Neutral glycans from sandfish skin can reduce friction of polymers
Neutral glycans from sandfish skin can reduce friction of polymers
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DOI：
10.1098/rsif.2016.0103
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发表时间：
2016-03-01
影响因子：
3.9
通讯作者：
Baumgartner, Werner
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Vihar, Bostjan;Hanisch, Franz Georg;Baumgartner, Werner
蜥蜴Scincus scincus，也被称为沙鱼，可以像游泳一样在风成沙漠中移动。这种能力的先决条件是特殊的外皮，即具有非常低的摩擦力和高耐磨性的鳞片。鳞片中的聚糖与低摩擦力有因果关系。在这里，我们分析了聚糖，发现具有5至9个甘露糖残基的中性聚糖很重要。如果这些聚糖以大约每4纳米一个分子的密度与聚（甲基丙烯酸甲酯）或丙烯酸汽车涂层等丙烯酸聚合物共价结合（2），则砂粒的摩擦力和粘附力可以降低到接近沙鱼鳞观察到的水平。如果聚糖不是从沙鱼鳞片（如杏仁或槲寄生）等植物中分离出来的，也会发现这一点。我们推测，这些中性聚糖作为低密度的间隔物，将沙粒与致密的鳞片分开，从而降低了货车范德华力。
The lizard Scincus scincus, also known as sandfish, can move through aeolian desert sand in a swimming-like manner. A prerequisite for this ability is a special integument, i.e. scales with a very low friction for sand and a high abrasion resistance. Glycans in the scales are causally related to the low friction. Here, we analysed the glycans and found that neutral glycans with five to nine mannose residues are important. If these glycans were covalently bound to acrylic polymers like poly(methyl methacrylate) or acrylic car coatings at a density of approximately one molecule per 4 nm(2), friction for and adhesion of sand particles could be reduced to levels close to those observed with sandfish scales. This was also found true, if the glycans were isolated from sources other than sandfish scales like plants such as almonds or mistletoe. We speculate that these neutral glycans act as low density spacers separating sand particles from the dense scales thereby reducing van der Waals forces.