Critical role of minor eggcase silk component in promoting spidroin chain alignment and strong fiber formation.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
; 118(38)2021 09 21.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34531321
ABSTRACT
Natural spider silk with extraordinary mechanical properties is typically spun from more than one type of spidroin. Although the main components of various spider silks have been widely studied, little is known about the molecular role of the minor silk components in spidroin self-assembly and fiber formation. Here, we show that the minor component of spider eggcase silk, TuSp2, not only accelerates self-assembly but remarkably promotes molecular chain alignment of spidroins upon physical shearing. NMR structure of the repetitive domain of TuSp2 reveals that its dimeric structure with unique charged surface serves as a platform to recruit different domains of the main eggcase component TuSp1. Artificial fiber spun from the complex between TuSp1 and TuSp2 minispidroins exhibits considerably higher strength and Young's modulus than its native counterpart. These results create a framework for rationally designing silk biomaterials based on distinct roles of silk components.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Fibroínas
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Año:
2021
Tipo del documento:
Article