Main description:

This book describes a new family of bio-polymer
gels made from cytoskeletal proteins - actin, microtubule, and
tropomyosin. The importance of the gel
state with multi-scale hierarchical structure is emphasized to utilize emergent
functions in living organisms. Detailed protocol of gel preparation, specified
method of structure investigation, and dynamic studies of self-organization,
self-healing, synchronized oscillating, and autonomous motility functions are
introduced together with biomimetic
functions of synthetic hydrogels.

Contents:

1 Introduction

1-1 What is Hydrogel? Natural and Synthetic Polymer Hydrogels

Basic Structure and Behaviors of Polymer Hydrogels

1-2 Self-Assembly and Dynamic Structure of Cytoskeletal Filaments

1-3 Why Cytoskeletal Gel? --- Super -Giant and Multi-Scale Hierarchical Structure

2 Microtubules Gel

2-1 Preparation of Microtubules Gel

2-2 Supra-Molecular Structure of Microtubules Gel

2-3 Specific Assembly Process of Chemically Modified Tublin

2-4 Photo-Chemical Catalytic Activity of Microtubule Gel

2-5 Emergent Functions as Protein Gel Motors

3 Actin Gel

3-1 Preparation of Actin Gel

3-2 Supra-Molecular Structure and Emergent Functions of Actin Gel

4 Tropomyosin Gel

4-1 Preparation and properties of tropomyosin Gel

4-2 Superior Cell Penetration of Synthetic Tropomyosin