Document Detail


Interplay between liquid crystalline and isotropic gels in self-assembled neurofilament networks.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  18583309     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Neurofilaments (NFs) are a major constituent of nerve cell axons that assemble from three subunit proteins of low (NF-L), medium (NF-M), and high (NF-H) molecular weight into a 10 nm diameter rod with radiating sidearms to form a bottle-brush-like structure. Here, we reassemble NFs in vitro from varying weight ratios of the subunit proteins, purified from bovine spinal cord, to form homopolymers of NF-L or filaments composed of NF-L and NF-M (NF-LM), NF-L and NF-H (NF-LH), or all three subunits (NF-LMH). At high protein concentrations, NFs align to form a nematic liquid crystalline gel with a well-defined spacing determined with synchrotron small angle x-ray scattering. Near physiological conditions (86 mM monovalent salt and pH 6.8), NF-LM networks with a high NF-M grafting density favor nematic ordering whereas filaments composed of NF-LH transition to an isotropic gel at low protein concentrations as a function of increasing mole fraction of NF-H subunits. The interfilament distance decreases with NF-M grafting density, opposite the trend seen with NF-LH networks. This suggests a competition between the more attractive NF-M sidearms, forming a compact aligned nematic gel, and the repulsive NF-H sidearms, favoring a more expansive isotropic gel, at 86 mM monovalent salt. These interactions are highly salt dependent and the nematic gel phase is stabilized with increasing monovalent salt.
Authors:
Jayna B Jones; Cyrus R Safinya
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Biophysical journal     Volume:  95     ISSN:  1542-0086     ISO Abbreviation:  Biophys. J.     Publication Date:  2008 Jul 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2008-06-27     Completed Date:  2008-07-25     Revised Date:  2010-09-22    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0370626     Medline TA:  Biophys J     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  823-35     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Anisotropy
Gels / chemistry*
Liquid Crystals / chemistry*
Multiprotein Complexes / chemistry
Neurofilament Proteins / chemistry*
Scattering, Small Angle
X-Ray Diffraction
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Gels; 0/Multiprotein Complexes; 0/Neurofilament Proteins
Comments/Corrections

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