The balance of crystalline and amorphous regions in the fibroin structure underpins the tensile strength of bagworm silk
Abstract Protein-based materials are considered versatile biomaterials, and their biodegradability is an advantage for sustainable development. Bagworm produces strong silk for use in unique situations throughout its life stages. Rigorous molecular analyses of Eumeta variegata suggested that the par...
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doaj-51a75879aedb443eb6cb41b0d98f37822021-08-01T11:33:55ZengBMCZoological Letters2056-306X2021-07-01711910.1186/s40851-021-00179-7The balance of crystalline and amorphous regions in the fibroin structure underpins the tensile strength of bagworm silkNobuaki Kono0Hiroyuki Nakamura1Ayaka Tateishi2Keiji Numata3Kazuharu Arakawa4Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio UniversitySpiber Inc.RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource ScienceRIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource ScienceInstitute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio UniversityAbstract Protein-based materials are considered versatile biomaterials, and their biodegradability is an advantage for sustainable development. Bagworm produces strong silk for use in unique situations throughout its life stages. Rigorous molecular analyses of Eumeta variegata suggested that the particular mechanical properties of its silk are due to the coexistence of poly-A and GA motifs. However, little molecular information on closely related species is available, and it is not understood how these properties were acquired evolutionarily or whether the motif combination is a conserved trait in other bagworms. Here, we performed a transcriptome analysis of two other bagworm species (Canephora pungelerii and Bambalina sp.) belonging to the family Psychidae to elucidate the relationship between the fibroin gene and silk properties. The obtained transcriptome assemblies and tensile tests indicated that the motif combination and silk properties were conserved among the bagworms. Furthermore, our analysis showed that C. pungelerii produces extraordinarily strong silk (breaking strength of 1.4 GPa) and indicated that the cause may be the C. pungelerii -specific balance of crystalline/amorphous regions in the H-fibroin repetitive domain. This particular H-fibroin architecture may have been evolutionarily acquired to produce strong thread to maintain bag stability during the relatively long development period of Canephora species relative to other bagworms.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40851-021-00179-7BagwormSilkH-fibroinTranscriptomeMechanical propertyFibroin architecture |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Nobuaki Kono Hiroyuki Nakamura Ayaka Tateishi Keiji Numata Kazuharu Arakawa |
spellingShingle |
Nobuaki Kono Hiroyuki Nakamura Ayaka Tateishi Keiji Numata Kazuharu Arakawa The balance of crystalline and amorphous regions in the fibroin structure underpins the tensile strength of bagworm silk Zoological Letters Bagworm Silk H-fibroin Transcriptome Mechanical property Fibroin architecture |
author_facet |
Nobuaki Kono Hiroyuki Nakamura Ayaka Tateishi Keiji Numata Kazuharu Arakawa |
author_sort |
Nobuaki Kono |
title |
The balance of crystalline and amorphous regions in the fibroin structure underpins the tensile strength of bagworm silk |
title_short |
The balance of crystalline and amorphous regions in the fibroin structure underpins the tensile strength of bagworm silk |
title_full |
The balance of crystalline and amorphous regions in the fibroin structure underpins the tensile strength of bagworm silk |
title_fullStr |
The balance of crystalline and amorphous regions in the fibroin structure underpins the tensile strength of bagworm silk |
title_full_unstemmed |
The balance of crystalline and amorphous regions in the fibroin structure underpins the tensile strength of bagworm silk |
title_sort |
balance of crystalline and amorphous regions in the fibroin structure underpins the tensile strength of bagworm silk |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
Zoological Letters |
issn |
2056-306X |
publishDate |
2021-07-01 |
description |
Abstract Protein-based materials are considered versatile biomaterials, and their biodegradability is an advantage for sustainable development. Bagworm produces strong silk for use in unique situations throughout its life stages. Rigorous molecular analyses of Eumeta variegata suggested that the particular mechanical properties of its silk are due to the coexistence of poly-A and GA motifs. However, little molecular information on closely related species is available, and it is not understood how these properties were acquired evolutionarily or whether the motif combination is a conserved trait in other bagworms. Here, we performed a transcriptome analysis of two other bagworm species (Canephora pungelerii and Bambalina sp.) belonging to the family Psychidae to elucidate the relationship between the fibroin gene and silk properties. The obtained transcriptome assemblies and tensile tests indicated that the motif combination and silk properties were conserved among the bagworms. Furthermore, our analysis showed that C. pungelerii produces extraordinarily strong silk (breaking strength of 1.4 GPa) and indicated that the cause may be the C. pungelerii -specific balance of crystalline/amorphous regions in the H-fibroin repetitive domain. This particular H-fibroin architecture may have been evolutionarily acquired to produce strong thread to maintain bag stability during the relatively long development period of Canephora species relative to other bagworms. |
topic |
Bagworm Silk H-fibroin Transcriptome Mechanical property Fibroin architecture |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40851-021-00179-7 |
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