The mechanical behavior of soft tissue demonstrates a number of complex features including nonlinearity, anisotropy, viscoelasticity, and growth. Characteristic features of the time-dependent and anisotropic behavior are related to the properties of various components of the tissue such as fibrous collagen and elastin networks, large proteins and sugars attached to these networks, and interstit...

The major proteins in isolated synaptic junctions (SJs) and postsynaptic densities (PSDs) have been compared to actin, tubulin, and the major neurofilament (NF) protein by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and tryptic peptide map analysis. These studies show: (a) tubulin is present in SJ and PSD fractions and is identical to cytoplasmic tubulin, (b) actin in these fractions is very similar to...

OBJECTIVES To analyze the expression and distribution pattern of extracellular matrix components in pleomorphic adenomas of the major and minor salivary glands and to compare the morphological findings of these tumors with the immunohistochemical expression, considering the different types of stroma predominating in each case. METHODS AND RESULTS The expression of tenascin (TN) and fibronecti...

BACKGROUND The fibrous proteins of extracellular matrix (ECM) produced by dermal fibroblast contributes to the maintenance of connective tissue integrity. OBJECTIVE This study is carried out to identify the bioactive ingredient from natural products that enhances ECM production in dermal fibroblasts. METHODS Bioassay-directed fractionation was used to isolate the active ingredient from natu...

Despite the difficulties associated with determining atomic-level structures for materials that are fibrous, structural biologists are making headway in understanding the architecture of amyloid-like fibrils. It has long been recognized that these fibrils contain a cross-beta spine, with beta-strands perpendicular to the fibril axis. Recently, atomic structures have been determined for some of ...

Nature has evolved a range of materials that compete with man-made materials in physical properties; one of these is spider silk. Silk is a fibrous material that exhibits extremely high strength and toughness with regard to its low density. In this review we discuss the molecular structure of spider silk and how this understanding has allowed the development of recombinant silk proteins that mi...

Eggs of the Eurasian perch, Perca fluviatilis, are strongly attached to each other to form 0.5-5.5m long and 1-6 cm wide floating jelly strands or ribbons. The processes involved in the initiation of egg attachment were investigated in the present study. Eggs are released together with small amounts of ovarian fluid. When the eggs come in contact with water, a fibrous jelly-like structure is fo...