Spontaneous and Electrically Induced Anisotropy of Composite Agarose Gels.

ABSTRACT: Agarose gels containing and not bacteriorhodopsin purple membranes (incorporated before gelling) manifest spontaneous optical anisotropy. The dependencies of the anisotropy on the agarose concentration and time have been studied. The rise in the anisotropy is explained by the predominant orientation of the agarose fibers during the gelling and subsequent deformation of the gel net. In the electric field, additional optical anisotropy rises, which is caused by the orientation of the membranes. A procedure has been developed to separate electrically induced and spontaneous anisotropy in composite gels. The isoelectric points and surface electric potential of bacteriorhodopsin trimer and purple membranes are calculated by the method of protein electrostatics to explain their electric asymmetr

SUBMITTER: Zhivkov AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9690220 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature