Nutritionally induced nanoscale variations in spider silk structural and mechanical properties.

Blamires, SJ; Nobbs, M; Wolff, JO; Heu, C

Nutritionally induced nanoscale variations in spider silk structural and mechanical properties.

Blamires, SJ Nobbs, M Wolff, JO Heu, C

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Publisher:: Elsevier
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 2022, 125, pp. 104873
Issue Date:: 2022-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Blamires, SJ
dc.contributor.author	Nobbs, M
dc.contributor.author	Wolff, JO
dc.contributor.author	Heu, C
dc.date.accessioned	2023-04-26T04:59:46Z
dc.date.available	2021-09-30
dc.date.available	2023-04-26T04:59:46Z
dc.date.issued	2022-01
dc.identifier.citation	J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 2022, 125, pp. 104873
dc.identifier.issn	1751-6161
dc.identifier.issn	1878-0180
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/170118
dc.description.abstract	Spider major ampullate (MA) silk is characterized by high strength and toughness and is adaptable across environments. Experiments depriving spiders of protein have enabled researchers to examine nutritionally induced changes in gene expression, protein structures, and bulk properties of MA silk. However, it has not been elucidated if it varies in a similar way at a nanoscale. Here we used Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to simultaneously examine the topographic, structural, and mechanical properties of silks spun by two species of spider, Argiope keyserlingi and Latrodectus hasselti, at a nanoscale when protein fed or deprived. We found height, a measure of localized width, to substantially vary across species and treatments. We also found that Young's modulus, which may be used as an estimate of localized stiffness, decreased with protein deprivation in both species' silk. Our results suggest that nanoscale skin-core structures of A. keyserlingi's MA silk varied significantly across treatments, whereas only slight structural and functional variability was found for L. hasselti's silk. These results largely agreed with examinations of the bulk properties of each species' silk. However, we could not directly attribute the decoupling between protein structures and bulk mechanics in L. hasselti's silk to nanoscale features. Our results advance the understanding of processes inducing skin and core structural variations in spider silks at a nanoscale, which serves to enhance the prospect of developing biomimetic engineering programs.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Elsevier
dc.relation.ispartof	J Mech Behav Biomed Mater
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.104873
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	0903 Biomedical Engineering, 0912 Materials Engineering, 0913 Mechanical Engineering
dc.subject.classification	Biomedical Engineering
dc.subject.mesh	Biomimetics
dc.subject.mesh	Silk
dc.subject.mesh	Silk
dc.subject.mesh	Biomimetics
dc.subject.mesh	Biomimetics
dc.subject.mesh	Silk
dc.title	Nutritionally induced nanoscale variations in spider silk structural and mechanical properties.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	125
utslib.location.activity	Netherlands
utslib.for	0903 Biomedical Engineering
utslib.for	0912 Materials Engineering
utslib.for	0913 Mechanical Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2023-04-26T04:59:45Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	125

Abstract:

Spider major ampullate (MA) silk is characterized by high strength and toughness and is adaptable across environments. Experiments depriving spiders of protein have enabled researchers to examine nutritionally induced changes in gene expression, protein structures, and bulk properties of MA silk. However, it has not been elucidated if it varies in a similar way at a nanoscale. Here we used Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to simultaneously examine the topographic, structural, and mechanical properties of silks spun by two species of spider, Argiope keyserlingi and Latrodectus hasselti, at a nanoscale when protein fed or deprived. We found height, a measure of localized width, to substantially vary across species and treatments. We also found that Young's modulus, which may be used as an estimate of localized stiffness, decreased with protein deprivation in both species' silk. Our results suggest that nanoscale skin-core structures of A. keyserlingi's MA silk varied significantly across treatments, whereas only slight structural and functional variability was found for L. hasselti's silk. These results largely agreed with examinations of the bulk properties of each species' silk. However, we could not directly attribute the decoupling between protein structures and bulk mechanics in L. hasselti's silk to nanoscale features. Our results advance the understanding of processes inducing skin and core structural variations in spider silks at a nanoscale, which serves to enhance the prospect of developing biomimetic engineering programs.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/170118