title: Continuous isotropic-nematic liquid crystalline transition of F-actin solutions.
abstract: The phase transition from the isotropic (I) to nematic (N) liquid crystalline suspension of F-actin of average length ł> or =3 microm was studied by local measurements of optical birefringence and protein concentration. Both parameters were detected to be continuous in the transition region, suggesting that the I-N transition is higher than first order. Thus we report experimental evidence for a continuous I-N transition for a suspension of rodlike macromolecules. Our findings are consistent with a recent theory by Lammert, Rokhsar, and Toner [Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 1650 (1993)], predicting that the I-N transition may become continuous due to suppression of disclinations.
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, Brown University, 184 Hope Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Viamontes
authors.forename: Jay X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D003460:Crystallization; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D000199:Actins