Kinetics of nanochain formation in a simplified model of amelogenin biomacromolecules

Biophys J. 2011 Nov 16;101(10):2502-6. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2011.09.056. Epub 2011 Nov 15.

Abstract

We show that the kinetics of nanochain formation of amelogenin molecules is well described by a combination of translational and rotational diffusion of a simplified anisotropic bipolar model consisting of hydrophobic spherical colloid particles and a point charge located on each particle surface. The colloid particles interact via a standard depletion attraction whereas the point charges interact through a screened Coulomb repulsion. We study the kinetics via a Brownian dynamics simulation of both translational and rotational motions and show that the anisotropy brought in by the charge dramatically affects the kinetic pathway of cluster formation and our simple model captures the main features of the experimental observations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amelogenin / chemistry*
  • Colloids / chemistry
  • Kinetics
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Amelogenin
  • Colloids
  • Macromolecular Substances