Biopolymers fibrin

There is a range of biological self-assembled polymer fibres such as amyloids, actins and fibrin that have important positive and negative roles in biochemistry. These biopolymers act as an inspiration for supramolecular design and share many features in common with their abiotic analogues. We will mention them briefly here in the context of supramolecular polymers. 

Paul A. Janmey received an AB degree from Oberlin College in 1976 and a PhD degree in physical chemistry from the University ofWisconsin in 1982 (for his work on fibrin polymerization, under the guidance of J. D. Ferry). A postdoctoral fellowship in the Hematology Unit of Massachusetts General Hospital motivated application of methods of polymer physics to the cytoskeleton. Since then his lab has studied the viscoelastic properties of biopolymer networks and the regulation of cytoskeletal and extracellular matrix assembly. 

Bale MD, Janmey PA, Ferry JD (1982) Kinetics of formation of fibrin oligomers. II. Size distributions of ligated oligomers. Biopolymers 21 2265-2277... 

Fibrin is a biopolymer similar to collagen. It is an important component of the namral blood clotting process. Fibrin has long been used as a biopolymer due to its excellent biocompatibility and rapid bioresorption. It is widely used as a sealant to induce thrombosis and prevent blood loss from wounds. Fibrin also facilitates cell adhesion and proliferation. 

Fibrin, a biopolymer similar to collagen, is involved in the natural blood-dotting process. Fibrinogen, which is a 360 kDa protein, composed of three pairs of polypeptide chains is the source of fibrin. The structure of fibrin can be divided into three major sections consisting of a central domain composed of fibrinopeptide E with two pairs of fibrinopeptide A and B molecules and two terminal domains of fibrinopeptide D. Spontaneous fibrillogenesis is the formation of a linear fibril by... 

While the above systems employ a synthetic polymer as the main component which is decorated with biomimetic peptides a rather different type of biohybrid matrix uses biopolymers as the main component which is further modified in order to exhibit certain desired characteristics. This approach has been elaborated in quite some detail for fibrin, the polymerized form of fibrinogen (see above). For example, an engineered variant form of VEGF that mimics matrix-binding and cell-mediated release by local ceU-associated enzymatic activity was bound to fibrin with the result that the quaUty of angiogenesis in the matrix was substantially improved [123]. 

Carr, M.E. Jr., Shen L.L., Hermans, J., 1977, Mass length ratio of fibrin fibres from gel permeation and light scattering. Biopolymers, 16 1. 

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