Conformation transition kinetics of Bombyx mori silk protein

被引:182
作者
Chen, Xin [1 ]
Shao, Zhengzhong
Knight, David P.
Vollrath, Fritz
机构
[1] Fudan Univ, Dept Macromol Sci, Key Lab Mol Engn Polymers, MOE, Shanghai 200433, Peoples R China
[2] Univ Oxford, Dept Zool, Oxford OX1 3PS, England
关键词
silk fiber; spinning mechanism; time-resolved FTIR; beta-sheet; nucleation; fibroin; amyloid protein; silkworm; folding;
D O I
10.1002/prot.21414
中图分类号
Q5 [生物化学]; Q7 [分子生物学];
学科分类号
071010 ; 081704 ;
摘要
Time-resolved FTIR analysis was used to monitor the conformation transition induced by treating regenerated Bombyx mori silk fibroin films and solutions with different concentrations of ethanol. The resulting curves showing the kinetics of the transition for both films and fibroin solutions were influenced by the ethanol concentration. In addition, for silk fibroin solutions the protein concentration also had an effect on the kinetics. At low ethanol concentrations (for example, less than 40% v/v in the case of film), films and fibroin solutions showed a phase in which P-sheets slowly formed at a rate dependent on the ethanol concentration. Reducing the concentration of the fibroin in solutions also slowed the formation of P-sheets. These observations suggest that this phase represents a nucleation step. Such a nucleation phase was not seen in the conformation transition at ethanol concentrations >4% in films or >50% in silk fibroin solutions. Our results indicate that the ethanol-induced conformation transition of silk fibroin in films and solutions is a three-phase process. The first phase is the initiation of beta-sheet structure (nucleation), the second is a fast phase of P-sheet growth while the third phase represents a slow perfection of previously formed p-sheet structure. The nucleation step can be very fast or relatively slow, depending on factors that influence protein chain mobility and intermolecular hydrogen bond formation. The findings give support to the previous evidence that natural silk spinning in silkworms is nucleation-dependent, and that silkworms (like spiders) use concentrated silk protein solutions, and careful control of the pH value and metallic ion content of the processing environment to speed up the nucleation step to produce a rapid conformation transition to convert the water soluble spinning dope to a tough solid silk fiber.
引用
收藏
页码:223 / 231
页数:9
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