Optical Spectroscopic Investigations of Human Elastins Molecular Conformations

Elastin is an insoluble, highly hydrophobic and fluorescent, cross linked macropolymer of tropoelastin molecules which forms fibres endowing tissues with elasticity [1]. We recently described bovine elastin as a polymer of all-β globular tropoelastin molecules, consistent with a liquid drop architecture for the tridimensional elastin network [2]. This work reports the first molecular structural characterisations (by using optical spectroscopies) of human insoluble elastins and soluble elastin peptides.