Cu(II) effect on the conformation of regenerated silk fibroin in dilute aqueous solution

In nature, metal ions play a vital role in the function of protein and nucleic acid. It has been demonstrated that there are many kinds of metal ions in the gland of Bombyx mori (B. mori) silkworm, and their contents are different in different parts of silk gland[1]. These ions may promote the transition of gel to sol in the gland of silkworm when the silk fibroin (SF) goes forward to the spinneret. Many investigations have shown that K(I) and Ca(II) can induce the conformational transitio…     

Promoted Cytocompatibility of Silk Fibroin Fiber Vascular Graft through Chemical Grafting with Bioactive Molecules

Natural silk from Bombyx mori has been used as medical sutures for several decades,and regenerated silk fibroin( RSF)based biomaterials have been increasingly studied in the past thirty years. However,vascular graft derived from silk fibroin fiber has been explored in recent several years with development of textile science and engineering. Moreover,endothelialization of vascular graft has been seen as an ideal strategy for preventing thrombosis and getting higher patency in a long term. Therefore,in the present work silk fibroin fiber vascular graft( SF) was chemically grafted with bioactive molecules such as heparin and RSF to improve the cytocompatibility. 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane(APTES),1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiie hydrochlide( EDC · HCl),and N-hydroxysuccinimide( NHS) have been employed as coupling agent and crosslinking agents,respectively. Microscopy and ATRFTIR were used to characterize the surface changes and the structure of the grafts after treatment,respectively. Cell culture in vitro and MTT assay were conducted to determine the improvement of cell affinity to the graft. Furthermore,mechanical properties of the grafts before and after treatment were compared. The results showed that the chemical grafting was an effective method for improving the cytocompatibility of SF without significant loss of mechanical properties.     

Silk Fibroin Microspheres： Preparation and Application for Controlled Drug Delivery

Silk fibroin （SF）, a natural protein polymer, has several unique properties such as aqueous processability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Due to these advantageous properties, it is promising for applications in various fields, especially drug delivery. In this paper, the simple preparation of SF microspheres was discussed via self-assembly. Some of SF＇s physicochemical properties and morphology were also investigated. The results show that the morphology, size and size distribution of silk microspheres depend upon various processing parameters, especially including volume ratios among SF, ethanol and polyvinyl alcohol （PVA）. Regular silk microspheres were obtained in PVA solution when adjusting the volume ratios of silk to ethanol from 20：1 to 20： 9. We also found that SF microspheres with various appearances were formed by addition of different PVA solution concentrations under a constant silk solution to ethanol volume ratio. From the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FTIR） of silk microspheres, it was found that introducing ethanol into the SF solution induced conformational change from random coil to β-sheet. Additionally, under the observation of scanning electron microscopy （ SEM）, the shape of self-assembled silk microspheres was determined to be spherical. Finally, SF＇s potential as drug delivery carriers was discussed in the experimental results.     

Silk Fibroin-modified Poly（butadiene） urethane Films and Their Effects on Fibroblast Viability

Surface-modified poly（butadiene）urethane （PBTU） films with silk fibroin （SF） were prepared by simple chemical method under the normal temperature. The physical properties and biological behaviour of the SF-modified PBTU film were evaluated. The results showed that the SF-modified PBTU films kept the tenacity and pliability very well, and could overcome rigid and brittle weaks of silk fibroin films. The morphology of SF in the PBTU film was dendritic aggregations, and the water-contact angle measurement indicated that the surface hydrophilicity of modified films was apparently enhanced. The biocompatibility of PBTU films was improved due to the change of surface components. The degree of platelet adhesion and the cell viability of rat embryo dermal fibroblasts seeded on PBTU films, SF films, and SF-modified PBTU films were measured by counting platelets before and after they contacted the films and MTT assay, respectively. The results indicated that platelet adhesion resistance and cell viability on the modified film were greatly superior to those on the PBTU film and the compound interface had good stability in the air.     

Effect of vertebrate hormones and prostaglandins on growth, silk quality and metabolic activities of Bombyx mori L

The economic importance of silkworm has moved biologists to explore various intricate mechanisms of the action of vertebrate hormones. The dietary administration of several vertebrate hormones and prostaglandins enhanced both developmental and metabolic processes of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. The main objective of sericulture research is to apply the results to achieve superior quality silk and greater output, to apply lab findings to achieve desirable ecenomic results.     

IMPROVEMENT OF WET-CREASE RECOVERY PROPERTIES OF SILK FABRICS TREATED WITH EPOXIDES

Silk fabrics is finished with epoxide TDEA or TDEB. By the determination of washing fastness, DSC, IR spectrum and amino acid contents tests, TDEA or TDEB is confirmed to react with silk fibroin. By means of tests of silk fibroin swelling and solubility in some solvents, crosslinking reactions between TDEA or TDEB and silk fibroin arc further proved, which is obviously responsible to the increase of wet-crease recovery of silk fabrics finished with epoxide TDEA or TDEB.     

Role of humidity on the structures and properties of regenerated silk fibers

Silk fiber was processed from highly concentrated spinning dope to solid fibers along with water removal. To understand the mechanism of water removal during silk fiber spinning process, a microfluidic chip was designed and applied to investigate the structures and mechanical properties of two kinds of regenerated silk fibroin fibers dry-spun at different relative humidity. The experimental results showed that the diameters of the fibers spun at 40% RH are always larger than the fibers spun at 50% RH due to different removal rates of water. The fibers spun at low humidity contain more β-sheet structure and lower degree of chain orientation and crystalline orientation. These results indicate that the fast phase transition of silk fibroin from sol–gel to silk fiber undergoes with rapid water removal and higher fiber orientation relates to more residue water and drawing force.     

Preparation of Nano Silver/Silk Fibroin Composite Films

In this study, the outstanding biocompatibility of silk fibroin （SF） and the highly efficient anti-bacterial effect of nano silver （NS） were utilized to prepare SF/NS composite film with anti- bacterial property. The structure and property of the film were characterized. The results showed that the structure of SF in the film was mainly silk I. SF in the film was almost insoluble in water. The tensile strength of film with NS was significantly lower than that of films without NS. When the addition of NS was within the range of 0%-0.6%, the elongation at break had no significant difference. The antibacterial rate of the film on staphylococcus aurens and escherichia coil increased with the amount of NS. The minimum amount of NS in the fdm was O. 1% and the maximum amount was 0.5%.     

Subunit Structure and Conformation of Bombyx Mori Silk Proteins

Molecular weights of the silk fibroin were determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of so-didium dodecyl sulfate (SDS - PAGE): The silk fibroin molecule consisted of subunits a, b and c with molecular weights of 280 kD, 230 kD and 25 kD respectively, of which the b subunit was composed of two subunits e and f with molecular weights of 130 kD and 125 kD, respec-tively, connected by disulfide bonds. The conformation of silk fibroin and subunits was determinated by Raman spectroscopy and Large angle X - ray diffraction) LAXS. The native silk fibroin only contained a - helix and random coil, but there were three conformation such as random - coil.a - helix and β - sheet in the silk fibroin dissolved in KSCN solution and frozen at - 20 °C. This suggested that KSCN solution and - 20°C freezing action could lead to the conformational transi-tion from random - coil and a - helix to P - sheet. The a subunit mainly existed in β - sheet conformation, in con-trast, the c subunit was chie     

The Mechanism of Negative-ion Generation of Natural Fiber Fabrics

Generally there are three kinds of substances used as negative-ion generator in textiles, natural silicate minerals （ceramic/tourmaline）, natural rare-earth minerals and natural sediment with ultra-fine pores. Based on different additive, the mechanism of negative-ion generation is largely divided into three kinds, the piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity of tourmaline crystal, air ionization caused by low-level radiation and breaking up of the clusters of moisture in air when going through the ultra-free pores of natural sediment. In this paper, the negative-ion generating properties of natural fiber fabrics-cctton, wool, silk and linen were first proposed. By some kind of physical stimulation, rubbing or vibrating, natural fiber fabrics without any additive could also emit negative ions. Considering that the piezoelectric effect was observed in wool fibers, silk fibers and cellulose fibers, the piezoelectricity was studied as a mechanism of negative-ion generation of natural fiber fabrics. Another possible mechanism was the tribeelectricity produced by the sense of ntbbtng or vibrating and tip discharge of hairiness. The Final experiment results verified that the latter would be the main reason, and the electrolytic dissociation of moisture was also contributing to negative-ion generation.     

Mechanism of silk processing in insects and spiders

Silk spinning by insects and spiders leads to the formation of fibres that exhibit high strength and toughness. The lack of understanding of the protein processing in silk glands has prevented the recapitulation of these properties in vitro from reconstituted or genetically engineered silks. Here we report the identification of emulsion formation and micellar structures from aqueous solutions of reconstituted silkworm silk fibroin as a first step in the process to control water and protein-protein interactions. The sizes (100-200 nm diameter) of these structures could be predicted from hydrophobicity plots of silk protein primary sequence. These micelles subsequently aggregated into larger 'globules' and gel-like states as the concentration of silk fibroin increased, while maintaining solubility owing to the hydrophilic regions of the protein interspersed among the larger hydrophobic regions. Upon physical shearing or stretching structural transitions, increased birefringence and morphological alignment were demonstrated, indicating that this process mimics the behaviour of similar native silk proteins in vivo. Final morphological features of these silk materials are similar to those observed in native silkworm fibres.     

[2—~3H_1]州烷醇-1的合成及其提高蚕叶丝转化率的研究

本文以卅烷酸为原料,经溴化、酯化而得α—溴代卅烷酸甲酯,将酯进行卤氚交换后,用铝锂氢还原氚标记的酯,由此得到[2—~3H_1]卅烷醇—1(~3H—TRIA).用~3H—TRIA 养蚕添食,研究了~3H—TRIA 在蚕体内的分布和消长动态,测量了蚕的丝腺体、消化管和蚕粪的放射性强度.添食18小时后,在五龄蚕第4—6日的丝腺茧体内放射性强度达高峰,并保持稳定状态.用TRIA 养蚕添食,蚕体重、全茧量和层量与对照相比均有显著增加,证实了TRIA 对蚕的生长,促进丝心蛋白合成有显著作用,提高了蚕的叶丝转化率.     

丝素在NMMO·H2O中的溶解及溶液流变性能的研究

探讨了丝素在N-甲基吗啉-N-氧化物一水合物(NMMO.H2O)中的溶解行为,结果发现:天然蚕丝纤维脱胶后得到的丝纤维可以直接溶解在NMMO.H2O中,但是很难得到高于10%浓度的溶液,因而无法用于纺丝.而由再生丝素水溶液制得的再生丝素膜则易于溶解在NMMO.H2O中,并可以得到浓度高达25%的再生丝素/NMMO.H2O溶液,在上述研究的基础上,本文还对再生丝素/NMMO.H2O的流变行为进行了初步研究.     

家蚕非编码RNA Bm-152功能初探

Bm-152是前期研究中发现的一个在家蚕丝腺中高表达的非编码RNA.采用实时荧光定量PCR技术对Bm-152在家蚕5龄到预蛹期不同发育天数丝腺中的表达谱进行检测.同时,在个体中过表达Bm-152,检测Bm-152可能参与的信号通路.结果显示,Bm-152在家蚕5龄幼虫丝腺发育过程中无明显的变化规律,但在吐丝第1天表达量较高,随后表达量又下降.通过在血淋巴中注射2μg piggyBac[A3-EGFP-A3-Bm-152]过表达载体,48h后发现Bm-152在丝腺组织中无明显过表达,但在非丝腺组织中可实现明显过表达,且表达量上调1.66倍;蜕皮激素信号通路基因Usp在非丝腺组织中上调1.95倍,E75A在非丝腺组织中上调2.26倍,保幼激素信号通路基因Met在非丝腺组织中上调1.79倍.表明非编码RNA Bm-152可能通过蜕皮激素和保幼激素信号通路参与家蚕发育,该结果为进一步探索Bm-152的功能提供了方向.     

丝素改性聚氨酯膜的物理性质及其细胞相容性

用丝素蛋白或丝素肽表面改性的聚氨酯膜表现出良好的柔韧性，它能够克服丝素膜刚而脆的弱点；由水分散型聚氨酯制备的改性膜的透气性高于疏水性聚氨酯膜；细胞培养实验结果表明：经丝素蛋白或丝素肽改性后，聚氨酯膜的生物相容性明显提高且处理效果是稳定的。     

Physico-Chemical Properties of a Water-Insoluble Silk Fibroin Film

The conventional silk fibroin(SF)films obtained by casting from SF aqueous solution are amorphous,and easily dissolved in water.This defect limits the practical use of SF films in biomedical field.A new water-insoluble silk fibroin film(an SF-FA film)could be simply prepared by casting from SF formic acid solution.The physical properties and moisture permeability of SF-FA films were examined.The results show that the SF-FA film swollen in water exhibits outstanding pliability.The weight loss of SF-FA films ...     

Biological and mechanical investigation of novel flax/silk protein-based nanofibrous scaffold for bone regeneration

The process of bone tissue regeneration involves an intricate network of a biological macromolecules that includes proteins and peptides to support stimulation and healing response. Here, we have fabricated a novel flaxseed/silk fibroin based (dual protein) composite nanofibers using β-TCP to improve the biological properties and promote cartilage tissue regeneration along with a controllable rate of biodegradation. The physiochemical properties of PVA/β-TCP/FP:SF were characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, porosity, contact angle measurements and mechanical evaluation etc. This study demonstrates the biological performance of the developed nanofibers by using hemocompatibility, biodegradation ability, and apatite deposition in stimulated body fluid. Moreover, the cell viability assay was performed on MG-63 osteoblast cells and long-term antibacterial rate against E. coli and S. aureus was analysed. Docking results of flax protein and silk fibroin protein further confirmed the stable modes of intramolecular bonding and the most stable electrostatic values using theoretical calculations. Taken together, the experimental results proved that the dual protein-based fibrous scaffold was found to be up-regulated in terms of biological activity with enhanced cell adhesion and proliferation.     

家蚕丝素溶液的粘弹性研究

采用Coucttc流变仪对家蚕丝素溶液的粘弹性进行研究。对于生丝丝素溶液,当丝素浓度较稀时(如4w/v％),溶液表现出牛顿流动行为;当丝素浓度较高时(如25W/V％),溶液表现出复杂的非牛顿流动行为。成烈的家蚕丝腺中的丝素,在剪切速率大于0.25s~1时,能引起纤维化。     

含丝素蛋白膜对茶多酚的缓释作用

研究丝素蛋白及丝素蛋白/二氧化硅纳米杂化材料的两种药膜对天然抗菌药——茶多酚的缓释性能,并应用到聚丙烯无纺布的功能性后整理中.用体外释药方法测定了含茶多酚的两种药膜对茶多酚的缓释性能,并使用扫描电镜观察整理前后聚丙烯无纺布表面形态变化.结果表明,两种丝素蛋白膜都可以作为茶多酚的控制释放材料,丝素蛋白/二氧化硅纳米杂化药膜的控制释放作用优于丝素蛋白药膜.整理到聚丙烯无纺布上的上述两种药膜仍具有一定的缓释作用.