Characterization of the structure and composition of gecko adhesive setae
Characterization of the structure and composition of gecko adhesive setae
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DOI：
10.1098/rsif.2005.0097
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发表时间：
2006-06-22
影响因子：
3.9
通讯作者：
Hallahan, D. L.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Rizzo, N. W.;Gardner, K. H.;Hallahan, D. L.
某些爬行动物能够附着在垂直(和水平)表面上的能力被归因于它们脚上存在特殊的粘性刚毛。对这种粘连刚毛的结构和组成的研究将对仿生纤维粘接材料的设计有重要意义。给出了这种刚毛结构的电子显微镜分析结果，表明它们是由由基质结合在一起的蛋白质原纤维聚集体形成的，并可能被有限的蛋白质鞘包围。微束X射线衍射分析表明，这些结构中唯一有序的蛋白质组分呈现出具有β-角蛋白特征的衍射图。然而，单个刚毛的拉曼显微镜清楚地显示了额外的蛋白质成分，其中一些可能被鉴定为阿尔法角蛋白。溶解的Setal蛋白的电泳分析支持这些结论，表明存在一组低分子量的β-角蛋白(14-20 kDa)和α-角蛋白，这一解释得到了免疫学分析的支持。
The ability of certain reptiles to adhere to vertical ( and hang from horizontal) surfaces has been attributed to the presence of specialized adhesive setae on their feet. Structural and compositional studies of such adhesive setae will contribute significantly towards the design of biomimetic fibrillar adhesive materials. The results of electron microscopy analyses of the structure of such setae are presented, indicating their formation from aggregates of proteinaceous fibrils held together by a matrix and potentially surrounded by a limiting proteinaceous sheath. Microbeam X-ray diffraction analysis has shown conclusively that the only ordered protein constituent in these structures exhibits a diffraction pattern characteristic of beta-keratin. Raman microscopy of individual setae, however, clearly shows the presence of additional protein constituents, some of which may be identified as alpha-keratins. Electrophoretic analysis of solubilized setal proteins supports these conclusions, indicating the presence of a group of low-molecular-weight beta-keratins (14-20 kDa), together with alpha-keratins, and this interpretation is supported by immunological analyses.