Anatomy of a Natural Composite Material
Abstract
Sessile marine invertebrates deposit specialized protective coatings on extracellular structures such as holdfasts and shells. These coatings, once cured, are reknowned for their stability and durability (1-2 years). The precursors for these coatings are proteins that appear to be present in separate phases in granules that resemble latex particles with interpenetrating polymer networks. We have developed an efficient method based on perchloric acid extraction of one of these precursors - a Dopa-containing protein. This has expedited expansion of our data bank on Dopa-protein sequences to 12 species and 3 phyla. All sequences contain abundant hydroxylated amino acids and all contain Dopa and lysine, which are present in approximately equal concentrations. Glycine and proline seen negatively correlated in the sequences. Specific aims of this proposal are (1) to identify and characterize coating precursor proteins in addition to the Dopa-proteins, (2) to examine interfacial interactions between these various proteins, and (3) to characterize the mechanism of curing. (js)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA228964
Entities
People
- J. H. Waite
Organizations
- University of Delaware