Characterization of Transgenic Silkworm Yielded Biomaterials with Calcium-Binding Activity

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 7; p. e0159111
• Main Authors: Wang, Shaohua, Zhang, Yuyu, Yang, Mingying, Ye, Lupeng, Gong, Lu, Qian, Qiujie, Shuai, Yajun, You, Zhengying, Chen, Yuyin, Zhong, Boxiong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 14.07.2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Analysis; Animal sciences; Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Binding; Binding sites; Biocompatibility; Biocompatible Materials; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomaterials; Biomedical materials; Bombyx; Bombyx mori; Calcium; Calcium - metabolism; Calcium binding proteins; Cloning; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Fibers; Fibroins - metabolism; Gene expression; Genetic modification; Genetically modified animals; Hydroxyapatite; Light; Matrix protein; Mechanical properties; Medical materials; Mineralization; Peptides; Pharmaceutical industry; Physical Sciences; Plasmids; Protein expression; Proteins; Silk; Silk - chemistry; Silk fibroin; Silkworms; Transgenic; China; Japan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159111

Silk fibers have many inherent properties that are suitable for their use in biomaterials. In this study, the silk fibroin was genetically modified by including a Ca-binding sequence, [(AGSGAG)6ASEYDYDDDSDDDDEWD]2 from shell nacreous matrix protein. It can be produced as fibers by transgenic silkworm. The Ca-binding activity and mineralization of the transgenic silk fibroin were examined in vitro. The results showed that this transgenic silk fibroin had relatively higher Ca-binding activity than unmodified silk fibroin. The increased Ca-binding activity could promote the usage of silk fibroin as a biomaterial in the pharmaceutical industry. This study shows the possibility of using silk fibroin as a mineralization accelerating medical material by generating genetically modified transgenic silkworm.