海绵硅蛋白研究进展

Progress in silicatein from sponges

摘要:

海绵是生物进化过程中最古老的多细胞动物, 其中大部分能够利用二氧化硅在室温水环境下合成形状、大小和结构极为丰富的硅质骨骼。随着近年来人们发现其骨骼的基本组成单位骨针具有优异的光导性能和机械性能, 海绵生物硅化过程及仿生纳米和微米硅质生物材料合成的研究成为生物技术和材料科学的热点。在海绵生物硅化过程中, 一类被称为硅蛋白(Silicatein)的蛋白质表现出了特殊的催化活性, 也因此得到了生物学家、化学家和材料学家的关注。以下将对硅蛋白的国际研究现状进行了评述, 以期促进国内相关领域的研究。

关键词:海绵硅质骨针, 硅蛋白, 生物硅化, 生物硅质材料

Abstract:

Sponges (Porifera) are the oldest living metazoan in the world, among which most of them (Demospongia) can produce silicic skeleton from orthosilicic acid in the seawater under the natural environmental conditions. These biosilicic materials exhibit good mechanical and optical properties as well as good biocompatibility. During the biosilicification process of sponges, a protein, named as silicatein, plays an important role and has attracted great attention from biologist, chemists and material scientists. This mini review highlights the discovery of silicateins and its function as both an enzymatic catalyst and an organic template for biosilicification. The studies since 1999 were briefly introduced on the application of silicatein as a biocatalyst and template for synthesis of silica-based and other inorganic materials. It is expected to stimulate the interests in the related researches in China.

Key words:spicule, silicatein, biosilicification, biosilic material