Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35160604›Full record

ArticlePolymers2022

From Strain Stiffening to Softening-Rheological Characterization of Keratins 8 and 18 Networks Crosslinked via Electron Irradiation.

Iman Elbalasy, Nils Wilharm, Erik Herchenhahn, Robert Konieczny, Stefan G Mayr, Jörg Schnauß

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Polymers, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 27% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Iman ElbalasyPeter-Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Leipzig University, Linnéstraße 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-9317-6360
Nils WilharmLeibniz-Institut für Oberflächenmodifizierung e.V. (IOM), Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
Erik HerchenhahnPeter-Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Leipzig University, Linnéstraße 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-0569-004X
Robert KoniecznyLeibniz-Institut für Oberflächenmodifizierung e.V. (IOM), Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
Stefan G MayrLeibniz-Institut für Oberflächenmodifizierung e.V. (IOM), Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
Jörg SchnaußPeter-Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Leipzig University, Linnéstraße 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-6408-8676
Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering · DECairo University · EGLeipzig University · DEUniversity of the West of England · GB

Funding

European Regional Development Fund EFRE - 100406737 (231201554)European Social Fund (ESF) ESF-100327895German Research Foundation INST 268/296-1 FUGG & HE 1853/11-1The European Research Council ERC-741350The Saxonian Department of Science and the Fine Arts (SMWK) 100331694 (MUDIPlex
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Networks of crosslinked keratin filaments are abundant in epithelial cells and tissues, providing resilience against mechanical forces and ensuring cellular integrity. Although studies of in vitro models of reconstituted keratin networks have revealed important mechanical aspects, the mechanical properties of crosslinked keratin structures remain poorly understood. Here, we exploited the power of electron beam irradiation (EBI) to crosslink in vitro networks of soft epithelial keratins 8 and 18 (k8-k18) filaments with different irradiation doses (30 kGy, 50 kGy, 80 kGy, 100 kGy, and 150 kGy). We combined bulk shear rheology with confocal microscopy to investigate the impact of crosslinking on the mechanical and structural properties of the resultant keratin gels. We found that irradiated keratin gels display higher linear elastic modulus than the unirradiated, entangled networks at all doses tested. However, at the high doses (80 kGy, 100 kGy, and 150 kGy), we observed a remarkable drop in the elastic modulus compared to 50 kGy. Intriguingly, the irradiation drastically changed the behavior for large, nonlinear deformations. While untreated keratin networks displayed a strong strain stiffening, increasing irradiation doses shifted the system to a strain softening behavior. In agreement with the rheological behavior in the linear regime, the confocal microscopy images revealed fully isotropic networks with high percolation in 30 kGy and 50 kGy-treated keratin samples, while irradiation with 100 kGy induced the formation of thick bundles and clusters. Our results demonstrate the impact of permanent crosslinking on k8-k18 mechanics and provide new insights into the potential contribution of intracellular covalent crosslinking to the loss of mechanical resilience in some human keratin diseases. These insights will also provide inspiration for the synthesis of new keratin-based biomaterials.

Indexed as

electron beam irradiationk8–k18permanent crosslinkingrheologystrain softeningstrain stiffening

Identifiers

PMID35160604
PMCPMC8838340
OpenAlexW4210511724

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.