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Biophysical Journal 59: 25-30 (1991)
© 1991 the Biophysical Society

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Formation of liquid crystalline phase of actin filament solutions and its dependence on filament length as studied by optical birefringence.

A Suzuki, T Maeda and T Ito

Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University, Japan.

ABSTRACT

We studied the formation and structure of liquid crystalline phase of F-actin solutions by polarized light photometry, assuming that a small domain of the liquid crystalline phase works as a linear retardation plate. Transmittance of polarized light due to the birefringence of liquid crystalline phase appeared above a threshold concentration of F-actin. The threshold increased with a decrease in filament length, which was regulated by calcium-activated gelsolin. The intensity increased linearly with increasing concentrations until it reached a stationary value. The deviation of optical axis direction of the putative retardation plate was estimated 7-15 degrees. These results indicate that:(a) the liquid crystalline phase is formed above a threshold concentration of F-actin; (b) the threshold is proportional to the inverse of filament length; (c) the ordered phase coexists with the isotropic one, increasing the volume fraction with increasing concentrations until all filaments take the liquid crystalline structure; (d) the filaments in liquid crystalline phase take a highly ordered array. These results can be attributed to the excluded volume effect of rod-like molecules on the formation of liquid crystalline structure.




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E. Helfer, P. Panine, M.-F. Carlier, and P. Davidson
The Interplay between Viscoelastic and Thermodynamic Properties Determines the Birefringence of F-Actin Gels
Biophys. J., July 1, 2005; 89(1): 543 - 553.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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Copyright © 1991 by the Biophysical Society.