Cell proliferation by silk gut incorporating FGF-2 protein microcrystals

Sci Rep. 2015 Jun 8:5:11051. doi: 10.1038/srep11051.

Abstract

Silk gut processed from the silk glands of the silkworm could be an ideal biodegradable carrier for cell growth factors. We previously demonstrated that polyhedra, microcrystals of Cypovirus 1 polyhedrin, can serve as versatile carrier proteins. Here, we report the generation of a transgenic silkworm that expresses polyhedrin together with human basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) in its posterior silk glands to utilize silk gut as a proteinaceous carrier to protect and slowly release active cell growth factors. In the posterior silk glands, polyhedrin formed polyhedral microcrystals, and FGF-2 became encapsulated within the polyhedra due to a polyhedron-immobilization signal. Silk gut powder prepared from posterior silk glands containing polyhedron-encapsulated FGF-2 stimulated the phosphorylation of p44/p42 MAP kinase and induced the proliferation of serum-starved NIH3T3 cells by releasing bioactive FGF-2. Even after a one-week incubation at 25 °C, significantly higher biological activity of FGF-2 was observed for silk gut powder incorporating polyhedron-encapsulated FGF-2 relative to silk gut powder with non-encapsulated FGF-2. Our results demonstrate that posterior silk glands incorporating polyhedron-encapsulated FGF-2 are applicable to the preparation of biodegradable silk gut, which can protect and release FGF-2 that is produced in a virus- and serum-free expression system with significant application potential.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Bombyx / genetics
  • Bombyx / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Drug Carriers / metabolism
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / genetics
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / metabolism
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / pharmacology*
  • Gene Expression / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / metabolism
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Peptide Fragments / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Reoviridae / metabolism
  • Silk / genetics
  • Silk / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism

Substances

  • Drug Carriers
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Silk
  • Transcription Factors
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • WDR77 protein, mouse
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 2
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1