1
|
Pariente JA, Caselli N, Pecharromán C, Blanco A, López C. Vacancies in Self-Assembled Crystals: An Archetype for Clusters Statistics at the Nanoscale. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2002735. [PMID: 32970382 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202002735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Complex systems involving networks have attracted strong multidisciplinary attention since they are predicted to sustain fascinating phase transitions in the proximity of the percolation threshold. Developing stable and compact archetypes that allow one to experimentally study physical properties around the percolation threshold remains a major challenge. In nanoscale systems, this achievement is rare since it is tied to the ability to control the intentional disorder and perform a vast statistical analysis of cluster configurations. Here, a self-assembly method to fabricate perfectly ordered structures where random defects can be introduced is presented. Building binary crystals from two types of dielectric nanospheres and selectively removing one of them creates vacancies at random lattice positions that form a complex network of clusters. Vacancy content can be easily controlled and raised even beyond the percolation threshold. In these structures, the distribution of cluster sizes as a function of vacancy density is analyzed. For moderate concentrations, it is found to be homogeneous throughout the structure and in good agreement with the assumption of a random vacancy distribution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jose Angel Pariente
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Calle Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, Madrid, E-28049, Spain
| | - Niccolò Caselli
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Calle Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, Madrid, E-28049, Spain
| | - Carlos Pecharromán
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Calle Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, Madrid, E-28049, Spain
| | - Alvaro Blanco
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Calle Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, Madrid, E-28049, Spain
| | - Cefe López
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Calle Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, Madrid, E-28049, Spain
- Donostia International Physics Centre, Manuel Lardizabal Ibilbidea, 4, Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, 20018, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Di Gioacchino M, Bianconi A, Burghammer M, Ciasca G, Bruni F, Campi G. Myelin basic protein dynamics from out-of-equilibrium functional state to degraded state in myelin. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183256. [PMID: 32145283 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Living matter is a quasi-stationary out-of-equilibrium system; in this physical condition, structural fluctuations at nano- and meso-scales are needed to understand the physics behind its biological functionality. Myelin has a simple ultrastructure whose fluctuations show correlated disorder in its functional out-of-equilibrium state. However, there is no information on the relationship between this correlated disorder and the dynamics of the intrinsically disordered Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) which is expected to influence the membrane structure and overall functionality. In this work, we have investigated the role of this protein structural dynamics in the myelin ultrastructure fluctuations in various conditions, by using synchrotron Scanning micro X Ray Diffraction and Small Angle X ray Scattering. We have induced the crossover from out-of-equilibrium functional state to in-equilibrium degeneration changing the pH to values far from physiological condition. The observed compression of the cytosolic layer thickness probes that the intrinsic large MBP fluctuations preserve the cytosol structure also in the degraded state. Thus, the transition of myelin ultrastructure from correlated to uncorrelated disordered state, is principally affected by the deformation of the membrane and extracellular domain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Di Gioacchino
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Roma, Italy; Institute of Crystallography, CNR, via Salaria, Km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo, Roma, Italy; Rome International Center for Materials Science Superstripes (RICMASS), Via dei Sabelli 119A, 00185 Roma, Italy.
| | - Antonio Bianconi
- Institute of Crystallography, CNR, via Salaria, Km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo, Roma, Italy; Rome International Center for Materials Science Superstripes (RICMASS), Via dei Sabelli 119A, 00185 Roma, Italy; National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), 115409 Moscow, Russia
| | - Manfred Burghammer
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 6 Rue Jules Horowitz, BP220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex, France
| | - Gabriele Ciasca
- Physics Institute, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Bruni
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Roma, Italy
| | - Gaetano Campi
- Institute of Crystallography, CNR, via Salaria, Km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo, Roma, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Campi G, Di Gioacchino M, Poccia N, Ricci A, Burghammer M, Ciasca G, Bianconi A. Nanoscale Correlated Disorder in Out-of-Equilibrium Myelin Ultrastructure. ACS NANO 2018; 12:729-739. [PMID: 29281257 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b07897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Ultrastructural fluctuations at nanoscale are fundamental to assess properties and functionalities of advanced out-of-equilibrium materials. We have taken myelin as a model of supramolecular assembly in out-of-equilibrium living matter. Myelin sheath is a simple stable multilamellar structure of high relevance and impact in biomedicine. Although it is known that myelin has a quasi-crystalline ultrastructure, there is no information on its fluctuations at nanoscale in different states due to limitations of the available standard techniques. To overcome these limitations, we have used scanning micro X-ray diffraction, which is a unique non-invasive probe of both reciprocal and real space to visualize statistical fluctuations of myelin order of the sciatic nerve of Xenopus laevis. The results show that the ultrastructure period of the myelin is stabilized by large anticorrelated fluctuations at nanoscale, between hydrophobic and hydrophilic layers. The ratio between the total thickness of hydrophilic and hydrophobic layers defines the conformational parameter, which describes the different states of myelin. Our key result is that myelin in its out-of-equilibrium functional state fluctuates point-to-point between different conformations showing a correlated disorder described by a Levy distribution. As the system approaches the thermodynamic equilibrium in an aged state, the disorder loses its correlation degree and the structural fluctuation distribution changes to Gaussian. In a denatured state at low pH, it changes to a completely disordered stage. Our results aim to clarify the degradation mechanism in biological systems by associating these states with ultrastructural dynamic fluctuations at nanoscale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaetano Campi
- Institute of Crystallography, CNR , via Salaria, Km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo Roma, Italy
| | - Michael Di Gioacchino
- Institute of Crystallography, CNR , via Salaria, Km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo Roma, Italy
- Rome International Center for Materials Science Superstripes (RICMASS) , Via dei Sabelli 119A, 00185 Roma, Italy
- Department of Science, Nanoscience section, Roma Tre University , Via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Roma, Italy
| | - Nicola Poccia
- Department of Physics, Harvard University , Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Alessandro Ricci
- Rome International Center for Materials Science Superstripes (RICMASS) , Via dei Sabelli 119A, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Manfred Burghammer
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility , 6 Rue Jules Horowitz, BP220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex, France
| | - Gabriele Ciasca
- Physics Institute, Catholic University of Sacred Heart , Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Bianconi
- Institute of Crystallography, CNR , via Salaria, Km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo Roma, Italy
- Rome International Center for Materials Science Superstripes (RICMASS) , Via dei Sabelli 119A, 00185 Roma, Italy
- National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute) , Kashirskoe shosse 31, 115409 Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Correlated Disorder in Myelinated Axons Orientational Geometry and Structure. CONDENSED MATTER 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/condmat2030029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
5
|
Bell IR, Schwartz GE. Enhancement of adaptive biological effects by nanotechnology preparation methods in homeopathic medicines. HOMEOPATHY 2015; 104:123-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2014.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
|
6
|
Poccia N, Bianconi A. The Physics of Life and Quantum Complex Matter: A Case of Cross-Fertilization. Life (Basel) 2011; 1:3-6. [PMID: 26791661 PMCID: PMC4187125 DOI: 10.3390/life1010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2011] [Accepted: 08/31/2011] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Progress in the science of complexity, from the Big Bang to the coming of humankind, from chemistry and biology to geosciences and medicine, and from materials engineering to energy sciences, is leading to a shift of paradigm in the physical sciences. The focus is on the understanding of the non-equilibrium process in fine tuned systems. Quantum complex materials such as high temperature superconductors and living matter are both non-equilibrium and fine tuned systems. These topics have been subbjects of scientific discussion in the Rome Symposium on the “Quantum Physics of Living Matter”.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Poccia
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le A. Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy.
| | - Antonio Bianconi
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le A. Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|