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First published online August 3, 2006
Journal of Experimental Biology 209, 3219-3225 (2006)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2006
doi: 10.1242/jeb.02373

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Critical role of zinc in hardening of Nereis jaws

Chris C. Broomell^1,*, Mike A. Mattoni², Frank W. Zok² and J. Herbert Waite¹

¹ Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
² Materials Department, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: Broomell{at}lifesci.ucsb.edu)

Accepted 7 June 2006

Hardening of invertebrate jaws and mandibles has been previously correlated to diverse, potentially complex modifications. Here we demonstrate directly, for the first time, that Zn plays a critical role in the mechanical properties of histidine-rich Nereis jaws. Using nanoindentation, we show that removal of Zn by chelation decreases both hardness and modulus by over 65%. Moreover, reconstitution of Zn yields a substantial recovery of initial properties. Modulus and hardness of Zn-replete jaws exceed those attainable by current engineering polymers by a factor of >3. Zn-mediated histidine cross-links are proposed to account for this enhancement in mechanical properties.

Key words: biological materials, nonoindentation, histidine, zinc

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