Keywords

Mechanobiology; Nanomaterial; TMAO; Fluorescence microscopy; Actin polymerization; Persistence length

Abstract

Actin is one of the most ubiquitous proteins and an essential cytoskeletal protein that assembles into double-stranded helical filaments, playing a vital role in cell motility, division, and shape. Osmolytes are small organic molecules that help cells resist environmental stress by stabilizing proteins and regulating osmotic pressure. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a commonly used osmolyte that has been shown to enhance actin filament elongation rates, average filament lengths, and bending stiffness, indicating a stabilizing effect on actin’s polymer form. Graphene is a carbon nanomaterial that is used in biomedicine in a variety of ways including drug delivery, biosensing, bioimaging, and tissue engineering. It has also been evidenced to enhance actin filament elongation rates. However, graphene’s effects on steadystate actin mechanical properties, such as persistence length, remain unexplored. Furthermore, while the individual effects of TMAO and graphene on actin mechanics have been studied, their combined impact is unknown. This study investigated graphene’s effect on actin mechanical properties and the joint effects of TMAO and graphene on actin mechanical properties. Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence microscopy was utilized to measure actin filament length and persistence length. Results indicate that graphene alone does not modulate actin mechanics. However, combined treatment of actin with TMAO and graphene results in the uncoupling of TMAO-induced stiffening from filament elongation. This study helps to improve the current understanding of how actin mechanics are controlled in physiological environments that may occur in vivo during biomedical treatments.

Thesis Completion Year

2026

Thesis Completion Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair

Kang, Ellen

College

College of Sciences

Department

Physics

Thesis Discipline

Biophysics

Language

English

Access Status

Campus Access

Length of Campus Access

1 year

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Download

Restricted to the UCF community until 5-15-2027; it will then be open access.

Share

COinS
 

Accessibility Statement

This item was created or digitized prior to April 24, 2027, or is a reproduction of legacy media created before that date. It is preserved in its original, unmodified state specifically for research, reference, or historical recordkeeping. In accordance with the ADA Title II Final Rule, the University Libraries provides accessible versions of archival materials upon request. To request an accommodation for this item, please submit an accessibility request form.

Rights Statement

In Copyright