Self-assembly of Charged Biopolymers in Solution

带电生物聚合物在溶液中的自组装

• 批准号: 0096492
• 负责人: Andrea Liu
• 金额: $ 26.35万
• 依托单位: University of California-Los Angeles
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-04-15 至 2006-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0096492&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Self; assembly; Charged; Biopolymers; Solution

Andrea Liu is supported jointly by the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Program and the Materials Theory Program to carry out theoretical research pertaining to stiff biopolymers such as DNA and F-actin. These biopolymer chains are highly negatively charged in aqueous solution, and therefore repel one another strongly. However, both DNA and F-actin can form complexes when multivalent positively-charged ions or cationic crosslinking proteins are added. This research considers how generalized linkers can form complexes with charged biopolymers. The primary objective is to elucidate the structure of dilute aggregates and calculate the phase equilibrium between dilute aggregates, dense bundles, and isolated chains. In addition, the kinetics of bundle formation will be examined in both quiescent and sheared solution. These problems are motivated by biological phenomena such as DNA condensation and self-assembly of actin filament networks and bundles. The physical chemistry in this project is rooted in statistical mechanics, which will allow the identification and exploration of the range of phenomena that can result from a minimal model of charged chains and linkers. The research program is expected to provide a useful vehicle for training research students in numerical and analytical techniques, and for introducing them to biological systems and topics in modern condensed phase physical chemistry. It is known that crosslinked networks of charged filaments form inside cells, and that shearing forces on the cells cause responses that lead to metabolic changes. The understanding of these and other biological applications will be enhanced by this research, which aims to develop simple models that are able to explain a wide range of observable phenomena such as DNA condensation.

Andrea Liu由理论和计算化学计划以及材料理论计划共同支持，开展与DNA和F-actin等刚性生物聚合物有关的理论研究。 这些生物聚合物链在水溶液中带高度负电荷，因此彼此强烈排斥。 然而，当加入多价正电荷离子或阳离子交联蛋白时，DNA和F-肌动蛋白都可以形成复合物。 本研究考虑了广义连接体如何与带电生物聚合物形成复合物。 主要目标是阐明稀聚集体的结构并计算稀聚集体、致密束和孤立链之间的相平衡。 此外，束形成的动力学将在静态和剪切溶液中进行检查。 这些问题的动机是生物现象，如DNA凝聚和自组装的肌动蛋白丝网络和束。 该项目中的物理化学植根于统计力学，这将允许识别和探索可能由带电链和链接器的最小模型引起的现象范围。 该研究计划预计将提供一个有用的工具，培训研究学生在数值和分析技术，并为他们介绍了现代凝聚相物理化学的生物系统和主题。众所周知，带电细丝的交联网络在细胞内形成，并且细胞上的剪切力引起导致代谢变化的反应。 这项研究将加强对这些和其他生物学应用的理解，其目的是开发能够解释广泛的可观察现象的简单模型，如DNA凝聚。