Colloidal structure and proton conductivity of the gel within the electrosensory organs of cartilaginous fishes
[2];
[3];
[2];
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); University of California, Merced, CA (United States); OSTI
- University of California, Merced, CA (United States)
- University of California, Santa Cruz, CA (United States)
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); University of California, Merced, CA (United States)
Cartilaginous fishes possess gel-filled tubular sensory organs called Ampullae of Lorenzini (AoL) that are used to detect electric fields. Although recent studies have identified various components of AoL gel, it has remained unclear how the molecules are structurally arranged and how their structure influences the function of the organs. Here we describe the structure of AoL gel by microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering and infer that the material is colloidal in nature. To assess the relative function of the gel’s protein constituents, we compared the microscopic structure, X-ray scattering, and proton conductivity properties of the gel before and after enzymatic digestion with a protease. We discovered that while proteins were largely responsible for conferring the viscous nature of the gel, their removal did not diminish proton conductivity. The findings lay the groundwork for more detailed studies into the specific interactions of molecules inside AoL gel at the nanoscale.
- Research Organization:
- University of California, Merced, CA (United States); University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Army Research Office (ARO); Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA); Department of the Interior; Office of Naval Research (ONR); USDOE; University of California, Merced
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 1903852
- Journal Information:
- iScience, Journal Name: iScience Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 24; ISSN 2589-0042
- Publisher:
- ElsevierCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Structure and phase behavior of polymer-linked colloidal gels
Investigating the effect of supramolecular gel phase crystallization on gel nucleation