Mechanical performance of spider silk is robust to nutrient-mediated changes in protein composition

Biomacromolecules
Sean J BlamiresI-Min Tso

Abstract

Spider major ampullate (MA) silk is sought after as a biomimetic because of its high strength and extensibility. While the secondary structures of MA silk proteins (spidroins) influences silk mechanics, structural variations induced by spinning processes have additional effects. Silk properties may be induced by spiders feeding on diets that vary in certain nutrients, thus providing researchers an opportunity to assess the interplay between spidroin chemistry and spinning processes on the performance of MA silk. Here, we determined the relative influence of spidroin expression and spinning processes on MA silk mechanics when Nephila pilipes were fed solutions with or without protein. We found that spidroin expression differed across treatments but that its influence on mechanics was minimal. Mechanical tests of supercontracted fibers and X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that increased alignment in the amorphous region and to a lesser extent in the crystalline region led to increased fiber strength and extensibility in spiders on protein rich diets.

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Citations

Aug 16, 2016·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Sean J BlamiresAditya Rawal
Aug 19, 2017·Bioinspiration & Biomimetics·Jonas O WolffSean J Blamires
Aug 1, 2019·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Sean J BlamiresMichael M Kasumovic
Oct 1, 2020·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Hamish C CraigSean J Blamires
Jan 24, 2018·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Sean J BlamiresMichael M Kasumovic
Jun 28, 2016·Journal of Materials Chemistry. B, Materials for Biology and Medicine·Guangqiang FangXin Chen
Dec 14, 2016·Annual Review of Entomology·Sean J BlamiresI-Min Tso
Feb 7, 2021·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Shuo ZhaoBoxiong Zhong
Sep 10, 2017·Materials Science & Engineering. C, Materials for Biological Applications·Katherine HafnerMarian S Kennedy
Jul 28, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Nobuaki KonoKazuharu Arakawa
Jan 15, 2020·Biomacromolecules·Zuyuan WangGeorge Fytas

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