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EXAMINATION OF ACTIN POLYMERIZATION AND VISCOSITY INDUCED BY CATIONS AND IONIC STRENGTH WHEN CROSS‐LINKED BY α‐ACTININ
Author(s) -
Goldmann Wolfgang H.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
cell biology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1095-8355
pISSN - 1065-6995
DOI - 10.1006/cbir.2002.0898
Subject(s) - ionic strength , polymerization , divalent , chemistry , actin , calcium , chloride , viscosity , potassium , kinetics , magnesium , actina , biophysics , protein filament , inorganic chemistry , polymer , biochemistry , cytoskeleton , materials science , organic chemistry , composite material , biology , physics , quantum mechanics , aqueous solution , cell
Increasing potassium chloride concentration from 0 to 100mM and magnesium chloride from 0 to 2mM show a parallel rate increase in polymerizing actin, whereas increasing calcium chloride concentration from 0 to 0.2mM decreases the rate of polymerizing actin. The presence of α‐actinin has little influence on the polymerization kinetics of actin under these conditions. Viscometric measurements indicate that the presence of various mono‐ and divalent cations, ionic strength, and α‐actinin in combination are responsible for changes in the mechanical properties of solutions containing actin. The actin filament dynamic behavior is drastically reduced under these conditions as confirmed by quasi‐elastic light scattering.