Acta Biomaterialia ( IF 9.4 ) Pub Date : 2023-11-28 , DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.11.030 Xinqiu Wang 1 , Xiaogang Ye 1 , Jiansheng Guo 2 , Xiangping Dai 1 , Shihua Yu 1 , Boxiong Zhong 1
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The silk-spinning process of the silkworms transforms the liquid silk solution to a solid state under mild conditions, making it an attractive model for bioinspiration However, the precise mechanism behind silk expulsion remains largely unknown. Here we selected the silkworms as representative models to investigate the silk-spinning mechanism. We used serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) to reconstruct the three-dimensional structures of the spinnerets in silkworms at various stages and with different gene backgrounds. By comparing the musculature and duct deformation of these spinneret models during the spinning process, we were able to simulate the morphological changes of the spinneret. Based on the results, we proposed three essential factors for silkworm spinning: the pressure generated by the silk gland, the opening duct, and the pulling force generated by head movement. Understanding the silkworm spinning process provides insights into clarify the fluid-ejecting mechanism of a group of animals. Moreover, these findings are helpful to the development of biomimetic spinning device that mimics the push-and-pull dual-force system in silkworms.
Statement of Significance
The silkworms’ spinning system produces fibers under mild conditions, making it an ideal candidate for bioinspiration. However, the mechanism of silk expulsion is unknown, and the three-dimensional structure of the spinneret is still uncertain. In this study, we reconstructed a detailed 3-dimensional model of the spinneret at near-nanometer resolution, and for the first time, we observed the changes that occur before and during the silk-spinning process. Our reconstructed models suggested that silkworms have the ability to control the spinning process by opening or closing the spinning duct. During the continuously spinning period, both the pressure generated by the silk gland and the pulling force resulting from head movement work in tandem to expel the silk solution. We believe that gaining a full understanding of the spinning process steps can advance our ability to spin synthetic fibers with properties comparable to those of native fibers by mimicking the natural spinning process.
中文翻译：
对丝绸生产中蚕纺纱装置的 3 维结构进行建模
蚕的吐丝过程在温和条件下将液态丝溶液转化为固态，使其成为生物启发的一个有吸引力的模型。然而，吐丝背后的精确机制仍然很大程度上未知。在这里，我们选择蚕作为代表性模型来研究丝纺机制。我们使用串行块面扫描电子显微镜（SBF-SEM）重建了不同阶段和不同基因背景的家蚕喷丝头的三维结构。通过比较这些喷丝板模型在纺丝过程中的肌肉组织和管道变形，我们能够模拟喷丝板的形态变化。根据结果，我们提出了蚕纺纱的三个基本因素：丝腺产生的压力、开口导管和头部运动产生的拉力。了解蚕的纺丝过程有助于阐明一组动物的液体喷射机制。此外，这些发现有助于开发模仿蚕推拉双力系统的仿生纺丝装置。
重要性声明
蚕的纺丝系统在温和的条件下产生纤维，使其成为生物启发的理想候选者。然而，吐丝机理尚不清楚，喷丝板的三维结构仍不确定。在这项研究中，我们以近纳米分辨率重建了喷丝头的详细三维模型，并且首次观察到丝纺过程之前和过程中发生的变化。我们重建的模型表明，蚕有能力通过打开或关闭纺丝导管来控制纺丝过程。在连续纺丝过程中，丝腺产生的压力和头部运动产生的拉力协同作用，将丝液排出。我们相信，充分了解纺丝工艺步骤可以提高我们通过模仿自然纺丝工艺纺制具有与天然纤维相当的性能的合成纤维的能力。
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