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Silk Protein Solution: A Natural Example of Sticky Reptation
[Image: see text] Silk is one of the most intriguing examples of biomolecular self-assembly, yet little is understood of molecular mechanisms behind the flow behavior generating these complex high-performance fibers. This work applies the polymer physics of entangled solution rheology to present a f...
Autores principales: | , , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
American Chemical Society
2020
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Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7161084/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32308215 http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02630 |
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author | Schaefer, Charley Laity, Peter R. Holland, Chris McLeish, Tom C. B. |
author_facet | Schaefer, Charley Laity, Peter R. Holland, Chris McLeish, Tom C. B. |
author_sort | Schaefer, Charley |
collection | PubMed |
description | [Image: see text] Silk is one of the most intriguing examples of biomolecular self-assembly, yet little is understood of molecular mechanisms behind the flow behavior generating these complex high-performance fibers. This work applies the polymer physics of entangled solution rheology to present a first microphysical understanding of silk in the linear viscoelastic regime. We show that silk solutions can be approximated as reptating polymers with “sticky” calcium bridges whose strength can be controlled through the potassium concentration. This approach provides a new window into critical microstructural parameters, in particular identifying the mechanism by which potassium and calcium ions are recruited as a powerful viscosity control in silk. Our model constitutes a viable starting point to understand not only the “flow-induced self-assembly” of silk fibers but also a broader range of phenomena in the emergent field of material-focused synthetic biology. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-7161084 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2020 |
publisher | American Chemical Society |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-71610842020-04-17 Silk Protein Solution: A Natural Example of Sticky Reptation Schaefer, Charley Laity, Peter R. Holland, Chris McLeish, Tom C. B. Macromolecules [Image: see text] Silk is one of the most intriguing examples of biomolecular self-assembly, yet little is understood of molecular mechanisms behind the flow behavior generating these complex high-performance fibers. This work applies the polymer physics of entangled solution rheology to present a first microphysical understanding of silk in the linear viscoelastic regime. We show that silk solutions can be approximated as reptating polymers with “sticky” calcium bridges whose strength can be controlled through the potassium concentration. This approach provides a new window into critical microstructural parameters, in particular identifying the mechanism by which potassium and calcium ions are recruited as a powerful viscosity control in silk. Our model constitutes a viable starting point to understand not only the “flow-induced self-assembly” of silk fibers but also a broader range of phenomena in the emergent field of material-focused synthetic biology. American Chemical Society 2020-03-27 2020-04-14 /pmc/articles/PMC7161084/ /pubmed/32308215 http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02630 Text en Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society This is an open access article published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License (http://pubs.acs.org/page/policy/authorchoice_ccby_termsofuse.html) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the author and source are cited. |
spellingShingle | Schaefer, Charley Laity, Peter R. Holland, Chris McLeish, Tom C. B. Silk Protein Solution: A Natural Example of Sticky Reptation |
title | Silk Protein Solution: A Natural Example of Sticky
Reptation |
title_full | Silk Protein Solution: A Natural Example of Sticky
Reptation |
title_fullStr | Silk Protein Solution: A Natural Example of Sticky
Reptation |
title_full_unstemmed | Silk Protein Solution: A Natural Example of Sticky
Reptation |
title_short | Silk Protein Solution: A Natural Example of Sticky
Reptation |
title_sort | silk protein solution: a natural example of sticky
reptation |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7161084/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32308215 http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02630 |
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