1
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Shi C, Bae Y, Zhang M, De Yoreo JJ. Manipulating the Assembly and Architecture of Fibrillar Silk. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2025:e2501096. [PMID: 40200721 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202501096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2025] [Revised: 03/24/2025] [Indexed: 04/10/2025]
Abstract
Silk is a unique and exceptionally strong biological material. However, no synthetic method has yet come close to replicating the properties of natural silk. This shortfall is attributed to an insufficient understanding of both silk nanofibril structure and the mechanism of formation. Here in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) and photo-induced force microscopy (PiFM) is utilized to investigate the formation process and define the basic structural paradigm of individual silk nanofibrils. By visualizing the multistage process of silk nanofibril formation, the importance of conformational transformations along the assembly pathway is revealed. Unfolded silk structures initially accumulate into amorphous clusters, which then evolve into crystal nuclei via conformational transformation into β-crystallites. Nanofibril elongation then occurs through the attachment of silk molecules at a single end of the nanofibril tip; this is facilitated through the formation of a new amorphous cluster that then repeats the aforementioned conformational transformation. However, enzymatic digestion of the amorphous regions leads to direct, rapid elongation of β-crystalline fibers. These findings imply that the energy landscape is characterized by shallow minima associated with intermediate states, which can be eliminated by introducing β-crystallites, and motivate research into the directed modification of the silk assembly pathway to select for features beneficial to specific applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Shi
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99354, USA
| | - Yuna Bae
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99354, USA
| | - Mingyi Zhang
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99354, USA
| | - James J De Yoreo
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99354, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
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2
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Numata K. The Biology of Natural Polymers Accelerates and Expands the Science of Biomacromolecules: A Focus on Structural Proteins. Biomacromolecules 2025; 26:1393-1403. [PMID: 39965779 PMCID: PMC11898061 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c01621] [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: 11/19/2024] [Revised: 01/09/2025] [Accepted: 01/10/2025] [Indexed: 02/20/2025]
Abstract
This Perspective explores the use of biomacromolecules in natural materials synthesized by living organisms, such as spider silk, in the development of sustainable synthetic materials. Currently employed synthetic polymers lack the hierarchical complexity and unique properties of natural materials composed of biomacromolecules. By understanding the composition of these natural materials, it may be able to reproduce their properties synthetically. Additionally, research directions involving the use of renewable resources such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide from the air and seawater to develop biomacromolecules such as spider silk and biopolyester via photosynthetic organisms are reviewed. Next-generation biomacromolecule research will aid in the creation of a sustainable global society, advancing fields such as biomanufacturing, agriculture, aquaculture, and other industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiji Numata
- Department
of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto Daigaku Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
- Biomacromolecules
Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable
Resource Science, 2-1
Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Institute
for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Nipponkoku 403-1, Daihouji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan
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3
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Higashi T, Okamura H, Sato TK, Morinaga T, Satoh R, Suzuki Y. Influence of Initial Secondary Structure on Conformation and Mechanical Properties of Spider Silk Protein Gels. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2024; 10:6135-6143. [PMID: 39289793 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.4c00809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2024]
Abstract
Recombinant spider silk protein (RSP) is a promising biomaterial for developing high-performance materials independent of fossil fuels. In this study, we investigated the influence of the initial secondary structure of RSPs on the properties of RSP-based hydrogels. By altering the initial structure of RSP to β-sheets (β-RSP), α-helices (α-RSP), and random coils (rc-RSP) through solvent treatment, we compared the structures and mechanical properties of the resulting gels. Solid-state NMR revealed a β-sheet-rich structure in all gels, with the α-RSP gel exhibiting significantly higher strength and Young's modulus compared to the rc-RSP gel. X-ray diffraction revealed that the α-RSP gel had a unique crystalline structure, distinguishing it from the β-RSP and rc-RSP gels. The different initial secondary structures possibly lead to variations in the crystalline and network structures of the molecular chains within the gels, explaining the superior mechanical properties observed in the α-RSP gels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takanori Higashi
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Fukui, 3-9-1, Bunkyo, Fukui-shi, Fukui 910-8507, Japan
| | - Hideyasu Okamura
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Fukui, 3-9-1, Bunkyo, Fukui-shi, Fukui 910-8507, Japan
| | - Takehiro K Sato
- Spiber Inc., 234-1 Mizukami, Kakuganji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0052, Japan
| | - Takashi Morinaga
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Tsuruoka College, 104 Sawada, Inooka, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-8511, Japan
| | - Ryo Satoh
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Tsuruoka College, 104 Sawada, Inooka, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-8511, Japan
| | - Yu Suzuki
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Fukui, 3-9-1, Bunkyo, Fukui-shi, Fukui 910-8507, Japan
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4
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Nencini R, Mantzari E, Sandelin AE, Ollila OHS. Rapid Interpretation of Protein Backbone Rotation Dynamics Directly from Spin Relaxation Data. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:10204-10209. [PMID: 39353179 PMCID: PMC11480883 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c01800] [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: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 09/13/2024] [Accepted: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
Besides their structure, dynamics is pivotal for protein functions, particularly for intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that do not fold into a fixed 3D structure. However, the detection of protein dynamics is difficult for IDPs and other disordered biomolecules. NMR spin relaxation rates are sensitive to the rapid rotations of chemical bonds, but their interpretation is arduous for IDPs or molecular assemblies with a complex dynamic landscape. Here we demonstrate numerically that the dynamics of a wide range of proteins, from short peptides to partially disordered proteins and peptides in micelles, can be characterized by calculating the total effective correlation times of protein backbone N-H bond rotations, τeff, from experimentally measured transverse 15N spin relaxation rates, R2, using a linear relation. Our results enable the determination of magnetic-field-independent and intuitively understandable parameters describing protein dynamics at different regions of the sequence directly from experiments. A practical advance of the approach is demonstrated by analyzing partially disordered proteins in which rotations of disordered regions occur with timescales of 1-2 ns, independent of their size, suggesting that rotations of disordered and folded regions are uncoupled in these proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricky Nencini
- Institute
of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
- Division
of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Efstathia Mantzari
- Institute
of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
- VTT
Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo 02044, Finland
| | - Amanda E. Sandelin
- Institute
of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
- Division
of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - O. H. Samuli Ollila
- Institute
of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
- VTT
Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo 02044, Finland
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5
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Wu X, Sun Y, Yu J, Miserez A. Tuning the viscoelastic properties of peptide coacervates by single amino acid mutations and salt kosmotropicity. Commun Chem 2024; 7:5. [PMID: 38177438 PMCID: PMC10766971 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-01094-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Coacervation, or liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biomacromolecules, is increasingly recognized to play an important role both intracellularly and in the extracellular space. Central questions that remain to be addressed are the links between the material properties of coacervates (condensates) and both the primary and the secondary structures of their constitutive building blocks. Short LLPS-prone peptides, such as GY23 variants explored in this study, are ideal model systems to investigate these links because simple sequence modifications and the chemical environment strongly affect the viscoelastic properties of coacervates. Herein, a systematic investigation of the structure/property relationships of peptide coacervates was conducted using GY23 variants, combining biophysical characterization (plate rheology and surface force apparatus, SFA) with secondary structure investigations by infrared (IR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Mutating specific residues into either more hydrophobic or more hydrophilic residues strongly regulates the viscoelastic properties of GY23 coacervates. Furthermore, the ionic strength and kosmotropic characteristics (Hofmeister series) of the buffer in which LLPS is induced also significantly impact the properties of formed coacervates. Structural investigations by CD and IR indicate a direct correlation between variations in properties induced by endogenous (peptide sequence) or exogenous (ionic strength, kosmotropic characteristics, aging) factors and the β-sheet content within coacervates. These findings provide valuable insights to rationally design short peptide coacervates with programmable materials properties that are increasingly used in biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Wu
- Biological and Biomimetic Material Laboratory (BBML), Center for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637553, Singapore
| | - Yue Sun
- Biological and Biomimetic Material Laboratory (BBML), Center for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637553, Singapore
| | - Jing Yu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637553, Singapore.
- Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637553, Singapore.
| | - Ali Miserez
- Biological and Biomimetic Material Laboratory (BBML), Center for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637553, Singapore.
- School of Biological Sciences, 60 Nanyang Drive, NTU, Singapore, 636921, Singapore.
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6
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Herrera-Rodríguez AM, Dasanna AK, Daday C, Cruz-Chú ER, Aponte-Santamaría C, Schwarz US, Gräter F. The role of flow in the self-assembly of dragline spider silk proteins. Biophys J 2023; 122:4241-4253. [PMID: 37803828 PMCID: PMC10645567 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrodynamic flow in the spider duct induces conformational changes in dragline spider silk proteins (spidroins) and drives their assembly, but the underlying physical mechanisms are still elusive. Here we address this challenging multiscale problem with a complementary strategy of atomistic and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations with uniform flow. The conformational changes at the molecular level were analyzed for single-tethered spider silk peptides. Uniform flow leads to coiled-to-stretch transitions and pushes alanine residues into β sheet and poly-proline II conformations. Coarse-grained simulations of the assembly process of multiple semi-flexible block copolymers using multi-particle collision dynamics reveal that the spidroins aggregate faster but into low-order assemblies when they are less extended. At medium-to-large peptide extensions (50%-80%), assembly slows down and becomes reversible with frequent association and dissociation events, whereas spidroin alignment increases and alanine repeats form ordered regions. Our work highlights the role of flow in guiding silk self-assembly into tough fibers by enhancing alignment and kinetic reversibility, a mechanism likely relevant also for other proteins whose function depends on hydrodynamic flow.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anil Kumar Dasanna
- BioQuant, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Csaba Daday
- Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eduardo R Cruz-Chú
- Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Ulrich S Schwarz
- BioQuant, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Frauke Gräter
- Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany; Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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7
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Mu X, Amouzandeh R, Vogts H, Luallen E, Arzani M. A brief review on the mechanisms and approaches of silk spinning-inspired biofabrication. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1252499. [PMID: 37744248 PMCID: PMC10512026 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1252499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Silk spinning, observed in spiders and insects, exhibits a remarkable biological source of inspiration for advanced polymer fabrications. Because of the systems design, silk spinning represents a holistic and circular approach to sustainable polymer fabrication, characterized by renewable resources, ambient and aqueous processing conditions, and fully recyclable "wastes." Also, silk spinning results in structures that are characterized by the combination of monolithic proteinaceous composition and mechanical strength, as well as demonstrate tunable degradation profiles and minimal immunogenicity, thus making it a viable alternative to most synthetic polymers for the development of advanced biomedical devices. However, the fundamental mechanisms of silk spinning remain incompletely understood, thus impeding the efforts to harness the advantageous properties of silk spinning. Here, we present a concise and timely review of several essential features of silk spinning, including the molecular designs of silk proteins and the solvent cues along the spinning apparatus. The solvent cues, including salt ions, pH, and water content, are suggested to direct the hierarchical assembly of silk proteins and thus play a central role in silk spinning. We also discuss several hypotheses on the roles of solvent cues to provide a relatively comprehensive analysis and to identify the current knowledge gap. We then review the state-of-the-art bioinspired fabrications with silk proteins, including fiber spinning and additive approaches/three-dimensional (3D) printing. An emphasis throughout the article is placed on the universal characteristics of silk spinning developed through millions of years of individual evolution pathways in spiders and silkworms. This review serves as a stepping stone for future research endeavors, facilitating the in vitro recapitulation of silk spinning and advancing the field of bioinspired polymer fabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Mu
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
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8
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Simmons JR, Gasmi-Seabrook G, Rainey JK. Structural features, intrinsic disorder, and modularity of a pyriform spidroin 1 core repetitive domain. Biochem Cell Biol 2023; 101:271-283. [PMID: 36802452 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2022-0338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Orb-weaving spiders produce up to seven silk types, each with distinct biological roles, protein compositions, and mechanics. Pyriform (or piriform) silk is composed of pyriform spidroin 1 (PySp1) and is the fibrillar component of attachment discs that attach webs to substrates and to each other. Here, we characterize the 234-residue repeat unit (the "Py unit") from the core repetitive domain of Argiope argentata PySp1. Solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based backbone chemical shift and dynamics analysis demonstrate a structured core flanked by disordered tails, structuring that is maintained in a tandem protein of two connected Py units, indicative of structural modularity of the Py unit in the context of the repetitive domain. Notably, AlphaFold2 predicts the Py unit structure with low confidence, echoing low confidence and poor agreement to the NMR-derived structure for the Argiope trifasciata aciniform spidroin (AcSp1) repeat unit. Rational truncation, validated through NMR spectroscopy, provided a 144-residue construct retaining the Py unit core fold, enabling near-complete backbone and side chain 1H, 13C, and 15N resonance assignment. A six α-helix globular core is inferred, flanked by regions of intrinsic disorder that would link helical bundles in tandem repeat proteins in a beads-on-a-string architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey R Simmons
- Department of Biochemistry& Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | | | - Jan K Rainey
- Department of Biochemistry& Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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9
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Yao SY, Wang JF, Xu Z, Meng Y, Xue Y, Yang F, Yao WB, Gao XD, Chen S. A peptide rich in glycine-serine-alanine repeats ameliorates Alzheimer-type neurodegeneration. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:1878-1896. [PMID: 36727262 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Repeated amino acid sequences in proteins are widely found, and the glycine-serine-alanine repeat is an element with a general propensity to form β-sheet aggregates as found in key pathological factors, in several neurodegenerative diseases. Such properties of this repeat may guide development of disease-modifying therapies for neurodegenerative disease. However, details of its role and underlying mechanism(s) remain largely unknown. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Actions of specific glycine-serine-alanine repeat peptides (SNPs), especially SNP-9, on Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like abnormalities were evaluated in transgenic mice and Caenorhabditis elegans, and in rat and cell models. Entry of SNPs into the brain, SNP activity in neuronal cells and peptide entry into cells were analysed in vivo and in vitro. Cell-free systems and the yeast two-hybrid system were also used to explore possible targets of SNP-9, and interactions of potential targets with SNP-9 were confirmed in cell-based systems. KEY RESULTS We first identified SNP-9 as a potent neuroprotective peptide with the activity to decrease oligomeric amyloid β (Aβ) via co-assembling with the toxic Aβ oligomer to form hetero-oligomers. Also, calcyclin-binding protein was found to act as a SNP-9-binding protein, by screening of a human brain cDNA library. Such binding showed that SNP-9 could regulate the abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau via calcyclin-binding protein. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Our study provides a foundation for development of SNPs, especially SNP-9, as potential therapeutic interventions for AD. We propose SNP-9 as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Yuan Yao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jia-Fan Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zheng Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Meng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Xue
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wen-Bing Yao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiang-Dong Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Song Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
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10
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Oktaviani NA, Malay AD, Matsugami A, Hayashi F, Numata K. Unusual p Ka Values Mediate the Self-Assembly of Spider Dragline Silk Proteins. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1604-1616. [PMID: 36990448 PMCID: PMC10091414 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is a remarkably tough biomaterial and composed primarily of spidroins MaSp1 and MaSp2. During fiber self-assembly, the spidroin N-terminal domains (NTDs) undergo rapid dimerization in response to a pH gradient. However, obtaining a detailed understanding of this mechanism has been hampered by a lack of direct evidence regarding the protonation states of key ionic residues. Here, we elucidated the solution structures of MaSp1 and MaSp2 NTDs from Trichonephila clavipes and determined the experimental pKa values of conserved residues involved in dimerization using NMR. Surprisingly, we found that the Asp40 located on an acidic cluster protonates at an unusually high pH (∼6.5-7.1), suggesting the first step in the pH response. Then, protonation of Glu119 and Glu79 follows, with pKas above their intrinsic values, contributing toward stable dimer formation. We propose that exploiting the atypical pKa values is a strategy to achieve tight spatiotemporal control of spider silk self-assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Alia Oktaviani
- Biomacromolecules
Research Team, RIKEN Center for the Sustainable
Resource Sciences, 2-1
Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Ali D. Malay
- Biomacromolecules
Research Team, RIKEN Center for the Sustainable
Resource Sciences, 2-1
Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Akimasa Matsugami
- Advanced
NMR Application and Platform Team, NMR Research and Collaboration
Group, NMR Science and Development Division, RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Hayashi
- Advanced
NMR Application and Platform Team, NMR Research and Collaboration
Group, NMR Science and Development Division, RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Biomacromolecules
Research Team, RIKEN Center for the Sustainable
Resource Sciences, 2-1
Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Department
of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyotodaigaku,
Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
- Institute
for Advanced Bioscience, Keio University, 403-1 Nihonkoku, Daihouji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0017, Japan
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11
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Liu C, Song Y, Hu T, Wang S, Yi K, Wang J, Yan Q, Wei L, Zhang Z, Li H, Luo Y, Wu L, Zhang D, Meng E. Adenylate Kinase Fused to Spidroin as a Catalyst for Decreasing Leakage out of 3D-Bioprinted Hydrogels and for ATP Regeneration. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1662-1674. [PMID: 36913719 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Numerous metabolic reactions and pathways use adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) as an energy source and as a phosphorous or pyrophosphorous donor. Based on three-dimensional (3D)-printing, enzyme immobilization can be used to improve ATP regeneration and operability and reduce cost. However, due to the relatively large mesh size of 3D-bioprinted hydrogels soaked in a reaction solution, the lower-molecular-weight enzymes cannot avoid leaking out of the hydrogels readily. Here, a chimeric adenylate-kinase-spidroin (ADK-RC) is created, with ADK serving as the N-terminal domain. The chimera is capable of self-assembling to form micellar nanoparticles at a higher molecular scale. Although fused to spidroin (RC), ADK-RC remains relatively consistent and exhibits high activity, thermostability, pH stability, and organic solvent tolerance. Considering different surface-to-volume ratios, three shapes of enzyme hydrogels are designed, 3D bioprinted, and measured. In addition, a continuous enzymatic reaction demonstrates that ADK-RC hydrogels have higher specific activity and substrate affinity but a lower reaction rate and catalytic power compared to free enzymes in solution. With ATP regeneration, the ADK and ADK-RC hydrogels significantly increase the production of d-glucose-6-phosphate and obtain an efficient usage frequency. In conclusion, enzymes fused to spidroin might be an efficient strategy for maintaining activity and reducing leakage in 3D-bioprinted hydrogels under mild conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changjun Liu
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Yanmin Song
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Tianhao Hu
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Shan Wang
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Ke Yi
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Jianjie Wang
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Qing Yan
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Li'an Wei
- Changsha Sanjiang Smart Technology Co., Ltd., Changsha 410026, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Zheyang Zhang
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Huimin Li
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Yutao Luo
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Lei Wu
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Dongyi Zhang
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Er Meng
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement and Multiple Utilization of Economic Crops in Hunan Province, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation and Safe Utilization of Heavy Metal-Polluted Soils, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, Hunan, P. R. China
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12
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Rising A, Harrington MJ. Biological Materials Processing: Time-Tested Tricks for Sustainable Fiber Fabrication. Chem Rev 2023; 123:2155-2199. [PMID: 36508546 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There is an urgent need to improve the sustainability of the materials we produce and use. Here, we explore what humans can learn from nature about how to sustainably fabricate polymeric fibers with excellent material properties by reviewing the physical and chemical aspects of materials processing distilled from diverse model systems, including spider silk, mussel byssus, velvet worm slime, hagfish slime, and mistletoe viscin. We identify common and divergent strategies, highlighting the potential for bioinspired design and technology transfer. Despite the diversity of the biopolymeric fibers surveyed, we identify several common strategies across multiple systems, including: (1) use of stimuli-responsive biomolecular building blocks, (2) use of concentrated fluid precursor phases (e.g., coacervates and liquid crystals) stored under controlled chemical conditions, and (3) use of chemical (pH, salt concentration, redox chemistry) and physical (mechanical shear, extensional flow) stimuli to trigger the transition from fluid precursor to solid material. Importantly, because these materials largely form and function outside of the body of the organisms, these principles can more easily be transferred for bioinspired design in synthetic systems. We end the review by discussing ongoing efforts and challenges to mimic biological model systems, with a particular focus on artificial spider silks and mussel-inspired materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rising
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 141 52, Sweden.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden
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13
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Abstract
![]()
The tiny spider makes
dragline silk fibers with unbeatable toughness,
all under the most innocuous conditions. Scientists have persistently
tried to emulate its natural silk spinning process using recombinant
proteins with a view toward creating a new wave of smart materials,
yet most efforts have fallen short of attaining the native fiber’s
excellent mechanical properties. One reason for these shortcomings
may be that artificial spider silk systems tend to be overly simplified
and may not sufficiently take into account the true complexity of
the underlying protein sequences and of the multidimensional aspects
of the natural self-assembly process that give rise to the hierarchically
structured fibers. Here, we discuss recent findings regarding the
material constituents of spider dragline silk, including novel spidroin
subtypes, nonspidroin proteins, and possible involvement of post-translational
modifications, which together suggest a complexity that transcends
the two-component MaSp1/MaSp2 system. We subsequently consider insights
into the spidroin domain functions, structures, and overall mechanisms
for the rapid transition from disordered soluble protein into a highly
organized fiber, including the possibility of viewing spider silk
self-assembly through a framework relevant to biomolecular condensates.
Finally, we consider the concept of “biomimetics” as
it applies to artificial spider silk production with a focus on key
practical aspects of design and evaluation that may hopefully inform
efforts to more closely reproduce the remarkable structure and function
of the native silk fiber using artificial methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali D Malay
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hamish C Craig
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Jianming Chen
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Nur Alia Oktaviani
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.,Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
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14
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Laity PR, Holland C. Seeking Solvation: Exploring the Role of Protein Hydration in Silk Gelation. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27020551. [PMID: 35056868 PMCID: PMC8781151 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27020551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The mechanism by which arthropods (e.g., spiders and many insects) can produce silk fibres from an aqueous protein (fibroin) solution has remained elusive, despite much scientific investigation. In this work, we used several techniques to explore the role of a hydration shell bound to the fibroin in native silk feedstock (NSF) from Bombyx mori silkworms. Small angle X-ray and dynamic light scattering (SAXS and DLS) revealed a coil size (radius of gyration or hydrodynamic radius) around 12 nm, providing considerable scope for hydration. Aggregation in dilute aqueous solution was observed above 65 °C, matching the gelation temperature of more concentrated solutions and suggesting that the strength of interaction with the solvent (i.e., water) was the dominant factor. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy indicated decreasing hydration as the temperature was raised, with similar changes in hydration following gelation by freezing or heating. It was found that the solubility of fibroin in water or aqueous salt solutions could be described well by a relatively simple thermodynamic model for the stability of the protein hydration shell, which suggests that the affected water is enthalpically favoured but entropically penalised, due to its reduced (vibrational or translational) dynamics. Moreover, while the majority of this investigation used fibroin from B. mori, comparisons with published work on silk proteins from other silkworms and spiders, globular proteins and peptide model systems suggest that our findings may be of much wider significance.
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15
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Presence of β-Turn Structure in Recombinant Spider Silk Dissolved in Formic Acid Revealed with NMR. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27020511. [PMID: 35056828 PMCID: PMC8778467 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27020511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is a biopolymer with excellent mechanical properties. The development of recombinant spider silk protein (RSP)-based materials with these properties is desirable. Formic acid (FA) is a spinning solvent for regenerated Bombyx mori silk fiber with excellent mechanical properties. To use FA as a spinning solvent for RSP with the sequence of major ampullate spider silk protein from Araneus diadematus, we determined the conformation of RSP in FA using solution NMR to determine the role of FA as a spinning solvent. We assigned 1H, 13C, and 15N chemical shifts to 32-residue repetitive sequences, including polyAla and Gly-rich regions of RSP. Chemical shift evaluation revealed that RSP is in mainly random coil conformation with partially type II β-turn structure in the Gly-Pro-Gly-X motifs of the Gly-rich region in FA, which was confirmed by the 15N NOE data. In addition, formylation at the Ser OH groups occurred in FA. Furthermore, we evaluated the conformation of the as-cast film of RSP dissolved in FA using solid-state NMR and found that β-sheet structure was predominantly formed.
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16
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Schultz CJ, Wu Y, Baumann U. A targeted bioinformatics approach identifies highly variable cell surface proteins that are unique to Glomeromycotina. MYCORRHIZA 2022; 32:45-66. [PMID: 35031894 PMCID: PMC8786786 DOI: 10.1007/s00572-021-01066-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Diversity in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) contributes to biodiversity and resilience in natural environments and healthy agricultural systems. Functional complementarity exists among species of AMF in symbiosis with their plant hosts, but the molecular basis of this is not known. We hypothesise this is in part due to the difficulties that current sequence assembly methodologies have assembling sequences for intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) due to their low sequence complexity. IDPs are potential candidates for functional complementarity because they often exist as extended (non-globular) proteins providing additional amino acids for molecular interactions. Rhizophagus irregularis arabinogalactan-protein-like proteins (AGLs) are small secreted IDPs with no known orthologues in AMF or other fungi. We developed a targeted bioinformatics approach to identify highly variable AGLs/IDPs in RNA-sequence datasets. The approach includes a modified multiple k-mer assembly approach (Oases) to identify candidate sequences, followed by targeted sequence capture and assembly (mirabait-mira). All AMF species analysed, including the ancestral family Paraglomeraceae, have small families of proteins rich in disorder promoting amino acids such as proline and glycine, or glycine and asparagine. Glycine- and asparagine-rich proteins also were found in Geosiphon pyriformis (an obligate symbiont of a cyanobacterium), from the same subphylum (Glomeromycotina) as AMF. The sequence diversity of AGLs likely translates to functional diversity, based on predicted physical properties of tandem repeats (elastic, amyloid, or interchangeable) and their broad pI ranges. We envisage that AGLs/IDPs could contribute to functional complementarity in AMF through processes such as self-recognition, retention of nutrients, soil stability, and water movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn J Schultz
- School of Agriculture, Food, and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
| | - Yue Wu
- School of Agriculture, Food, and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Ute Baumann
- School of Agriculture, Food, and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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17
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Jin Q, Pan F, Hu CF, Lee SY, Xia XX, Qian ZG. Secretory production of spider silk proteins in metabolically engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum for spinning into tough fibers. Metab Eng 2022; 70:102-114. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2022.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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18
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Zhang Y, Hu Z, Li X, Ding Y, Zhang Z, Zhang X, Zheng W, Yang Z. Amino acid sequence determines the adjuvant potency of a D-Tetra-Peptide hydrogel. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:3092-3098. [PMID: 35522938 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm00263a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The development of novel vaccine adjuvants is essential for the production of modern vaccines against infectious agents and cancer. We recently reported a supramolecular hydrogel of a self-assembling D-tetra-peptide named...
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Zhang
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Nankai University Affiliated Eye Hospital, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
| | - Zhiwen Hu
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Nankai University Affiliated Eye Hospital, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
| | - Xinxin Li
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Nankai University Affiliated Eye Hospital, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
| | - Yinghao Ding
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Nankai University Affiliated Eye Hospital, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
| | - Zhenghao Zhang
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Nankai University Affiliated Eye Hospital, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
| | - Xiangyang Zhang
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Nankai University Affiliated Eye Hospital, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
| | - Wenting Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China.
| | - Zhimou Yang
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Nankai University Affiliated Eye Hospital, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
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19
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Zhao L, Zhang J, Zhang Y, Ye S, Zhang G, Chen X, Jiang B, Jiang J. Accurate Machine Learning Prediction of Protein Circular Dichroism Spectra with Embedded Density Descriptors. JACS AU 2021; 1:2377-2384. [PMID: 34977905 PMCID: PMC8715543 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
A data-driven approach to simulate circular dichroism (CD) spectra is appealing for fast protein secondary structure determination, yet the challenge of predicting electric and magnetic transition dipole moments poses a substantial barrier for the goal. To address this problem, we designed a new machine learning (ML) protocol in which ordinary pure geometry-based descriptors are replaced with alternative embedded density descriptors and electric and magnetic transition dipole moments are successfully predicted with an accuracy comparable to first-principle calculation. The ML model is able to not only simulate protein CD spectra nearly 4 orders of magnitude faster than conventional first-principle simulation but also obtain CD spectra in good agreement with experiments. Finally, we predicted a series of CD spectra of the Trp-cage protein associated with continuous changes of protein configuration along its folding path, showing the potential of our ML model for supporting real-time CD spectroscopy study of protein dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyuan Zhao
- Hefei
National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative
Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, School of Chemistry
and Materials Science, University of Science
and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
| | - Jinxiao Zhang
- Guangxi
Key Laboratory of Electrochemical and Magneto-chemical Functional
Materials, College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541006, P. R. China
| | - Yaolong Zhang
- Hefei
National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative
Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, School of Chemistry
and Materials Science, University of Science
and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
| | - Sheng Ye
- School
of Artificial Intelligence, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, P. R. China
| | - Guozhen Zhang
- Hefei
National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative
Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, School of Chemistry
and Materials Science, University of Science
and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
| | - Xin Chen
- Gusu
Laboratory of Materials, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, P. R. China
| | - Bin Jiang
- Hefei
National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative
Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, School of Chemistry
and Materials Science, University of Science
and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
| | - Jun Jiang
- Hefei
National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative
Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, School of Chemistry
and Materials Science, University of Science
and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
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20
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Li J, Zhu Y, Yu H, Dai B, Jun YS, Zhang F. Microbially Synthesized Polymeric Amyloid Fiber Promotes β-Nanocrystal Formation and Displays Gigapascal Tensile Strength. ACS NANO 2021; 15:11843-11853. [PMID: 34251182 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c02944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The ability of amyloid proteins to form stable β-sheet nanofibrils has made them potential candidates for material innovation in nanotechnology. However, such a nanoscale feature has rarely translated into attractive macroscopic properties for mechanically demanding applications. Here, we present a strategy by fusing amyloid peptides with flexible linkers from spidroin; the resulting polymeric amyloid proteins can be biosynthesized using engineered microbes and wet-spun into macroscopic fibers. Using this strategy, fibers from three different amyloid groups were fabricated. Structural analyses unveil the presence of β-nanocrystals that resemble the cross-β structure of amyloid nanofibrils. These polymeric amyloid fibers have displayed strong and molecular-weight-dependent mechanical properties. Fibers made of a protein polymer containing 128 repeats of the FGAILSS sequence displayed an average ultimate tensile strength of 0.98 ± 0.08 GPa and an average toughness of 161 ± 26 MJ/m3, surpassing most recombinant protein fibers and even some natural spider silk fibers. The design strategy and the biosynthetic approach can be expanded to create numerous functional materials, and the macroscopic amyloid fibers will enable a wide range of mechanically demanding applications.
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21
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Hu CF, Qian ZG, Peng Q, Zhang Y, Xia XX. Unconventional Spidroin Assemblies in Aqueous Dope for Spinning into Tough Synthetic Fibers. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 7:3608-3617. [PMID: 34259496 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is a remarkable fiber made by spiders from an aqueous solution of spidroins, and this feat is largely attributed to the tripartite domain architecture of the silk proteins leading to the hierarchical assembly at the nano- and microscales. Although individual amino- and carboxy-terminal domains have been proposed to relate to silk protein assembly, their tentative synergizing roles in recombinant spidroin storage and spinning into synthetic fibers remain elusive. Here, we show biosynthesis and self-assembly of a mimic spidroin composed of amino- and carboxy-terminal domains bracketing 16 consensus repeats of the core region from spider Trichonephila clavipes. The presence of both termini was found essential for self-assembly of the mimic spidroin termed N16C into fibril-like (rather than canonical micellar) nanostructures in concentrated aqueous dope and ordered alignment of these nanofibrils upon extrusion into an acidic coagulation bath. This ultimately led to continuous, macroscopic fibers with a tensile fracture toughness of 100.9 ± 13.2 MJ m-3, which is comparable to that of their natural counterparts. We also found that the recombinant proteins lacking one or both termini were unable to similarly preassemble into fibrillar nanostructures in dopes and thus yielded inferior fiber properties. This work thereby highlights the synergizing role of terminal domains in the storage and processing of recombinant analogues into tough synthetic fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Fei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Gang Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingfa Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaopeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibres and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Xia Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
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22
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Onofrei D, Stengel D, Jia D, Johnson HR, Trescott S, Soni A, Addison B, Muthukumar M, Holland GP. Investigating the Atomic and Mesoscale Interactions that Facilitate Spider Silk Protein Pre-Assembly. Biomacromolecules 2021; 22:3377-3385. [PMID: 34251190 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c00473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Black widow spider dragline silk is one of nature's high-performance biological polymers, exceeding the strength and toughness of most man-made materials including high tensile steel and Kevlar. Major ampullate (Ma), or dragline silk, is primarily comprised of two spidroin proteins (Sp) stored within the Ma gland. In the native gland environment, the MaSp1 and MaSp2 proteins self-associate to form hierarchical 200-300 nm superstructures despite being intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). Here, dynamic light scattering (DLS), three-dimensional (3D) triple resonance solution NMR, and diffusion NMR is utilized to probe the MaSp size, molecular structure, and dynamics of these protein pre-assemblies diluted in 4 M urea and identify specific regions of the proteins important for silk protein pre-assembly. 3D NMR indicates that the Gly-Ala-Ala and Ala-Ala-Gly motifs flanking the poly(Ala) runs, which comprise the β-sheet forming domains in fibers, are perturbed by urea, suggesting that these regions may be important for silk protein pre-assembly stabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Onofrei
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - Dillan Stengel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - Di Jia
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States.,Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Hannah R Johnson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - Samantha Trescott
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - Ashana Soni
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - Bennett Addison
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
| | - Murugappan Muthukumar
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Gregory P Holland
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California 92182-1030, United States
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23
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Scholl CL, Tsuda S, Graham LA, Davies PL. Crystal waters on the nine polyproline type II helical bundle springtail antifreeze protein from Granisotoma rainieri match the ice lattice. FEBS J 2021; 288:4332-4347. [PMID: 33460499 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
A springtail (Collembola) identified as Granisotoma rainieri was collected from snow in Hokkaido, Japan, in late winter when nighttime temperatures were below zero. Extracts of these arthropods showed antifreeze activity by shaping ice crystals and stopping their growth. The glycine-rich proteins responsible for this freezing point depression were isolated by ice-affinity purification and had principal masses of ~ 6.9 and 9.6 kDa. We identified a transcript for a 9.6-kDa component and produced it as a His-tagged recombinant protein for structural analysis. Its crystal structure was solved to a resolution of 1.21 Å and revealed a polyproline type II helical bundle, similar to the six-helix Hypogastrura harveyi AFP, but with nine helices organized into two layers held together by an extensive network of hydrogen bonds. One of the layers is flat, regular, and hydrophobic and likely serves as the ice-binding side. Although this surface makes close protein-protein contacts with its symmetry mate in the crystal, it has bound chains of waters present that resemble those on the basal and primary prism planes of ice. Molecular dynamic simulations indicate most of these crystal waters would preferentially occupy these sites if exposed to bulk solvent in the absence of the symmetry mate. These prepositioned waters lend further support to the ice-binding mechanism in which AFPs organize ice-like waters on one surface to adsorb to ice. DATABASES: Structural data are available in the Protein Data Bank under the accession number 7JJV. Transcript data are available in GenBank under accession numbers MT780727, MT780728, MT780729, MT780730, MT780731 and MT985982.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor L Scholl
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Sakae Tsuda
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Science and Technology (AIST), Sapporo, Japan
| | - Laurie A Graham
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Peter L Davies
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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24
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de C Bittencourt DM, Oliveira PF, Souto BM, de Freitas SM, Silva LP, Murad AM, Michalczechen-Lacerda VA, Lewis RV, Rech EL. Molecular Dynamics of Synthetic Flagelliform Silk Fiber Assembly. MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING 2021; 306:2000530. [PMID: 34539237 PMCID: PMC8445496 DOI: 10.1002/mame.202000530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In order to better understand the relationship between Flagelliform (Flag) spider silk molecular structural organization and the mechanisms of fiber assembly, it was designed and produced the Nephilengys cruentata Flag spidroin analogue rNcFlag2222. The recombinant proteins are composed by the elastic repetitive glycine-rich motifs (GPGGX/GGX) and the spacer region, rich in hydrophilic charged amino acids, present at the native silk spidroin. Using different approaches for nanomolecular protein analysis, the structural data of rNcFlag2222 recombinant proteins were compared in its fibrillar and in its fully solvated states. Based on the results was possible to identify the molecular structural dynamics of NcFlag2222 prior to and after fiber formation. Overal rNcFlag2222 shows a mixture of semiflexible and rigid conformations, characterized mostly by the presence of PPII, β-turn and β-sheet. These results agree with previous studies and bring insights about the molecular mechanisms that might driven Flag silk fibers assembly and elastomeric behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela M de C Bittencourt
- Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation - Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology CENARGEN, Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB, Av. W5 Norte (final), Brasília DF, 70770-917, Brazil
| | - Paula F Oliveira
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan UT, 84322-5305, US
| | - Betulia M Souto
- Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation - Embrapa Agroenergy, STN - Brasília, DF, 70297-400, Brazil
| | - Sonia M de Freitas
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of BiologicDral Sciences, University of Brasilia, Campos Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, Brasilia, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Luciano P Silva
- Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation - Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology CENARGEN, Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB, Av. W5 Norte (final), Brasília DF, 70770-917, Brazil
| | - Andre M Murad
- Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation - Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology CENARGEN, Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB, Av. W5 Norte (final), Brasília DF, 70770-917, Brazil
| | - Valquiria A Michalczechen-Lacerda
- Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation - Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology CENARGEN, Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB, Av. W5 Norte (final), Brasília DF, 70770-917, Brazil
| | - Randolph V Lewis
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan UT, 84322-5305, US
| | - Elibio L Rech
- Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation - Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology CENARGEN, Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB, Av. W5 Norte (final), Brasília DF, 70770-917, Brazil
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25
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Malay AD, Suzuki T, Katashima T, Kono N, Arakawa K, Numata K. Spider silk self-assembly via modular liquid-liquid phase separation and nanofibrillation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/45/eabb6030. [PMID: 33148640 PMCID: PMC7673682 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb6030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Spider silk fiber rapidly assembles from spidroin protein in soluble state via an incompletely understood mechanism. Here, we present an integrated model for silk formation that incorporates the effects of multiple chemical and physical gradients on the different spidroin functional domains. Central to the process is liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) that occurs in response to multivalent anions such as phosphate, mediated by the carboxyl-terminal and repetitive domains. Acidification coupled with LLPS triggers the swift self-assembly of nanofibril networks, facilitated by dimerization of the amino-terminal domain, and leads to a liquid-to-solid phase transition. Mechanical stress applied to the fibril structures yields macroscopic fibers with hierarchical organization and enriched for β-sheet conformations. Studies using native silk gland material corroborate our findings on spidroin phase separation. Our results suggest an intriguing parallel between silk assembly and other LLPS-mediated mechanisms, such as found in intracellular membraneless organelles and protein aggregation disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali D Malay
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Takehiro Suzuki
- Biomolecular Characterization Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Takuya Katashima
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Kono
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, 246-2 Mizukami, Kakuganji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0052, Japan
| | - Kazuharu Arakawa
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, 246-2 Mizukami, Kakuganji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0052, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
- Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
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26
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Oktaviani NA, Malay AD, Matsugami A, Hayashi F, Numata K. Nearly complete 1H, 13C and 15N chemical shift assignment of monomeric form of N-terminal domain of Nephila clavipes major ampullate spidroin 2. BIOMOLECULAR NMR ASSIGNMENTS 2020; 14:335-338. [PMID: 32767002 DOI: 10.1007/s12104-020-09972-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is well recognized due to its excellent mechanical properties. Dragline silk protein mainly consists of two proteins, namely, major ampullate spidroin 1 (MaSp1) and major ampullate spidroin 2 (MaSp2). The MaSp N-terminal domain (NTD) conformation displays a strong dependence on ion and pH gradients, which is crucial for the self-assembly behavior of spider silk. In the spider major ampullate gland, where the pH is neutral and concentration of NaCl is high, the NTD forms a monomer. In contrast, within the spinning duct, where pH becomes more acidic (to pH ~ 5) and the concentration of salt is low, NTD forms a dimer in antiparallel orientation. In this study, we report near-complete backbone and side chain chemical shift assignment of the monomeric form of NTD of MaSp2 from Nephila clavipes at pH 7 in the presence of 300 mM NaCl. Our NMR data demonstrate that secondary structure of monomeric form of NTD MaSp2 consists of five helix regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Alia Oktaviani
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Ali D Malay
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Akimasa Matsugami
- Advanced NMR Application and Platform Team, NMR Research and Collaboration Group, NMR Science and Development Division, RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Hayashi
- Advanced NMR Application and Platform Team, NMR Research and Collaboration Group, NMR Science and Development Division, RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- Department of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-Daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan.
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27
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Chen J, Ohta Y, Nakamura H, Masunaga H, Numata K. Aqueous spinning system with a citrate buffer for highly extensible silk fibers. Polym J 2020. [DOI: 10.1038/s41428-020-00419-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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28
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Greving I, Terry AE, Holland C, Boulet-Audet M, Grillo I, Vollrath F, Dicko C. Structural Diversity of Native Major Ampullate, Minor Ampullate, Cylindriform, and Flagelliform Silk Proteins in Solution. Biomacromolecules 2020; 21:3387-3393. [PMID: 32551521 PMCID: PMC7421538 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The foundations of silk spinning, the structure, storage, and activation of silk proteins, remain highly debated. By combining solution small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering (SANS and SAXS) alongside circular dichroism (CD), we reveal a shape anisotropy of the four principal native spider silk feedstocks from Nephila edulis. We show that these proteins behave in solution like elongated semiflexible polymers with locally rigid sections. We demonstrated that minor ampullate and cylindriform proteins adopt a monomeric conformation, while major ampullate and flagelliform proteins have a preference for dimerization. From an evolutionary perspective, we propose that such dimerization arose to help the processing of disordered silk proteins. Collectively, our results provide insights into the molecular-scale processing of silk, uncovering a degree of evolutionary convergence in protein structures and chemistry that supports the macroscale micellar/pseudo liquid crystalline spinning mechanisms proposed by the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imke Greving
- Institute
of Materials Research, Helmholtz Zentrum
Geesthacht, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Ann E. Terry
- MAX IV Laboratory, 224 84 Lund, Sweden
- Lund
Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science, 223 70 Lund, Sweden
| | - Chris Holland
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, The
University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Fritz Vollrath
- Department
of Zoology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United
Kingdom
| | - Cedric Dicko
- Pure
and
Applied Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
- Lund
Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science, 223 70 Lund, Sweden
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29
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Ma C, Dong J, Viviani M, Tulini I, Pontillo N, Maity S, Zhou Y, Roos WH, Liu K, Herrmann A, Portale G. De novo rational design of a freestanding, supercharged polypeptide, proton-conducting membrane. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabc0810. [PMID: 32832651 PMCID: PMC7439445 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc0810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Proton translocation enables important processes in nature and man-made technologies. However, controlling proton conduction and fabrication of devices exploiting biomaterials remains a challenge. Even more difficult is the design of protein-based bulk materials without any functional starting scaffold for further optimization. Here, we show the rational design of proton-conducting, protein materials exceeding reported proteinaceous systems. The carboxylic acid-rich structures were evolved step by step by exploring various sequences from intrinsically disordered coils over supercharged nanobarrels to hierarchically spider β sheet containing protein-supercharged polypeptide chimeras. The latter material is characterized by interconnected β sheet nanodomains decorated on their surface by carboxylic acid groups, forming self-supportive membranes and allowing for proton conduction in the hydrated state. The membranes showed an extraordinary proton conductivity of 18.5 ± 5 mS/cm at RH = 90%, one magnitude higher than other protein devices. This design paradigm offers great potential for bioprotonic device fabrication interfacing artificial and biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022 Changchun, China
- Polymer Chemistry and Bioengineering, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jingjin Dong
- Macromolecular Chemistry and New Polymeric Materials, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, The Netherlands
| | - Marco Viviani
- Macromolecular Chemistry and New Polymeric Materials, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, The Netherlands
| | - Isotta Tulini
- Macromolecular Chemistry and New Polymeric Materials, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, The Netherlands
| | - Nicola Pontillo
- Polymer Chemistry and Bioengineering, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sourav Maity
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yu Zhou
- Polymer Chemistry and Bioengineering, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter H. Roos
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130022 Changchun, China
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Andreas Herrmann
- Polymer Chemistry and Bioengineering, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- DWI–Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52056 Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 2, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Portale
- Macromolecular Chemistry and New Polymeric Materials, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, The Netherlands
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30
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Finnigan W, Roberts AD, Ligorio C, Scrutton NS, Breitling R, Blaker JJ, Takano E. The effect of terminal globular domains on the response of recombinant mini-spidroins to fiber spinning triggers. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10671. [PMID: 32606438 PMCID: PMC7327021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67703-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider silk spidroins consist of long repetitive protein strands, flanked by globular terminal domains. The globular domains are often omitted in recombinant spidroins, but are thought to be essential for the spiders' natural spinning process. Mimicking this spinning process could be an essential step towards producing strong synthetic spider silk. Here we describe the production of a range of mini-spidroins with both terminal domains, and characterize their response to a number of biomimetic spinning triggers. Our results suggest that mini-spidroins which are able to form protein micelles due to the addition of both terminal domains exhibit shear-thinning, a property which native spidroins also show. Furthermore, our data also suggest that a pH drop alone is insufficient to trigger assembly in a wet-spinning process, and must be combined with salting-out for effective fiber formation. With these insights, we applied these assembly triggers for relatively biomimetic wet spinning. This work adds to the foundation of literature for developing improved biomimetic spinning techniques, which ought to result in synthetic silk that more closely approximates the unique properties of native spider silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Finnigan
- Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Aled D Roberts
- Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Cosimo Ligorio
- Department of Materials, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Nigel S Scrutton
- Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Rainer Breitling
- Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Jonny J Blaker
- Bio-Active Materials Group, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Eriko Takano
- Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre SYNBIOCHEM, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
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31
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Formation and functionalization of membraneless compartments in Escherichia coli. Nat Chem Biol 2020; 16:1143-1148. [DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-0579-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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32
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Abstract
Spider web proteins are unique materials created by nature that, considering the combination of their properties, do not have analogues among natural or human-created materials. Obtaining significant amounts of these proteins from natural sources is not feasible. Biotechnological manufacturing in heterological systems is complicated by the very high molecular weight of spidroins and their specific amino acid composition. Obtaining recombinant analogues of spidroins in heterological systems, mainly in bacteria and yeast, has become a compromise solution. Because they can self-assemble, these proteins can form various materials, such as fibers, films, 3D-foams, hydrogels, tubes, and microcapsules. The effectiveness of spidroin hydrogels in deep wound healing, as 3D scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration and as oriented fibers for axon growth and nerve tissue regeneration, was demonstrated in animal models. The possibility to use spidroin micro- and nanoparticles for drug delivery was demonstrated, including the use of modified spidroins for virus-free DNA delivery into animal cell nuclei. In the past few years, significant interest has arisen concerning the use of these materials as biocompatible and biodegradable soft optics to construct photonic crystal super lenses and fiber optics and as soft electronics to use in triboelectric nanogenerators. This review summarizes the latest achievements in the field of spidroin production, the creation of materials based on them, the study of these materials as a scaffold for the growth, proliferation, and differentiation of various types of cells, and the prospects for using these materials for medical applications (e.g., tissue engineering, drug delivery, coating medical devices), soft optics, and electronics. Accumulated data suggest the use of recombinant spidroins in medical practice in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir G Debabov
- State Research Institute for Genetics and Selection of Industrial Microorganisms of National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute" (NRC "Kurchatov Institute"-GOSNIIGENETIKA), Moscow 117545, Russia
| | - Vladimir G Bogush
- State Research Institute for Genetics and Selection of Industrial Microorganisms of National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute" (NRC "Kurchatov Institute"-GOSNIIGENETIKA), Moscow 117545, Russia
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33
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Abstract
β-Sheet protein structures and domains are widely found in biological materials such as silk. These assemblies play a major role in the extraordinary strength and unique properties of biomaterials. At the molecular level, the single β-sheet structure comprises polypeptide chains in zig-zag conformations that are held together by hydrogen bonds. β-sheet domains comprise multiple β-sheets that originate from hydrophobic interactions between sheets and are held together by van der Waals interactions. In this work, we introduce molecular models that capture the response of such domains upon mechanical loading and illustrate the mechanisms behind their collapse. We begin by modeling the force that is required to pull a chain out of a β-sheet. Next, we employ these models to study the behavior of β-sheets that are embedded into and connected to an amorphous protein matrix. We show that the collapse of a β-sheet occurs upon the application of a sufficiently high force that is transferred from the chains in the matrix to individual chains of the β-sheet structure and causes shear. With the aim of understanding the response of β-sheet domains, we derive models for the interactions between β-sheets. These enable the study of critical forces required to break such domains. As opposed to molecular dynamics simulations, the analysis in this work yields simple expressions that shed light on the relations between the nanostructure of β-sheet domains and their mechanical response. In addition, the findings of this work suggest how β-sheet domains can be strengthened.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noy Cohen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Claus D Eisenbach
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.,Institute for Polymer Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart D-70569, Germany
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34
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Keiderling TA. Structure of Condensed Phase Peptides: Insights from Vibrational Circular Dichroism and Raman Optical Activity Techniques. Chem Rev 2020; 120:3381-3419. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A. Keiderling
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago 845 West Taylor Street m/c 111, Chicago, Illinois 60607-7061, United States
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35
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High-yield Production of Amyloid-β Peptide Enabled by a Customized Spider Silk Domain. Sci Rep 2020; 10:235. [PMID: 31937841 PMCID: PMC6959368 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-57143-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
During storage in the silk gland, the N-terminal domain (NT) of spider silk proteins (spidroins) keeps the aggregation-prone repetitive region in solution at extreme concentrations. We observe that NTs from different spidroins have co-evolved with their respective repeat region, and now use an NT that is distantly related to previously used NTs, for efficient recombinant production of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. A designed variant of NT from Nephila clavipes flagelliform spidroin, which in nature allows production and storage of β-hairpin repeat segments, gives exceptionally high yields of different human Aβ variants as a solubility tag. This tool enables efficient production of target peptides also in minimal medium and gives up to 10 times more isotope-labeled monomeric Aβ peptides per liter bacterial culture than previously reported.
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36
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Oktaviani NA, Matsugami A, Hayashi F, Numata K. Ion effects on the conformation and dynamics of repetitive domains of a spider silk protein: implications for solubility and β-sheet formation. Chem Commun (Camb) 2019; 55:9761-9764. [PMID: 31355386 DOI: 10.1039/c9cc03538a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The effect of ions on the structure and dynamics of a spider silk protein is elucidated. Chaotropic ions prevent intra- and inter-molecular interactions on the repetitive domain, which are required to maintain the solubility, while kosmotropic ions promote hydrogen bond interactions in the glycine-rich region, which are a prerequisite for β-sheet formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Alia Oktaviani
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Scieences, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
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37
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Asakura T, Matsuda H, Aoki A, Kataoka N, Imai A. Conformational change of 13C-labeled 47-mer model peptides of Nephila clavipes dragline silk in poly(vinyl alcohol) film by stretching studied by 13C solid-state NMR and molecular dynamics simulation. Int J Biol Macromol 2019; 131:654-665. [PMID: 30902719 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.03.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
For determination of the conformation of irregular sequences in glycine-rich region of the Nephila clavipes spider dragline silk, the combination of 13C selectively labeled model peptides for the typical primary structure and their 13C solid-state NMR observations is very useful (T. Asakura et al. Macromolecules. 51 (2018) 3608-3619). However, spiders produce the fiber through the stretching process in nature and therefore, it is difficult to study conformational change by stretching as mimic using the model peptides because these are generally in the powder form. In this paper, 13C selectively labeled three model peptides, (Glu)4(Ala)6GlyGly12Ala13Gly14GlnGlyGlyTyrGlyGlyLeuGlySerGlnGly25Ala26Gly27ArgGly-GlyLeuGlyGlyGlnGly35Ala36Gly37(Ala)6(Glu)4 with three underlined 13C labeled blocks and their poly(vinyl alcohol) blend films were prepared and the conformational changes of these peptides were monitored by stretching of the films using 13C solid-state NMR. In addition, the molecular dynamics simulation was done to evaluate change in the conformation of the sequence by stretching theoretically. The fractions of β-sheet of Ala36 and Gly37 residues in glycine-rich region adjacent to the C-terminal (Ala)6 sequence increased significantly by stretching compared with those of other 13C labeled Ala and Gly residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Asakura
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan.
| | - Hironori Matsuda
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Akihiro Aoki
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Naomi Kataoka
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Akiko Imai
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
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38
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39
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Hang Y, Ma J, Li S, Zhang X, Liu B, Ding Z, Lu Q, Chen H, Kaplan DL. Structure–Chemical Modification Relationships with Silk Materials. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2019; 5:2762-2768. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.9b00369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yingjie Hang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Ma
- Department of Burns, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Siyuan Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyi Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bing Liu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhaozhao Ding
- National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiang Lu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People’s Republic of China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hong Chen
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People’s Republic of China
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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40
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McGill M, Holland GP, Kaplan DL. Experimental Methods for Characterizing the Secondary Structure and Thermal Properties of Silk Proteins. Macromol Rapid Commun 2019; 40:e1800390. [PMID: 30073740 PMCID: PMC6425979 DOI: 10.1002/marc.201800390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2018] [Revised: 06/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Silk proteins are biopolymers produced by spinning organisms that have been studied extensively for applications in materials engineering, regenerative medicine, and devices due to their high tensile strength and extensibility. This remarkable combination of mechanical properties arises from their unique semi-crystalline secondary structure and block copolymer features. The secondary structure of silks is highly sensitive to processing, and can be manipulated to achieve a wide array of material profiles. Studying the secondary structure of silks is therefore critical to understanding the relationship between structure and function, the strength and stability of silk-based materials, and the natural fiber synthesis process employed by spinning organisms. However, silks present unique challenges to structural characterization due to high-molecular-weight protein chains, repetitive sequences, and heterogeneity in intra- and interchain domain sizes. Here, experimental techniques used to study the secondary structure of silks, the information attainable from these techniques, and the limitations associated with them are reviewed. Ultimately, the appropriate utilization of a suite of techniques discussed here will enable detailed characterization of silk-based materials, from studying fundamental processing-structure-function relationships to developing commercially useful quality control assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan McGill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Gregory P. Holland
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-1030, USA
| | - David L. Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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41
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Asakura T, Matsuda H, Kataoka N, Imai A. Changes in the Local Structure of Nephila clavipes Dragline Silk Model Peptides upon Trifluoroacetic Acid, Low pH, Freeze-Drying, and Hydration Treatments Studied by 13C Solid-State NMR. Biomacromolecules 2018; 19:4396-4410. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b01267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Asakura
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Hironori Matsuda
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Naomi Kataoka
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Akiko Imai
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
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Yazawa K, Malay AD, Masunaga H, Numata K. Role of Skin Layers on Mechanical Properties and Supercontraction of Spider Dragline Silk Fiber. Macromol Biosci 2018; 19:e1800220. [PMID: 30230228 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201800220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Spider dragline silk is a composite biopolymer that harbors extraordinary mechanical characteristics, and consists of a hierarchically arranged protein core surrounded by outer "skin" layers. However, the contribution of the successive fiber layers on material properties has not been well defined. Here, the influence of the different components on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of dragline is investigated. The crystal structure and the mechanical properties are not changed significantly after the removal of skin constituents, indicating that the core region of dragline silk fibers determines the structural and mechanical properties. Furthermore, the outer layers have little influence on supercontraction, suggesting they do not function as protection against the penetration of water molecules. On the other hand, the outer layers offer some protection against protease digestion. The present study provides insight into how the function and structure of silk fibers are modulated and facilitates the design of silk-inspired functional materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenjiro Yazawa
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Ali D Malay
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hiroyasu Masunaga
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5198, Japan.,RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5198, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
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