Editing Intermediate filament (section)

== Biomechanical properties ==

IFs are rather deformable proteins that can be stretched several times their initial length.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Herrmann H, Bär H, Kreplak L, Strelkov SV, Aebi U | title = Intermediate filaments: from cell architecture to nanomechanics | journal = Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology | volume = 8 | issue = 7 | pages = 562–73 | date = July 2007 | pmid = 17551517 | doi = 10.1038/nrm2197 | s2cid = 27115011 }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Qin Z, Kreplak L, Buehler MJ | title = Hierarchical structure controls nanomechanical properties of vimentin intermediate filaments | journal = PLOS ONE | volume = 4 | issue = 10 | pages = e7294 | date = October 2009 | pmid = 19806221 | pmc = 2752800 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0007294 | bibcode = 2009PLoSO...4.7294Q | doi-access = free }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Kreplak L, Fudge D | title = Biomechanical properties of intermediate filaments: from tissues to single filaments and back | journal = BioEssays | volume = 29 | issue = 1 | pages = 26–35 | date = January 2007 | pmid = 17187357 | doi = 10.1002/bies.20514 | s2cid = 6560740 }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Qin Z, Buehler MJ, Kreplak L | title = A multi-scale approach to understand the mechanobiology of intermediate filaments | journal = Journal of Biomechanics | volume = 43 | issue = 1 | pages = 15–22 | date = January 2010 | pmid = 19811783 | doi = 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2009.09.004 }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Qin Z, Kreplak L, Buehler MJ | title = Nanomechanical properties of vimentin intermediate filament dimers | journal = Nanotechnology | volume = 20 | issue = 42 | page = 425101 | date = October 2009 | pmid = 19779230 | doi = 10.1088/0957-4484/20/42/425101 | bibcode = 2009Nanot..20P5101Q | s2cid = 6870454 }}</ref> The key to facilitate this large deformation is due to their hierarchical structure, which facilitates a cascaded activation of deformation mechanisms at different levels of strain.<ref name="Qin2009" /> Initially the coupled alpha-helices of unit-length filaments uncoil as they're strained, then as the strain increases they transition into [[beta-sheet]]s, and finally at increased strain the hydrogen bonds between beta-sheets slip and the ULF monomers slide along each other.<ref name="Qin2009" />