... vigorous mixing with seawater as well as the presence of mucus, whereas skeins from Pacific hagfish tend to unravel spontaneously in seawater. Here, we explored the mechanisms that underlie these different unraveling modes, and focused on the molecules that make up the skein glue, a material that must...

...M. Braun; M. Menges; F. Opoku; A. M. Smith SUMMARY Metal ions are present in many different biological materials, and are capable of forming strong cross-links in aqueous environments. The relative contribution of different metal-based cross-links was measured in the defensive glue produced...

...Andrew Bradshaw; Michael Salt; Ashley Bell; Matt Zeitler; Noelle Litra; Andrew M. Smith SUMMARY The terrestrial slug Arion subfuscus secretes a glue that is a dilute gel with remarkable adhesive and cohesive strength. The function of this glue depends on metals, raising the possibility that metal...

... a thread is flattened on a microscope slide a small, opaque granule can usually be seen within each droplet. These granules have been thought to be the glycoprotein glue that imparts thread adhesion. Both independent contrast and standard regressions showed that granule size is directly related to droplet...

...S. W. Werneke; C. Swann; L. A. Farquharson; K. S. Hamilton; A. M. Smith SUMMARY Several gastropod molluscs produce glues that are interesting because they are dilute gels and yet they produce strong adhesion. Specific glue proteins have been identified that play a central role in this adhesion...

...J. M. Pawlicki; L. B. Pease; C. M. Pierce; T. P. Startz; Y. Zhang; A. M. Smith SUMMARY Several molluscs have been shown to alternate between a non-adhesive trail mucus and a similar gel that forms a strong glue. The major structural difference between the two secretions is the presence of specific...