video: Tropoelastin is a tiny elastic molecule, just 20 millionths of a meter. The authors reveal the shape and movements of this little molecule. Through these movements, tropoelastin assembles to make elastic fibers, tubes and sheets for tissue repair. Tropoelastin is used to make and fix many different elastic tissues in the body. This material relates to a paper that appeared in the Feb. 5, 2016, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The paper, by G.C. Yeo at The University of Sydney in Sydney, NSW, Australia, and colleagues was titled, 'Subtle balance of tropoelastin molecular shape and flexibility regulates dynamics and hierarchical assembly.' view more
Credit: [Credit: Weiss Lab, University of Sydney]