Microscopic structural analysis of fractured silk fibers from Bombyx mori and Samia cynthia ricini using 13C CP/MAS NMR with a 1 mm microcoil MAS NMR probehead

Kazuo Yamauchi, Shizuo Yamasaki, Rui Takahashi, Tetsuo Asakura

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Conformational changes have been studied in silk fibers from the domestic silkworm Bombyx mori and a wild silkworm Samia cynthia ricini as a result of fractured by stretching. About 300 samples consisting of only the fractured regions of [1-13C]Ala or [1-13C]Gly labeled silk fibers were collected and observed by 13C CP/MAS NMR spectra. The total amount of these fractured fibers is only about 1 mg and therefore we used a home-built 1 mm microcoil MAS NMR probehead. A very small increase in the fraction of random coil was noted for the alanine regions of both silk fibroins and for the glycine region of B. mori silk fibroin. However, there is no difference in the spectra before and after fractured for the glycine region of S. c. ricini silk fibroin. Thus, the influence of fracture occurs exclusively at the Ala region for S. c. ricini. The relationship between sequence, fracture and structure is discussed. © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)27-30
Number of pages4
JournalSolid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Volume38
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2010

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Instrumentation
  • General Chemistry
  • Nuclear and High Energy Physics
  • Radiation

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Microscopic structural analysis of fractured silk fibers from Bombyx mori and Samia cynthia ricini using 13C CP/MAS NMR with a 1 mm microcoil MAS NMR probehead'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this