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Schmuck B, Greco G, Pessatti TB, Sonavane S, Langwallner V, Arndt T, Rising A. Strategies for Making High-Performance Artificial Spider Silk Fibers. ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS 2024; 34:2305040. [PMID: 39355086 PMCID: PMC11440630 DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202305040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2024]
Abstract
Artificial spider silk is an attractive material for many technical applications since it is a biobased fiber that can be produced under ambient conditions but still outcompetes synthetic fibers (e.g., Kevlar) in terms of toughness. Industrial use of this material requires bulk-scale production of recombinant spider silk proteins in heterologous host and replication of the pristine fiber's mechanical properties. High molecular weight spider silk proteins can be spun into fibers with impressive mechanical properties, but the production levels are too low to allow commercialization of the material. Small spider silk proteins, on the other hand, can be produced at yields that are compatible with industrial use, but the mechanical properties of such fibers need to be improved. Here, the literature on wet-spinning of artificial spider silk fibers is summarized and analyzed with a focus on mechanical performance. Furthermore, several strategies for how to improve the properties of such fibers, including optimized protein composition, smarter spinning setups, innovative protein engineering, chemical and physical crosslinking as well as the incorporation of nanomaterials in composite fibers, are outlined and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Schmuck
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and BiochemistrySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesBox 7011Uppsala75007Sweden
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska Institutet, NeoHuddinge14186Sweden
| | - Gabriele Greco
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and BiochemistrySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesBox 7011Uppsala75007Sweden
| | - Tomas Bohn Pessatti
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and BiochemistrySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesBox 7011Uppsala75007Sweden
| | - Sumalata Sonavane
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and BiochemistrySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesBox 7011Uppsala75007Sweden
| | - Viktoria Langwallner
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and BiochemistrySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesBox 7011Uppsala75007Sweden
| | - Tina Arndt
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska Institutet, NeoHuddinge14186Sweden
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and BiochemistrySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesBox 7011Uppsala75007Sweden
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska Institutet, NeoHuddinge14186Sweden
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Hu X, Li N, Guo S, Zhu M, Zhang X, Wang C, Gong C. Rapid production of chimeric silkworm/spider silk with improved mechanical properties by infection of nonpermissive Bombyx mori with recombinant AcMNPV harboring native-size of spidroin genes. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 256:128466. [PMID: 38035957 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Spider silks with excellent mechanical properties attract more attention from scientists worldwide, and the dragline silk that serves as the framework of the spider's web is considered one of the strongest fibers. However, it is unfeasible for large-scale production of spider silk due to its highly territorial, cannibalistic, predatory, and solitary behavior. Herein, to alleviate some of these problems and explore aneasy way to produce spider fibers, we constructed recombinant baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) simultaneously expressing Trichonephila clavipes native ampullate spidroin 2 (MaSp-G) and spidroin 1 (MaSp-C) driven by the promoters of silkworm fibroin genes, to infect the nonpermissive Bombyx mori larvae at the fifth instar. MaSp-G and MaSp-C were co-expressed in the posterior silk glands (PSGs) of infected silkworms and successfully secreted into the lumen of the silk gland for fibroin globule assembly. The integration of MaSp-G and MaSp-C into silkworm silk fibers significantly improved the mechanical properties of these chimeric silk fibers, especially the strength and extensibility, which may be caused by the increment of β-sheet in the chimeric silkworm/spider silk fiber. These results demonstrated that silkworms could be developed as the nonpermissive heterologous host for the mass production of chimeric silkworm/spider silk fibers via the recombinant baculovirus AcMNPV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Hu
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology and Ecological Research, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Nan Li
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Sicheng Guo
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Min Zhu
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology and Ecological Research, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Xing Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Life Science, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Chonglong Wang
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology and Ecological Research, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
| | - Chengliang Gong
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology and Ecological Research, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
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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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [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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Bittencourt DMDC, Oliveira P, Michalczechen-Lacerda VA, Rosinha GMS, Jones JA, Rech EL. Bioengineering of spider silks for the production of biomedical materials. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:958486. [PMID: 36017345 PMCID: PMC9397580 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.958486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider silks are well known for their extraordinary mechanical properties. This characteristic is a result of the interplay of composition, structure and self-assembly of spider silk proteins (spidroins). Advances in synthetic biology have enabled the design and production of spidroins with the aim of biomimicking the structure-property-function relationships of spider silks. Although in nature only fibers are formed from spidroins, in vitro, scientists can explore non-natural morphologies including nanofibrils, particles, capsules, hydrogels, films or foams. The versatility of spidroins, along with their biocompatible and biodegradable nature, also placed them as leading-edge biological macromolecules for improved drug delivery and various biomedical applications. Accordingly, in this review, we highlight the relationship between the molecular structure of spider silk and its mechanical properties and aims to provide a critical summary of recent progress in research employing recombinantly produced bioengineered spidroins for the production of innovative bio-derived structural materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Matias de C. Bittencourt
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, National Institute of Science and Technology—Synthetic Biology, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Paula Oliveira
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
| | | | - Grácia Maria Soares Rosinha
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, National Institute of Science and Technology—Synthetic Biology, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Justin A. Jones
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
| | - Elibio L. Rech
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, National Institute of Science and Technology—Synthetic Biology, Brasília, DF, Brazil
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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: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [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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Peng CA, Kozubowski L, Marcotte WR. Advances in Plant-Derived Scaffold Proteins. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:122. [PMID: 32161608 PMCID: PMC7052361 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Scaffold proteins form critical biomatrices that support cell adhesion and proliferation for regenerative medicine and drug screening. The increasing demand for such applications urges solutions for cost effective and sustainable supplies of hypoallergenic and biocompatible scaffold proteins. Here, we summarize recent efforts in obtaining plant-derived biosynthetic spider silk analogue and the extracellular matrix protein, collagen. Both proteins are composed of a large number of tandem block repeats, which makes production in bacterial hosts challenging. Furthermore, post-translational modification of collagen is essential for its function which requires co-transformation of multiple copies of human prolyl 4-hydroxylase. We discuss our perspectives on how the GAANTRY system could potentially assist the production of native-sized spider dragline silk proteins and prolyl hydroxylated collagen. The potential of recombinant scaffold proteins in drug delivery and drug discovery is also addressed.
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