Moses Dana N, Harreld John H, Stucky Galen D, Waite J Herbert
Program of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara 93106, USA.
J Biol Chem. 2006 Nov 17;281(46):34826-32. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M603429200. Epub 2006 Sep 19.
Defining the design principles guiding the fabrication of superior biocomposite structures from an assemblage of ordinary molecules is a key goal of biomimetics. Considering their low degree of mineralization, Glycera jaws have been shown to be extraordinarily resistant to abrasion based on the metric hardness3/Young's modulus2. The jaws also exhibit an impressive chemical inertness withstanding boiling concentrated hydrochloric acid as well as boiling concentrated sodium hydroxide. A major organic component largely responsible for the chemical inertness of the jaws has been characterized using a spectrophotometric assay for melanin content, 13C solid state nuclear magnetic resonance, IR spectroscopy, and laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry and is identified here as a melanin-like network. Although melanin is widely distributed as a pigment in tissues and other structural biomaterials, to our knowledge, Glycera jaws represent the first known integument to exploit melanin as a cohesive load- and shape-bearing material.
从普通分子组合中定义指导制造优质生物复合材料结构的设计原则是仿生学的一个关键目标。基于硬度3/杨氏模量2，甘油虫的颚虽矿化程度低，但已显示出极强的耐磨性。这些颚还表现出令人印象深刻的化学惰性，能承受沸腾的浓盐酸和沸腾的浓氢氧化钠。通过黑色素含量的分光光度测定、13C固态核磁共振、红外光谱和激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱对主要负责颚化学惰性的一种主要有机成分进行了表征，在此将其鉴定为一种类黑色素网络。尽管黑色素作为一种色素广泛分布于组织和其他结构生物材料中，但据我们所知，甘油虫的颚是首个已知将黑色素用作粘性承载负荷和形状材料的外皮。
