Biophysical Journal 38: 123-132 (1982)
© 1982 the Biophysical Society

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wiltzius, P Articles by Straub, P W Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wiltzius, P Articles by Straub, P W

Fibrin aggregation before sol-gel transition.

ABSTRACT

Fibrinogen solutions (concentrations 2 mg/ml, 0.15-M Tris-NaCl buffer, pH 7.4) were incubated at 20 degrees C with quantities of reptilase or thrombin that were so small that the polymerization process could be followed for several hours by means of static and dynamic light scattering. The scattered intensity and its correlation function were recorded at scattering angles between 30 degrees and 150 degrees. The measured data were compared with model calculations based on the Flory-Stockmayer distribution, which predicts a sol-gel phase transition. This distribution is characterized by a parameter, lambda, that indicates the extent of aggregation. lambda = 0 corresponds to the monomeric solution, and lambda = 1 indicates the sol-gel transition. Good agreement was found for monomeric units of 75-nm length aggregating (a) end-to-end in the early stage (0 less than or equal to lambda less than or equal to 0.3), and (b) in a staggered overlap pattern for the progressing polymerization (0.3 less than or equal to lambda less than 1). Before the gel point was reached, no systemic difference was observed between the data obtained after activation with thrombin which releases both fibrinopeptides A and B from fibrinogen, and reptilase, which exclusively releases the fibrinopeptides A. This confirms that the release of the fibrinopeptides A is the essential prerequisite for the aggregation process.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. ROCCO, S. BERNOCCO, M. TURCI, A. PROFUMO, C. CUNIBERTI, and F. FERRI Early Events in the Polymerization of Fibrin Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., June 1, 2001; 936(1): 167 - 184. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]