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Biophys. J. BioFAST: First Published October 1, 2004. doi:10.1529/biophysj.104.042333
© 2004 by the Biophysical Society.

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SPECTROSCOPY, IMAGING, OTHER TECHNIQUES

Visualization and Mechanical Manipulation of Individual Fibrin Fibers Suggest that Fiber Cross-Section Has Fractal Dimension of 1.3

Martin Guthold 1*, Wenhua Liu 1, Bryan J. Stephens 2, Susan T. Lord 3, Roy R. Hantgan 4, Dorothy A. Erie 3, Russell M. Taylor Jr. 3 and Richard Superfine 3

1 Wake Forest University
2 Wake Forest Universitz
3 University of North Carolina
4 Wake Forest University School of Medicine

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: gutholdm{at}wfu.edu.

Submitted on March 6, 2004
Revised on April 19, 2004
Accepted on 27 September 2004


  Abstract
We report protocols and techniques to image and mechanically manipulate individual fibrin fibers, which are key structural components of blood clots. Using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)-based lateral force manipulations we determined the rupture force, FR, of fibrin fibers as a function of their diameter, D, in ambient conditions. As expected, the rupture force increases with increasing diameter; however, somewhat unexpectedly, it increases as FR~D^1.30±0.06. Moreover, using a combined AFM-fluorescence microscopy instrument, we determined the light intensity, I, of single fibers, that were formed with fluorescently labeled fibrinogen, as a function of their diameter, D. Similar to the force data, we found that the light intensity, and thus the number of molecules per cross-section, increases as I~D^1.25±0.11. Based on these findings we propose that fibrin fibers are fractals for which the number of molecules per cross-section increases as about D^1.3. This implies that the molecule density varies as rho(D)~D^-0.7, i.e., thinner fibers are denser than thick fibers. Such a model would be consistent with the observation that fibrin fibers consist of 70 - 80% water and only 20 - 30 % protein, which also suggests that fibrin fibers are very porous.

Key Words: Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Biological Fibers, Fluorescence Microscopy, Fractal, Rupture Force, Single Fibrin Fibers




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Copyright © 2004 by the Biophysical Society.