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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Macro-Rheology Characterization of Gill Raker Mucus in the Silver Carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix
Published on: July 10, 2020
Rheology of gastric mucin exhibits a pH-dependent sol-gel transition
Jonathan P Celli1, Bradley S Turner, Nezam H Afdhal
1Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
Abstract:
Gastric mucin, a high molecular weight glycoprotein, is responsible for providing the gel-forming properties and protective function of the gastric mucus layer. Bulk rheology measurements in the linear viscoelastic regime show that gastric mucin undergoes a pH-dependent sol-gel transition from a viscoelastic solution at neutral pH to a soft viscoelastic gel in acidic conditions, with the transition occurring near pH 4. In addition to pH-dependent gelation behavior in this system, further rheological studies under nonlinear deformations reveal shear thinning and an apparent yield stress in this material which are also highly influenced by pH.
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