Vimentin Intermediate Filaments Undergo Irreversible Conformational Changes during Cyclic Loading.

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ID: 42019
2019
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Abstract
Intermediate filaments (IFs) are part of the cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells and, therefore, are largely responsible for the cell's mechanical properties. IFs are characterized by a pronounced extensibility and remarkable resilience that enable them to support cells in extreme situations. Previous experiments showed that, under strain, α-helices in vimentin IFs might unfold to β-sheets. Upon repeated stretching, the filaments soften; however, the remaining plastic strain is negligible. Here, we observe that vimentin IFs do not recover their original stiffness on reasonable time scales, and we explain these seemingly contradicting results by introducing a third, less well-defined conformational state. Reversibility on the nanoscale can be fully rescued by introducing cross-linkers that prevent transition to the β-sheet. Our results classify IFs as a nanomaterial with intriguing mechanical properties, which is likely to play a major role for the cell's local adaption to external stimuli.
Reference Key
forsting2019vimentinnano Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Forsting, Johanna;Kraxner, Julia;Witt, Hannes;Janshoff, Andreas;Köster, Sarah;
Journal Nano letters
Year 2019
DOI
10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b02972
URL
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