Neurofilament sidearms modulate parallel and crossed-filament orientations inducing nematic to isotropic and re-entrant birefringent hydrogels

Joanna Deek, Peter J. Chung, Jona Kayser, Andreas R. Bausch and Cyrus R. Safinya ()
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Joanna Deek: University of California
Peter J. Chung: Materials, Physics, and Molecular, University of California
Jona Kayser: Lehrstuhl für Zellbiophysik E27, Technische Universität München
Andreas R. Bausch: Lehrstuhl für Zellbiophysik E27, Technische Universität München
Cyrus R. Safinya: Materials, Physics, and Molecular, University of California

Nature Communications, 2013, vol. 4, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Neurofilaments are intermediate filaments assembled from the subunits neurofilament-low, neurofilament-medium and neurofilament-high. In axons, parallel neurofilaments form a nematic liquid-crystal hydrogel with network structure arising from interactions between the neurofilaments’ C-terminal sidearms. Here we report, using small-angle X-ray-scattering, polarized-microscopy and rheometry, that with decreasing ionic strength, neurofilament-low–high, neurofilament-low–medium and neurofilament-low–medium–high hydrogels transition from the nematic hydrogel to an isotropic hydrogel (with random, crossed-filament orientation) and to an unexpected new re-entrant liquid-crystal hydrogel with parallel filaments—the bluish-opaque hydrogel—with notable mechanical and water retention properties reminiscent of crosslinked hydrogels. Significantly, the isotropic gel phase stability is sidearm-dependent: neurofilament-low–high hydrogels exhibit a wide ionic strength range, neurofilament-low–medium hydrogels a narrow ionic strength range, whereas neurofilament-low hydrogels lack the isotropic gel phase. This suggests a dominant regulatory role for neurofilament-high sidearms in filament reorientation plasticity, facilitating organelle transport in axons. Neurofilament-inspired biomimetic hydrogels should therefore exhibit remarkable structure-dependent moduli and slow and fast water-release properties.

Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3224

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