Critical role of zinc in hardening of Nereis jaws
- 15 August 2006
- journal article
- research article
- Published by The Company of Biologists in Journal Of Experimental Biology
- Vol. 209 (16), 3219-3225
- https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02373
Abstract
Hardening of invertebrate jaws and mandibles has been previously correlated to diverse, potentially complex modifications. Here we demonstrate directly, for the first time, that Zn plays a critical role in the mechanical properties of histidine-rich Nereis jaws. Using nanoindentation, we show that removal of Zn by chelation decreases both hardness and modulus by over 65%. Moreover, reconstitution of Zn yields a substantial recovery of initial properties. Modulus and hardness of Zn-replete jaws exceed those attainable by current engineering polymers by a factor of >3. Zn-mediated histidine cross-links are proposed to account for this enhancement in mechanical properties.Keywords
This publication has 19 references indexed in Scilit:
- Halogenated Veneers: Protein Cross‐Linking and Halogenation in the Jaws ofNereis, a Marine Polychaete WormChemBioChem, 2006
- Design and mechanical properties of insect cuticleArthropod Structure & Development, 2004
- Measurement of hardness and elastic modulus by instrumented indentation: Advances in understanding and refinements to methodologyJournal of Materials Research, 2004
- Zinc is incorporated into cuticular “tools” after ecdysis: The time course of the zinc distribution in “tools” and whole bodies of an ant and a scorpionJournal of Insect Physiology, 2003
- High Abrasion Resistance with Sparse Mineralization: Copper Biomineral in Worm JawsScience, 2002
- A Metal-Chelating Microscopy Tip as a New Toolbox for Single-Molecule Experiments by Atomic Force MicroscopyBiophysical Journal, 2000
- Cuticular sclerotization in insectsComparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1996
- An improved technique for determining hardness and elastic modulus using load and displacement sensing indentation experimentsJournal of Materials Research, 1992
- The presence of zinc or manganese as the predominant metal in the mandibles of adult, stored-product beetlesJournal of Stored Products Research, 1984
- Zinc - a major inorganic component of nereid polychaete jawsJournal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 1979