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得到了理论和计算化学计划和材料理论计划的共同支持，以进行与僵硬的生物聚合物（如DNA和F-肌动蛋白）有关的理论研究。 这些生物聚合物链在水溶液中高度负电荷，因此彼此强烈排斥。 但是，当添加多价呈阳性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。 这项研究考虑了广义连接器如何与带电的生物聚合物形成复合物。 主要目的是阐明稀骨料的结构，并计算稀骨料，致密束和分离的链之间的相平衡。 另外，将在静态和剪切溶液中检查束形成的动力学。 这些问题是由生物学现象的激励，例如肌动蛋白细丝网络和束的DNA凝结以及自组装。 该项目中的物理化学源于统计力学，这将允许识别和探索来自电荷链和接头模型最小模型所致的现象范围。 预计该研究计划将为培训数值和分析技术的研究学生提供有用的工具，并将其引入现代冷凝期物理化学中的生物系统和主题。众所周知，电荷丝的交联网络在细胞内形成，并且细胞上的剪切力会导致代谢变化的反应。 这项研究将增强对这些和其他生物学应用的理解，该研究旨在开发能够解释多种可观察到的现象，例如DNA凝结。