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Xiong Y, Xu Y, Lin B, He B, Gao B. Kirigami-inspired artificial spidroin microneedles for wound patches. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 268:131838. [PMID: 38663709 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Intelligent wound management has important potential for promoting the recovery of chronic wounds caused by diabetes. Here, inspired by the field of kirigami, smart patterned high-stretch microneedle dressings (KPMDs) based on gene-modified spider silk proteins were developed to achieve sensitive biochemical and physiological sensing. The spider silk protein (spidroin) has excellent tensile properties, ductility, toughness and biocompatibility. Notably, the kirigami method-prepared kirigami structure of the spidroin MN dressing had a high tensile strength , while its ductility reached approximately 800 %. Moreover, the unique optical properties of photonic crystals allow for fluorescence enhancement, providing KPMD with color-sensitive properties suitable for wound management and clinical guidance. Furthermore, to improve the sensitivity of KPMD-s to motion monitoring, a microelectronic matrix was integrated on its surface. These distinct material properties suggest that this research lays the foundation for a new generation of high-performance biomimetic diatomaceous earth materials for application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongji Xiong
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Yue Xu
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Baoyang Lin
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Bingfang He
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Bingbing Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China.
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Välisalmi T, Bettahar H, Zhou Q, Linder MB. Pulling and analyzing silk fibers from aqueous solution using a robotic device. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 250:126161. [PMID: 37549763 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Spiders, silkworms, and many other animals can spin silk with exceptional properties. However, artificially spun fibers often fall short of their natural counterparts partly due sub-optimal production methods. A variety of methods, such as wet-, dry-, and biomimetic spinning have been used. The methods are based on extrusion, whereas natural spinning also involves pulling. Another shortcoming is that there is a lack feedback control during extension. Here we demonstrate a robotic fiber pulling device that enables controlled pulling of silk fibers and in situ measurement of extensional forces during the pulling and tensile testing of the pulled fibers. The pulling device was used to study two types of silk-one recombinant spider silk (a structural variant of ADF3) and one regenerated silk fibroin. Also, dextran-a branched polysaccharide-was used as a reference material for the procedure due to its straightforward preparation and storage. No post-treatments were applied. The pulled regenerated silk fibroin fibers achieved high tensile strength in comparison to similar extrusion-based methods. The mechanical properties of the recombinant spider silk fibers seemed to be affected by the liquid-liquid phase separation of the silk proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teemu Välisalmi
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland; Centre of Excellence in Life-Inspired Hybrid Materials (LIBER), Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Houari Bettahar
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, School of Electrical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Quan Zhou
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, School of Electrical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland.
| | - Markus B Linder
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland; Centre of Excellence in Life-Inspired Hybrid Materials (LIBER), Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland.
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3
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Arguelles J, Baker RH, Perez-Rigueiro J, Guinea GV, Elices M, Hayashi CY. Relating spidroin motif prevalence and periodicity to the mechanical properties of major ampullate spider silks. J Comp Physiol B 2023; 193:25-36. [PMID: 36342510 PMCID: PMC9852138 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-022-01464-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Spider dragline fibers exhibit incredible mechanical properties, outperforming many synthetic polymers in toughness assays, and possess desirable properties for medical and other human applications. These qualities make dragline fibers popular subjects for biomimetics research. The enormous diversity of spiders presents both an opportunity for the development of new bioinspired materials and a challenge for the identification of fundamental design principles, as the mechanical properties of dragline fibers show both intraspecific and interspecific variations. In this regard, the stress-strain curves of draglines from different species have been shown to be effectively compared by the α* parameter, a value derived from maximum-supercontracted silk fibers. To identify potential molecular mechanisms impacting α* values, here we analyze spider fibroin (spidroin) sequences of the Western black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) and the black and yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia). This study serves as a primer for investigating the molecular properties of spidroins that underlie species-specific α* values. Initial findings are that while overall motif composition was similar between species, certain motifs and higher level periodicities of glycine-rich region lengths showed variation, notably greater distances between poly-A motifs in A. aurantia sequences. In addition to increased period lengths, A. aurantia spidroins tended to have an increased prevalence of charged and hydrophobic residues. These increases may impact the number and strength of hydrogen bond networks within fibers, which have been implicated in conformational changes and formation of nanocrystals, contributing to the greater extensibility of A. aurantia draglines compared to those of L. hesperus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Arguelles
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024 USA
| | - Richard H. Baker
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024 USA
| | - Jose Perez-Rigueiro
- Center for Biomedical Engineering (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain ,Centro de Investigatión Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain ,Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Peurtos, 28040 Madrid, Spain ,Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Calle Prof. Martín Lagos s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo V. Guinea
- Center for Biomedical Engineering (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain ,Centro de Investigatión Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain ,Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Peurtos, 28040 Madrid, Spain ,Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Calle Prof. Martín Lagos s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Elices
- Centro de Investigatión Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cheryl Y. Hayashi
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024 USA
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Lv B, Peng Y, Peng YD, Wang Z, Song QS. Integrated transcriptome and proteome unveiled distinct toxicological effects of long-term cadmium pollution on the silk glands of Pardosa pseudoannulata. Sci Total Environ 2023; 854:158841. [PMID: 36116647 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) induces severe soil pollution worldwide and exerts adverse effects on paddy field arthropods. Spiders grant a novel perspective to assess the Cd-induced toxicity, yet the impacts of long-term Cd stress on spider silk glands and its underlying mechanism remain elusive. The study showed that Cd stress enervated the antioxidant system in the spider Pardosa pseudoannulata, manifested as the decreases of glutathione peroxidase and peroxidase, and the increase of malonaldehyde (p < 0.05). In addition, a total of 1459 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 404 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were obtained from the silk glands' transcriptome and proteome. DEGs and DEPs encoding spidroin (e.g., tubuliform spidroin and ampullate spidroin) and amino acids metabolism (e.g., alanine, proline, and glycine) were distinctively down-regulated. Further enrichment analysis verified that Cd stress could inhibit amino acid metabolism via the down-regulation of several key enzymes, including glutathione synthase, methylthioadenosine phosphorylase, S-adenosylmethionine synthetase, etc. In addition, the hedgehog signaling pathway regulating cellular growth and development was down-regulated under Cd stress. A protein-protein interaction network showed that long-term Cd stress could inhibit some key biological processes in the silk glands, including peptide biosynthetic process and cytoskeleton part. Collectively, this comprehensive study established an effective animal detection model for evaluating Cd-induced toxicity, presented key biomarkers for further validation, and provided novel insights to investigate the molecular mechanisms of spiders to Cd pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Lv
- College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, Hunan, China; Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, 65211 Columbia, USA
| | - Yong Peng
- College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, Hunan, China
| | - Yuan-de Peng
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410205, Hunan, China
| | - Zhi Wang
- College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, Hunan, China.
| | - Qi-Sheng Song
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, 65211 Columbia, USA.
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5
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Yu N, Yang Z, Fan Z, Liu Z. Classification and functional characterization of spidroin genes in a wandering spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2022; 151:103862. [PMID: 36328175 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Spiders impress us with their sophisticated use of silk and the stunningly distinct silk proteins (spidroins) in each spider species. Understanding how silks and spidroins function and evolve within the spider world is one profound interest to expand our knowledge on spider evolution. Spidroins are characterized with the divergent repeat core region flanked with the relatively conserved N- and C-terminus. The structure and number of the repeats contribute to the unique mechanical properties of the spidroin and the silk. Spidroins have been intensively studied in web-weaver spiders, but information regarding their diversity in wandering spiders remains scarce. Here, twenty spidroin genes were identified in the pond wolf spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata, belonging to the retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) clade. These spidroins were categorized into four classes, including twelve ampullate spidroin (AmpSp), four aciniform spidroin (AcSp), one tubuliform spidroin (TuSp), one pyriform spidroin (PiSp), and two spidroin-like proteins. Multiple copies of the AmpSp and AcSp genes were tandemly arranged in a cluster within the genome, and the N-terminal domains and repetitive sequences of the proximately located spidroins were highly similar, suggesting that the spidroin genes diversified via tandem duplication. Only four types of morphologically distinct silk glands were found in P. pseudoannulata, namely Ma, Mi, Ac, and Pi glands, consistent with the glandular affiliation hypothesis that spidroins co-evolved with glandular specialization to fit species-specific needs. Expression profiling revealed that the single tubuliform spidroin (TuSp) gene was highly expressed in gravid females and two AcSp genes displayed synchronous expression. Knock-down of the TuSp gene via RNAi resulted in fragile and cracked eggsacs and prolonged the female pre-oviposition period, validating its importance in spider reproduction. The genome-scale characterization and functional study of spidroin genes allows associating the presence of specific spidroins with silk utility in P. pseudoannulata and will expand our knowledge of spider evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Yu
- Key laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Zhiming Yang
- Key laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Zheng Fan
- School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, No.2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei District, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Zewen Liu
- Key laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing, 210095, China.
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6
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Souza NM, Wang T, Suwansa-Ard S, Nahrung HF, Cummins SF. Ovi-protective mothers: exploring the proteomic profile of weevil ( Gonipterus) egg capsules. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10516. [PMID: 36119877 PMCID: PMC9475328 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects of different orders produce elaborate structures to protect their eggs from the many threats they may face from the environment and natural enemies. In the weevil genus Gonipterus, their dark, hardened egg capsule is possibly generated by a mixture of the insects' excrement and glandular substances. To test this hypothesis, this study focused on the elucidation of protein components present in the egg capsule cover and interrogated them through comparative analysis and gene expression to help infer potential functions. First, female Gonipterus sp. n. 2 reproductive and alimentary tissues were isolated to establish a reference transcriptome-derived protein database. Then, proteins from weevil frass (excrement) and egg capsule cover were identified through mass spectrometry proteomics. We found that certain egg capsule cover proteins were both exclusive and shared between frass and egg capsule cover, including those of plant origin (e.g. photosystem II protein) and others secreted by the weevil, primarily from reproductive tissue. Among them, a mucin/spidroin-like protein and novel proteins with repetitive units that likely play a structural role were identified. We have confirmed the dual origin of the egg capsule cover substance as a blend of the insects’ frass and secretions. Novel proteins secreted by the weevils are key candidates for holding the egg case cover together.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia M Souza
- Tropical Fruit and Market Access RD&E, Horticulture and Forestry Science, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Portsmith, QLD 4870, Australia
| | - Tianfang Wang
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore 4558, QLD, Australia.,School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore 4558, QLD, Australia
| | - Saowaros Suwansa-Ard
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore 4558, QLD, Australia
| | - Helen F Nahrung
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD 4558, Australia
| | - Scott F Cummins
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore 4558, QLD, Australia.,School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore 4558, QLD, Australia
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Liu FYC, Liu JYX, Yao X, Wang B. Hybrid sequencing reveals the full-length Nephila pilipes pyriform spidroin 1 (PySp1). Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 200:362-369. [PMID: 34973986 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.12.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Araneid spider silk glands can spin seven silk types that have task-specific properties owing to the higher order structure of spider silk proteins. This gives silks superior potential as novel biomaterials. Nephila pilipes, the giant golden orb-weaver, is one of the largest spiders and spins silk with exceptional torsional deformation, toughness, and other properties to support its mass; further investigation relies on a complete amino acid sequence. However, there are no full-length N. pilipes spidroin sequences; in fact, across species, most sequences remain fragmentary because of repetitive region assembly difficulties in short-read sequencing. Here, we develop a hybrid sequencing method that utilizes short-read sequencing to identify seven spidroin terminals in N. pilipes, and long-read sequencing to confirm the full-length pyriform spidroin 1 (PySp1) gene. PySp1 is 11,181 base pairs, with a single exon encoding a 3,726 amino acid protein, the QQ(x)4Qx motif, and lower repeat homogenization, distinct characteristics of genera Nephilinae PySp1. The full-length N. pilipes PySp1 sequences sheds light on spidroin evolution and demonstrates a helpful strategy to find full-length spidroins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Y C Liu
- Department of Biology, Link-Spider Co. Ltd., Room D-E, Floor 22, Caifu Building, Fuhua 3rd Rd., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China; Science Department, Newton South High School, 140 Brandeis Rd., Newton, MA 02459, USA.
| | - Jessica Y X Liu
- Department of Biology, Link-Spider Co. Ltd., Room D-E, Floor 22, Caifu Building, Fuhua 3rd Rd., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China; Department of Material Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
| | - Xiu Yao
- Department of Biology, Link-Spider Co. Ltd., Room D-E, Floor 22, Caifu Building, Fuhua 3rd Rd., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China.
| | - Boxiang Wang
- Department of Biology, Link-Spider Co. Ltd., Room D-E, Floor 22, Caifu Building, Fuhua 3rd Rd., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China.
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Peng CA, Russo J, Gravgaard C, McCartney H, Gaines W, Marcotte WR. Spider silk-like proteins derived from transgenic Nicotiana tabacum. Transgenic Res 2016; 25:517-26. [PMID: 27026165 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-016-9949-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The high tensile strength and biocompatibility of spider dragline silk makes it a desirable material in many engineering and tissue regeneration applications. Here, we present the feasibility to produce recombinant proteins in transgenic tobacco Nicotiana tabacum with sequences representing spider silk protein building blocks . Recombinant mini-spidroins contain native N- and C-terminal domains of major ampullate spidroin 1 (rMaSp1) or rMaSp2 flanking an abbreviated number (8, 16 or 32) of consensus repeat domains. Two different expression plasmid vectors were tested and a downstream chitin binding domain and self-cleavable intein were included to facilitate protein purification. We confirmed gene insertion and RNA transcription by PCR and reverse-transcriptase PCR, respectively. Mini-spidroin production was detected by N-terminus specific antibodies. Purification of mini-spidroins was performed through chitin affinity chromatography and subsequent intein activation with reducing reagent. Mini-spidroins, when dialyzed and freeze-dried, formed viscous gelatin-like fluids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congyue Annie Peng
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, 130 McGinty Court, 153 Robert F. Poole Agricultural Center, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Julia Russo
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, 130 McGinty Court, 153 Robert F. Poole Agricultural Center, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Charlene Gravgaard
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, 130 McGinty Court, 153 Robert F. Poole Agricultural Center, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
- College of Pharmacy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Heather McCartney
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, 130 McGinty Court, 153 Robert F. Poole Agricultural Center, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - William Gaines
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, 130 McGinty Court, 153 Robert F. Poole Agricultural Center, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - William R Marcotte
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, 130 McGinty Court, 153 Robert F. Poole Agricultural Center, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA.
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Rising A. Controlled assembly: a prerequisite for the use of recombinant spider silk in regenerative medicine? Acta Biomater 2014; 10:1627-31. [PMID: 24090990 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2013] [Revised: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 09/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Recent biotechnological progress has enabled the production of spider silk proteins, spidroins, in heterologous hosts. Matrices based on recombinant spidroins support stem cell growth and are well tolerated when implanted in living tissue, thus the material is highly attractive for use in regenerative medicine. However, the matrices made are far from natural silk in terms of mechanical properties and are either spontaneously assembled, which results in heterogeneous products, or spun from harsh solvents with the concomitant risk of harmful remnants in the final products. If we could mimic the spider's aqueous silk spinning process we would likely obtain a material that had reproducible and better characteristics and that more easily could be transferred to clinical practice. Herein, the knowledge of the spiders' silk production system and the prerequisites for artificial spinning and assembly of recombinant proteins are reviewed and discussed in a biomedical context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rising
- KI-Alzheimer Disease Research Center, NVS (Neurobiology, Care Sciences, and Society) Department, Karolinska Institutet, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Anatomy Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, The Biomedical Centre, Box 575, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden.
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