| 1. |
- Askarieh, Glareh, et al.
(författare)
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Self-assembly of spider silk proteins is controlled by a pH-sensitive relay
- 2010
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Nature. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 465:7295, s. 236-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nature's high-performance polymer, spider silk, consists of specific proteins, spidroins, with repetitive segments flanked by conserved non-repetitive domains. Spidroins are stored as a highly concentrated fluid dope. On silk formation, intermolecular interactions between repeat regions are established that provide strength and elasticity. How spiders manage to avoid premature spidroin aggregation before self-assembly is not yet established. A pH drop to 6.3 along the spider's spinning apparatus, altered salt composition and shear forces are believed to trigger the conversion to solid silk, but no molecular details are known. Miniature spidroins consisting of a few repetitive spidroin segments capped by the carboxy-terminal domain form metre-long silk-like fibres irrespective of pH. We discovered that incorporation of the amino-terminal domain of major ampullate spidroin 1 from the dragline of the nursery web spider Euprosthenops australis (NT) into mini-spidroins enables immediate, charge-dependent self-assembly at pH values around 6.3, but delays aggregation above pH 7. The X-ray structure of NT, determined to 1.7 A resolution, shows a homodimer of dipolar, antiparallel five-helix bundle subunits that lack homologues. The overall dimeric structure and observed charge distribution of NT is expected to be conserved through spider evolution and in all types of spidroins. Our results indicate a relay-like mechanism through which the N-terminal domain regulates spidroin assembly by inhibiting precocious aggregation during storage, and accelerating and directing self-assembly as the pH is lowered along the spider's silk extrusion duct.
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| 2. |
- Boström, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of substrate feed rate on recombinant protein secretion, degradation and invlusion body formation in Escherichia coli
- 2005
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Ingår i: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0175-7598 .- 1432-0614. ; 68:1, s. 82-90
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effect of changes in substrate feed rate during fedbatch cultivation was investigated with respect to soluble protein formation and transport of product to the periplasm in Escherichia coli. Production was transcribed from the P-malK promoter; and the cytoplasmic part of the production was compared with production from the P-lacUV5 promoter. The fusion protein product, Zb-MalE, was at all times accumulated in the soluble protein fraction except during high-feed-rate production in the cytoplasm. This was due to a substantial degree of proteolysis in all production systems, as shown by the degradation pattern of the product. The product was also further subjected to inclusion body fori-nation. Production in the periplasm resulted in accumulation of the full-length protein; and this production system led to a cellular physiology where the stringent response could be avoided. Furthermore, the secretion could be used to abort the diauxic growth phase resulting from use of the P-malK promoter. At high feed rate, the accumulation of acetic acid, due to overflow metabolism, could furthermore be completely avoided.
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| 3. |
- Brofelth, Mattias, et al.
(författare)
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Multiplex profiling of serum proteins in solution using barcoded antibody fragments and next generation sequencing
- 2020
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Ingår i: Communications Biology. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The composition of serum proteins is reflecting the current health status and can, with the right tools, be used to detect early signs of disease, such as an emerging cancer. An earlier diagnosis of cancer would greatly increase the chance of an improved outcome for the patients. However, there is still an unmet need for proficient tools to decipher the information in the blood proteome, which calls for further technological development. Here, we present a proof-of-concept study that demonstrates an alternative approach for multiplexed protein profiling of serum samples in solution, using DNA barcoded scFv antibody fragments and next generation sequencing. The outcome shows high accuracy when discriminating samples derived from pancreatic cancer patients and healthy controls and represents a scalable alternative for serum analysis. Brofelth, Ekstrand et al use DNA barcoded scFv antibody fragments and next generation sequencing for multiplex profiling of proteins in serum from pancreatic cancer patients with high accuracy. This approach can potentially be used in high throughput precision diagnosis.
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| 4. |
- Chouhan, Dimple, et al.
(författare)
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Recombinant Spider Silk Functionalized Silkworm Silk Matrices as Potential Bioactive Wound Dressings and Skin Grafts
- 2018
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 10:28, s. 23560-23572
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Silk is considered to be a potential biomaterial for a wide number of biomedical applications. Silk fibroin (SF) can be retrieved in sufficient quantities from the cocoons produced by silkworms. While it is easy to formulate into scaffolds with favorable mechanical properties, the natural SF does not contain bioactive functions. Spider silk proteins, on the contrary, can be produced in fusion with bioactive protein domains, but the recombinant procedures are expensive, and large-scale production is challenging. We combine the two types of silk to fabricate affordable, functional tissue-engineered constructs for wound-healing applications. Nanofibrous mats and microporous scaffolds made of natural silkworm SF are used as a bulk material that are top-coated with the recombinant spider silk protein (4RepCT) in fusion with a cell-binding motif, antimicrobial peptides, and a growth factor. For this, the inherent silk properties are utilized to form interactions between the two silk types by self-assembly. The intended function, that is, improved cell adhesion, antimicrobial activity, and growth factor stimulation, could be demonstrated for the obtained functionalized silk mats. As a skin prototype, SF scaffolds coated with functionalized silk are cocultured with multiple cell types to demonstrate formation of a bilayered tissue construct with a keratinized epidermal layer under in vitro conditions. The encouraging results support this strategy of fabrication of an affordable bioactive SF-spider silk-based biomaterial for wound dressings and skin substitutes.
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| 5. |
- Chouhan, Dimple, et al.
(författare)
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Silkworm Silk Matrices Coated with Functionalized Spider Silk Accelerate Healing of Diabetic Wounds
- 2019
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Ingår i: ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2373-9878. ; 5:7, s. 3537-3548
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Complex cutaneous wounds like diabetic foot ulcers represent a critical clinical challenge and demand a large-scale and low-cost strategy for effective treatment. Herein, we use a rabbit animal model to investigate efficacy of bioactive wound dressings made up of silk biomaterials. Nanofibrous mats of Antheraea assama silkworm silk fibroin (AaSF) are coated with various recombinant spider silk fusion proteins through silk-silk interactions to fabricate multifunctional wound dressings. Two different types of spider silk coatings are used to compare their healing efficiency: FN-4RepCT (contains a cell binding motif derived from fibronectin) and Lac-4RepCT (contains a cationic antimicrobial peptide from lactoferricin). AaSF mats coated with spider silk show accelerated wound healing properties in comparison to the uncoated mats. Among the spider silk coated variants, dual coating of FN-4RepCT and Lac-4RepCT on top of AaSF mat demonstrated better wound healing efficiency, followed by FN-4RepCT and Lac-4RepCT single coated counterparts. The in vivo study also reveals excellent skin regeneration by the functionalized silk dressings in comparison to commercially used Duoderm dressing and untreated wounds. The spider silk coatings demonstrate early granulation tissue development, re-epithelialization, and efficient matrix remodelling of wounds. The results thus validate potential of bioactive silk matrices in faster repair of diabetic wounds.
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| 6. |
- Chouhan, Dimple, et al.
(författare)
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Silkworm Silk Scaffolds Functionalized with Recombinant Spider Silk Containing a Fibronectin Motif Promotes Healing of Full-Thickness Burn Wounds
- 2019
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Ingår i: ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 2373-9878. ; 5:9, s. 4634-4645
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Full-thickness cutaneous wounds, such as deep burns, are complex wounds that often require surgical interventions. Herein, we show the efficacy of acellular grafts that can be made available off-the-shelf at an affordable cost using silk biomaterials. Silkworm silk fibroin (SF), being a cost-effective and natural biopolymer, provides essential features required for the fabrication of three-dimensional constructs for wound-healing applications. We report the treatment of third-degree burn wounds using a freeze-dried microporous scaffold of Antheraea assama SF (AaSF) functionalized with a recombinant spider silk fusion protein FN-4RepCT (FN-4RC) that holds the fibronectin cell binding motif. In order to examine the healing efficiency of functionalized silk scaffolds, an in vivo burn rat model was used, and the scaffolds were implanted by a one-step grafting procedure. The aim of our work is to investigate the efficacy of the developed acellular silk grafts for treating full-thickness wounds as well as to examine the effect of recombinant spider silk coatings on the healing outcomes. Following 14-day treatment, AaSF scaffolds coated with FN-4RC demonstrated accelerated wound healing when compared to the uncoated counterpart, commercially used DuoDERM dressing patch, and untreated wounds. Histological assessments of wounds over time further confirmed that functionalized silk scaffolds promoted wound healing, showing vascularization and re-epithelialization in the initial phase. In addition, higher extent of tissue remodeling was affirmed by the gene expression study of collagen type I and type III, indicating advanced stage of healing by the silk treatments. Thus, the present study validates the potential of scaffolds of combined silkworm silk and FN-4RC for skin regeneration.
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| 7. |
- Collodet, Caterina, et al.
(författare)
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Development and characterization of a recombinant silk network for 3D culture of immortalized and fresh tumor-derived breast cancer cells
- 2023
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Ingår i: Bioengineering and Translational Medicine. - : Wiley. - 2380-6761. ; 8:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Traditional cancer models rely on 2D cell cultures or 3D spheroids, which fail to recapitulate cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, a key element of tumor development. Existing hydrogel-based 3D alternatives lack mechanical support for cell growth and often suffer from low reproducibility. Here we report a novel strategy to make 3D models of breast cancer using a tissue-like, well-defined network environment based on recombinant spider silk, functionalized with a cell adhesion motif from fibronectin (FN-silk). With this approach, the canonical cancer cells SK-BR-3, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231, maintain their characteristic expression of markers (i.e., ERα, HER2, and PGR) while developing distinct morphology. Transcriptomic analyses demonstrate how culture in the FN-silk networks modulates the biological processes of cell adhesion and migration while affecting physiological events involved in malignancy, such as inflammation, remodeling of the ECM, and resistance to anticancer drugs. Finally, we show that integration in FN-silk networks promotes the viability of cells obtained from the superficial scraping of patients' breast tumors.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- De Oliveira, Danilo Hirabae
(författare)
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Integrative structural biology of protein fibers: Spider silk and beta-lactoglobulin nanofibrils
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Proteins found in nature offer a vast range of exceptional materials, including high-performancebiopolymers such as spider silks and whey protein nanofibrils. Fibrous proteins possess immensepotential for developing novel materials suited for various applications, such as medicalbiomaterials or industrial products. This thesis uses an interdisciplinary approach based onexperimental and computational methods to present insights into the fundamental aspects ofprotein fibers, exploring details on the molecular level and their self-assembly.Spider silk threads exhibit strength, elasticity, and the ability to withstand high-energy loads.Additionally, silk is naturally degradable, and compatible with cell growth, and non-immunogenic.This thesis examines the molecular assembly of spider silk, particularly the secondary structurelevel, which contributes greatly to its properties. We unveil the structural details of therecombinant spidroins 4RepCT and the CT domain over hydrophobic/hydrophilic surfaces,describing their periodic oriented macrostructure and stability. Furthermore, it is reported that theCT domain form β-nanocrystalline components, revealing a specific segment (helix No4) that canself-assemble into nanofibrils in a pH-sensitive manner. In addition, we describe the method ofsortase-mediated transpeptidation reaction used to catalyze the covalent coupling of the spidroins4Rep and CT, resulting in partially isotopically labeled fibers suitable for solid-state NMRspectroscopy analyses.β-lactoglobulin is an emerging protein source used to create advanced biomaterials because of itshigh availability and ability to assemble to protein nanofibrils (PNFs). Recombinant and syntheticβ-lactoglobulin PNFs with isotopic labelling are generated and analyzed using solid-state NMRspectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The fibrils of both species present congruenciesregarding morphology with unbranched conformation and a height of approximately 6 nm. At thesame time, their NMR spectra demonstrate accordance with their hydrophobic residues (i.e., Ala,Val, Ile, and Leu) as β-sheets. In addition, distinct inter-residue cross-peaks of Ser-Thr and LeuIle provide insights into the molecular structure of β-lactoglobulin PNF.This thesis presents new knowledge about the hierarchy of protein fibrils and the structure ofprotein-based materials at the molecular level. This knowledge can unlock the design anddevelopment of innovative protein-based materials for various applications.
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| 10. |
- De Oliveira, Danilo Hirabae, et al.
(författare)
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Silk Assembly against Hydrophobic Surfaces?Modeling and Imaging of Formation of Nanofibrils
- 2023
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Bio Materials. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 2576-6422. ; 6:3, s. 1011-1018
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A detailed insight about the molecular organization behind spider silk assembly is valuable for the decoding of the unique properties of silk. The recombinant partial spider silk protein 4RepCT contains four poly-alanine/glycine-rich repeats followed by an amphiphilic C-terminal domain and has shown the capacity to self-assemble into fibrils on hydrophobic surfaces. We herein use molecular dynamic simulations to address the structure of 4RepCT and its different parts on hydrophobic versus hydrophilic surfaces. When 4RepCT is placed in a wing arrangement model and periodically repeated on a hydrophobic surface, fi-sheet structures of the poly-alanine repeats are preserved, while the CT part is settled on top, presenting a fibril with a height of similar to 7 nm and a width of similar to 11 nm. Both atomic force microscopy and cryo-electron microscopy imaging support this model as a possible fibril formation on hydrophobic surfaces. These results contribute to the understanding of silk assembly and alignment mechanism onto hydrophobic surfaces.
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