Studies on Some Wool Components : Skin Flakes, Cuticle, and Cell Membrane Material

Abstract

When wool is vigorously shaken in formic acid, initially, the skin flakes and; later on, cuticle cells are liberated with a dissolution of some wool protein. The rate of release of skin flakes and dissolution of protein is increased with increasing periods of shaking wool in formic acid. The cuticle is isolated by ultrasonication of wool in formic acid. Amino acid compositions of wool and its components are determined and discussed in terms of helix and nonhelix indices, a degree of polarity, and cystine content. Skin flakes contain only cysteic acid but no cystine, double the amount of aspartic acid, half the ambunt of proline and tyrosine, and more glycine than the respective amino acids present in cuticle. Electron microscope studies revealed that the skin flakes and cuticle differ from each other in their structural features.