The molecular basis for pore pattern morphogenesis in diatom silica

Biomineral-forming organisms produce inorganic materials with complex, genetically encoded morphologies that are unmatched by current synthetic chemistry. It is poorly understood which genes are involved in biomineral morphogenesis and how the encoded proteins guide this process. We addressed these questions using diatoms, which are par-adigms for the self-assembly of hierarchically meso-and macroporous silica under mild reaction conditions. Proteomics analysis of the intracellular organelle for silica biosyn-thesis led to the identification of new biomineralization proteins. Three of these, coined dAnk1-3, contain a common protein-protein interaction domain (ankyrin repeats), indicating a role in coordinating assembly of the silica biomineralization machinery. Knocking out individual dank genes led to aberrations in silica biogenesis that are con-sistent with liquid-liquid phase separation as underlying mechanism for pore pattern morphogenesis. Our work provides an unprecedented path for the synthesis of tailored mesoporous silica materials using synthetic biology.

Automated summary

Biomineral-forming organisms produce inorganic materials with complex morphologies. This study focused on diatoms and identified new biomineralization proteins involved in silica biosynthesis. Knocking out specific genes led to aberrations in silica biogenesis, suggesting a mechanism of liquid-liquid phase separation for pore pattern morphogenesis.