Discovery of mammalian collagens I and III within ancient poriferan biopolymer spongin

Author(s):Show less -

Ehrlich, Hermann ; Miksik, Ivan ; Tsurkan, Mikhail V. ; Simon, Paul ; Porzucek, Filip ; Rybka, Jakub Dalibor ; Mankowska, Monika ; Galli, Roberta ; Viehweger, Christine ; Brendler, Erica ; Voronkina, Alona ; Pajewska-Szmyt, Martyna ; Tabachnik, Aleksei ; Tabachnick, Konstantin R. ; Vogt, Carla ; Wysokowski, Marcin ; Jesionowski, Teofil ; Buchwald, Tomasz ; Szybowicz, Miroslaw ; Skieresz-Szewczyk, Kinga ; Jackowiak, Hanna ; Ereskovsky, Alexander ; de Alcantara, Amadeus C. S. ; dos Santos, Alberto M. ; da Costa, Clauber H. S. ; Arevalo, Sofia E. ; Skaf, Munir S. ; Buehler, Markus J.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS; v. 16, n. 1, p. 13-pg., 2025-03-13.

Abstract

Spongin is a fundamental biopolymer that has played a crucial role in the skeletogenesis of keratosan sponges for over 800 million years. This biomaterial had so far remained chemically unidentified and believed to be an enigmatic type of halogenated collagen-keratin-based bioelastomer. Here we show collagen I and III as the main structural components of spongin. Proteomics, 13C solid state NMR and Raman spectroscopy confirm the identity of collagenous domains in spongin with collagen from mammals. Using an HPLC-MS analysis, we found halogenated di- and tri-tyrosines as crosslinking agents in spongin. Using molecular dynamics modeling, we solvated the crystal structures of collagen mimetic peptides for type I and type III collagens in four different systems, including selected brominated crosslinks. The results underscore the complex interplay between the collagen structures and crosslinks, raising intriguing questions about the molecular mechanisms underlying collagen chemistry within spongin as an ancient biocomposite. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/08293-7 - CCES - Center for Computational Engineering and Sciences
• Grantee: Munir Salomao Skaf
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC
• FAPESP's process: 18/18503-2 - Osteoporosis diagnosis through multiscale modeling of bone fracture using the boundary element method and molecular dynamics
• Grantee: Amadeus Cavalcanti Salvador de Alcântara
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• FAPESP's process: 22/04695-2 - Reaction mechanisms of enzymes and catalytic enhancement based on transition states and machine learning algorithms
• Grantee: Alberto Monteiro dos Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 22/04703-5 - Molecular dynamics simulations of enzymes of biotechnological interest
• Grantee: Clauber Henrique Souza da Costa
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 22/03410-4 - Osteoporosis diagnosis through multiscale modeling of bone fracture using the boundary element method, molecular dynamics, and other computational methods
• Grantee: Amadeus Cavalcanti Salvador de Alcântara
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)