Abstract
In this chapter we describe silica precipitation using unmodified synthetic R5 polypeptide—a nineteen amino acid sequence corresponding to the homologous repeating sequence in silaffin-1A protein extracted from diatom C. fusiformis. The particle formation was investigated using modern materials characterization methods, namely AFM, SEM and EDS. It was found that silica particles of sizes ∼150–200 nm were produced and that they formed aggregates. Furthermore, we propose that the R5 polypeptide self-organizes in solution and catalyzes and scaffolds the silica formation in vitro. We believe that silaffin proteins and other proteins facilitating silica formation in vivo behave in a similar fashion and this may provide insights into the role of proteins in biosilicification.
An erratum to this chapter can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3876-8_14
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Brash JL (2000) Exploiting the current paradigm of blood-material interactions for the rational design of blood-compatible materials. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed 11(11):1135–1146
Lowenstam HA (1981) Minerals formed by organisms. Science 211:1126–1131
Round FE, Crawford RM, Mann DG (1990) The diatoms, biology and morphology of the genera. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Simpson TL, Volcani BE (1981) Silicon and siliceous structures in biological systems. Springer, New York
Harrison CC (1996) Evidence for intramineral macromolecules containing protein from plant silicas. Phytochemistry 41(1):37–42 (formerly Perry)
Shimizu K, Cha JN, Stucky GD, DE Morse (1998) Silicatein alpha: Cathepsin L-like protein in sponge biosilica. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95:6234–6238
Cha JN, Shimizu K, Zhou Y, Christiansen SC, Chmelka BF, Stucky GD, DE Morse (1999) Silicatein filaments and subunits from a marine sponge direct the polymerization of silica and silicones in vitro. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96:361–365
Kröger N, Bergsdorf C, Sumper M (1994) A new calcium-binding glycoprotein family constitutes a major diatom cell-wall component. EMBO J 13:4676–4683
Kröger N, Lehmann G, Rachel R, Sumper M (1997) Characterization of a 200-kDa diatom protein that is specifically associated with a silica-based substructure of the cell wall. Eur J Biochem 250:99–105
Kröger N, Deutzmann R, Sumper M (1999) Polycationic peptides from diatom biosilica that direct silica nanosphere formation. Science 286:1129–1132
Kröger N, Lorenz S, Brunner E, Sumper M (2002) Self-assembly of highly phosphorylated silaffins and their function in biosilica morphogenesis. Science 298:584–586
Brott LL, Pikas DJ, Naik RR, Kirkpatrick SM, Tomlin DW, Whitlock PW, Clarson SJ, Stone MO (2001) Ultrafast holographic nanopatterning of biocatalytically formed silica. Nature 413:291–293
Clarson SJ, Whitlock PW, Patwardhan SV, Brott LL, Naik RR, Stone MO (2002) Synthesis of silica nanostructures at neutral pH using catalytic polypeptides. Polym Mater Sci Eng 86:81
Patwardhan SV, Clarson SJ (2002) Silicification and biosilicification part 4. Effect of template size on the formation of silica. J Inorg Organomet Polym 12(3–4):109–116
Patwardhan SV, Mukherjee N, Clarson SJ (2002) Effect of process parameters on the polymer mediated synthesis of silica at neutral pH. Silicon Chem 1(1):47–55
Perry CC, Keeling-Tucker T (2000) Biosilicification: the role of the organic matrix in structure control. J Biol Inorg Chem 5:537–550
Iler RK (1979) The chemistry of silica: solubility, polymerization, colloid and surface properties and biochemistry. Wiley, New York, Chap 3
Coradin T, Livage J (2001) Effect of some amino acids and peptides on silicic acid polymerization. Colloids Surf B, Biointerfaces 21:329–336
Coradin T, Durupthy O, Livage J (2002) Interactions of amino-containing peptides with sodium silicate and colloidal silica: a biomimetic approach of silicification. Langmuir 18(6):2331–2336
Tacke R (1999) Milestones in the biochemistry of silicon: from basic research to biotechnological applications. Angew Chem, Int Ed Engl 38(20):3015–3018
Sullivan BE (1986) In: Silicon biochemistry. Wiley, Chichester, Chap 5
Hildebrand M, Volcani BE, Gassmann W, Schroeder JI (1997) A gene family of silicon transporters. Nature 385(6618):688–689
Mizutani T, Nagase H, Fujuwara N, Ogoshi H (1998) Silicic acid polymerization catalyzed by amines and polyamines. Bull Chem Soc Jpn 71:2017–2022
Patwardhan SV, Clarson SJ (2002) Silicification and biosilicification: Part 1. Formation of silica structures utilizing a cationically charged synthetic polymer at neutral ph and under ambient conditions. Polym Bull 48:367–371
Patwardhan SV, Durstock MF, Clarson SJ (2002) Silicification and biosilicification: Part 2. Silicification at pH 7 in the presence of a cationically charged polymer in solution and immobilized on substrates. In: Synthesis and Properties of Silicones and Silicone-Modified Materials. ACS Symposium Series, Vol 838, pp 366–374
Patwardhan SV, Clarson SJ (2002) Silicification and biosilicification: Part 3. The role of synthetic polymers and polypeptides at neutral pH. Silicon Chem 1(3):207–214
Patwardhan SV, Clarson SJ (2003) Silicification and biosilicification: Part 5. An investigation of the silica structures formed at weakly acidic pH and neutral pH as facilitated by cationically charged macromolecules. Mater Sci Eng C 23:495–499
Patwardhan SV, Clarson SJ (2003) Silicification and biosilicification: Part 6. Poly-L-histidine mediated synthesis of silica at neutral pH. J Inorg Organomet Polym 13(1):49–53
Patwardhan SV, Mukherjee N, Clarson SJ (2001) Formation of fiber-like amorphous silica structures by externally applied shear. J Inorg Organomet Polym 11(2):117–121
Patwardhan SV, Mukherjee N, Clarson SJ (2001) The use of poly-L-lysine to form novel silica morphologies and the role of polypeptides in biosilicification. J Inorg Organomet Polym 11(3):193–198
Patwardhan SV, Maheshwari R, Mukherjee N, Kiick KL, Clarson SJ (2006) Conformation and assembly of polypeptide scaffolds in templating the synthesis of silica: an example of a polylysine macromolecular “switch”. Biomacromolecules 7(2):491–497
Clarson SJ (2012) A personal commentary on biological and bioactive silicon systems. Silicon 4(1):89–91
Acknowledgements
We thank Dr. Srinivas Subramaniam (CME, UC) for help with the SEM analysis. The financial support for the work described in this chapter was kindly provided by DAGSI.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Clarson, S.J., Gallardo, K., Patwardhan, S.V., Grazulis, L. (2012). On the Interactions of Proteins with Silicon-Based Materials. In: Owen, M., Dvornic, P. (eds) Silicone Surface Science. Advances in Silicon Science, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3876-8_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3876-8_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-3875-1
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-3876-8
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceChemistry and Material Science (R0)