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Elasticity and flow properties of actin gels
Author(s) -
Hvidt Søren,
Janmey Paul A.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
makromolekulare chemie. macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 0258-0322
DOI - 10.1002/masy.19900390119
Subject(s) - protein filament , rod , shear (geology) , gelsolin , shear flow , elasticity (physics) , materials science , actin , monomer , mechanics , chemistry , composite material , polymer , physics , medicine , biochemistry , alternative medicine , pathology
Actin gels formed by polymerizing monomeric actin have been studied by use of small amplitude oscillatory deformations and steady shear flow. The length of actin filaments within the gel was varied by copolymerization in the presence of the filament‐capping protein gelsolin. The results for short filaments are in qualitative agreement with a model for semi‐dilute solutions of inter‐penetrating rods. Long filaments give rise to additional motions, believed to be flexing of rods. Steady shear viscosities, at high shear rates, are independent of initial filament length. Results are explained as due to breaking of filaments in shear flows.