Wet-spun lamin-based fibers

Abstract

Fibers comprising a lamin-based protein, wherein the fiber is characterized by a diameter between 10 μm and 180 μm are disclosed. Further, articles comprising the fibers and methods for producing same are disclosed.

1 .- 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . A fiber comprising a lamin-based protein, wherein said fiber is characterized by an average diameter between 1 μm and 1000 μm, and by an average length of at least 1 mm. 
     
     
         47 . The fiber of  claim 46 , wherein said fiber is in contact with a hydrophobic coating layer comprising a water immiscible compound. 
     
     
         48 . The fiber of  claim 47 , wherein said water immiscible compound is selected from a vegetable oil, a mineral oil, a fatty acid, a fatty acid ester, a lipid, isobutyl-stearate, tallow fatty acid 2-ethylhexyl ester, polyol carboxylic acid ester, a glyceride, coconut oil fatty acid ester of glycerol, alkoxylated glycerol, a silicone oil, dimethyl polysiloxane, and a wax, including any copolymer, any salt, or any combination thereof, wherein said hydrophobic coating layer is characterized by an average thickness between 1 nm and about 20 μm. 
     
     
         49 . The fiber of  claim 46 , wherein the lamin-based protein undergoes α-helix to β-sheet transition upon stretching of said fiber to a strain of about 6%; and wherein said fiber is characterized by an average diameter between about 10 μm and about 1000 μm. 
     
     
         50 . The fiber of  claim 49 , wherein the average diameter of said fiber is between about 10 μm and 180 μm; and wherein said α-helix to β-sheet transition comprises at least 20% α-helix to β-sheet transition as determined by RAMAN spectroscopy. 
     
     
         51 . The fiber of  claim 46 , wherein upon stretching of said fiber to a strain of between about 6% and about 50%, the lamin-based protein is characterized by a β-sheet content of between about 30 and about 50%. 
     
     
         52 . The fiber of  claim 46 , wherein said lamin-based protein comprises an A-type lamin, a B-type lamin or both. 
     
     
         53 . The fiber of  claim 52 , wherein said B-type lamin comprises an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein X 1  comprises Gln or Lys, including any functional analog having at least 70% sequence homology thereto; optionally wherein said fiber further comprises any of: (i) an N-terminal region comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2, including any functional analog having at least 70% sequence homology thereto; and (ii) a C-terminal region comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3, including any functional analog having at least 70% sequence homology thereto. 
     
     
         54 . The fiber of  claim 52 , wherein said A-type lamin comprises an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, or as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, wherein X 2  is Glu or Lys, including any functional analog having at least 70% sequence homology thereto; optionally further comprising any of: (i) an N-terminal region comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5; and (ii) a C-terminal region comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, or as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 8. 
     
     
         55 . The fiber of  claim 46 , wherein said fiber is characterized by a diameter between about 20 μm and about 80 μm; and wherein said fiber is characterized by at least one mechanical property selected from:
 yield strength between about 1 MPa and about 1000 MPa; 
 tensile strength between about 1 MPa and about 1000 MPa; 
 fracture strain between about 80% and about 1000%; 
 toughness between about 30 MJ/m 3  and about 1000 MJ/m 3  and 
 a Young's Modulus between about 0.001 GPa and about 30 GPa. 
 
     
     
         56 . The fiber of  claim 53 , wherein X 1  is Gln, and the fiber is characterized by any of: (i) a residual amount of an alcohol; (ii) toughness of greater than about 190 MJ/m 3  and (ii) said protein is characterized by a α-helix to β-sheet transition upon stretching thereof to a strain of about 6%; optionally wherein said fiber is characterized by average diameter between about 30 and about 60 μm. 
     
     
         57 . The fiber of  claim 56 , further comprising any of:
 i. an N-terminal region comprising the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO: 2 or any functional analog having at least 70% sequence homology thereto;   ii. a C-terminal region comprising the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO: 3 or any functional analog having at least 70% sequence homology thereto.   
     
     
         58 . The fiber of  claim 46 , wherein said fiber is a stretched fiber; and wherein said lamin-based protein within said stretched fiber and is characterized by a α-helix: β-sheet ratio between 5:1 and 1:1. 
     
     
         59 . The fiber of  claim 46 , wherein said lamin-based protein is arranged within said fiber in a form of paracrystals; wherein each of said paracrystals is characterized by a dimension selected from: (i) a width between 1 nm and 500 nm; (ii) a length between 0.5 mm and 1 cm, or both (i) and (ii); optionally wherein said lamin-based protein is an isolated protein. 
     
     
         60 . An article comprising a plurality of fibers of  claim 46 . 
     
     
         61 . The article of  claim 60 , being in a form of a yarn, a mesh, a woven substrate, a non-woven substrate, a composite material, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         62 . A method for obtaining the fiber of  claim 46 , comprising the steps of:
 providing a lamin-based protein solution; and   injecting said lamin-based protein solution into a coagulation solution comprising an alcohol, thereby forming said fiber.   
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein said coagulation solution is characterized by a viscosity between 0.45 cP and 3 cP, or more than 0.7 cP; and wherein said injecting is at a flow rate of at least 0.1 ml/h. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein said alcohol is selected from methanol (MeOH), ethanol (EtOH), propanol (PrOH), isopropyl alcohol (IPA), butanol, pentanol, or any combination thereof; and wherein said coagulation solution comprises between 50% (v/v) and 100% (v/v) of said alcohol. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein concentration of said lamin-based protein in the lamin-based protein solution is between 10 mg/mL and 400 mg/mL.