Tropoelastin
Encyclopedia
Tropoelastin is a water-soluble molecule
with a molecular weight of approximately 72,000 daltons
. Multiple tropoelastin molecules covalently bind together with crosslinks to form the protein
elastin
that is very prevalent in the body. There is only one gene for this molecule and so only one protein. However, occasional splicing provides tissue specificity.
There are 36 small domains in Tropoelastin and each weighs about 2 kilodaltons
. Within the exons, there is alternating hydrophobic and Lysine-rich domains, this is important in forming Elastin. Tropoelastin does not undergo cleavage and forming the microfibril is achieved by a self-association process termed coacervation.
Coacervation
Tropoelastin aggregates at physiological temperature due to interactions between hydrophobic domains. This process is reversible and thermodynamically controlled. The coacervate is stabilized by cross-linking via lysyl oxidase. The coacervate then becomes insoluble and the process is irreversible. It then condenses to form a cross-linked structure of 4 residues, either Desmosine or Isodesmosine.
Molecule
A molecule is an electrically neutral group of at least two atoms held together by covalent chemical bonds. Molecules are distinguished from ions by their electrical charge...
with a molecular weight of approximately 72,000 daltons
Atomic mass unit
The unified atomic mass unit or dalton is a unit that is used for indicating mass on an atomic or molecular scale. It is defined as one twelfth of the rest mass of an unbound neutral atom of carbon-12 in its nuclear and electronic ground state, and has a value of...
. Multiple tropoelastin molecules covalently bind together with crosslinks to form the protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
elastin
Elastin
Elastin is a protein in connective tissue that is elastic and allows many tissues in the body to resume their shape after stretching or contracting. Elastin helps skin to return to its original position when it is poked or pinched. Elastin is also an important load-bearing tissue in the bodies of...
that is very prevalent in the body. There is only one gene for this molecule and so only one protein. However, occasional splicing provides tissue specificity.
There are 36 small domains in Tropoelastin and each weighs about 2 kilodaltons
Atomic mass unit
The unified atomic mass unit or dalton is a unit that is used for indicating mass on an atomic or molecular scale. It is defined as one twelfth of the rest mass of an unbound neutral atom of carbon-12 in its nuclear and electronic ground state, and has a value of...
. Within the exons, there is alternating hydrophobic and Lysine-rich domains, this is important in forming Elastin. Tropoelastin does not undergo cleavage and forming the microfibril is achieved by a self-association process termed coacervation.
Coacervation
Tropoelastin aggregates at physiological temperature due to interactions between hydrophobic domains. This process is reversible and thermodynamically controlled. The coacervate is stabilized by cross-linking via lysyl oxidase. The coacervate then becomes insoluble and the process is irreversible. It then condenses to form a cross-linked structure of 4 residues, either Desmosine or Isodesmosine.