title: In vitro study of the proteolytic degradation of Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin.
abstract: In this study, Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin (Ap-SF) films were incubated with Protease Type XXI from Streptomyces griseus, at 37 degrees C, to investigate the degradation behavior in an in vitro model system. The enzyme-resistant fractions of Ap-SF films and the soluble peptides formed by proteolytic degradation were collected at specified times, from 1 to 17 days, and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, FT-Raman, and FT-IR spectroscopy. Proteolysis resulted in extensive weight loss and progressive fragmentation of films, especially at long degradation times. A range of soluble peptides was formed by proteolysis. By high performance-size exclusion chromatography it was found that their average molecular weight changed with the time of incubation. The chemical analysis of the enzyme-resistant fraction of Ap-SF films at different times of degradation indicated that the proteolytic attack preferentially occurred in the less ordered Gly rich sequences and that the contribution of the Ala rich crystalline regions to the composition of biodegraded films became progressively larger. Accordingly, DSC and spectroscopic results showed an enhancement of the crystalline character of the biodegraded films. From the behavior of the most important thermal transitions, it was deduced that the alpha-helix domains probably represent the most enzyme-resistant fraction. The in vitro approach used in the present study seems to be a valid tool for studying the rate and mechanism of degradation of Ap-SF films and of other biopolymers of potential biomedical utility.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biochimica G. Moruzzi, Sezione di Chimica e Propedeutica Biochimica, Centro di Studio sulla Spettroscopia Raman, Università di Bologna, via Belmeloro 8/2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Taddei
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boschi
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monti
authors.forename: Masuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsukada
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Freddi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D005349:Fibroins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D009036:Moths / Q000737:chemistry*; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013305:Streptomyces griseus / Q000201:enzymology; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D005349:Fibroins; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases