Nanolattice-Forming Hybrid Collagens in Protective Shark Egg Cases

Rubayn Goh*, Eric Yoshida, Eric Schaible, Rachel Behrens, Christophe A. Monnier, Bradley Killingsworth, Kiat Whye Kong, Shu Hui Hiew, Ali Miserez, Shawn Hoon, J. Herbert Waite*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Nanoscopic structural control with long-range ordering remains a profound challenge in nanomaterial fabrication. The nanoarchitectured egg cases of elasmobranchs rely on a hierarchically ordered latticework for their protective function-serving as an exemplary system for nanoscale self-assembly. Although the proteinaceous precursors are known to undergo intermediate liquid crystalline phase transitions before being structurally arrested in the final nanolattice architecture, their sequences have so far remained unknown. By leveraging RNA-seq and proteomic techniques, we identified a cohort of nanolattice-forming proteins comprising a collagenous midblock flanked by domains typically associated with innate immunity and network-forming collagens. Structurally homologous proteins were found in the genomes of other egg-case-producing cartilaginous fishes, suggesting a conserved molecular self-assembly strategy. The identity and stabilizing role of cross-links were subsequently elucidated using mass spectrometry and in situ small-angle X-ray scattering. Our findings provide a new design approach for protein-based liquid crystalline elastomers and the self-assembly of nanolattices.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2878-2890
Number of pages13
JournalBiomacromolecules
Volume23
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 11 2022
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American Chemical Society.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Bioengineering
  • Biomaterials
  • Polymers and Plastics
  • Materials Chemistry

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