosystems, Aalto University, Fi-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Vaida Railaite
- Department
of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Tomas Bohn Pessatti
- Department
of Anatomy Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Carmine P. Cerrato
- Department
of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Mörman
- Department
of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska
Institutet, S-14157 Huddinge, Sweden
- Department
of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer
Institute, 5232 Villingen, Switzerland
| | - Hannah Osterholz
- Department
of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, S-75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - David P. Lane
- Department
of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Filipe R. N. C. Maia
- Department
of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, S-75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Markus B. Linder
- Bioproducts
and Biosystems, Aalto University, Fi-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Anna Rising
- Department
of Anatomy Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
- Department
of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska
Institutet, S-14157 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Michael Landreh
- Department
of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, S-75124 Uppsala, Sweden
- Department
of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17165 Solna, Sweden
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4
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Shi R, Lu W, Yang J, Ma S, Wang A, Sun L, Xia Q, Zhao P. Ectopic expression of BmeryCA in Bombyx mori increases silk yield and mechanical properties by altering the pH of posterior silk gland. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 271:132695. [PMID: 38810858 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132695] [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: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The silk glands are the specialized tissue where silk protein synthesis, secretion, and conformational transitions take place, with pH playing a critical role in both silk protein synthesis and fiber formation. In the present study, we have identified erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase (BmeryCA) belonging to the α-CA class in the silk gland, which is a Zn2+ dependent metalloenzyme capable of efficiently and reversibly catalyzing the hydrated reaction of CO2 to HCO3-, thus participating in the regulation of acid-base balance. Multiple sequence alignments revealed that the active site of BmeryCA was highly conserved. Tissue expression profiling showed that BmeryCA had relatively high expression levels in hemolymph and epidermis but is barely expressed in the posterior silk gland (PSG). By specifically overexpressing BmeryCA in the PSG, we generated transgenic silkworms. Ion-selective microelectrode (ISM) measurements demonstrated that specifically overexpression of BmeryCA in the PSG led to a shift in pH from weakly alkaline to slightly neutral conditions. Moreover, the resultant PSG-specific BmeryCA overexpression mutant strain displayed a significant increase in both silk yield and silk fiber mechanical properties. Our research provided new insights into enhancing silk yield and improving the mechanical properties of silk fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Run Shi
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wei Lu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jie Yang
- 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
| | - Aoming Wang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Le Sun
- 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
| | - Ping Zhao
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
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5
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Li J, Yang GZ, Li X, Tan HL, Wong ZW, Jiang S, Yang D. Nanoassembly of spider silk protein mediated by intrinsically disordered regions. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 271:132438. [PMID: 38761906 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132438] [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: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Spider silk is the self-assembling product of silk proteins each containing multiple repeating units. Each repeating unit is entirely intrinsically disordered or contains a small disordered domain. The role of the disordered domain/unit in conferring silk protein storage and self-assembly is not fully understood yet. Here, we used biophysical and biochemical techniques to investigate the self-assembly of a miniature version of a minor ampullate spidroin (denoted as miniMiSp). miniMiSp consists of two identical intrinsically disordered domains, one folded repetitive domain, and two folded terminal domains. Our data indicated that miniMiSp self-assembles into oligomers and further into liquid droplets. The oligomerization is attributed to the aggregation-prone property of both the disordered domains and the folded repetitive domain. Our results support the model of micellar structure for silk proteins at high protein concentrations. The disordered domain is indispensable for liquid droplet formation via liquid-liquid phase separation, and tyrosine residues located in the disordered domain make dominant contributions to stability of the liquid droplets. As the same tyrosine residues are also critical to fibrillation, the liquid droplets are likely an intermediate state between the solution state and the fiber state. Additionally, the terminal domains contribute to the pH- and salt-dependent self-assembly properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Gabriel Z Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Hao Lei Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Zhi Wei Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Shimin Jiang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Daiwen Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
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6
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De Oliveira DH, Gowda V, Sparrman T, Gustafsson L, Sanches Pires R, Riekel C, Barth A, Lendel C, Hedhammar M. Structural conversion of the spidroin C-terminal domain during assembly of spider silk fibers. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4670. [PMID: 38821983 PMCID: PMC11143275 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49111-5] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The major ampullate Spidroin 1 (MaSp1) is the main protein of the dragline spider silk. The C-terminal (CT) domain of MaSp1 is crucial for the self-assembly into fibers but the details of how it contributes to the fiber formation remain unsolved. Here we exploit the fact that the CT domain can form silk-like fibers by itself to gain knowledge about this transition. Structural investigations of fibers from recombinantly produced CT domain from E. australis MaSp1 reveal an α-helix to β-sheet transition upon fiber formation and highlight the helix No4 segment as most likely to initiate the structural conversion. This prediction is corroborated by the finding that a peptide corresponding to helix No4 has the ability of pH-induced conversion into β-sheets and self-assembly into nanofibrils. Our results provide structural information about the CT domain in fiber form and clues about its role in triggering the structural conversion of spidroins during fiber assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Hirabae De Oliveira
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vasantha Gowda
- Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Linnea Gustafsson
- Spiber Technologies AB, Roslagstullsbacken 15, 114 21, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Christian Riekel
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, B.P. 220, F-38043, Grenoble Cedex, France
| | - Andreas Barth
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christofer Lendel
- Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - My Hedhammar
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm, Sweden.
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7
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Song K, Wang Y, Dong W, Li Z, Xia Q, Zhu P, He H. Decoding silkworm spinning programmed by pH and metal ions. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2024; 69:792-802. [PMID: 38245448 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.12.050] [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: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Silk is one of the toughest fibrous materials known despite spun at ambient temperature and pressure with water as a solvent. It is a great challenge to reproduce high-performance artificial fibers comparable to natural silk by bionic for the incomplete understanding of silkworm spinning in vivo. Here, we found that amphipol and digitonin stabilized the structure of natural silk fibroin (NSF) by a large-scale screening in vitro, and then studied the close-to-native ultrastructure and hierarchical assembly of NSF in the silk gland lumen. Our study showed that NSF formed reversible flexible nanofibrils mainly composed of random coils with a sedimentation coefficient of 5.8 S and a diameter of about 4 nm, rather than a micellar or rod-like structure assembled by the aggregation of globular NSF molecules. Metal ions were required for NSF nanofibril formation. The successive pH decrease from posterior silk gland (PSG) to anterior silk gland (ASG) resulted in a gradual increase in NSF hydrophobicity, thus inducing the sol-gelation transition of NSF nanofibrils. NSF nanofibrils were randomly dispersed from PSG to ASG-1, and self-assembled into anisotropic herringbone patterns at ASG-2 near the spinneret ready for silkworm spinning. Our findings reveal the controlled self-assembly mechanism of the multi-scale hierarchical architecture of NSF from nanofibrils to herringbone patterns programmed by metal ions and pH gradient, which provides novel insights into the spinning mechanism of silk-secreting animals and bioinspired design of high-performance fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Song
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yejing Wang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Wenjie Dong
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhenzhen Li
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, 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 Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Ping Zhu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Huawei He
- 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 Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Soft-Matter Material Chemistry and Function Manufacturing, Chongqing 400715, China.
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8
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Mi J, Li X, Niu S, Zhou X, Lu Y, Yang Y, Sun Y, Meng Q. High-strength and ultra-tough supramolecular polyamide spider silk fibers assembled via specific covalent and reversible hydrogen bonds. Acta Biomater 2024; 176:190-200. [PMID: 38199426 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.01.004] [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: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Achieving ultra-high tensile strength and exceptional toughness is a longstanding goal for structural materials. However, previous attempts using covalent and non-covalent bonds have failed, leading to the belief that these two properties are mutually exclusive. Consequently, commercial fibers have been forced to compromise between tensile strength and toughness, as seen in the differences between nylon and Kevlar. To address this challenge, we drew inspiration from the disparate tensile strength and toughness of nylon and Kevlar, both of which are polyamide fibers, and developed an innovative approach that combines specific intermolecular disulfide bonds and reversible hydrogen bonds to create ultra-strong and ultra-tough polyamide spider silk fibers. Our resulting Supramolecular polyamide spider silk, which has a maximum molecular weight of 1084 kDa, exhibits high tensile strength (1180 MPa) and extraordinary toughness (433 MJ/m3), surpassing Kevlar's toughness 8-fold. This breakthrough presents a new opportunity for the sustainable development of spider silk as an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic commercial fibers, as spider silk is composed of amino acids. Future research could explore the use of these techniques and fundamental knowledge to develop other super materials in various mechanical fields, with the potential to improve people's lives in many ways. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: • By emulating synthetic commercial fibers such as nylon and polyethylene, we have successfully produced supramolecular-weight polyamide spider silk fibers with a molecular weight of 1084 kDa through a unique covalent bond-mediated linear polymerization reaction of spider silk protein molecules. This greatly surpasses the previous record of a maximum molecular weight of 556 kDa. • We obtained supramolecular polyamide spider silk fibers with both high-tensile strength and toughness. The stress at break is 1180 MPa, and the toughness is 8 times that of kevlar, reaching 433 MJ/m3. • Our results challenge the notion that it is impossible to manufacture fibers with both ultra-high tensile strength and ultra-toughness, and provide theoretical guidance for developing environmentally friendly and sustainable structural materials that meet industrial needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junpeng Mi
- College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore,14 Science Drive 4 117543, Singapore
| | - Shiwei Niu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Science and Technology Achievement Incubation Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Xingping Zhou
- College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
| | - Yihang Lu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Yuchen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Yuan Sun
- College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Qing Meng
- College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China; College of Life and Geographic Sciences, Kashi University, Xin Jiang 844006, China.
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9
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Peng X, Liu Z, Gao J, Zhang Y, Wang H, Li C, Lv X, Gao Y, Deng H, Zhao B, Gao T, Li H. Influence of Spider Silk Protein Structure on Mechanical and Biological Properties for Energetic Material Detection. Molecules 2024; 29:1025. [PMID: 38474537 PMCID: PMC10934110 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29051025] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Spider silk protein, renowned for its excellent mechanical properties, biodegradability, chemical stability, and low immune and inflammatory response activation, consists of a core domain with a repeat sequence and non-repeating sequences at the N-terminal and C-terminal. In this review, we focus on the relationship between the silk structure and its mechanical properties, exploring the potential applications of spider silk materials in the detection of energetic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinying Peng
- Toxicology Research Center, Institute for Hygiene of Ordnance Industry, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China (Z.L.)
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Biological Effects, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China
| | - Zhiyong Liu
- Toxicology Research Center, Institute for Hygiene of Ordnance Industry, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China (Z.L.)
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Biological Effects, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China
| | - Junhong Gao
- Toxicology Research Center, Institute for Hygiene of Ordnance Industry, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China (Z.L.)
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Biological Effects, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China
| | - Yuhao Zhang
- Toxicology Research Center, Institute for Hygiene of Ordnance Industry, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China (Z.L.)
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Biological Effects, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Toxicology Research Center, Institute for Hygiene of Ordnance Industry, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China (Z.L.)
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Biological Effects, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China
| | - Cunzhi Li
- Toxicology Research Center, Institute for Hygiene of Ordnance Industry, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China (Z.L.)
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Biological Effects, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Lv
- Toxicology Research Center, Institute for Hygiene of Ordnance Industry, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China (Z.L.)
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Biological Effects, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China
| | - Yongchao Gao
- Toxicology Research Center, Institute for Hygiene of Ordnance Industry, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China (Z.L.)
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Biological Effects, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China
| | - Hui Deng
- Toxicology Research Center, Institute for Hygiene of Ordnance Industry, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China (Z.L.)
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Biological Effects, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Toxicology Research Center, Institute for Hygiene of Ordnance Industry, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China (Z.L.)
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Biological Effects, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China
| | - Ting Gao
- Toxicology Research Center, Institute for Hygiene of Ordnance Industry, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China (Z.L.)
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Biological Effects, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China
| | - Huan Li
- Toxicology Research Center, Institute for Hygiene of Ordnance Industry, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China (Z.L.)
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Biological Effects, NO. 12 Zhangbadong Road, Yanta District, Xi’an 710065, China
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10
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Chen J, Tsuchida A, Malay AD, Tsuchiya K, Masunaga H, Tsuji Y, Kuzumoto M, Urayama K, Shintaku H, Numata K. Replicating shear-mediated self-assembly of spider silk through microfluidics. Nat Commun 2024; 15:527. [PMID: 38225234 PMCID: PMC10789810 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44733-1] [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: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of artificial spider silk with properties similar to native silk has been a challenging task in materials science. In this study, we use a microfluidic device to create continuous fibers based on recombinant MaSp2 spidroin. The strategy incorporates ion-induced liquid-liquid phase separation, pH-driven fibrillation, and shear-dependent induction of β-sheet formation. We find that a threshold shear stress of approximately 72 Pa is required for fiber formation, and that β-sheet formation is dependent on the presence of polyalanine blocks in the repetitive sequence. The MaSp2 fiber formed has a β-sheet content (29.2%) comparable to that of native dragline with a shear stress requirement of 111 Pa. Interestingly, the polyalanine blocks have limited influence on the occurrence of liquid-liquid phase separation and hierarchical structure. These results offer insights into the shear-induced crystallization and sequence-structure relationship of spider silk and have significant implications for the rational design of artificially spun fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianming Chen
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
- Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
- Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
- School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Arata Tsuchida
- Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Ali D Malay
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kousuke Tsuchiya
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
| | - Hiroyasu Masunaga
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5198, Japan
| | - Yui Tsuji
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
| | - Mako Kuzumoto
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
| | - Kenji Urayama
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Shintaku
- Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan.
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-0017, Japan.
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11
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Sonavane S, Westermark P, Rising A, Holm L. Regionalization of cell types in silk glands of Larinioides sclopetarius suggest that spider silk fibers are complex layered structures. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22273. [PMID: 38097700 PMCID: PMC10721825 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49587-z] [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: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to produce artificial silk fibers with properties that match the native spider silk we likely need to closely mimic the spinning process as well as fiber architecture and composition. To increase our understanding of the structure and function of the different silk glands of the orb weaver Larinioides sclopetarius, we used resin sections for detailed morphology, paraffin embedded sections for a variety of different histological stainings, and a histochemical method for localization of carbonic anhydrase activity. Our results show that all silk glands, except the tubuliform glands, are composed of two or more columnar epithelial cell types, some of which have not been described previously. We observed distinct regionalization of the cell types indicating sequential addition of secretory products during silk formation. This means that the major ampullate, minor ampullate, aciniform type II, and piriform silk fibers most likely are layered and that each layer has a specific composition. Furthermore, a substance that stains positive for polysaccharides may be added to the silk in all glands except in the type I aciniform glands. Active carbonic anhydrase was found in all silk glands and/or ducts except in the type I aciniform and tubuliform glands, with the strongest staining in aggregate glands and their ductal nodules. Carbonic anhydrase plays an important role in the generation of a pH gradient in the major ampullate glands, and our results suggest that some other glands may also harbor pH gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumalata Sonavane
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Per Westermark
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Lena Holm
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
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12
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Yang D, Wang S, Wang K, Zheng S, Zan X, Wen R. Physical Properties of the Second Type of Aciniform Spidroin (AcSp2) from Neoscona theisi Reveal a pH-Dependent Self-Assembly Repetitive Domain. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:6670-6682. [PMID: 38019679 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c01194] [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: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Orb-weaving spiders can use an array of specialized silks with diverse mechanical properties and functions for daily survival. Of all spider silk types, aciniform silk is the toughest silk fiber that combines high strength and elasticity. Although aciniform spidroins (AcSp) are the main protein in aciniform silks, their complete genes have rarely been characterized until now. Moreover, the structural and physical properties of AcSp variant proteins within the species are also unclear. Here, we present three full-length AcSp genes (named AcSp1A, AcSp1B, and AcSp2) from the orb-weaving spider Neoscona theisi and investigate the structural and mechanical features of these three AcSp repetitive domains. We demonstrate that all three AcSp proteins have mainly α-helical structural features in neutral solution and high thermal stability. Significantly, the AcSp2 repetitive domain shows a pH-dependent structural transition from α to β conformations and can self-assemble into amyloid fibrils under acidic conditions, which is the first reported AcSp repetitive domain with pH-dependent self-assembly capacity. Compared with the other two AcSp spidroins, AcSp2 demonstrated the lowest expression level in the aciniform gland but had the highest strength for its silk fiber. Collectively, our findings provide new insight into the physical properties of each component of aciniform silk and expand the repertoire of known spidroin sequences for the synthesis of artificial silk materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Yang
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China
| | - Suyang Wang
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Kangkang Wang
- Oujiang Laboratory, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325000, China
| | - Shengwu Zheng
- Wenzhou Celecare Medical Instruments Co., Ltd., Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325000, China
| | - Xingjie Zan
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China
- Oujiang Laboratory, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325000, China
| | - Rui Wen
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China
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13
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Hovanová V, Hovan A, Humenik M, Sedlák E. Only kosmotrope anions trigger fibrillization of the recombinant core spidroin eADF4(C16) from Araneus diadematus. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4832. [PMID: 37937854 PMCID: PMC10661072 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4832] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant core spidroin eADF4(C16) has received increasing attention due to its ability to form micro- and nano-structured scaffolds, which are based on nanofibrils with great potential for biomedical and biotechnological applications. Phosphate anions have been demonstrated to trigger the eADF4(C16) self-assembly into cross-beta fibrils. In the present work, we systematically addressed the effect of nine sodium anions, namely SO4 2- , HPO4 2- (Pi), F- , Cl- , Br- , NO3 - , I- , SCN- , and ClO4 - from the Hofmeister series on the in vitro self-assembly kinetics of eADF4(C16). We show that besides the phosphate anions, only kosmotropic anions such as sulfate and fluoride can initiate the eADF4(C16) fibril formation. Global analysis of the self-assembly kinetics, utilizing the platform AmyloFit, showed the nucleation-based mechanism with a major role of secondary nucleation, surprisingly independent of the type of the kosmotropic anion. The rate constant of the fibril elongation in mixtures of phosphate anions with other studied anions correlated with their kosmotropic or chaotropic position in the Hofmeister series. Our findings suggest an important role of anion hydration in the eADF4(C16) fibrillization process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Hovanová
- Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Technology and Innovation ParkP.J. Šafárik UniversityKošiceSlovakia
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of ScienceP.J. Šafárik UniversityKošiceSlovakia
| | - Andrej Hovan
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of ScienceP.J. Šafárik UniversityKošiceSlovakia
| | - Martin Humenik
- Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering ScienceUniversity BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Erik Sedlák
- Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Technology and Innovation ParkP.J. Šafárik UniversityKošiceSlovakia
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of ScienceP.J. Šafárik UniversityKošiceSlovakia
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14
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Oktaviani NA, Malay AD, Goto M, Nagashima T, Hayashi F, Numata K. NMR assignment and dynamics of the dimeric form of soluble C-terminal domain major ampullate spidroin 2 from Latrodectus hesperus. BIOMOLECULAR NMR ASSIGNMENTS 2023; 17:249-255. [PMID: 37668860 DOI: 10.1007/s12104-023-10150-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk has attracted great interest due to its outstanding mechanical properties, which exceed those of man-made synthetic materials. Dragline silk, which is composed of at least major ampullate spider silk protein 1 and 2 (MaSp1 and MaSp2), contains a long repetitive domain flanked by N-terminal and C-terminal domains (NTD and CTD). Despite the small size of the CTD, this domain plays a crucial role as a molecular switch that regulates and directs spider silk self-assembly. In this study, we report the 1H, 13C, and 15N chemical shift assignments of the Latrodectus hesperus MaSp2 CTD in dimeric form at pH 7. Our solution NMR data demonstrated that this protein contains five helix regions connected by a flexible linker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Alia Oktaviani
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for the Sustainable Resource Sciences, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Ali D Malay
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for the Sustainable Resource Sciences, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Mami Goto
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for the Sustainable Resource Sciences, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Toshio Nagashima
- RIKEN Center for Biosystem Dynamics Research, 1-7-22 Suehiro-Cho, Tsurumi-Ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Hayashi
- RIKEN Center for Biosystem Dynamics Research, 1-7-22 Suehiro-Cho, Tsurumi-Ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for the Sustainable Resource Sciences, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- Department of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyotodaigaku, Katsura, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan.
- Institute for Advanced Bioscience, Keio University, 403-1 Nihonkoku, Daihouji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-0017, Japan.
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15
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Rat C, Heindl C, Neuweiler H. Domain swap facilitates structural transitions of spider silk protein C-terminal domains. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4783. [PMID: 37712205 PMCID: PMC10578117 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4783] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Domain swap is a mechanism of protein dimerization where the two interacting domains exchange parts of their structure. Web spiders make use of the process in the connection of C-terminal domains (CTDs) of spidroins, the soluble protein building blocks that form tough silk fibers. Besides providing connectivity and solubility, spidroin CTDs are responsible for inducing structural transitions during passage through an acidified assembly zone within spinning ducts. The underlying molecular mechanisms are elusive. Here, we studied the folding of five homologous spidroin CTDs from different spider species or glands. Four of these are domain-swapped dimers formed by five-helix bundles from spidroins of major and minor ampullate glands. The fifth is a dimer that lacks domain swap, formed by four-helix bundles from a spidroin of a flagelliform gland. Spidroins from this gland do not undergo structural transitions whereas the others do. We found a three-state mechanism of folding and dimerization that was conserved across homologues. In chemical denaturation experiments the native CTD dimer unfolded to a dimeric, partially structured intermediate, followed by full unfolding to denatured monomers. The energetics of the individual folding steps varied between homologues. Contrary to the common belief that domain swap stabilizes protein assemblies, the non-swapped homologue was most stable and folded four orders of magnitude faster than a swapped variant. Domain swap of spidroin CTDs induces an entropic penalty to the folding of peripheral helices, thus unfastening them for acid-induced unfolding within a spinning duct, which primes them for refolding into alternative structures during silk formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Rat
- Department of Biotechnology & BiophysicsJulius‐Maximilians‐University WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Cedric Heindl
- Department of Biotechnology & BiophysicsJulius‐Maximilians‐University WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Hannes Neuweiler
- Department of Biotechnology & BiophysicsJulius‐Maximilians‐University WürzburgWürzburgGermany
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16
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Qi X, Wang Y, Yu H, Liu R, Leppert A, Zheng Z, Zhong X, Jin Z, Wang H, Li X, Wang X, Landreh M, A Morozova-Roche L, Johansson J, Xiong S, Iashchishyn I, Chen G. Spider Silk Protein Forms Amyloid-Like Nanofibrils through a Non-Nucleation-Dependent Polymerization Mechanism. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2304031. [PMID: 37455347 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202304031] [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: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils-nanoscale fibrillar aggregates with high levels of order-are pathogenic in some today incurable human diseases; however, there are also many physiologically functioning amyloids in nature. The process of amyloid formation is typically nucleation-elongation-dependent, as exemplified by the pathogenic amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) that is associated with Alzheimer's disease. Spider silk, one of the toughest biomaterials, shares characteristics with amyloid. In this study, it is shown that forming amyloid-like nanofibrils is an inherent property preserved by various spider silk proteins (spidroins). Both spidroins and Aβ capped by spidroin N- and C-terminal domains, can assemble into macroscopic spider silk-like fibers that consist of straight nanofibrils parallel to the fiber axis as observed in native spider silk. While Aβ forms amyloid nanofibrils through a nucleation-dependent pathway and exhibits strong cytotoxicity and seeding effects, spidroins spontaneously and rapidly form amyloid-like nanofibrils via a non-nucleation-dependent polymerization pathway that involves lateral packing of fibrils. Spidroin nanofibrils share amyloid-like properties but lack strong cytotoxicity and the ability to self-seed or cross-seed human amyloidogenic peptides. These results suggest that spidroins´ unique primary structures have evolved to allow functional properties of amyloid, and at the same time direct their fibrillization pathways to avoid formation of cytotoxic intermediates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingmei Qi
- The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, 14157, Sweden
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Hairui Yu
- The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Ruifang Liu
- The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Axel Leppert
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, 17165, Sweden
| | - Zihan Zheng
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, 14157, Sweden
- Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Xueying Zhong
- School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Huddinge, 14152, Sweden
| | - Zhen Jin
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, 14157, Sweden
- Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Han Wang
- The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Xiaoli Li
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Xiuzhe Wang
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Michael Landreh
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, 17165, Sweden
| | | | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, 14157, Sweden
| | - Sidong Xiong
- The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Igor Iashchishyn
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, 90187, Sweden
| | - Gefei Chen
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, 14157, Sweden
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17
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Mi J, Zhou X, Sun R, Han J. Disabling spidroin N-terminal homologs' reverse reaction unveils why its intermolecular disulfide bonds have not evolved for 380 million years. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 249:125974. [PMID: 37499718 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Spiders, ubiquitous predators known for their powerful silks, rely on spidroins that self-assemble from high-concentration solutions stored in silk glands, which are mediated by the NT and CT domains. CT homodimers containing intermolecular disulfide bonds enhance silk performance, promoting spider survival and reproduction. However, no NT capable of forming such disulfide bonds has been identified. Our study reveals that NT homodimers with sulfur substitution can form under alkaline conditions, shedding light on why spiders have not evolved intermolecular disulfide bonds in the NT module during their 380 million years of evolution. This discovery significantly advances our comprehension of spider evolution and silk spinning mechanisms, while also providing novel insights into protein storage, assembly, as well as the mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases associated with protein aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junpeng Mi
- College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Xingping Zhou
- College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Rou Sun
- College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Jiaojiao Han
- Department of Clinical Hematology and osology, Shanghai center for clinical laboratory, Shanghai 200126, China.
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18
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Mu X, Amouzandeh R, Vogts H, Luallen E, Arzani M. A brief review on the mechanisms and approaches of silk spinning-inspired biofabrication. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1252499. [PMID: 37744248 PMCID: PMC10512026 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1252499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Silk spinning, observed in spiders and insects, exhibits a remarkable biological source of inspiration for advanced polymer fabrications. Because of the systems design, silk spinning represents a holistic and circular approach to sustainable polymer fabrication, characterized by renewable resources, ambient and aqueous processing conditions, and fully recyclable "wastes." Also, silk spinning results in structures that are characterized by the combination of monolithic proteinaceous composition and mechanical strength, as well as demonstrate tunable degradation profiles and minimal immunogenicity, thus making it a viable alternative to most synthetic polymers for the development of advanced biomedical devices. However, the fundamental mechanisms of silk spinning remain incompletely understood, thus impeding the efforts to harness the advantageous properties of silk spinning. Here, we present a concise and timely review of several essential features of silk spinning, including the molecular designs of silk proteins and the solvent cues along the spinning apparatus. The solvent cues, including salt ions, pH, and water content, are suggested to direct the hierarchical assembly of silk proteins and thus play a central role in silk spinning. We also discuss several hypotheses on the roles of solvent cues to provide a relatively comprehensive analysis and to identify the current knowledge gap. We then review the state-of-the-art bioinspired fabrications with silk proteins, including fiber spinning and additive approaches/three-dimensional (3D) printing. An emphasis throughout the article is placed on the universal characteristics of silk spinning developed through millions of years of individual evolution pathways in spiders and silkworms. This review serves as a stepping stone for future research endeavors, facilitating the in vitro recapitulation of silk spinning and advancing the field of bioinspired polymer fabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Mu
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
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19
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Leppert A, Chen G, Lama D, Sahin C, Railaite V, Shilkova O, Arndt T, Marklund EG, Lane DP, Rising A, Landreh M. Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation Primes Spider Silk Proteins for Fiber Formation via a Conditional Sticker Domain. NANO LETTERS 2023. [PMID: 37084706 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Many protein condensates can convert to fibrillar aggregates, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of spider silk proteins, spidroins, suggests a regulatory switch between both states. Here, we combine microscopy and native mass spectrometry to investigate the influence of protein sequence, ions, and regulatory domains on spidroin LLPS. We find that salting out-effects drive LLPS via low-affinity stickers in the repeat domains. Interestingly, conditions that enable LLPS simultaneously cause dissociation of the dimeric C-terminal domain (CTD), priming it for aggregation. Since the CTD enhances LLPS of spidroins but is also required for their conversion into amyloid-like fibers, we expand the stickers and spacers-model of phase separation with the concept of folded domains as conditional stickers that represent regulatory units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Leppert
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Gefei Chen
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, S-14157 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Dilraj Lama
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Cagla Sahin
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17165 Solna, Sweden
- Linderstro̷m-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vaida Railaite
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Olga Shilkova
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, S-14157 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Tina Arndt
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, S-14157 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Erik G Marklund
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, S-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - David P Lane
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, S-14157 Huddinge, Sweden
- Department of Anatomy Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Michael Landreh
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17165 Solna, Sweden
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, S-75124 Uppsala, Sweden
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20
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Li J, Jiang B, Chang X, Yu H, Han Y, Zhang F. Bi-terminal fusion of intrinsically-disordered mussel foot protein fragments boosts mechanical strength for protein fibers. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2127. [PMID: 37059716 PMCID: PMC10104820 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37563-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbially-synthesized protein-based materials are attractive replacements for petroleum-derived synthetic polymers. However, the high molecular weight, high repetitiveness, and highly-biased amino acid composition of high-performance protein-based materials have restricted their production and widespread use. Here we present a general strategy for enhancing both strength and toughness of low-molecular-weight protein-based materials by fusing intrinsically-disordered mussel foot protein fragments to their termini, thereby promoting end-to-end protein-protein interactions. We demonstrate that fibers of a ~60 kDa bi-terminally fused amyloid-silk protein exhibit ultimate tensile strength up to 481 ± 31 MPa and toughness of 179 ± 39 MJ*m-3, while achieving a high titer of 8.0 ± 0.70 g/L by bioreactor production. We show that bi-terminal fusion of Mfp5 fragments significantly enhances the alignment of β-nanocrystals, and intermolecular interactions are promoted by cation-π and π-π interactions between terminal fragments. Our approach highlights the advantage of self-interacting intrinsically-disordered proteins in enhancing material mechanical properties and can be applied to a wide range of protein-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyao Li
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Bojing Jiang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Xinyuan Chang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Han Yu
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Yichao Han
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Fuzhong Zhang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
- Division of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
- Institute of Materials Science & Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
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21
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Oktaviani NA, Malay AD, Matsugami A, Hayashi F, Numata K. Unusual p Ka Values Mediate the Self-Assembly of Spider Dragline Silk Proteins. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1604-1616. [PMID: 36990448 PMCID: PMC10091414 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is a remarkably tough biomaterial and composed primarily of spidroins MaSp1 and MaSp2. During fiber self-assembly, the spidroin N-terminal domains (NTDs) undergo rapid dimerization in response to a pH gradient. However, obtaining a detailed understanding of this mechanism has been hampered by a lack of direct evidence regarding the protonation states of key ionic residues. Here, we elucidated the solution structures of MaSp1 and MaSp2 NTDs from Trichonephila clavipes and determined the experimental pKa values of conserved residues involved in dimerization using NMR. Surprisingly, we found that the Asp40 located on an acidic cluster protonates at an unusually high pH (∼6.5-7.1), suggesting the first step in the pH response. Then, protonation of Glu119 and Glu79 follows, with pKas above their intrinsic values, contributing toward stable dimer formation. We propose that exploiting the atypical pKa values is a strategy to achieve tight spatiotemporal control of spider silk self-assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Alia Oktaviani
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for the Sustainable Resource Sciences, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Ali D Malay
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for the Sustainable Resource Sciences, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Akimasa Matsugami
- Advanced NMR Application and Platform Team, NMR Research and Collaboration Group, NMR Science and Development Division, RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Hayashi
- Advanced NMR Application and Platform Team, NMR Research and Collaboration Group, NMR Science and Development Division, RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for the Sustainable Resource Sciences, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Department of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyotodaigaku, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Bioscience, Keio University, 403-1 Nihonkoku, Daihouji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan
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22
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Saric M, Scheibel T. Two-in-One Spider Silk Protein with Combined Mechanical Features in All-Aqueous Spun Fibers. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1744-1750. [PMID: 36913547 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Major ampullate (MA) spider silk reveals outstanding mechanical properties in terms of a unique combination of high tensile strength and extensibility, unmatched by most other known native or synthetic fiber materials. MA silk contains at least two spider silk proteins (spidroins), and here, a novel two-in-one (TIO) spidroin was engineered, resembling amino acid sequences of such two of the European garden spider. The combination of mechanical and chemical features of both underlying proteins facilitated the hierarchical self-assembly into β-sheet-rich superstructures. Due to the presence of native terminal dimerization domains, highly concentrated aqueous spinning dopes could be prepared from recombinant TIO spidroins. Subsequently, fibers were spun in a biomimetic, aqueous wet-spinning process, yielding mechanical properties at least twice as high as fibers spun from individual spidroins or blends. The presented processing route holds great potential for future applications using ecological green high-performance fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merisa Saric
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Zentrum für Kolloide und Grenzflächen (BZKG), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Materialzentrum (BayMat), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Zentrum für Molekulare Biowissenschaften (BZMB), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayrisches Polymerinstitut (BPI), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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23
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Miserez A, Yu J, Mohammadi P. Protein-Based Biological Materials: Molecular Design and Artificial Production. Chem Rev 2023; 123:2049-2111. [PMID: 36692900 PMCID: PMC9999432 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Polymeric materials produced from fossil fuels have been intimately linked to the development of industrial activities in the 20th century and, consequently, to the transformation of our way of living. While this has brought many benefits, the fabrication and disposal of these materials is bringing enormous sustainable challenges. Thus, materials that are produced in a more sustainable fashion and whose degradation products are harmless to the environment are urgently needed. Natural biopolymers─which can compete with and sometimes surpass the performance of synthetic polymers─provide a great source of inspiration. They are made of natural chemicals, under benign environmental conditions, and their degradation products are harmless. Before these materials can be synthetically replicated, it is essential to elucidate their chemical design and biofabrication. For protein-based materials, this means obtaining the complete sequences of the proteinaceous building blocks, a task that historically took decades of research. Thus, we start this review with a historical perspective on early efforts to obtain the primary sequences of load-bearing proteins, followed by the latest developments in sequencing and proteomic technologies that have greatly accelerated sequencing of extracellular proteins. Next, four main classes of protein materials are presented, namely fibrous materials, bioelastomers exhibiting high reversible deformability, hard bulk materials, and biological adhesives. In each class, we focus on the design at the primary and secondary structure levels and discuss their interplays with the mechanical response. We finally discuss earlier and the latest research to artificially produce protein-based materials using biotechnology and synthetic biology, including current developments by start-up companies to scale-up the production of proteinaceous materials in an economically viable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Miserez
- Center for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore637553.,School of Biological Sciences, NTU, Singapore637551
| | - Jing Yu
- Center for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore637553.,Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science (IDMxS), NTU, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore637553
| | - Pezhman Mohammadi
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, UusimaaFI-02044, Finland
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24
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Rising A, Harrington MJ. Biological Materials Processing: Time-Tested Tricks for Sustainable Fiber Fabrication. Chem Rev 2023; 123:2155-2199. [PMID: 36508546 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There is an urgent need to improve the sustainability of the materials we produce and use. Here, we explore what humans can learn from nature about how to sustainably fabricate polymeric fibers with excellent material properties by reviewing the physical and chemical aspects of materials processing distilled from diverse model systems, including spider silk, mussel byssus, velvet worm slime, hagfish slime, and mistletoe viscin. We identify common and divergent strategies, highlighting the potential for bioinspired design and technology transfer. Despite the diversity of the biopolymeric fibers surveyed, we identify several common strategies across multiple systems, including: (1) use of stimuli-responsive biomolecular building blocks, (2) use of concentrated fluid precursor phases (e.g., coacervates and liquid crystals) stored under controlled chemical conditions, and (3) use of chemical (pH, salt concentration, redox chemistry) and physical (mechanical shear, extensional flow) stimuli to trigger the transition from fluid precursor to solid material. Importantly, because these materials largely form and function outside of the body of the organisms, these principles can more easily be transferred for bioinspired design in synthetic systems. We end the review by discussing ongoing efforts and challenges to mimic biological model systems, with a particular focus on artificial spider silks and mussel-inspired materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rising
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 141 52, Sweden.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden
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25
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Hu W, Jia A, Ma S, Zhang G, Wei Z, Lu F, Luo Y, Zhang Z, Sun J, Yang T, Xia T, Li Q, Yao T, Zheng J, Jiang Z, Xu Z, Xia Q, Wang Y. A molecular atlas reveals the tri-sectional spinning mechanism of spider dragline silk. Nat Commun 2023; 14:837. [PMID: 36792670 PMCID: PMC9932165 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36545-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The process of natural silk production in the spider major ampullate (Ma) gland endows dragline silk with extraordinary mechanical properties and the potential for biomimetic applications. However, the precise genetic roles of the Ma gland during this process remain unknown. Here, we performed a systematic molecular atlas of dragline silk production through a high-quality genome assembly for the golden orb-weaving spider Trichonephila clavata and a multiomics approach to defining the Ma gland tri-sectional architecture: Tail, Sac, and Duct. We uncovered a hierarchical biosynthesis of spidroins, organic acids, lipids, and chitin in the sectionalized Ma gland dedicated to fine silk constitution. The ordered secretion of spidroins was achieved by the synergetic regulation of epigenetic and ceRNA signatures for genomic group-distributed spidroin genes. Single-cellular and spatial RNA profiling identified ten cell types with partitioned functional division determining the tri-sectional organization of the Ma gland. Convergence analysis and genetic manipulation further validated that this tri-sectional architecture of the silk gland was analogous across Arthropoda and inextricably linked with silk formation. Collectively, our study provides multidimensional data that significantly expand the knowledge of spider dragline silk generation and ultimately benefit innovation in spider-inspired fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Anqiang Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Sanyuan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Guoqing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Zhaoyuan Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Fang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yongjiang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Zhisheng Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Jiahe Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Tianfang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - TingTing Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Qinhui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Ting Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Jiangyu Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Zijie Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Zehui Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Qingyou Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
| | - Yi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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26
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Characteristic Evaluation of Recombinant MiSp/Poly(lactic- co-glycolic) Acid (PLGA) Nanofiber Scaffolds as Potential Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021219. [PMID: 36674734 PMCID: PMC9861889 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomaterial-based nanofibrous scaffolds are the most effective alternative to bone transplantation therapy. Here, two recombinant minor ampullate spidroins (spider silk proteins), R1SR2 and NR1SR2C, were blended with Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) Acid (PLGA), respectively, to generate nanofiber scaffolds by electrospinning. The N-terminal (N), C-terminal (C), repeating (R1 and R2) and spacer (S) modules were all derived from the minor ampullate spidroins (MiSp). The physical properties and structures of the blended scaffolds were measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Tensile mechanical testing. The results showed that blending of MiSp (R1SR2 and NR1SR2C) reduced the diameter of nanofibers, increased the porosity and glass transition temperatures of nanofibrous scaffolds, and effectively improved the hydrophilicity and ultimate strain of scaffolds. It is worth noting that the above changes were more significant in the presence of the N- and C-termini of MiSp. In cell culture assays, human bone mesenchymal stem cells (HBMSCs) grown on NR1SR2C/PLGA (20/80) scaffolds displayed markedly enhanced proliferative and adhesive abilities compared with counterparts grown on pure PLGA scaffolds. Jointly, these findings indicated recombinant MiSp/PLGA, particularly NR1SR2C/PLGA (20/80) blend nanofibrous scaffolds, is promising for bone tissue engineering.
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27
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Zhao S, Ye X, Dai X, Wang X, Yu S, Zhong B. Drosophila melanogaster resilin improves the mechanical properties of transgenic silk. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282533. [PMID: 36867637 PMCID: PMC9983856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Resilin is a natural protein with high extensibility and resilience that plays a key role in the biological processes of insects, such as flight, bouncing, and vocalization. This study used piggyBac-mediated transgenic technology to stably insert the Drosophila melanogaster resilin gene into the silkworm genome to investigate whether exogenous protein structures improve the mechanical properties of silkworm silk. Molecular detection showed that recombinant resilin was expressed and secreted into silk. Secondary structure and mechanical property analysis showed that the β-sheet content in silk from transgenic silkworms was higher than in wild-type silk. The fracture strength of silk fused with resilin protein was 7.2% higher than wild-type silk. The resilience of recombinant silk after one-time stretching and cyclic stretching was 20.5% and 18.7% higher than wild-type silk, respectively. In summary, Drosophila resilin can enhance the mechanical properties of silk, and this study is the first to improve the mechanical properties of silk using proteins other than spider silk, which broadens the possibilities for the design and application of biomimetic silk materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zheng Zhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaogang Ye
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiangping Dai
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinqiu Wang
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shihua Yu
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Boxiong Zhong
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
- * E-mail:
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28
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Gabryelczyk B, Sammalisto FE, Gandier JA, Feng J, Beaune G, Timonen JV, Linder MB. Recombinant protein condensation inside E. coli enables the development of building blocks for bioinspired materials engineering – Biomimetic spider silk protein as a case study. Mater Today Bio 2022; 17:100492. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2022.100492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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29
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Arndt T, Jaudzems K, Shilkova O, Francis J, Johansson M, Laity PR, Sahin C, Chatterjee U, Kronqvist N, Barajas-Ledesma E, Kumar R, Chen G, Strömberg R, Abelein A, Langton M, Landreh M, Barth A, Holland C, Johansson J, Rising A. Spidroin N-terminal domain forms amyloid-like fibril based hydrogels and provides a protein immobilization platform. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4695. [PMID: 35970823 PMCID: PMC9378615 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32093-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombinant spider silk proteins (spidroins) have multiple potential applications in development of novel biomaterials, but their multimodal and aggregation-prone nature have complicated production and straightforward applications. Here, we report that recombinant miniature spidroins, and importantly also the N-terminal domain (NT) on its own, rapidly form self-supporting and transparent hydrogels at 37 °C. The gelation is caused by NT α-helix to β-sheet conversion and formation of amyloid-like fibrils, and fusion proteins composed of NT and green fluorescent protein or purine nucleoside phosphorylase form hydrogels with intact functions of the fusion moieties. Our findings demonstrate that recombinant NT and fusion proteins give high expression yields and bestow attractive properties to hydrogels, e.g., transparency, cross-linker free gelation and straightforward immobilization of active proteins at high density. Recombinant spider silks are of interest but the multimodal and aggregation-prone nature of them is a limitation. Here, the authors report on a miniature spidroin based on the N-terminal domain which forms a hydrogel at 37 °C which allows for ease of production and fusion protein modification to generate functional biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Arndt
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden
| | - Kristaps Jaudzems
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, LV-1006, Latvia
| | - Olga Shilkova
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden
| | - Juanita Francis
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden
| | - Mathias Johansson
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden, Box 7015
| | - Peter R Laity
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - Cagla Sahin
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65, Solna, Sweden
| | - Urmimala Chatterjee
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden
| | - Nina Kronqvist
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden
| | - Edgar Barajas-Ledesma
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65, Solna, Sweden
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden
| | - Gefei Chen
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden
| | - Roger Strömberg
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden
| | - Axel Abelein
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden
| | - Maud Langton
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden, Box 7015
| | - Michael Landreh
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65, Solna, Sweden
| | - Andreas Barth
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Chris Holland
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden. .,Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden.
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30
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Wen R, Yang D, Wang K, Zan X. Characterization of two full-length Araneus ventricosus major ampullate silk protein genes. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 213:297-304. [PMID: 35654219 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.05.178] [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: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Major ampullate silk is noted for its great tensile strength and extensibility. The impressive material properties of major ampullate silk result from their component proteins that encoded by members of the spidroin (spider fibroin) gene family. Although the major ampullate spidroin type has evolved multiple variants within specific-species, most sequences are fragmented. Here, we present two complete major ampullate spidroin genes from the orb-weaving spider Araneus ventricosus. Due to the abundant GPG motifs in their repetitive region, the two MaSp genes were grouped in MaSp2 subclass and named MaSp2C and MaSp2D, respectively. Analysis of the full-length gene sequences reveals that both of them include a single enormous exon (10,851 bp for MaSp2C and 8640 bp for MaSp2D) that mainly translates into a central repetitive region containing multiple amino acid motifs that can be organized into five ensemble types. We use gene-specific PCR primers to search the cDNA from major ampullate glands and find evidence for alternative splicing of MaSp2D transcripts into a minor spliceoform lacking the entire repetitive domain as well as the partial terminal regions. Our results not only provide new templates for protein-based materials with tailored properties, but suggest gene and transcriptional diversity of major ampullate silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wen
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China; Oujiang Laboratory, Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Perioperative Medicine, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China; School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China.
| | - Dong Yang
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China
| | - Kangkang Wang
- Oujiang Laboratory, Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Perioperative Medicine, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
| | - Xingjie Zan
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China; Oujiang Laboratory, Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Perioperative Medicine, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China; School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China.
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31
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Peng X, Cui Y, Chen J, Gao C, Yang Y, Yu W, Rai K, Zhang M, Nian R, Bao Z, Sun Y. High-Strength Collagen-Based Composite Films Regulated by Water-Soluble Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins and Water Annealing. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:3341-3353. [PMID: 35894734 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk has attracted extensive attention in the development of high-performance tissue engineering materials because of its excellent physical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Although high-molecular-weight recombinant spider silk proteins can be obtained through metabolic engineering of host bacteria, the solubility of the recombinant protein products is always poor. Strong denaturants and organic solvents have thus had to be exploited for their dissolution, and this seriously limits the applications of recombinant spider silk protein-based composite biomaterials. Herein, through adjusting the temperature, ionic strength, and denaturation time during the refolding process, we successfully prepared water-soluble recombinant spider major ampullate spidroin 1 (sMaSp1) with different repeat modules (24mer, 48mer, 72mer, and 96mer). Then, MaSp1 was introduced into the collagen matrix for fabricating MaSp1-collagen composite films. The introduction of spider silk proteins was demonstrated to clearly alter the internal structure of the composite films and improve the mechanical properties of the collagen-based films and turn the opaque protein films into transparency ones. More interestingly, the composite film prepared with sMaSp1 exhibited better performance in mechanical strength and cell adhesion compared to that prepared with water-insoluble MaSp1 (pMaSp1), which might be attributed to the effect of the initial dissolved state of MaSp1 on the microstructure of composite films. Additionally, the molecular weight of MaSp1 was also shown to significantly influence the mechanical strength (enhanced to 1.1- to 2.3-fold) and cell adhesion of composite films, and 72mer of sMaSp1 showed the best physical properties with good bioactivity. This study provides a method to produce recombinant spider silk protein with excellent water solubility, making it possible to utilize this protein under environmentally benign, mild conditions. This paves the way for the application of recombinant spider silk proteins in the development of diverse composite biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinying Peng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuting Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Jinhong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, No. 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Cungang Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Yang Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Wenfa Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Kamal Rai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Qingdao Youheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd., No. 130 Jiushui East Road, Qingdao 266199, China
| | - Rui Nian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Zixian Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, No. 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yue Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
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32
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Šede M, Fridmanis J, Otikovs M, Johansson J, Rising A, Kronqvist N, Jaudzems K. Solution Structure of Tubuliform Spidroin N-Terminal Domain and Implications for pH Dependent Dimerization. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:936887. [PMID: 35775078 PMCID: PMC9237525 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.936887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The spidroin N-terminal domain (NT) is responsible for high solubility and pH-dependent assembly of spider silk proteins during storage and fiber formation, respectively. It forms a monomeric five-helix bundle at neutral pH and dimerizes at lowered pH, thereby firmly interconnecting the spidroins. Mechanistic studies with the NTs from major ampullate, minor ampullate, and flagelliform spidroins (MaSp, MiSp, and FlSp) have shown that the pH dependency is conserved between different silk types, although the residues that mediate this process can differ. Here we study the tubuliform spidroin (TuSp) NT from Argiope argentata, which lacks several well conserved residues involved in the dimerization of other NTs. We solve its structure at low pH revealing an antiparallel dimer of two five-α-helix bundles, which contrasts with a previously determined Nephila antipodiana TuSp NT monomer structure. Further, we study a set of mutants and find that the residues participating in the protonation events during dimerization are different from MaSp and MiSp NT. Charge reversal of one of these residues (R117 in TuSp) results in significantly altered electrostatic interactions between monomer subunits. Altogether, the structure and mutant studies suggest that TuSp NT monomers assemble by elimination of intramolecular repulsive charge interactions, which could lead to slight tilting of α-helices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megija Šede
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia
| | - Jēkabs Fridmanis
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia
| | - Martins Otikovs
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Neo, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Neo, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nina Kronqvist
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Neo, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Kristaps Jaudzems
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
- *Correspondence: Kristaps Jaudzems,
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33
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Arndt T, Greco G, Schmuck B, Bunz J, Shilkova O, Francis J, Pugno NM, Jaudzems K, Barth A, Johansson J, Rising A. Engineered Spider Silk Proteins for Biomimetic Spinning of Fibers with Toughness Equal to Dragline Silks. ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS 2022; 32:2200986. [PMID: 36505976 PMCID: PMC9720699 DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202200986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Spider silk is the toughest fiber found in nature, and bulk production of artificial spider silk that matches its mechanical properties remains elusive. Development of miniature spider silk proteins (mini-spidroins) has made large-scale fiber production economically feasible, but the fibers' mechanical properties are inferior to native silk. The spider silk fiber's tensile strength is conferred by poly-alanine stretches that are zipped together by tight side chain packing in β-sheet crystals. Spidroins are secreted so they must be void of long stretches of hydrophobic residues, since such segments get inserted into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. At the same time, hydrophobic residues have high β-strand propensity and can mediate tight inter-β-sheet interactions, features that are attractive for generation of strong artificial silks. Protein production in prokaryotes can circumvent biological laws that spiders, being eukaryotic organisms, must obey, and the authors thus design mini-spidroins that are predicted to more avidly form stronger β-sheets than the wildtype protein. Biomimetic spinning of the engineered mini-spidroins indeed results in fibers with increased tensile strength and two fiber types display toughness equal to native dragline silks. Bioreactor expression and purification result in a protein yield of ≈9 g L-1 which is in line with requirements for economically feasible bulk scale production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Arndt
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetNeoHuddinge14183Sweden
| | - Gabriele Greco
- Laboratory for Bioinspired, Bionic, Nano, Meta, Materials & MechanicsDepartment of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of TrentoVia Mesiano 77Trento38123Italy
- Department of AnatomyPhysiology and BiochemistrySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsala75007Sweden
| | - Benjamin Schmuck
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetNeoHuddinge14183Sweden
- Department of AnatomyPhysiology and BiochemistrySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsala75007Sweden
| | - Jessica Bunz
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetNeoHuddinge14183Sweden
- Present address:
Spiber Technologies ABAlbaNova University CenterSE‐10691StockholmSweden
| | - Olga Shilkova
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetNeoHuddinge14183Sweden
| | - Juanita Francis
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetNeoHuddinge14183Sweden
| | - Nicola M Pugno
- Laboratory for Bioinspired, Bionic, Nano, Meta, Materials & MechanicsDepartment of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of TrentoVia Mesiano 77Trento38123Italy
- School of Engineering and Materials SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonMile End RoadLondonE1 4NSUK
| | - Kristaps Jaudzems
- Department of Physical Organic ChemistryLatvian Institute of Organic SynthesisRigaLV‐1006Latvia
| | - Andreas Barth
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsThe Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural SciencesStockholm UniversityStockholm10691Sweden
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetNeoHuddinge14183Sweden
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetNeoHuddinge14183Sweden
- Department of AnatomyPhysiology and BiochemistrySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsala75007Sweden
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34
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Schellhaus AK, Xu S, Gierisch ME, Vornberger J, Johansson J, Dantuma NP. A spider silk-derived solubility domain inhibits nuclear and cytosolic protein aggregation in human cells. Commun Biol 2022; 5:505. [PMID: 35618760 PMCID: PMC9135726 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03442-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the inherent toxicity of protein aggregates, the propensity of natural, functional amyloidogenic proteins to aggregate must be tightly controlled to avoid negative consequences on cellular viability. The importance of controlled aggregation in biological processes is illustrated by spidroins, which are functional amyloidogenic proteins that form the basis for spider silk. Premature aggregation of spidroins is prevented by the N-terminal NT domain. Here we explored the potential of the engineered, spidroin-based NT* domain in preventing protein aggregation in the intracellular environment of human cells. We show that the NT* domain increases the soluble pool of a reporter protein carrying a ligand-regulatable aggregation domain. Interestingly, the NT* domain prevents the formation of aggregates independent of its position in the aggregation-prone protein. The ability of the NT* domain to inhibit ligand-regulated aggregation was evident both in the cytosolic and nuclear compartments, which are both highly relevant for human disorders linked to non-physiological protein aggregation. We conclude that the spidroin-derived NT* domain has a generic anti-aggregation activity, independent of position or subcellular location, that is also active in human cells and propose that the NT* domain can potentially be exploited in controlling protein aggregation of disease-associated proteins. Spider-silk protein increases the solubility of an aggregation-prone reporter protein, showing potential applications in controlling aggregation of disease-associated proteins by natural solubility domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Katharina Schellhaus
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shanshan Xu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria E Gierisch
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Julia Vornberger
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, S-14183, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Nico P Dantuma
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, S-17165, Stockholm, Sweden.
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35
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Sarr M, Kitoka K, Walsh-White KA, Kaldmäe M, Metlāns R, Tārs K, Mantese A, Shah D, Landreh M, Rising A, Johansson J, Jaudzems K, Kronqvist N. The dimerization mechanism of the N-terminal domain of spider silk proteins is conserved despite extensive sequence divergence. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101913. [PMID: 35398358 PMCID: PMC9097459 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The N-terminal (NT) domain of spider silk proteins (spidroins) is crucial for their storage at high concentrations and also regulates silk assembly. NTs from the major ampullate spidroin (MaSp) and the minor ampullate spidroin are monomeric at neutral pH and confer solubility to spidroins, whereas at lower pH, they dimerize to interconnect spidroins in a fiber. This dimerization is known to result from modulation of electrostatic interactions by protonation of well-conserved glutamates, although it is undetermined if this mechanism applies to other spidroin types as well. Here, we determine the solution and crystal structures of the flagelliform spidroin NT, which shares only 35% identity with MaSp NT, and investigate the mechanisms of its dimerization. We show that flagelliform spidroin NT is structurally similar to MaSp NT and that the electrostatic intermolecular interaction between Asp 40 and Lys 65 residues is conserved. However, the protonation events involve a different set of residues than in MaSp, indicating that an overall mechanism of pH-dependent dimerization is conserved but can be mediated by different pathways in different silk types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Médoune Sarr
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Kristine Kitoka
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, 1006, Latvia
| | - Kellie-Ann Walsh-White
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Margit Kaldmäe
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Rimants Metlāns
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, 1006, Latvia
| | - Kaspar Tārs
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, 1067, Latvia
| | | | - Dipen Shah
- ZoBio BV, J.H. Oortweg 19, 2333CH Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Michael Landreh
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden; Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Neo, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Kristaps Jaudzems
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, 1006, Latvia
| | - Nina Kronqvist
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Neo, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden.
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36
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Abstract
![]()
The tiny spider makes
dragline silk fibers with unbeatable toughness,
all under the most innocuous conditions. Scientists have persistently
tried to emulate its natural silk spinning process using recombinant
proteins with a view toward creating a new wave of smart materials,
yet most efforts have fallen short of attaining the native fiber’s
excellent mechanical properties. One reason for these shortcomings
may be that artificial spider silk systems tend to be overly simplified
and may not sufficiently take into account the true complexity of
the underlying protein sequences and of the multidimensional aspects
of the natural self-assembly process that give rise to the hierarchically
structured fibers. Here, we discuss recent findings regarding the
material constituents of spider dragline silk, including novel spidroin
subtypes, nonspidroin proteins, and possible involvement of post-translational
modifications, which together suggest a complexity that transcends
the two-component MaSp1/MaSp2 system. We subsequently consider insights
into the spidroin domain functions, structures, and overall mechanisms
for the rapid transition from disordered soluble protein into a highly
organized fiber, including the possibility of viewing spider silk
self-assembly through a framework relevant to biomolecular condensates.
Finally, we consider the concept of “biomimetics” as
it applies to artificial spider silk production with a focus on key
practical aspects of design and evaluation that may hopefully inform
efforts to more closely reproduce the remarkable structure and function
of the native silk fiber using artificial methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali D Malay
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hamish C Craig
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Jianming Chen
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Nur Alia Oktaviani
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.,Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
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37
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Kronqvist N, Rising A, Johansson J. A Novel Approach for the Production of Aggregation-Prone Proteins Using the Spidroin-Derived NT* Tag. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2406:113-130. [PMID: 35089553 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1859-2_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Spiders have evolved proteins that can be kept in a highly concentrated soluble form in the silk gland yet rapidly assemble into stable silk fibers under certain environmental conditions. The transition between soluble and fibrillar states is partly regulated by the pH-sensitive N-terminal (NT) domain which has emerged as nature's own solubility-enhancing domain. NT has an inherent capacity to keep the silk proteins' partly hydrophobic and very aggregation-prone regions from premature fibrillation in spite of storage at enormous concentrations. The genetically engineered double-mutant NT* shows increased solubility and stability and has arisen as a powerful tool for the production of aggregation-prone as well as other recombinant proteins. Here we describe a robust and highly efficient protocol for improved soluble expression of peptides and proteins by fusion to the NT* tag.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Kronqvist
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
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38
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Li X, Fan JS, Shi M, Lai CC, Li J, Meng Q, Yang D. C-Terminal Domains of Spider Silk Proteins Having Divergent Structures but Conserved Functional Roles. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:1643-1651. [PMID: 35312302 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk is self-assembled from silk proteins or spidroins. C-terminal domains (CTDs) of various types of spidroins are relatively conserved in amino acid sequences and are suggested to adopt similar structures and perform similar functional roles in spidroin storage and silk formation. Here, we solved the structure of the CTD from a capture-spiral silk protein (CTDFl) and characterized its stability and fibril formation in the presence and absence of a reducing agent at different pH values. CTDFl adopts a dimeric structure with 8 helices, but the CTDs of other types of spidroins exist in a domain-swapped dimeric structure with 10 helices. Despite the structural differences, CTDFl is pH-responsive in stability and fibril formation, similar to the CTDs from minor and major ampullate spidroins. Thus, the functional role of CTDs in silk fiber formation seems conserved. Comparing wild-type CTDFl and its mutants, we found that the pH-responsive behavior results from the protonation of H76, which is conserved from different spider species. In addition, the fibril formation rate of CTDFl correlates with its instability, suggesting that structural changes are involved in fibril formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543.,College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, P. R. China
| | - Jing-Song Fan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
| | - Mengqi Shi
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
| | - Chong Cheong Lai
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
| | - Jiaxin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
| | - Qing Meng
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, P. R. China
| | - Daiwen Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
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39
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Laity PR, Holland C. Seeking Solvation: Exploring the Role of Protein Hydration in Silk Gelation. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27020551. [PMID: 35056868 PMCID: PMC8781151 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27020551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The mechanism by which arthropods (e.g., spiders and many insects) can produce silk fibres from an aqueous protein (fibroin) solution has remained elusive, despite much scientific investigation. In this work, we used several techniques to explore the role of a hydration shell bound to the fibroin in native silk feedstock (NSF) from Bombyx mori silkworms. Small angle X-ray and dynamic light scattering (SAXS and DLS) revealed a coil size (radius of gyration or hydrodynamic radius) around 12 nm, providing considerable scope for hydration. Aggregation in dilute aqueous solution was observed above 65 °C, matching the gelation temperature of more concentrated solutions and suggesting that the strength of interaction with the solvent (i.e., water) was the dominant factor. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy indicated decreasing hydration as the temperature was raised, with similar changes in hydration following gelation by freezing or heating. It was found that the solubility of fibroin in water or aqueous salt solutions could be described well by a relatively simple thermodynamic model for the stability of the protein hydration shell, which suggests that the affected water is enthalpically favoured but entropically penalised, due to its reduced (vibrational or translational) dynamics. Moreover, while the majority of this investigation used fibroin from B. mori, comparisons with published work on silk proteins from other silkworms and spiders, globular proteins and peptide model systems suggest that our findings may be of much wider significance.
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40
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Wen R, Wang K, Yang D, Yu T, Zan X, Meng Q. The novel aciniform silk protein (AcSp2-v2) reveals the unique repetitive domain with high acid and thermal stability and self-assembly capability. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 202:91-101. [PMID: 34973994 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.12.088] [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: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Orb-weaving spiders spin a mechanically and functionally diverse range of silk fibers, each composed of one or more specific silk proteins. Of all silk types, wrapping silk combines high strength and extensibility and is made of multiple aciniform silk proteins (AcSp) that can be grouped into two AcSp types (AcSp1 and AcSp2) according to their distinct repetitive regions. Here, we present a novel and complete AcSp gene from orb weaving spider Araneus ventricosus. Phylogenetic analysis of the terminal regions of spidroins reveals that the new silk protein and the published A. ventricosus AcSp2 together form a subclade, indicating that this protein is a member of AcSp2 subclass and therefore named AcSp2 variant 2 (AcSp2-v2). The repetitive region of A. ventricosus AcSp2-v2 contains 24 cysteine residues, which is the first time that cysteine has been found in repetitive regions of spidroins. Moreover, the discovery of the ability of AcSp2-v2 repetitive domain to self-assemble into silk fibers expands the repertoire of known self-assembling sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wen
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China; School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China; Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Kangkang Wang
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China
| | - Dong Yang
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China
| | - Tiantian Yu
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China
| | - Xingjie Zan
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China; School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, China
| | - Qing Meng
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
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41
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Li X, Qi X, Cai YM, Sun Y, Wen R, Zhang R, Johansson J, Meng Q, Chen G. Customized Flagelliform Spidroins Form Spider Silk-like Fibers at pH 8.0 with Outstanding Tensile Strength. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 8:119-127. [PMID: 34908395 PMCID: PMC8753598 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c01354] [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] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Spider flagelliform silk shows the best extensibility among various types of silk, but its biomimetic preparation has not been much studied. Herein, five customized flagelliform spidroins (FlSps: S and NTDFl-Sn-CTDFl, n = 1-4), in which the repetitive region (S) and N-/C- terminal domains (NTDFl and CTDFl) are from the same spidroin and spider species, were produced recombinantly. The recombinant spidroins with terminal domains were able to form silk-like fibers with diameters of ∼5 μm by manual pulling at pH 8.0, where the secondary structure transformation occurred. The silk-like fibers from NTDFl-S4-CTDFl showed the highest tensile strength (∼250 MPa), while those ones with 1-3 S broke at a similar stress (∼180 MPa), suggesting that increasing the amounts of the repetitive region can improve the tensile strength, but a certain threshold might need to be reached. This study shows successful preparation of flagelliform silk-like fibers with good mechanical properties, providing general insights into efficient biomimetic preparations of spider silks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Li
- Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Ultrasound Research and Education Institute, Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment, Tongji University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, China.,Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, China
| | - Xingmei Qi
- The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yu-Ming Cai
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ Southampton, Hampshire, U.K
| | - Yuan Sun
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Wen
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary Circulation, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14157 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Qing Meng
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, China
| | - Gefei Chen
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14157 Huddinge, Sweden
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42
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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: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The ability of amyloid proteins to form stable β-sheet nanofibrils has made them potential candidates for material innovation in nanotechnology. However, such a nanoscale feature has rarely translated into attractive macroscopic properties for mechanically demanding applications. Here, we present a strategy by fusing amyloid peptides with flexible linkers from spidroin; the resulting polymeric amyloid proteins can be biosynthesized using engineered microbes and wet-spun into macroscopic fibers. Using this strategy, fibers from three different amyloid groups were fabricated. Structural analyses unveil the presence of β-nanocrystals that resemble the cross-β structure of amyloid nanofibrils. These polymeric amyloid fibers have displayed strong and molecular-weight-dependent mechanical properties. Fibers made of a protein polymer containing 128 repeats of the FGAILSS sequence displayed an average ultimate tensile strength of 0.98 ± 0.08 GPa and an average toughness of 161 ± 26 MJ/m3, surpassing most recombinant protein fibers and even some natural spider silk fibers. The design strategy and the biosynthetic approach can be expanded to create numerous functional materials, and the macroscopic amyloid fibers will enable a wide range of mechanically demanding applications.
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43
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Correa-Garhwal SM, Babb PL, Voight BF, Hayashi CY. Golden orb-weaving spider (Trichonephila clavipes) silk genes with sex-biased expression and atypical architectures. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6044138. [PMID: 33561241 PMCID: PMC8022711 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkaa039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Spider silks are renowned for their high-performance mechanical properties. Contributing to these properties are proteins encoded by the spidroin (spider fibroin) gene family. Spidroins have been discovered mostly through cDNA studies of females based on the presence of conserved terminal regions and a repetitive central region. Recently, genome sequencing of the golden orb-web weaver, Trichonephila clavipes, provided a complete picture of spidroin diversity. Here, we refine the annotation of T. clavipes spidroin genes including the reclassification of some as non-spidroins. We rename these non-spidroins as spidroin-like (SpL) genes because they have repetitive sequences and amino acid compositions like spidroins, but entirely lack the archetypal terminal domains of spidroins. Insight into the function of these spidroin and SpL genes was then examined through tissue- and sex-specific gene expression studies. Using qPCR, we show that some silk genes are upregulated in male silk glands compared to females, despite males producing less silk in general. We also find that an enigmatic spidroin that lacks a spidroin C-terminal domain is highly expressed in silk glands, suggesting that spidroins could assemble into fibers without a canonical terminal region. Further, we show that two SpL genes are expressed in silk glands, with one gene highly evolutionarily conserved across species, providing evidence that particular SpL genes are important to silk production. Together, these findings challenge long-standing paradigms regarding the evolutionary and functional significance of the proteins and conserved motifs essential for producing spider silks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra M Correa-Garhwal
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Paul L Babb
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Benjamin F Voight
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Cheryl Y Hayashi
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
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44
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Li F, Bian C, Li D, Shi Q. Spider Silks: An Overview of Their Component Proteins for Hydrophobicity and Biomedical Applications. Protein Pept Lett 2021; 28:255-269. [PMID: 32895035 DOI: 10.2174/0929866527666200907104401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Spider silks have received extensive attention from scientists and industries around the world because of their remarkable mechanical properties, which include high tensile strength and extensibility. It is a leading-edge biomaterial resource, with a wide range of potential applications. Spider silks are composed of silk proteins, which are usually very large molecules, yet many silk proteins still remain largely underexplored. While there are numerous reviews on spider silks from diverse perspectives, here we provide a most up-to-date overview of the spider silk component protein family in terms of its molecular structure, evolution, hydrophobicity, and biomedical applications. Given the confusion regarding spidroin naming, we emphasize the need for coherent and consistent nomenclature for spidroins and provide recommendations for pre-existing spidroin names that are inconsistent with nomenclature. We then review recent advances in the components, identification, and structures of spidroin genes. We next discuss the hydrophobicity of spidroins, with particular attention on the unique aquatic spider silks. Aquatic spider silks are less known but may inspire innovation in biomaterials. Furthermore, we provide new insights into antimicrobial peptides from spider silk glands. Finally, we present possibilities for future uses of spider silks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Li
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chao Bian
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Qiong Shi
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
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45
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Whittall DR, Baker KV, Breitling R, Takano E. Host Systems for the Production of Recombinant Spider Silk. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 39:560-573. [PMID: 33051051 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk is renowned for its impressive mechanical properties. It is one of the strongest known biomaterials, possessing mechanical properties that outmatch both steel and Kevlar. However, the farming of spiders for their silk is unfeasible. Consequently, production of recombinant spider silk proteins (spidroins) in more amenable hosts is an exciting field of research. For large-scale production to be viable, a heterologous silk production system that is both highly efficient and cost effective is essential. Genes encoding recombinant spidroin have been expressed in bacterial, yeast, insect, and mammalian cells, in addition to many other platforms. This review discusses the recent advances in exploiting an increasingly diverse range of host platforms in the heterologous production of recombinant spidroins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic R Whittall
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Katherine V Baker
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Rainer Breitling
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Eriko Takano
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
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46
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Rai K, Chu X, Zhou D, Li F, Yang J, Lin J, Shen S, Song H, Sun Y, Nian R. Development of a protein-solubilizing expression method based on the synergistic action of intein ΔI-CM and the solubility enhancer elastin-like polypeptide. Biochem Eng J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2020.107900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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47
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Johansson J, Rising A. Doing What Spiders Cannot-A Road Map to Supreme Artificial Silk Fibers. ACS NANO 2021; 15:1952-1959. [PMID: 33470789 PMCID: PMC7905870 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c08933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Fabricating artificial spider silk fibers in bulk scale has been a major goal in materials science for centuries. Two main routes have emerged for making such fibers. One method uses biomimetics in which the spider silk proteins (spidroins) are produced under nativelike conditions and then spun into fibers in a process that captures the natural, complex molecular mechanisms. However, these fibers do not yet match the mechanical properties of native silk fibers, potentially due to the small size of the designed spidroin used. The second route builds on biotechnological progress that enables production of large spidroins that can be spun into fibers by using organic solvents. With this approach, fibers that equal the native material in terms of mechanical properties can be manufactured, but the yields are too low for economically sustainable production. Hence, the need for new ideas is urgent. Herein, we introduce a structural-biology-based approach for engineering artificial spidroins that circumvents the laws with which spidroins, being secretory proteins, have to comply in order to avoid membrane insertion and provide a road map to the production of biomimetic silk fibers with improved mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Johansson
- Department
of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska
Institutet, Neo, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden
- E-mail:
| | - Anna Rising
- Department
of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska
Institutet, Neo, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden
- Department
of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
- E-mail:
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48
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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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49
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Arndt T, Laity PR, Johansson J, Holland C, Rising A. Native-like Flow Properties of an Artificial Spider Silk Dope. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 7:462-471. [PMID: 33397078 PMCID: PMC7869106 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c01308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Recombinant
spider silk has emerged as a biomaterial that can circumvent
problems associated with synthetic and naturally derived polymers,
while still fulfilling the potential of the native material. The artificial
spider silk protein NT2RepCT can be produced and spun into fibers
without the use of harsh chemicals and here we evaluate key properties of NT2RepCT
dope at native-like concentrations. We show that NT2RepCT recapitulates
not only the overall secondary structure content of a native silk
dope but also emulates its viscoelastic rheological properties. We
propose that these properties are key to biomimetic spinning and that
optimization of rheological properties could facilitate successful
spinning of artificial dopes into fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Arndt
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge 141 52, Sweden
| | - Peter R Laity
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge 141 52, Sweden
| | - Chris Holland
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet, Neo, Blickagången 16, Huddinge 141 52, Sweden.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden
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50
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New insight into the mechanism of in vivo fibroin self-assembly and secretion in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 169:473-479. [PMID: 33358779 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.12.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Fibroin of the silkworm consists of fibroin heavy chain (Fib-H) with hydrophobic intermediate repeats flanked by hydrophilic N and C terminal domains (NTD and CTD, respectively), fibroin light chain (Fib-L), and P25. However, the respective roles of each polypeptide in silk processing remain largely unknown. Here, a series of transgenic silkworms with different fusion gene expression cassettes were created in order to selectively express different fluorescent fusion proteins in silk glands. The roles of different components in silk processing were investigated via observing and analyzing the movement and distribution of these proteins in the silk gland and in cocoon silk. The data showed that hydrophilic NTDs were distributed on the surface of micelles, providing sufficient electrostatic repulsion to prevent premature crystallization of silk proteins. Hydrophilic CTD==Ls ("==" represents the disulfide bond) were located on the inner layer of micelles to control the solubility of large micelles. The results presented here elucidated the underlying mechanisms of silkworm silk processing in vivo. This is significant for the development of artificial spinning technology, novel silk biomaterials, and silk gland expression systems.
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