The role of the silicatein-α interactor silintaphin-1 in biomimetic biomineralization

Acquisition of Structure-guiding and Structure-forming Properties during Maturation from the Pro-silicatein to the Silicatein Form

“…Recombinant Silintaphin-1-The preparation and purification of recombinant silintaphin-1 had been described before (9,20). The mass of silintaphin-1 is 43 kDa (20).…”

“…Silintaphin-1 has been proposed to interact with pentamers formed of four silicatein-␣ and one silicatein-␤ molecules and, by that, stabilizes the fractal structures, initially formed (17). Both additives have previously been shown to enhance biosilica formation in vitro (20,22). Comparing the in vitro activity of the recombinant silicatein with the extent of the in vivo biosilica formation, determined during spicule formation, it becomes evident that silicatein is the major, very likely the only, molecule that accounts for the synthesis of the inorganic polymer (9).…”

“…It is shown that the cleaved 23 kDa mature enzyme is catalytically active and also acts as a template for an organized biosilica deposition. Finally the elastic modulus of the biosilica formed by the recombinant silicatein, in the absence or the presence of a natural (silintaphin-1) (20) or a synthetic organic polymer, poly(ethylene glycol), (21) had been determined. Silintaphin-1 has been proposed to interact with pentamers formed of four silicatein-␣ and one silicatein-␤ molecules and, by that, stabilizes the fractal structures, initially formed (17).…”

Molecular Interactions in Natural and Synthetic Self-Assembly Systems

“…In conducting such studies it was imperative to identify silicatein-binding proteins required for pattern formation. Wiens et al (2009) described the discovery of silintaphin-1, a unique protein that directs the assembly of silicatein filaments by forming a silicatein-binding scaffold/backbone. They shown that silintaphin-1 also interacts with silicatein that had been immobilized on functionalized g-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles, thus directing the formation of a composite with distinct rod-like morphology.…”

Circumferential spicule growth by pericellular silica deposition in the hexactinellid sponge Monorhaphis chuni

“…In the center of the spicules within axial canals, axial filaments exist both in Hexactinellida (Müller et al, 2008c) and in Demospongiae (Shimizu et al, 1998); the main component of the axial filaments is the silicateins. In addition, silintaphin-1 has been identified, which functions as a silicatein interactor and stabilizes silica nanoparticles under formation of silica nano-and micro-fibers and/or rods (Wiens et al, 2009). Furthermore, silintaphin-2 likewise interacts with silicatein and might serve as a final member of a signal transduction chain that controls spiculogenesis (Wiens et al, 2011).…”