1
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Wu D, Koscic A, Schneider S, Dubini RCA, Rodriguez Camargo DC, Schneider S, Rovó P. Unveiling the Dynamic Self-Assembly of a Recombinant Dragline-Silk-Mimicking Protein. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:1759-1774. [PMID: 38343096 PMCID: PMC10934265 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01239] [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: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Despite the considerable interest in the recombinant production of synthetic spider silk fibers that possess mechanical properties similar to those of native spider silks, such as the cost-effectiveness, tunability, and scalability realization, is still lacking. To address this long-standing challenge, we have constructed an artificial spider silk gene using Golden Gate assembly for the recombinant bacterial production of dragline-mimicking silk, incorporating all the essential components: the N-terminal domain, a 33-residue-long major-ampullate-spidroin-inspired segment repeated 16 times, and the C-terminal domain (N16C). This designed silk-like protein was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and cast into films from formic acid. We produced uniformly 13C-15N-labeled N16C films and employed solid-state magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for characterization. Thus, we could demonstrate that our bioengineered silk-like protein self-assembles into a film where, when hydrated, the solvent-exposed layer of the rigid, β-nanocrystalline polyalanine core undergoes a transition to an α-helical structure, gaining mobility to the extent that it fully dissolves in water and transforms into a highly dynamic random coil. This hydration-induced behavior induces chain dynamics in the glycine-rich amorphous soft segments on the microsecond time scale, contributing to the elasticity of the solid material. Our findings not only reveal the presence of structurally and dynamically distinct segments within the film's superstructure but also highlight the complexity of the self-organization responsible for the exceptional mechanical properties observed in proteins that mimic dragline silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongqing Wu
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Anamaria Koscic
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Sonja Schneider
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Romeo C. A. Dubini
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Center
for Nanoscience (CeNS), Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Diana C. Rodriguez Camargo
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Sabine Schneider
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Petra Rovó
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Institute
of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
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2
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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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3
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Connor A, Wigham C, Bai Y, Rai M, Nassif S, Koffas M, Zha RH. Novel insights into construct toxicity, strain optimization, and primary sequence design for producing recombinant silk fibroin and elastin-like peptide in E. coli. Metab Eng Commun 2023; 16:e00219. [PMID: 36825067 PMCID: PMC9941211 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2023.e00219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Spider silk proteins (spidroins) are a remarkable class of biomaterials that exhibit a unique combination of high-value attributes and can be processed into numerous morphologies for targeted applications in diverse fields. Recombinant production of spidroins represents the most promising route towards establishing the industrial production of the material, however, recombinant spider silk production suffers from fundamental difficulties that includes low titers, plasmid instability, and translational inefficiencies. In this work, we sought to gain a deeper understanding of upstream bottlenecks that exist in the field through the production of a panel of systematically varied spidroin sequences in multiple E. coli strains. A restriction on basal expression and specific genetic mutations related to stress responses were identified as primary factors that facilitated higher titers of the recombinant silk constructs. Using these findings, a novel strain of E. coli was created that produces recombinant silk constructs at levels 4-33 times higher than standard BL21(DE3). However, these findings did not extend to a similar recombinant protein, an elastin-like peptide. It was found that the recombinant silk proteins, but not the elastin-like peptide, exert toxicity on the E. coli host system, possibly through their high degree of intrinsic disorder. Along with strain engineering, a bioprocess design that utilizes longer culturing times and attenuated induction was found to raise recombinant silk titers by seven-fold and mitigate toxicity. Targeted alteration to the primary sequence of the recombinant silk constructs was also found to mitigate toxicity. These findings identify multiple points of focus for future work seeking to further optimize the recombinant production of silk proteins and is the first work to identify the intrinsic disorder and subsequent toxicity of certain spidroin constructs as a primary factor related to the difficulties of production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Connor
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA,Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Caleb Wigham
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA,Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Yang Bai
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Manish Rai
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA,Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Sebastian Nassif
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Mattheos Koffas
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA,Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA,Corresponding author. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA.
| | - R. Helen Zha
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA,Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA,Corresponding author. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA.
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4
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Engineering Circularized mRNAs for the Production of Spider Silk Proteins. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0002822. [PMID: 35384707 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00028-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomaterials offer unique properties that make them irreplaceable for next-generation applications. Fibrous proteins, such as various caterpillar silks and especially spider silk, have strength and toughness not found in human-made materials. In early studies, proteins containing long tandem repeats, such as major ampullate spidroin 1 (MaSp1) and flagelliform silk protein (FSLP), were produced using a large DNA template composed of many tandem repeats. The hierarchical DNA assembly of the DNA template is very time-consuming and labor-intensive, which makes the fibrous proteins difficult to study and engineer. In this study, we designed a circularized mRNA (cmRNA) employing the RNA cyclase ribozyme mechanism. cmRNAs encoding spider silk protein MaSp1 and FSLP were designed based on only one unit of the template sequence but provide ribosomes with a circular and infinite translation template for production of long peptides containing tandem repeats. Using this technique, cmRNAs of MaSp1 and FSLP were successfully generated with circularization efficiencies of 8.5% and 36.7%, respectively, which supported the production of recombinant MaSp1 and FSLP larger than 110 and 88 kDa, containing tens of repeat units. Western blot analysis and mass spectrometry confirmed the authenticity of MaSp1 and FSLP, which were produced at titers of 22.1 and 81.5 mg · liter-1, respectively. IMPORTANCE Spider silk is a biomaterial with superior properties. However, its heterologous expression template is hard to construct. The cmRNA technique simplifies the construction and expression strategy by proving the ribosome a circular translation template for expression of long peptides containing tandem repeats. This revolutionary technique will allow researchers to easily build, study, and experiment with any fiber proteins with sequences either from natural genes or artificial designs. We expect a significantly accelerated development of fibrous protein-based biomaterials with the cmRNA technique.
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5
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Ramezaniaghdam M, Nahdi ND, Reski R. Recombinant Spider Silk: Promises and Bottlenecks. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:835637. [PMID: 35350182 PMCID: PMC8957953 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.835637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Spider silk threads have exceptional mechanical properties such as toughness, elasticity and low density, which reach maximum values compared to other fibre materials. They are superior even compared to Kevlar and steel. These extraordinary properties stem from long length and specific protein structures. Spider silk proteins can consist of more than 20,000 amino acids. Polypeptide stretches account for more than 90% of the whole protein, and these domains can be repeated more than a hundred times. Each repeat unit has a specific function resulting in the final properties of the silk. These properties make them attractive for innovative material development for medical or technical products as well as cosmetics. However, with livestock breeding of spiders it is not possible to reach high volumes of silk due to the cannibalistic behaviour of these animals. In order to obtain spider silk proteins (spidroins) on a large scale, recombinant production is attempted in various expression systems such as plants, bacteria, yeasts, insects, silkworms, mammalian cells and animals. For viable large-scale production, cost-effective and efficient production systems are needed. This review describes the different types of spider silk, their proteins and structures and discusses the production of these difficult-to-express proteins in different host organisms with an emphasis on plant systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Ramezaniaghdam
- Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS at FIT – Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nadia D. Nahdi
- Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ralf Reski
- Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS at FIT – Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Ralf Reski,
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6
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Bakhshandeh B, Nateghi SS, Gazani MM, Dehghani Z, Mohammadzadeh F. A review on advances in the applications of spider silk in biomedical issues. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 192:258-271. [PMID: 34627845 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.09.201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Spider silk, as one of the hardest natural and biocompatible substances with extraordinary strength and flexibility, have become an ideal option in various areas of science and have made their path onto the biomedical industry. Despite its growing popularity, the difficulties in the extraction of silks from spiders and farming them have made it unaffordable and almost impossible for industrial scale. Biotechnology helped production of spider silks recombinantly in different hosts and obtaining diverse morphologies out of them based on different processing and assembly procedures. Herein, the characteristics of these morphologies and their advantages and disadvantages are summarized. A detailed view about applications of recombinant silks in skin regeneration and cartilage, tendon, bone, teeth, cardiovascular, and neural tissues engineering are brought out, where there is a need for strong scaffolds to support cell growth. Likewise, spider silk proteins have applications as conduit constructs, medical sutures, and 3D printer bioinks. Other characteristics of spider silks, such as low immunogenicity, hydrophobicity, homogeneity, and adjustability, have attracted much attention in drug and gene delivery. Finally, the challenges and obstacles ahead for industrializing the production of spider silk proteins in sufficient quantities in biomedicine, along with solutions to overcome these barriers, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnaz Bakhshandeh
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Seyedeh Saba Nateghi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Maddah Gazani
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, College of Science, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Dehghani
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, College of Science, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Mohammadzadeh
- Department of Polymer Engineering and Color Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran
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7
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High mechanical property silk produced by transgenic silkworms expressing the spidroins PySp1 and ASG1. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20980. [PMID: 34697320 PMCID: PMC8546084 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00029-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider silk is one of the best natural fibers with excellent mechanical properties; however, due to the visual awareness, biting behavior and territory consciousness of spiders, we cannot obtain spider silk by large-scale breeding. Silkworms have a spinning system similar to that of spiders, and the use of transgenic technology in Bombyx mori, which is an ideal reactor for producing spider silk, is routine. In this study, the piggyBac transposon technique was used to achieve specific expression of two putative spider silk genes in the posterior silk glands of silkworms: aggregate spider glue 1 (ASG1) of Trichonephila clavipes (approximately 1.2 kb) and two repetitive units of pyriform spidroin 1 (PySp1) of Argiope argentata (approximately 1.4 kb). Then, two reconstituted spider silk-producing strains, the AG and PA strains, were obtained. Finally, the toughness of the silk fiber was increased by up to 91.5% and the maximum stress was enhanced by 36.9% in PA, and the respective properties in AG were increased by 21.0% and 34.2%. In summary, these two spider genes significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of silk fiber, which can provide a basis for spidroin silk production.
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8
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Chang MP, Huang W, Mai DJ. Monomer‐scale design of functional protein polymers using consensus repeat sequences. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20210506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina P. Chang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Stanford University Stanford California USA
| | - Winnie Huang
- Department of Chemical Engineering Stanford University Stanford California USA
| | - Danielle J. Mai
- Department of Chemical Engineering Stanford University Stanford California USA
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9
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Kim Y, Chang H, Yoon T, Park W, Choi H, Na S. Nano-fishnet formation of silk controlled by Arginine density. Acta Biomater 2021; 128:201-208. [PMID: 33862282 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Silk fiber is renowned for its superb mechanical properties, such as over 7 times the toughness of Kevlar 49 Fibre. As the spider silk is tougher than any man-made fiber, there is a lot to be learned from spider silk. Recently, it has been reported that a large portion of the properties of silk is from naturally formed nano-fishnet structures of silk, but neither its formation mechanism nor its formation condition has been explained. Here, we show how the formation and disappearance of nano-fishnet of silk is determined by humidity, and how the humidity-dependency of nano-fishnet formation can be overcome by changing density of Arginine through sequence mutation. We demonstrate that the nano-fishnet-structured silk exhibits higher strength and toughness than its counterparts. This information on controllable nano-fishnet formation of silk is expected to pave the way for development of protein and synthetic fiber design. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Silk fibers are a very interesting material in that it exhibits superb mechanical properties such as 7 times the toughness of Kevlar 49 Fibre, despite being only composed of proteins. Therefore, it is important that we understand the principle of its high mechanical properties so that it may be applied in designing synthetic fibers. Recently, it has been reported that a large portion of its mechanical property comes from its nano-fishnet structures, but no detailed explanation on the condition or mechanism of formation. Through molecular dynamic simulations, we simulated the nano-fishnet formation of silk and analyzed the condition and mechanism behind it, and showed how the formation of nano-fishnet structures could be controlled by changing the density of Arginine residues. Our study provides information on fiber enhancement mechanism that could be applied to synthetic and protein fiber design.
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10
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Bhattacharyya G, Oliveira P, Krishnaji ST, Chen D, Hinman M, Bell B, Harris TI, Ghazitabatabaei A, Lewis RV, Jones JA. Large scale production of synthetic spider silk proteins in Escherichia coli. Protein Expr Purif 2021; 183:105839. [PMID: 33746079 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2021.105839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk, which has remarkable mechanical properties, is a natural protein fiber produced by spiders. Spiders cannot be farmed because of their cannibalistic and territorial nature. Hence, large amounts of spider silk cannot be produced from spiders. Genetic engineering is an alternative approach to produce large quantities of spider silk. Our group has produced synthetic spider silk proteins in E. coli to study structure/function and to produce biomaterials comparable to the silks produced by orb-weaving spiders. Here we give a detailed description of our cloning, expression, and purification methods of synthetic spider silk proteins ranging from ~30 to ~200 kDa. We have cloned the relevant genes of the spider Nephila clavipes and introduced them into bacteria to produce synthetic spider silk proteins using small and large-scale bioreactors. We have optimized the fermentation process, and we have developed protein purification methods as well. The purified proteins are spun into fibers and are used to make alternative materials like films and adhesives with various possible commercial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gargi Bhattacharyya
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA; Department of Chemistry, Eberly College of Science, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Sreevidhya T Krishnaji
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, India
| | - Dong Chen
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA
| | | | - Brianne Bell
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA
| | | | | | | | - Justin A Jones
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Utah, USA.
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11
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Zhou SY, Dong QL, Zhu KS, Gao L, Chen X, Xiang H. Long-read transcriptomic analysis of orb-weaving spider Araneus ventricosus indicates transcriptional diversity of spidroins. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 168:395-402. [PMID: 33275979 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.11.182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Spider silk, which is composed of diverse silk proteins (spidroin), is a kind of natural high-mass biomaterial with great potential. However, due to the complexity of both the structure and the composition of the spidroins in natural spider silk, application of this valuable biomass is still limited to date. There are diverse kinds of spider silk in the orb-weaving spider with different mechanical and structural characteristics. In order to systematically illustrate the landscape of all the different spidrons, here we chose Araneus ventricosus, an orb-weaving spider with superior silk mechanical features and genome information, to generate a long-read whole body transcriptome. We deciphered the repeat arrangements of each kind of spidroin, based on which we found that there are substantially transcriptional diversity of each spidroin gene. Some repeat motifs are not documented before. Specifically, we discovered novel full-lengh MaSp transcript as well as a relatively small full-length AcSp isoforms, which are potential promising materials for bioengineering of recombinant spidroin. Our study provided a batch of new spidron resources with detail sequential information. The finding of transcriptional diversity may provide cues in understanding of within-species variation of the mechanical properties of the natural spider silk and further molecular designing of recombinant spidroin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Yi Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Qing-Lin Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ke-Sen Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Lei Gao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.
| | - Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Hui Xiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.
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12
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Greco G, Francis J, Arndt T, Schmuck B, G. Bäcklund F, Barth A, Johansson J, M. Pugno N, Rising A. Properties of Biomimetic Artificial Spider Silk Fibers Tuned by PostSpin Bath Incubation. Molecules 2020; 25:E3248. [PMID: 32708777 PMCID: PMC7397010 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25143248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient production of artificial spider silk fibers with properties that match its natural counterpart has still not been achieved. Recently, a biomimetic process for spinning recombinant spider silk proteins (spidroins) was presented, in which important molecular mechanisms involved in native spider silk spinning were recapitulated. However, drawbacks of these fibers included inferior mechanical properties and problems with low resistance to aqueous environments. In this work, we show that ≥5 h incubation of the fibers, in a collection bath of 500 mM NaAc and 200 mM NaCl, at pH 5 results in fibers that do not dissolve in water or phosphate buffered saline, which implies that the fibers can be used for applications that involve wet/humid conditions. Furthermore, incubation in the collection bath improved the strain at break and was associated with increased β-sheet content, but did not affect the fiber morphology. In summary, we present a simple way to improve artificial spider silk fiber strain at break and resistance to aqueous solvents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Greco
- Laboratory of Bio-Inspired, Bionic, Nano, Meta, Materials & Mechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38123 Trento, Italy;
| | - Juanita Francis
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 14186 Huddinge, Sweden; (J.F.); (T.A.); (B.S.); (F.G.B.); (J.J.)
| | - Tina Arndt
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 14186 Huddinge, Sweden; (J.F.); (T.A.); (B.S.); (F.G.B.); (J.J.)
| | - Benjamin Schmuck
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 14186 Huddinge, Sweden; (J.F.); (T.A.); (B.S.); (F.G.B.); (J.J.)
| | - Fredrik G. Bäcklund
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 14186 Huddinge, Sweden; (J.F.); (T.A.); (B.S.); (F.G.B.); (J.J.)
| | - Andreas Barth
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 14186 Huddinge, Sweden; (J.F.); (T.A.); (B.S.); (F.G.B.); (J.J.)
| | - Nicola M. Pugno
- Laboratory of Bio-Inspired, Bionic, Nano, Meta, Materials & Mechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38123 Trento, Italy;
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Anna Rising
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Neo, 14186 Huddinge, Sweden; (J.F.); (T.A.); (B.S.); (F.G.B.); (J.J.)
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
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13
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A marine photosynthetic microbial cell factory as a platform for spider silk production. Commun Biol 2020; 3:357. [PMID: 32641733 PMCID: PMC7343832 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-1099-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Photosynthetic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria, purple bacteria and microalgae have attracted great interest as promising platforms for economical and sustainable production of bioenergy, biochemicals, and biopolymers. Here, we demonstrate heterotrophic production of spider dragline silk proteins, major ampullate spidroins (MaSp), in a marine photosynthetic purple bacterium, Rhodovulum sulfidophilum, under both photoheterotrophic and photoautotrophic growth conditions. Spider silk is a biodegradable and biocompatible material with remarkable mechanical properties. R. sulfidophilum grow by utilizing abundant and renewable nonfood bioresources such as seawater, sunlight, and gaseous CO2 and N2, thus making this photosynthetic microbial cell factory a promising green and sustainable production platform for proteins and biopolymers, including spider silks. Foong et al. demonstrate production of spider dragline silk proteins in Rhodovulum sulfidophilum, a marine photosynthetic purple bacterium. This platform generates promise for the sustainable production of valuable biocompounds in photosynthetic organisms.
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14
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Poddar H, Breitling R, Takano E. Towards engineering and production of artificial spider silk using tools of synthetic biology. ENGINEERING BIOLOGY 2020; 4:1-6. [PMID: 36970229 PMCID: PMC9996717 DOI: 10.1049/enb.2019.0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider silk is one of the strongest biomaterials available in nature. Its mechanical properties make it a good candidate for applications in various fields ranging from protective armour to bandages for wound dressing to coatings for medical implants. Spider silk is formed by an intricate arrangement of spidroins, which are extremely large proteins containing long stretches of repeating segments rich in alanine and glycine. A large amount of research has been directed towards harnessing the spectacular potential of spider silks and using them for different applications. The interdisciplinary approach of synthetic biology is an ideal tool to study these spider silk proteins and work towards the engineering and production of synthetic spider silk. This review aims to highlight the recent progress that has been made in the study of spider silk proteins using different branches of synthetic biology. Here, the authors discuss the different computational approaches, directed evolution techniques and various expression platforms that have been tested for the successful production of spider silk. Future challenges facing the field and possible solutions offered by synthetic biology are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hashwardhan Poddar
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM The University of Manchester Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Rainer Breitling
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM The University of Manchester Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Eriko Takano
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM The University of Manchester Manchester M1 7DN UK
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15
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Li H, Chen S, Piao S, An T, Wang C. Production of artificial synthetic spidroin gene 4S-transgenic cloned sheep embryos using somatic cell nuclear transfer. Anim Biotechnol 2020; 32:616-626. [DOI: 10.1080/10495398.2020.1737098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Li
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, P. R. China
- College of Life Science, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, P. R. China
| | - Shengnan Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, P. R. China
| | - Shanhua Piao
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, P. R. China
| | - Tiezhu An
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, P. R. China
- College of Life Science, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, P. R. China
| | - Chunsheng Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, P. R. China
- College of Life Science, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, P. R. China
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16
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Xu S, Li X, Zhou Y, Lin Y, Meng Q. Structural characterization and mechanical properties of chimeric Masp1/Flag minispidroins. Biochimie 2020; 168:251-258. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2019.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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17
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Bowen CH, Reed TJ, Sargent CJ, Mpamo B, Galazka JM, Zhang F. Seeded Chain-Growth Polymerization of Proteins in Living Bacterial Cells. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:2651-2658. [PMID: 31742389 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Microbially produced protein-based materials (PBMs) are appealing due to use of renewable feedstock, low energy requirements, tunable side-chain chemistry, and biodegradability. However, high-strength PBMs typically have high molecular weights (HMW) and repetitive sequences that are difficult to microbially produce due to genetic instability and metabolic burden. We report the development of a biosynthetic strategy termed seeded chain-growth polymerization (SCP) for synthesis of HMW PBMs in living bacterial cells. SCP uses split intein (SI) chemistry to cotranslationally polymerize relatively small, genetically stable material protein subunits, effectively preventing intramolecular cyclization. We apply SCP to bioproduction of spider silk in Escherichia coli, generating HMW spider silk proteins (spidroins) up to 300 kDa, resulting in spidroin fibers of high strength, modulus, and toughness. SCP provides a modular strategy to synthesize HMW, repetitive material proteins, and may facilitate bioproduction of a variety of high-performance PBMs for broad applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jonathan M. Galazka
- Space Biosciences Division, Ames Research Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Moffett Field, California 94035, United States
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18
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Sarkar A, Connor AJ, Koffas M, Zha RH. Chemical Synthesis of Silk-Mimetic Polymers. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 12:E4086. [PMID: 31817786 PMCID: PMC6947416 DOI: 10.3390/ma12244086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Silk is a naturally occurring high-performance material that can surpass man-made polymers in toughness and strength. The remarkable mechanical properties of silk result from the primary sequence of silk fibroin, which bears semblance to a linear segmented copolymer with alternating rigid ("crystalline") and flexible ("amorphous") blocks. Silk-mimetic polymers are therefore of great emerging interest, as they can potentially exhibit the advantageous features of natural silk while possessing synthetic flexibility as well as non-natural compositions. This review describes the relationships between primary sequence and material properties in natural silk fibroin and furthermore discusses chemical approaches towards the synthesis of silk-mimetic polymers. In particular, step-growth polymerization, controlled radical polymerization, and copolymerization with naturally derived silk fibroin are presented as strategies for synthesizing silk-mimetic polymers with varying molecular weights and degrees of sequence control. Strategies for improving macromolecular solubility during polymerization are also highlighted. Lastly, the relationships between synthetic approach, supramolecular structure, and bulk material properties are explored in this review, with the aim of providing an informative perspective on the challenges facing chemical synthesis of silk-mimetic polymers with desirable properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - R. Helen Zha
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (A.S.); (A.J.C.); (M.K.)
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19
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Werten MWT, Eggink G, Cohen Stuart MA, de Wolf FA. Production of protein-based polymers in Pichia pastoris. Biotechnol Adv 2019; 37:642-666. [PMID: 30902728 PMCID: PMC6624476 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 02/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Materials science and genetic engineering have joined forces over the last three decades in the development of so-called protein-based polymers. These are proteins, typically with repetitive amino acid sequences, that have such physical properties that they can be used as functional materials. Well-known natural examples are collagen, silk, and elastin, but also artificial sequences have been devised. These proteins can be produced in a suitable host via recombinant DNA technology, and it is this inherent control over monomer sequence and molecular size that renders this class of polymers of particular interest to the fields of nanomaterials and biomedical research. Traditionally, Escherichia coli has been the main workhorse for the production of these polymers, but the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris is finding increased use in view of the often high yields and potential bioprocessing benefits. We here provide an overview of protein-based polymers produced in P. pastoris. We summarize their physicochemical properties, briefly note possible applications, and detail their biosynthesis. Some challenges that may be faced when using P. pastoris for polymer production are identified: (i) low yields and poor process control in shake flask cultures; i.e., the need for bioreactors, (ii) proteolytic degradation, and (iii) self-assembly in vivo. Strategies to overcome these challenges are discussed, which we anticipate will be of interest also to readers involved in protein expression in P. pastoris in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc W T Werten
- Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, NL-6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Gerrit Eggink
- Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, NL-6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands; Bioprocess Engineering, Wageningen University & Research, NL-6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martien A Cohen Stuart
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, NL-6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Frits A de Wolf
- Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, NL-6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands
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20
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Zhang X, Xia L, Day BA, Harris TI, Oliveira P, Knittel C, Licon AL, Gong C, Dion G, Lewis RV, Jones JA. CRISPR/Cas9 Initiated Transgenic Silkworms as a Natural Spinner of Spider Silk. Biomacromolecules 2019; 20:2252-2264. [PMID: 31059233 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.9b00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Using transgenic silkworms with their natural spinning apparatus has proven to be a promising way to spin spider silk-like fibers. The challenges are incorporating native-size spider silk proteins and achieving an inheritable transgenic silkworm strain. In this study, a CRISPR/Cas9 initiated fixed-point strategy was used to successfully incorporate spider silk protein genes into the Bombyx mori genome. Native-size spider silk genes (up to 10 kb) were inserted into an intron of the fibroin heavy or light chain (FibH or FibL) ensuring that any sequence changes induced by the CRISPR/Cas9 would not impact protein production. The resulting fibers are as strong as native spider silks (1.2 GPa tensile strength). The transgenic silkworms have been tracked for several generations with normal inheritance of the transgenes. This strategy demonstrates the feasibility of using silkworms as a natural spider silk spinner for industrial production of high-performance fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Chelsea Knittel
- College of Engineering , Drexel University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19104 , United States
| | | | - Chengliang Gong
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science , Soochow University , Suzhou 215123 , China
| | - Geneviève Dion
- Westphal College of Media Arts and Design , Drexel University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19104 , United States
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21
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You Z, Ye X, Ye L, Qian Q, Wu M, Song J, Che J, Zhong B. Extraordinary Mechanical Properties of Composite Silk Through Hereditable Transgenic Silkworm Expressing Recombinant Major Ampullate Spidroin. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15956. [PMID: 30374029 PMCID: PMC6206087 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34150-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is a remarkable material that shows excellent mechanical properties, diverse applications, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Transgenic silkworm technology was used to obtain four types of chimeric silkworm/spider (termed composite) silk fibres, including different lengths of recombinant Major ampullate Spidroin1 (re-MaSp1) or recombinant Major ampullate Spidroin2 (re-MaSp2) from the black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus. The results showed that the overall mechanical properties of composite silk fibres improved as the re-MaSp1 chain length increased, and there were significant linear relationships between the mechanical properties and the re-MaSp1 chain length (p < 0.01). Additionally, a stronger tensile strength was observed for the composite silk fibres that included re-MaSp1, which only contained one type of repetitive motif, (GA)n/An, to provide tensile strength, compared with the silk fibres that includedre-MaSp2, which has the same protein chain length as re-MaSp1 but contains multiple types of repetitive motifs, GPGXX and (GA)n/An. Therefore, the results indicated that the nature of various repetitive motifs in the primary structure played an important role in imparting excellent mechanical properties to the protein-based silk fibres. A silk protein with a single type of repetitive motif and sufficiently long chains was determined to be an additional indispensable factor. Thus, this study forms a foundation for designing and optimizing the structure of re-silk protein using a heterologous expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengying You
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Xiaogang Ye
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Lupeng Ye
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Qiujie Qian
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Meiyu Wu
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Jia Song
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Jiaqian Che
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Boxiong Zhong
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China.
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22
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Decker RE, Harris TI, Memmott DR, Peterson CJ, Lewis RV, Jones JA. Method for the Destruction of Endotoxin in Synthetic Spider Silk Proteins. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12166. [PMID: 30111805 PMCID: PMC6093939 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29719-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although synthetic spider silk has impressive potential as a biomaterial, endotoxin contamination of the spider silk proteins is a concern, regardless of the production method. The purpose of this research was to establish a standardized method to either remove or destroy the endotoxins present in synthetic spider silk proteins, such that the endotoxin level was consistently equal to or less than 0.25 EU/mL, the FDA limit for similar implant materials. Although dry heat is generally the preferred method for endotoxin destruction, heating the silk proteins to the necessary temperatures led to compromised mechanical properties in the resultant materials. In light of this, other endotoxin destruction methods were investigated, including caustic rinses and autoclaving. It was found that autoclaving synthetic spider silk protein dopes three times in a row consistently decreased the endotoxin level 10–20 fold, achieving levels at or below the desired level of 0.25 EU/mL. Products made from triple autoclaved silk dopes maintained mechanical properties comparable to products from untreated dopes while still maintaining low endotoxin levels. Triple autoclaving is an effective and scalable method for preparing synthetic spider silk proteins with endotoxin levels sufficiently low for use as biomaterials without compromising the mechanical properties of the materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard E Decker
- Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322, United States
| | - Thomas I Harris
- Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322, United States
| | - Dylan R Memmott
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322, United States
| | | | - Randolph V Lewis
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322, United States
| | - Justin A Jones
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322, United States.
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23
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Liu T, Liang A, Liang Z, Li G, Wang F. Construction of a synthetic Araneus ventricosus dragline silk gene multimer and its expression in Escherichia coli. 3 Biotech 2018; 8:252. [PMID: 29765810 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-018-1285-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most representative core gene sequence of Araneus ventricosus dragline silk protein partial cDNA monomer (JN857964.2) was selected and multimerized using a "head-to-tail" strategy by compatible but nonregenerable sites at both ends resulting in a concatemer of 16 contiguous monomers. This concatemer was cloned into pET-28a(+) expression vector and transformed into Escherichia coli. A 52.6 kDa silk protein was successfully expressed and detected by SDS-PAGE and confirmed by Western blotting. A maximum yield of the silk protein was expressed with 7.06 mM IPTG after 5 h incubation. This is the first report on the construction and overexpression of a A. ventricosus dragline silk multimeric gene construct and the results from our study will provide a reference point for further exploration and development of large-scale production of spider silk protein.
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24
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Fink TD, Zha RH. Silk and Silk-Like Supramolecular Materials. Macromol Rapid Commun 2018; 39:e1700834. [DOI: 10.1002/marc.201700834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tanner D. Fink
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; 110 8th St. Troy NY 12180 USA
| | - R. Helen Zha
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; 110 8th St. Troy NY 12180 USA
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25
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Gustafsson L, Jansson R, Hedhammar M, van der Wijngaart W. Structuring of Functional Spider Silk Wires, Coatings, and Sheets by Self-Assembly on Superhydrophobic Pillar Surfaces. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2018; 30:1704325. [PMID: 29205540 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201704325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Spider silk has recently become a material of high interest for a large number of biomedical applications. Previous work on structuring of silk has resulted in particles (0D), fibers (1D), films (2D), and foams, gels, capsules, or microspheres (3D). However, the manufacturing process of these structures is complex and involves posttreatment of chemicals unsuitable for biological applications. In this work, the self-assembly of recombinant spider silk on micropatterned superhydrophobic surfaces is studied. For the first time, structuring of recombinant spider silk is achieved using superhydrophobic surfaces under conditions that retain the bioactivity of the functionalized silk. By tuning the superhydrophobic surface geometry and the silk solution handling parameters, this approach allows controlled generation of silk coatings, nanowires, and sheets. The underlying mechanisms and governing parameters are discussed. It is believed that the results of this work pave the way for fabrication of silk formations for applications including vehicles for drug delivery, optical sensing, antimicrobial coatings, and cell culture scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linnea Gustafsson
- Micro- and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Osquldas väg 10, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ronnie Jansson
- Division of Protein Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Roslagstullsbacken 21, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - My Hedhammar
- Division of Protein Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Roslagstullsbacken 21, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wouter van der Wijngaart
- Micro- and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Osquldas väg 10, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden
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26
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Deptuch T, Dams-Kozlowska H. Silk Materials Functionalized via Genetic Engineering for Biomedical Applications. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2017; 10:E1417. [PMID: 29231863 PMCID: PMC5744352 DOI: 10.3390/ma10121417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The great mechanical properties, biocompatibility and biodegradability of silk-based materials make them applicable to the biomedical field. Genetic engineering enables the construction of synthetic equivalents of natural silks. Knowledge about the relationship between the structure and function of silk proteins enables the design of bioengineered silks that can serve as the foundation of new biomaterials. Furthermore, in order to better address the needs of modern biomedicine, genetic engineering can be used to obtain silk-based materials with new functionalities. Sequences encoding new peptides or domains can be added to the sequences encoding the silk proteins. The expression of one cDNA fragment indicates that each silk molecule is related to a functional fragment. This review summarizes the proposed genetic functionalization of silk-based materials that can be potentially useful for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Deptuch
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Chair of Medical Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-688 Poznan, Poland.
- Department of Diagnostics and Cancer Immunology, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, 61-688 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Hanna Dams-Kozlowska
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Chair of Medical Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-688 Poznan, Poland.
- Department of Diagnostics and Cancer Immunology, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, 61-688 Poznan, Poland.
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27
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Thamm C, DeSimone E, Scheibel T. Characterization of Hydrogels Made of a Novel Spider Silk Protein eMaSp1s and Evaluation for 3D Printing. Macromol Biosci 2017; 17. [PMID: 28805010 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201700141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Recombinantly produced spider silk proteins have high potential for bioengineering and various biomedical applications because of their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low immunogenicity. Here, the recently described small spider silk protein eMaSp1s is assembled into hydrogels, which can be 3D printed into scaffolds. Further, blending with a recombinantly produced MaSp2 derivative eADF4(C16) alters the mechanical properties of the resulting hydrogels. Different spider silk hydrogels also show a distinct recovery after a high shear stress deformation, exhibiting the tunability of their features for selected applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Thamm
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Elise DeSimone
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Lehrstuhl Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Zentrum für Kolloide und Grenzflächen (BZKG), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayerisches Polymerinstitut (BPI), Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Zentrum für Molekulare Biowissenschaften (BZMB), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.,Institut für Bio-Makromoleküle (bio-mac), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuther Materialzentrum (BayMAT), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
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Dinjaski N, Ebrahimi D, Qin Z, Giordano JEM, Ling S, Buehler MJ, Kaplan DL. Predicting rates of in vivo degradation of recombinant spider silk proteins. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2017; 12:e97-e105. [PMID: 27943629 DOI: 10.1002/term.2380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2016] [Revised: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Developing fundamental tools and insight into biomaterial designs for predictive functional outcomes remains critical for the field. Silk is a promising candidate as a biomaterial for tissue engineering scaffolds, particularly where high mechanical loads or slow rates of degradation are desirable. Although bioinspired synthetic spider silks are feasible biomaterials for this purpose, insight into how well the degradation rate can be programmed by fine tuning the sequence remains to be determined. Here we integrated experimental approaches and computational modelling to investigate the degradation of two bioengineered spider silk block copolymers, H(AB)2 and H(AB)12 , which were designed based on the consensus domains of Nephila clavipes dragline silk. The effect of protein chain length and secondary structure on degradation was analysed in vivo. The degradation rate of H(AB)12 , the silk with longer chain length/higher molecular weight, and higher crystallinity, was slower when compared to H(AB)2 . Using full atomistic modelling, it was determined that the faster degradation of H(AB)2 was due to the lower folded molecular structure of the silk and the greater accessibility to solvent. Comparison of the specific surface areas of proteins via modelling showed that higher exposure of random coil and lower exposure of ordered domains in H(AB)2 led to the more reactive silk with a higher degradation rate when compared with H(AB)12 , as validated by the experimental results. The study, based on two simple silk designs demonstrated that the control of sequence can lead to programmable degradation rates for these biomaterials, providing a suitable model system with which to study variables in protein polymer design to predict degradation rates in vivo. This approach should reduce the use of animal screening, while also accelerating translation of such biomaterials for repair and regenerative systems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Dinjaski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Davoud Ebrahimi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zhao Qin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jodie E M Giordano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Shengjie Ling
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Markus J Buehler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
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Zhang H, Zhou F, Jiang X, Cao M, Wang S, Zou H, Cao Y, Xian M, Liu H. Microbial production of amino acid-modified spider dragline silk protein with intensively improved mechanical properties. Prep Biochem Biotechnol 2017; 46:552-8. [PMID: 26460683 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2015.1084637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is a remarkably strong fiber with impressive mechanical properties, which were thought to result from the specific structures of the underlying proteins and their molecular size. In this study, silk protein 11R26 from the dragline silk protein of Nephila clavipes was used to analyze the potential effects of the special amino acids on the function of 11R26. Three protein derivatives, ZF4, ZF5, and ZF6, were obtained by site-directed mutagenesis, based on the sequence of 11R26, and among these derivatives, serine was replaced with cysteine, isoleucine, and arginine, respectively. After these were expressed and purified, the mechanical performance of the fibers derived from the four proteins was tested. Both hardness and average elastic modulus of ZF4 fiber increased 2.2 times compared with those of 11R26. The number of disulfide bonds in ZF4 protein was 4.67 times that of 11R26, which implied that disulfide bonds outside the poly-Ala region affect the mechanical properties of spider silk more efficiently. The results indicated that the mechanical performances of spider silk proteins with small molecular size can be enhanced by modification of the amino acids residues. Our research not only has shown the feasibility of large-scale production of spider silk proteins but also provides valuable information for protein rational design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Zhang
- a CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials , Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Qingdao , China
| | - Fengli Zhou
- a CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials , Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Qingdao , China
| | - Xinglin Jiang
- a CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials , Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Qingdao , China
| | - Mingle Cao
- b Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology , University of Marburg , Marburg , Germany
| | - Shilu Wang
- a CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials , Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Qingdao , China
| | - Huibin Zou
- a CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials , Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Qingdao , China
| | - Yujin Cao
- a CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials , Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Qingdao , China
| | - Mo Xian
- a CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials , Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Qingdao , China
| | - Huizhou Liu
- a CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials , Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Qingdao , China
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Thamm C, Scheibel T. Recombinant Production, Characterization, and Fiber Spinning of an Engineered Short Major Ampullate Spidroin (MaSp1s). Biomacromolecules 2017; 18:1365-1372. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.7b00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Bayerisches Polymerinstitut (BPI), Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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31
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Effect of multi wall carbon nanotubes on characteristics and morphology of nanofiber scaffolds composited of MWNTs/silk fibroin. ADV POWDER TECHNOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.apt.2016.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Dinjaski N, Plowright R, Zhou S, Belton DJ, Perry CC, Kaplan DL. Osteoinductive recombinant silk fusion proteins for bone regeneration. Acta Biomater 2017; 49:127-139. [PMID: 27940162 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2016] [Revised: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Protein polymers provide a unique opportunity for tunable designs of material systems due to the genetic basis of sequence control. To address the challenge of biomineralization interfaces with protein based materials, we genetically engineered spider silks to design organic-inorganic hybrid systems. The spider silk inspired domain (SGRGGLGGQG AGAAAAAGGA GQGGYGGLGSQGT)15 served as an organic scaffold to control material stability and to allow multiple modes of processing, whereas the hydroxyapatite binding domain VTKHLNQISQSY (VTK), provided control over osteogenesis. The VTK domain was fused either to the N-, C- or both terminals of the spider silk domain to understand the effect of position on material properties and mineralization. The addition of the VTK domain to silk did not affect the physical properties of the silk recombinant constructs, but it had a critical role in the induction of biomineralization. When the VTK domain was placed on both the C- and N-termini the formation of crystalline hydroxyapatite was significantly increased. In addition, all of the recombinant proteins in film format supported the growth and proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Importantly, the presence of the VTK domain enhanced osteoinductive properties up to 3-fold compared to the control (silk alone without VTK). Therefore, silk-VTK fusion proteins have been shown suitable for mineralization and functionalization for specific biomedical applications. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Organic-inorganic interfaces are integral to biomaterial functions in many areas of repair and regeneration. Several protein polymers have been investigated for this purpose. Despite their success the limited options to fine-tune their material properties, degradation patterns and functionalize them for each specific biomedical application limits their application. Various studies have shown that the biological performance of such proteins can be improved by genetic engineering. The present study provides data relating protein design parameters and functional outcome quantified by biomineralization and human mesenchymal stem cell differentiation. As such, it helps the design of osteoinductive recombinant biomaterials for bone regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Dinjaski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, MA 02155, United States
| | - Robyn Plowright
- Biomolecular and Materials Interface Research Group, Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Shun Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, MA 02155, United States
| | - David J Belton
- Biomolecular and Materials Interface Research Group, Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Carole C Perry
- Biomolecular and Materials Interface Research Group, Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK.
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, MA 02155, United States.
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Pereira AM, Machado R, da Costa A, Ribeiro A, Collins T, Gomes AC, Leonor IB, Kaplan DL, Reis RL, Casal M. Silk-based biomaterials functionalized with fibronectin type II promotes cell adhesion. Acta Biomater 2017; 47:50-59. [PMID: 27713086 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this work was to exploit the fibronectin type II (FNII) module from human matrix metalloproteinase-2 as a functional domain for the development of silk-based biopolymer blends that display enhanced cell adhesion properties. The DNA sequence of spider dragline silk protein (6mer) was genetically fused with the FNII coding sequence and expressed in Escherichia coli. The chimeric protein 6mer+FNII was purified by non-chromatographic methods. Films prepared from 6mer+FNII by solvent casting promoted only limited cell adhesion of human skin fibroblasts. However, the performance of the material in terms of cell adhesion was significantly improved when 6mer+FNII was combined with a silk-elastin-like protein in a concentration-dependent behavior. With this work we describe a novel class of biopolymer that promote cell adhesion and potentially useful as biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE This work reports the development of biocompatible silk-based composites with enhanced cell adhesion properties suitable for biomedical applications in regenerative medicine. The biocomposites were produced by combining a genetically engineered silk-elastin-like protein with a genetically engineered spider-silk-based polypeptide carrying the three domains of the fibronectin type II module from human metalloproteinase-2. These composites were processed into free-standing films by solvent casting and characterized for their biological behavior. To our knowledge this is the first report of the exploitation of all three FNII domains as a functional domain for the development of bioinspired materials with improved biological performance. The present study highlights the potential of using genetically engineered protein-based composites as a platform for the development of new bioinspired biomaterials.
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Heppner R, Weichert N, Schierhorn A, Conrad U, Pietzsch M. Low-Tech, Pilot Scale Purification of a Recombinant Spider Silk Protein Analog from Tobacco Leaves. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:E1687. [PMID: 27735843 PMCID: PMC5085719 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17101687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Spider dragline is used by many members of the Araneae family not only as a proteinogenic safety thread but also for web construction. Spider dragline has been shown to possess high tensile strength in combination with elastic behavior. This high tensile strength can be attributed to the presence of antiparallel β-sheets within the thread; these antiparallel β-sheets are why the protein is classified as a silk. Due to the properties of spider silk and its technical and medical uses, including its use as a suture material and as a scaffold for tissue regeneration, spider dragline is a focus of the biotechnology industry. The production of sufficient amounts of spider silk is challenging, as it is difficult to produce large quantities of fibers because of the cannibalistic behavior of spiders and their large spatial requirements. In recent years, the heterologous expression of genes coding for spider silk analogs in various hosts, including plants such as Nicotiana tabacum, has been established. We developed a simple and scalable method for the purification of a recombinant spider silk protein elastin-like peptide fusion protein (Q-/K-MaSp1-100× ELP) after heterologous production in tobacco leaves involving heat and acetone precipitation. Further purification was performed using centrifugal Inverse Transition Cycling (cITC). Up to 400 mg of highly pure spider silk protein derivatives can be isolated from six kilograms of tobacco leaves, which is the highest amount of silk protein derivatives purified from plants thus far.
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Affiliation(s)
- René Heppner
- Department of Downstream Processing, Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Sciences I-Biosciences, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 22, Halle 06120, Germany.
| | - Nicola Weichert
- Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research-IPK, Corrensstrasse 3, Seeland OT Gatersleben 06466, Germany.
| | - Angelika Schierhorn
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences I-Biosciences, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3, Halle 06120, Germany.
| | - Udo Conrad
- Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research-IPK, Corrensstrasse 3, Seeland OT Gatersleben 06466, Germany.
| | - Markus Pietzsch
- Department of Downstream Processing, Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Sciences I-Biosciences, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 22, Halle 06120, Germany.
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35
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Meirovitch S, Shtein Z, Ben-Shalom T, Lapidot S, Tamburu C, Hu X, Kluge JA, Raviv U, Kaplan DL, Shoseyov O. Spider Silk-CBD-Cellulose Nanocrystal Composites: Mechanism of Assembly. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:E1573. [PMID: 27649169 PMCID: PMC5037840 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17091573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The fabrication of cellulose-spider silk bio-nanocomposites comprised of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and recombinant spider silk protein fused to a cellulose binding domain (CBD) is described. Silk-CBD successfully binds cellulose, and unlike recombinant silk alone, silk-CBD self-assembles into microfibrils even in the absence of CNCs. Silk-CBD-CNC composite sponges and films show changes in internal structure and CNC alignment related to the addition of silk-CBD. The silk-CBD sponges exhibit improved thermal and structural characteristics in comparison to control recombinant spider silk sponges. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the silk-CBD sponge was higher than the control silk sponge and similar to native dragline spider silk fibers. Gel filtration analysis, dynamic light scattering (DLS), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and cryo-transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated that silk-CBD, but not the recombinant silk control, formed a nematic liquid crystalline phase similar to that observed in native spider silk during the silk spinning process. Silk-CBD microfibrils spontaneously formed in solution upon ultrasonication. We suggest a model for silk-CBD assembly that implicates CBD in the central role of driving the dimerization of spider silk monomers, a process essential to the molecular assembly of spider-silk nanofibers and silk-CNC composites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigal Meirovitch
- The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
| | - Zvi Shtein
- The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
| | - Tal Ben-Shalom
- The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
| | - Shaul Lapidot
- The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
| | - Carmen Tamburu
- The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
| | - Xiao Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, 4 Colby Street, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA.
| | - Jonathan A Kluge
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, 4 Colby Street, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
| | - Uri Raviv
- The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, 4 Colby Street, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
| | - Oded Shoseyov
- The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
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Dinjaski N, Kaplan DL. Recombinant protein blends: silk beyond natural design. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2016; 39:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2015.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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37
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Yang YX, Qian ZG, Zhong JJ, Xia XX. Hyper-production of large proteins of spider dragline silk MaSp2 by Escherichia coli via synthetic biology approach. Process Biochem 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2016.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Kapoor S, Kundu SC. Silk protein-based hydrogels: Promising advanced materials for biomedical applications. Acta Biomater 2016; 31:17-32. [PMID: 26602821 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2015.11.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 264] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 11/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogels are a class of advanced material forms that closely mimic properties of the soft biological tissues. Several polymers have been explored for preparing hydrogels with structural and functional features resembling that of the extracellular matrix. Favourable material properties, biocompatibility and easy processing of silk protein fibers into several forms make it a suitable material for biomedical applications. Hydrogels made from silk proteins have shown a potential in overcoming limitations of hydrogels prepared from conventional polymers. A great deal of effort has been made to control the properties and to integrate novel topographical and functional characteristics in the hydrogel composed from silk proteins. This review provides overview of the advances in silk protein-based hydrogels with a primary emphasis on hydrogels of fibroin. It describes the approaches used to fabricate fibroin hydrogels. Attempts to improve the existing properties or to incorporate new features in the hydrogels by making composites and by improving fibroin properties by genetic engineering approaches are also described. Applications of the fibroin hydrogels in the realms of tissue engineering and controlled release are reviewed and their future potentials are discussed. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE This review describes the potentiality of silk fibroin hydrogel. Silk Fibroin has been widely recognized as an interesting biomaterial. Due to its properties including high mechanical strength and excellent biocompatibility, it has gained wide attention. Several groups are exploring silk-based materials including films, hydrogels, nanofibers and nanoparticles for different biomedical applications. Although there is a good amount of literature available on general properties and applications of silk based biomaterials, there is an inadequacy of extensive review articles that specifically focus on silk based hydrogels. Silk-based hydrogels have a strong potential to be utilized in biomedical applications. Our work is an effort to highlight the research that has been done in the area of silk-based hydrogels. It aims to provide an overview of the advances that have been made and the future course available. It will provide an overview of the silk-based hydrogels as well as may direct the readers to the specific areas of application.
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Yigit S, Dinjaski N, Kaplan DL. Fibrous proteins: At the crossroads of genetic engineering and biotechnological applications. Biotechnol Bioeng 2015; 113:913-29. [PMID: 26332660 DOI: 10.1002/bit.25820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2015] [Revised: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Fibrous proteins, such as silk, elastin and collagen are finding broad impact in biomaterial systems for a range of biomedical and industrial applications. Some of the key advantages of biosynthetic fibrous proteins compared to synthetic polymers include the tailorability of sequence, protein size, degradation pattern, and mechanical properties. Recombinant DNA production and precise control over genetic sequence of these proteins allows expansion and fine tuning of material properties to meet the needs for specific applications. We review current approaches in the design, cloning, and expression of fibrous proteins, with a focus on strategies utilized to meet the challenges of repetitive fibrous protein production. We discuss recent advances in understanding the fundamental basis of structure-function relationships and the designs that foster fibrous protein self-assembly towards predictable architectures and properties for a range of applications. We highlight the potential of functionalization through genetic engineering to design fibrous protein systems for biotechnological and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sezin Yigit
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, 02155.,Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Somerville, Massachusetts, 02145
| | - Nina Dinjaski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, 02155.,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, 02155.
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40
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To spin or not to spin: spider silk fibers and more. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 99:9361-80. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-6948-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2015] [Revised: 08/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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41
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Huot A, Lefèvre T, Rioux-Dubé JF, Paquet-Mercier F, Nault AP, Auger M, Pézolet M. Effect of mechanical deformation on the structure of regenerated Bombyx mori silk fibroin films as revealed using Raman and infrared spectroscopy. APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY 2015; 69:689-698. [PMID: 25954973 DOI: 10.1366/14-07776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
To better understand the effect of mechanical stress during the spinning of silk, the protein orientation and conformation of Bombyx mori regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) films have been studied as a function of deformation in a static mode or in real time by tensile-Raman experiments and polarization modulation infrared linear dichroism (PM-IRLD), respectively. The data show that either for step-by-step or continuous stretching, elongation induces the progressive formation of β-sheets that align along the drawing axis, in particular above a draw ratio of ~2. The formation of β-sheets begins before their alignment during a continuous drawing. Unordered chains were, however, never found to be oriented, which explains the very low level of orientation of the amorphous phase of the natural fiber. Stress-perturbed unordered chains readily convert into β-sheets, the strain-induced transformation following a two-state process. The final level of orientation and β-sheet content are lower than those found in the native fiber, indicating that various parameters have to be optimized in order to implement a spinning process as efficient as the natural one. Finally, during the stress relaxation period in a step-by-step drawing, there is essentially no change of the content and orientation of the β-sheets, suggesting that only unordered structures tend to reorganize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandrine Huot
- Department of Chemistry, Centre de recherche sur les matériaux avancés, Centre québécois sur les matériaux fonctionnels, Regroupement québécois de recherche sur la fonction, la structure et l'ingénierie des protéines, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
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Hauptmann V, Menzel M, Weichert N, Reimers K, Spohn U, Conrad U. In planta production of ELPylated spidroin-based proteins results in non-cytotoxic biopolymers. BMC Biotechnol 2015; 15:9. [PMID: 25888206 PMCID: PMC4343268 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-015-0123-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spider silk is a tear-resistant and elastic biopolymer that has outstanding mechanical properties. Additionally, exiguous immunogenicity is anticipated for spider silks. Therefore, spider silk represents a potential ideal biomaterial for medical applications. All known spider silk proteins, so-called spidroins, reveal a composite nature of silk-specific units, allowing the recombinant production of individual and combined segments. RESULTS In this report, a miniaturized spidroin gene, named VSO1 that contains repetitive motifs of MaSp1 has been synthesized and combined to form multimers of distinct lengths, which were heterologously expressed as elastin-like peptide (ELP) fusion proteins in tobacco. The elastic penetration moduli of layered proteins were analyzed for different spidroin-based biopolymers. Moreover, we present the first immunological analysis of synthetic spidroin-based biopolymers. Characterization of the binding behavior of the sera after immunization by competitive ELISA suggested that the humoral immune response is mainly directed against the fusion partner ELP. In addition, cytocompatibility studies with murine embryonic fibroblasts indicated that recombinant spidroin-based biopolymers, in solution or as coated proteins, are well tolerated. CONCLUSION The results show that spidroin-based biopolymers can induce humoral immune responses that are dependent on the fusion partner and the overall protein structure. Furthermore, cytocompatibility assays gave no indication of spidroin-derived cytotoxicity, suggesting that recombinant produced biopolymers composed of spider silk-like repetitive elements are suitable for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeska Hauptmann
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Corrensstrasse 3, 06466, Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, Germany.
| | - Matthias Menzel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials, Walter-Hülse-Strasse 1, 06120, Halle/Saale, Germany.
| | - Nicola Weichert
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Corrensstrasse 3, 06466, Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, Germany.
| | - Kerstin Reimers
- Department of Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Podbielskistr. 380, 30659, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Uwe Spohn
- Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials, Walter-Hülse-Strasse 1, 06120, Halle/Saale, Germany.
| | - Udo Conrad
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Corrensstrasse 3, 06466, Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, Germany.
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Majumder S, Kaulaskar MD, Neogi S. “Biosteel”: an exciting product from nature that is superior to many manmade alternatives. REV CHEM ENG 2015. [DOI: 10.1515/revce-2014-0055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractBiotechnology continues to offer routes for many exciting and unique products. Researchers genetically altered goats with a spider gene. These goats produce milk that contains a protein that can be extracted to produce biosteel fibers for use in bulletproof vests. It is referred to as “biosteel” to highlight its strength comparable to steel. This review paper describes the important aspects of produced dragline spider silk proteins via cell culture techniques using silk genes derived from two species of weaving spiders. These fibers were tested for a number of mechanical properties and compared to natural spider silk. In effect, fibers of biosteel were able to absorb similar amounts of energy as natural spider silk by stretching further. As opposed to most other synthetic fibers, biosteel is ecofriendly both in terms of its composition and production process.
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Zhao YJ, Zeng Y, Chen L, Dong Y, Wang W. Analysis of transcriptomes of three orb-web spider species reveals gene profiles involved in silk and toxin. INSECT SCIENCE 2014; 21:687-698. [PMID: 24167122 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
As an ancient arthropod with a history of 390 million years, spiders evolved numerous morphological forms resulting from adaptation to different environments. The venom and silk of spiders, which have promising commercial applications in agriculture, medicine and engineering fields, are of special interests to researchers. However, little is known about their genomic components, which hinders not only understanding spider biology but also utilizing their valuable genes. Here we report on deep sequenced and de novo assembled transcriptomes of three orb-web spider species, Gasteracantha arcuata, Nasoonaria sinensis and Gasteracantha hasselti which are distributed in tropical forests of south China. With Illumina paired-end RNA-seq technology, 54 871, 101 855 and 75 455 unigenes for the three spider species were obtained, respectively, among which 9 300, 10 001 and 10 494 unique genes are annotated, respectively. From these annotated unigenes, we comprehensively analyzed silk and toxin gene components and structures for the three spider species. Our study provides valuable transcriptome data for three spider species which previously lacked any genetic/genomic data. The results have laid the first fundamental genomic basis for exploiting gene resources from these spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Jun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming
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Kuwana Y, Sezutsu H, Nakajima KI, Tamada Y, Kojima K. High-toughness silk produced by a transgenic silkworm expressing spider (Araneus ventricosus) dragline silk protein. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105325. [PMID: 25162624 PMCID: PMC4146547 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is a natural fiber that has excellent tensile properties; however, it is difficult to produce artificially as a long, strong fiber. Here, the spider (Araneus ventricosus) dragline protein gene was cloned and a transgenic silkworm was generated, that expressed the fusion protein of the fibroin heavy chain and spider dragline protein in cocoon silk. The spider silk protein content ranged from 0.37 to 0.61% w/w (1.4–2.4 mol%) native silkworm fibroin. Using a good silk-producing strain, C515, as the transgenic silkworm can make the raw silk from its cocoons for the first time. The tensile characteristics (toughness) of the raw silk improved by 53% after the introduction of spider dragline silk protein; the improvement depended on the quantity of the expressed spider dragline protein. To demonstrate the commercial feasibility for machine reeling, weaving, and sewing, we used the transgenic spider silk to weave a vest and scarf; this was the first application of spider silk fibers from transgenic silkworms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiko Kuwana
- Silk Materials Research Unit, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hideki Sezutsu
- Transgenic Silkworm Research Unit, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Ken-ichi Nakajima
- Transgenic Silkworm Research Unit, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yasushi Tamada
- Silk Materials Research Unit, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Ueda, Nagano, Japan
| | - Katsura Kojima
- Silk Materials Research Unit, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Ding D, Guerette PA, Hoon S, Kong KW, Cornvik T, Nilsson M, Kumar A, Lescar J, Miserez A. Biomimetic Production of Silk-Like Recombinant Squid Sucker Ring Teeth Proteins. Biomacromolecules 2014; 15:3278-89. [DOI: 10.1021/bm500670r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Ding
- School of Materials
Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang
Avenue, Singapore 639798
| | - Paul A. Guerette
- School of Materials
Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang
Avenue, Singapore 639798
- Energy Research Institute
at Nanyang Technological University (ERI@N), Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637553
| | - Shawn Hoon
- Molecular
Engineering Lab, Biomedical Sciences Institute, A*STAR, 61 Biopolis
Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673
- School of Biological
Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
| | - Kiat Whye Kong
- Molecular
Engineering Lab, Biomedical Sciences Institute, A*STAR, 61 Biopolis
Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673
| | - Tobias Cornvik
- School of Biological
Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
| | - Martina Nilsson
- School of Biological
Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
| | - Akshita Kumar
- School of Biological
Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
| | - Julien Lescar
- School of Biological
Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
| | - Ali Miserez
- School of Materials
Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang
Avenue, Singapore 639798
- School of Biological
Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
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Biomechanics and biocompatibility of woven spider silk meshes during remodeling in a rodent fascia replacement model. Ann Surg 2014; 259:781-92. [PMID: 23873006 DOI: 10.1097/sla.0b013e3182917677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate biomechanical and immunogenic properties of spider silk meshes implanted as fascia replacement in a rat in vivo model. BACKGROUND Meshes for hernia repair require optimal characteristics with regard to strength, elasticity, and cytocompatibility. Spider silk as a biomaterial with outstanding mechanical properties is potentially suitable for this application. METHODS Commercially available meshes used for hernia repair (Surgisis and Ultrapro) were compared with handwoven meshes manufactured from native dragline silk of Nephila spp. All meshes were tied onto the paravertebral fascia, whereas sham-operated rats were sutured without mesh implantation. After 4 or 14 days, 4 weeks, and 4 or 8 months, tissue samples were analyzed concerning inflammation and biointegration both by histological and biochemical methods and by biomechanical stability tests. RESULTS Histological sections revealed rapid cell migration into the spider silk meshes with increased numbers of giant cells compared with controls with initial decomposition of silk fibers after 4 weeks. Four months postoperatively, spider silk was completely degraded with the formation of a stable scar verified by constant tensile strength values. Surgisis elicited excessive stability loss from day 4 to day 14 (P < 0.001), with distinct inflammatory reaction demonstrated by lymphocyte and neutrophil invasion. Ultrapro also showed decreasing strength and poor elongation behavior, whereas spider silk samples had the highest relative elongation (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Hand-manufactured spider silk meshes with good biocompatibility and beneficial mechanical properties seem superior to standard biological and synthetic meshes, implying an innovative alternative to currently used meshes for hernia repair.
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Kundu B, Kurland NE, Bano S, Patra C, Engel FB, Yadavalli VK, Kundu SC. Silk proteins for biomedical applications: Bioengineering perspectives. Prog Polym Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2013.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 297] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Weichert N, Hauptmann V, Menzel M, Schallau K, Gunkel P, Hertel TC, Pietzsch M, Spohn U, Conrad U. Transglutamination allows production and characterization of native-sized ELPylated spider silk proteins from transgenic plants. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2014; 12:265-75. [PMID: 24237483 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2013] [Revised: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/12/2013] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
In the last two decades it was shown that plants have a great potential for production of specific heterologous proteins. But high cost and inefficient downstream processing are a main technical bottleneck for the broader use of plant-based production technology especially for protein-based products, for technical use as fibres or biodegradable plastics and also for medical applications. High-performance fibres from recombinant spider silks are, therefore, a prominent example. Spiders developed rather different silk materials that are based on proteins. These spider silks show excellent properties in terms of elasticity and toughness. Natural spider silk proteins have a very high molecular weight, and it is precisely this property which is thought to give them their strength. Transgenic plants were generated to produce ELPylated recombinant spider silk derivatives. These fusion proteins were purified by Inverse Transition Cycling (ITC) and enzymatically multimerized with transglutaminase in vitro. Layers produced by casting monomers and multimers were characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and AFM-based nanoindentation. The layered multimers formed by mixing lysine- and glutamine-tagged monomers were associated with the highest elastic penetration modulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Weichert
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Stadt Seeland/Ortsteil, Gatersleben, Germany
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