Concentration‐dependent conformation transition of regenerated silk fibroin induced by graphene oxide nanosheets incorporation

Regenerated silk fibroin (RSF)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite has been substantially investigated due to its significant multifunctional potential. Here, in combination of micromorphology, crystalline conformation, dynamic mechanical property characterization, and Fourier self‐deconvolution (FSD) quantitative analysis, we investigated the RSF molecular chains conformation transition induced by GO nanosheet incorporation, and its influence on the structural and mechanical properties of solution casted RSF/GO composite films. The GO nanosheet promoted the silk fibroin molecular chains conformation transition from random coil to β‐sheet structure, and a correlation between β‐sheet structure fraction and GO concentration was revealed. The β‐sheet structure fraction increases further improved the dynamic mechanical property of composite films. Moreover, based on nucleation‐dependent aggregation of silk fibroin molecular chains, a mechanism considering the competition effect between GO concentration and its total surface area was proposed to explain the observed concentration‐dependent conformation transition phenomenon. The study improves our understanding on silk fibroin conformation transition process in RSF/GO composite and would provide a valuable reference for the rational design of bioinspired multifunctional materials with enhanced mechanical properties. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 1506–1515     

Conformation transition of silk fibroin induced by blending chitosan

The conformation of silk fibroin in silk fibroin/chitosan (SF/CS) blend membrane was analyzed by infrared spectrum, X-ray diffractometry, and Raman spectrum. The results demonstrated that the SF could show β-sheet conformation when the SF content in blend membranes was 10% (w/w) and 60–80% (w/w), while the pure SF membrane showed random coil conformation. A mechanism of the conformation transition was suggested in that the SF chain could use the rigid CS chain as a mold plate to stretch itself to form a β-sheet structure according to the strong hydrogen bond between CS and SF. Therefore, a new concept, named “Polymer-Induced Conformation Transition,” was proposed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35 : 2293–2296, 1997     

Structure and molecular conformation of tussah silk fibroin films: Effect of methanol

Structural changes of tussah (Antheraea pernyi) silk fibroin films treated with different water-methanol solutions at 20°C were studied as a function of methanol concentration and immersion time. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the α-helix structure, typical of untreated tussah films, did not change for short immersion times (2 min), regardless of methanol concentration. However, crystallization to β-sheet structure was observed following immersion of tussah films for 30 min in methanol solutions ranging from 20 to 60% (v/v). IR spectra of tussah films untreated and methanol treated for 2 min exhibited strong absorption bands at 1265, 892, and 622 cm^?1, typical of the α-helix conformation. The intensity of the bands assigned to the β-sheet conformation (1245, 965, and 698 cm^?1) increased for the sample treated with 40% methanol for 30 min. Raman spectra of tussah films with α-helix molecular conformation exhibited strong bands at 1657 (amide I), 1263 (amide III), 1106, 908, 530, and 376 cm^?1. Following α → β conformational transition, amide I and III bands shifted to 1668, and to 1241, 1230 cm^?1, respectively. The band at 1106 cm^?1 disappeared and new bands appeared at 1095 and 1073 cm^?1, whereas the intensity of the bands at 530 and 376 cm^?1 decreased significantly. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Structure and molecular conformation of tussah silk fibroin films treated with water–methanol solutions: Dynamic mechanical and thermomechanical behavior

The thermal response of tussah (Antheraea pernyi) silk fibroin films treated with different water–methanol solutions at 20°C was studied by means of dynamic mechanical (DMA) and thermomechanical (TMA) analyses as a function of methanol concentration and treatment time. The DMA curves of α-helix films (treated with ≥80% v/v methanol for 2 min and 100% methanol for 30 min) showed the sharp fall of storage modulus at about 190°C, and the loss peak in the range 207–213°C. The TMA curves were characterized by a thermal shrinkage at 209–211°C, immediately followed by an abrupt extension leading to film failure. Both storage and loss modulus curves significantly shifted upwards for β-sheet films, obtained by treatment with ≤60% methanol for 30 min. The loss peak exhibited a maximum at 236°C. Accordingly, the TMA shrinkage at above 200°C disappeared. The films broke beyond 330°C, failure being preceded by a broad contraction step. Intermediate DMA and TMA patterns were observed for the other solvent-treated films. The loss peak shifted to higher temperature (219–220°C), and a minor loss modulus component appeared at about 230°C. This coincided with the onset of a plateau region in the storage modulus curve. The TMA extension–contraction events in the range 200–300°C weakened, and the samples displayed a final broad contraction (peak temperature 326–338°C) before breaking. The DMA and TMA response of these films was attributed to partial annealing by solvent treatment, which resulted in the formation of nuclei of β-sheet crystallization within the film matrix. The increased thermal stability was probably due to the small β-sheet crystals formed, which acted as high-strength junctions between adjacent random coil and α-helix domains. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 2717–2724, 1998     

Structure and molecular conformation of tussah silk fibroin films: Effect of heat treatment

Structural changes of tussah (Antheraea pernyi) silk fibroin films induced by heat treatment were studied as a function of the treatment temperature in the range 200–250°C. The DSC curve of tussah films with α-helix molecular conformation displayed characteristic endo and exo peaks at 216 and 226°C, respectively. These peaks first weakened and then completely disappeared after heating at 230°C. Accordingly, the TMA thermal shrinkage at 206°C disappeared when the films were heated at 230°C. The onset of weight loss was monitored at 210°C by means of TG measurements. X-ray diffraction profiles gradually changed from α-helix to β-sheet crystalline structure as the treatment temperature increased from 200 to 250°C. On raising the heating temperature above 200°C, the intensity of IR and Raman bands characteristic of β-sheet conformation increased in the whole ranges of amide and skeletal modes. The sample treated at 200°C showed a spectral pattern intermediate between α-helix and β-sheet molecular conformation. The IR marker band for random coil structure, still detectable at 200°C, disappeared at higher treatment temperatures. Spectral changes attributable to the onset of thermal degradation appeared at 230°C. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35: 841–847, 1997     

Controlling molecular conformation of regenerated wild silk fibroin by aqueous ethanol treatment

Regenerated Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin film was prepared by dissolution of native silk fiber in aqueous lithium thiocyanate. The influence of aqueous ethanol treatment of the dried regenerated film on molecular conformation was studied by X‐ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. While the initial regenerated film consisted of α‐helix and random coil components, aqueous ethanol treatment of the film resulted in significant increase in β‐sheet component and improvement of water resistance of the film. This effect was strongly dependent on ethanol concentration, and 40–60% (w/w) ethanol was most effective due to balance of hydrophilic/hydrophobic action of the solvent. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Physical and chemical properties of tussah silk fibroin films

Physical and chemical structure, as well as thermal behavior of solution-cast regenerated films, prepared from tussah (Antheraea pernyi) silk fibroin, were compared with those of solution-cast native films, in order to ascertain whether treatment (degumming, dissolution) used for preparation affected their properties. Regenerated fibroin films exhibited a higher thermal stability than native ones, as shown by differential scanning calorimetry, thermomechanical analysis, and dynamic mechanical behavior. Glass transition temperature and other relevant thermal transitions of the regenerated silk specimen shifted to higher temperatures compared with those of native specimen. Molecular conformation and crystalline structure did not show significant differences between the two kinds of silk films. Amino acid composition and molecular weight, however, distribution changed markedly after dissolving tussah silk fibroin fiber in concentrated LiSCN in polypeptide size was the main features for the regenerated silk fibroin. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Regenerated silk fibroin nanofibers: water vapor-induced structural changes and their effects on the behavior of normal human cells

Nanofibrous non-woven matrices were prepared by electrospinning a regenerated silk fibroin (SF) solution, and the structural changes of SF nanofibers treated with water vapor were investigated using time-resolved IR and (13)C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy. Conformational transitions of SF from random coil to beta-sheet structures were induced by water vapor treatment and were strongly dependent on the treatment time and temperature. Water vapor treatment provided a useful means of stabilizing the SF nanofiber matrices, resulting in the formation of matrices with a decreased solubility in water and increased mechanical strength. The adhesion and spreading of both normal human keratinocytes and fibroblasts onto the SF nanofiber matrices were also investigated, and the water vapor-treated SF nanofiber matrices showed good cellular compatibility, in comparison with traditional methanol-treated ones. This approach to controlling the conformational changes of SF nanofibers by water vapor treatment may be useful in the design and tailoring of novel materials for biomedical applications, including wound dressings and scaffolds for tissue engineering.     

Structural changes induced in tussah silk (Antheraea pernyi) fibroin films by immersion in methanol

The crystalline transition induced by immersion in a methanol/water mixture of tussah silk fibroin (from Antheraea pernyi) film obtained by casting from a 1% solution was studied by x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and infrared spectroscopy. The molecular conformation of the fibroin, consisting mostly of the α-helix and random-coil forms, was transformed into a random-coil and β-rich conformation containing only a small amount of α-helix after immersion for no more than 5 min. The intersheet packing of the β-crystal of the original tussah silk fibroin film was imperfect in the early stage of immersion. However, crystallization proceeded further when the immersion time exceeded 10 min. As a result the sheets in the β-form crystal became closely packed because of the decrease in the content of the random-coil form. The exothermic peak, which appeared at 226°C in the original fibroin and was attributed to the random-coil → β-structure transition, disappeared completely after immersion for 5 min.     

Influence of an iodine treatment on the structure and physical properties of Bombyx mori silk fibroin fiber

Silk fibroin (SF) fiber from the Bombyx mori silkworm was treated with a 1.23 N iodine/potassium iodide (I₂–KI) aqueous solution, and the structure and physical properties were investigated to elucidate the effects of the iodine treatment. The SF fiber absorbed polyiodide ions such as I and I by immersion in the I₂–KI solution, and the weight gain of the SF fiber increased with the treatment time; it became saturated at about 20 wt % after 40 h. The results of the weight gain, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction measurements suggested that polyiodide ions mainly entered the amorphous region. Moreover, a new sharp reflection in the meridional direction, corresponding to a period of 7.0 Å, was observed and indicated the possibility of the formation of a mesophase structure of β‐conformation chains. Dynamic viscoelastic measurements showed that the molecular motion of the crystalline regions at about 220 °C was enhanced and shifted to lower temperature by the introduction of polyiodide ions. This indicated that the iodine component weakened the hydrogen bonding between the SF molecules forming the β‐sheet structure and caused molecular motion of the crystal to occur more easily with heating. With heating above 270 °C, the iodine component introduced intermolecular crosslinking to SF, and the melt flow of the sample was inhibited. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3418–3426, 2006     

Preparation and characterization of noble metal nanocolloids by silk fibroin in situ reduction

Silk fibroin (SF) is a natural protein from silkworm. It represents Chinas resplendent civili-zation as dress materials in the past 5000 a. To this day, the silk output in China is about 90000 tons per year, which is about 70% of the world overall output. In the past decade, it has been found that silk fibroin has special properties for being used as healthy foods, cosmetics, enzyme immobilizing materials, cell culture medium, biosensor, artificial skin, artificial muscle, perme-able membran…     

光谱法研究钙离子对丝素蛋白溶解过程中结构的影响

为研究丝素蛋白在氯化钙溶液溶解过程中结构的阶段性变化特征,通过荧光光谱、紫外可见吸收光谱和拉曼光谱技术探讨了不同溶解时间下钙离子对丝素蛋白结构的影响情况。结果表明,在90℃左右,丝素蛋白与氯化钙溶液(Ca Cl2∶H2O=111∶180,质量比)作用0~30 min的时间段内,随着溶解时间的延长,钙离子逐渐渗透到丝素蛋白分子中,与丝氨酸(Ser)、酪氨酸(Tyr)侧链羟基进行配位而形成螯合物,丝素蛋白逐渐溶胀,分子结构变得松弛,埋藏在非结晶区内的色氨酸(Trp)和Tyr也逐渐暴露出来,分子构象由β-折叠向α-螺旋或无规线团转变。此外,外源性荧光探针(ANS)的结果表明,随着溶解时间的延长,丝素蛋白中的疏水性基团逐渐暴露于溶液中。电镜结果表明,丝素蛋白在氯化钙溶液的作用下逐渐由带状转变为片层状,最终呈球状结构。这些结果对调控丝素蛋白在氯化钙溶液中的溶解过程有着较为重要的现实意义。     

Effects of filler size and heat treatment on the crystallization behavior of glass bead‐filled polypropylene

The effects of glass bead (GB) size and annealing temperature on the formation of β‐crystals of glass bead‐filled polypropylene (PP) are studied in this articles. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements indicated that the amount of β‐form in PP crystals was a function of the glass bead content and size. For a fixed glass bead content, it was found that the smaller the diameter of the glass bead, the higher was the content of β‐crystals formed in the PP. On the other hand, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) measurements revealed that the annealing temperature was also a major factor that affected the crystallization behavior of glass bead‐filled PP. It seemed that the blends with different glass bead contents had their own optimal annealing temperatures for β‐crystal formation. As an example, when the glass bead content was 48 wt %, the optimal annealing temperature for β‐crystal formation was about 108 °C, whereas it shifted to 100 °C for 14 wt % glass bead‐filled polypropylene. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 306–313, 2005     

Characteristic length of the glass transition

The definition of molecular cooperativity is discussed. The characteristic length of the glass transition describes the size of this cooperativity. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and heat capacity spectroscopy (HCS) results of a series of poly(n-alkyl methacrylates) (alkyl = methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, and octyl) and a series of statistical copolymers poly(n-butylmethacrylate-stat-styrene) are discussed in terms of molecular cooperativity in the αβ splitting region, where a high-frequency dispersion zone a splits off into the main transition zone α and a Goldstein Johari process β at lower frequencies. The characteristic length tends to small values of order one monomer diameter in the splitting region for scenarios with an α relaxation onset. The statements about the size scale of cooperativity are conditional upon certain assumptions leading to the equation used for calculation of this size from HCS and DSC data. The step height of heat capacity (Δc_p) and, with less certainty, the square root of the cooperativity volume or number (V^1/2_α or ^1/2_α) are proportional to the temperature distance from the cooperativity onset, T = T_ons. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Conformation of a terminally protected βγ hybrid dipeptide Boc‐Ant‐Gpn‐OMe stabilized by C6/C7 hydrogen bonds

The hybrid βγ dipeptide, methyl 2‐[1‐({2‐[(tert‐butoxycarbonyl)amino]benzamido}methyl)cyclohexyl]acetate (Boc‐Ant‐Gpn‐OMe), C₂₂H₃₂N₂O₅, adopts a folded conformation stabilized by intramolecular six‐ (C₆) and seven‐membered (C₇) hydrogen‐bonded rings, together with weak C—H...O and C—H...π interactions, resulting in a ribbon‐like structure.     

Physical properties and structure of silk. VI. Conformational changes in silk fibroin induced by immersion in water at 2 to 130°c

Silk fibroin films in the random-coil and β-form conformations were immersed in water at temperatures from 2 to 130°C, and conformational changes were followed by x-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. On treatment with water below 60°C, the random-coil conformation is converted to the α form and above 70°C to mixtures of the α and β conformations. The β-form content increases as the immersion temperature is raised. The β form is not affected by immersion in water in the temperature range studied.     

Structural determination and complete NMR spectral assignments of a new diterpenoid obtained from triptonide by biotransformation

A new diterpenoid, 12β,13α‐dihydroxytriptonide, was obtained from the transformed culture of triptonide by Catharanthus roseus cell suspension cultures. The complete ¹H and ¹³C NMR assignments of the compound were carried out by using DEPT, COSY, HSQC, g‐HMBC and NOESY techniques. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural Insights into the Role of β3 nAChR Subunit in the Activation of Nicotinic Receptors

The β3 subunit of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) participates in heteropentameric assemblies with some α and other β neuronal subunits forming a plethora of various subtypes, differing in their electrophysiological and pharmacological properties. While β3 has for several years been considered an accessory subunit without direct participation in the formation of functional binding sites, recent electrophysiology data have disputed this notion and indicated the presence of a functional (+) side on the extracellular domain (ECD) of β3. In this study, we present the 2.4 Å resolution crystal structure of the monomeric β3 ECD, which revealed rather distinctive loop C features as compared to those of α nAChR subunits, leading to intramolecular stereochemical hindrance of the binding site cavity. Vigorous molecular dynamics simulations in the context of full length pentameric β3-containing nAChRs, while not excluding the possibility of a β3 (+) binding site, demonstrate that this site cannot efficiently accommodate the agonist nicotine. From the structural perspective, our results endorse the accessory rather than functional role of the β3 nAChR subunit, in accordance with earlier functional studies on β3-containing nAChRs.     

Improved treatment of cyclic β‐amino acids and successful prediction of β‐peptide secondary structure using a modified force field: AMBER*C

We added parameters to the AMBER* force field to model cyclic β‐amino acid derivatives more accurately within the commonly used MacroModel program. In an effort to generate an improved treatment of cyclohexane and cyclopentane conformational preferences, carbon–carbon torsional parameters were modified and incorporated into a force field we call AMBER*C. Simulation of trans‐2‐aminocyclohexanecarboxylic acid (trans‐ACHC) and trans‐2‐aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid (trans‐ACPC) derivatives using AMBER*C produces more realistic energy differences between (pseudo)diaxial and (pseudo)diequatorial conformations than does simulation using AMBER*. AMBER*C molecular dynamics simulations more accurately reproduce the experimental hydrogen‐bonding tendencies of simple diamide derivatives of trans‐ACHC and trans‐ACPC than do simulations using the AMBER* force field. More importantly, this modified force field allows accurate qualitative prediction of the helical secondary structures adopted by β‐amino acid homo‐oligomers. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 21: 763–773, 2000