Blue Mussels are able to successfully colonize diverse substrates due to a unique anchorage system, the byssus, consisting of a bundle of extracellular threads. The mechanical properties of this material are mainly mediated by fibril forming, collagen-like multidomain proteins (preCols). In this work, studies of natural byssal threads and sequence analysis of the preCols revealed new insights into the molecular structure and hierarchical arrangement of byssal proteins. Further, a model of the structure-mechanics relationship describes the structural events in distal byssal threads under tension until rupture.
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Blue Mussels are able to successfully colonize diverse substrates due to a unique anchorage system, the byssus, consisting of a bundle of extracellular threads. The mechanical properties of this material are mainly mediated by fibril forming, collagen-like multidomain proteins (preCols). In this work, studies of natural byssal threads and sequence analysis of the preCols revealed new insights into the molecular structure and hierarchical arrangement of byssal proteins. Further, a model of the st...
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