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Related Concept Videos

Polymers02:34

Polymers

The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the properties that they exhibit. Additionally,...
Polymers02:34

Polymers

The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the properties that they exhibit. Additionally,...
Polymers02:34

Polymers

The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the properties that they exhibit. Additionally,...
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:20

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

The polymerization process that involves carbanion as an intermediate is called anionic polymerization. It is also a type of addition or chain-growth polymerization. Anionic polymerization gets initiated by a strong nucleophile such as an organolithium or a Grignard reagent. The most commonly used initiator for anionic polymerization is butyl lithium. Monomers involved in anionic polymerization must possess a vinyl group bonded to one or two electron-withdrawing groups. For instance,...
Drug-Receptor Bonds01:25

Drug-Receptor Bonds

Drug-receptor bonds are formed through various chemical forces when drugs interact with target cells. Covalent bonds, strong and irreversible, are exemplified by DNA-alkylating anticancer agents that inhibit cell division. However, such irreversible drug binding lacks selectivity and can modify the DNA of the surrounding healthy cells. Covalent binding often contributes to tissue toxicity, as seen with chloroform and paracetamol metabolites binding to the liver, causing hepatotoxicity.
In...
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism00:57

Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the generated carbocation,...

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Solvent Bonding for Fabrication of PMMA and COP Microfluidic Devices
04:54

Solvent Bonding for Fabrication of PMMA and COP Microfluidic Devices

Published on: January 17, 2017

Polymer-based catch-bonds.

Hsieh Chen1, Alfredo Alexander-Katz

  • 1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

Biophysical Journal
|December 31, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Multimeric proteins can exhibit catch-bonds, where bond lifetime peaks at a specific force, due to self-interacting domains. This finding offers insights into extracellular protein mechanics and biomimetic design.

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Combinatorial Synthesis of and High-throughput Protein Release from Polymer Film and Nanoparticle Libraries
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Combinatorial Synthesis of and High-throughput Protein Release from Polymer Film and Nanoparticle Libraries

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Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Solvent Bonding for Fabrication of PMMA and COP Microfluidic Devices
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Published on: January 17, 2017

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Combinatorial Synthesis of and High-throughput Protein Release from Polymer Film and Nanoparticle Libraries
10:58

Combinatorial Synthesis of and High-throughput Protein Release from Polymer Film and Nanoparticle Libraries

Published on: September 6, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Materials Science
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Catch-bonds, where bond lifetime increases with force, are observed in ligand-receptor interactions but their molecular origins remain debated.
  • The von Willebrand Factor, a large multimeric protein, exhibits catch-bond behavior, suggesting a potential mechanism in multidomain proteins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential for multimeric proteins with self-interacting domains to display catch-bond characteristics.
  • To model the mechanical behavior of proteins like the von Willebrand Factor using coarse-grained simulations and kinetic theory.
  • To explore how self-interaction tuning and linker properties influence catch-bond phenomena.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized coarse-grained simulations to model a polymer composed of self-interacting domains connected by linkers.
  • Employed kinetic theory to analyze the binding dynamics between the modeled polymer and an immobilized ligand.
  • Investigated the effects of varying energy barriers for domain unbinding and linker chain properties.

Main Results:

  • The proposed model successfully demonstrated catch-bond behavior, with peak binding lifetime at a non-zero force.
  • The average lifetime of the polymer-ligand binding event showed a maximum at a specific pulling force.
  • The study analyzed the influence of self-interaction strength, energy barriers, and linker properties on catch-bond dynamics.

Conclusions:

  • Multimeric proteins can exhibit catch-bonds through carefully tuned self-interactions between their domains.
  • This mechanism is likely crucial for the mechanics of multidomain extracellular proteins.
  • The biomimetic design provides a framework for creating synthetic macromolecules with tunable catch-bond properties.