Plasticity protein interfaces

J. A. Wells. Structural plasticity in a remodeled protein-protein interface. Science (1997) 278(5340) 1125-8. 

The ability of some macromolecules to adsorb at interfaces is made use of in suspension and emulsion stabilisation (see Chapter 7). Gelatin, acacia, poly(vinyl alcohol) and proteins adsorb at interfaces. Sometimes such adsorption is unwanted, as in the case of insulin adsorption onto glass infusion bottles and poly(vinyl chloride) infusion containers and tubing used in giving sets. Adsorption of insulin to glass bottles and plastic i.v. tubing at slow rates of infusion is well documented. It... 

Consider how this mechanism of interface failure could apply to a natural laminated material like mother of pearl. This nacreous substance is formed by the deposition of thin calcium carbonate crystals by the mollusc. Such plate-hke crystals are typically 10 pm long and 0.3 pm thick, separated by a tenuous layer of polymeric protein material which forms only a few percent of the composite volume. Yet, despite this low polymer content, nacre displays significant plastic deformation when stretched, with strains up to 0.018, accompanied by white deformation bands in the composite structure. " ... 

Graille M, Harrison S, Crump MP et al (2002) Evidence for plasticity and structural mimicry at the immimoglobiffin light chain-protein L interface. J Biol Chem 277 47500 7506... 

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