Forisome

Forisomes are proteins occurring in the sieve tubes of Fabaceae. Their molecules are about 1-3 µm wide and 10-30 µm long. They expand and contract anisotropically in response to changes of electric field, pH, or concentration of Ca²⁺ ions. Unlike most other moving proteins, the change is not dependent on ATP.

Forisomes function as valves in sieve tubes of the phloem system, by reversibly changing shape between low-volume ordered crystalloid spindles and high-volume disordered spherical conformations. The change from ordered to disordered conformation involves tripling of the protein's volume, loss of birefringence present in the crystalline phase, 120% radial expansion and 30% longitudinal shrinkage. In Vicia it was shown that forisomes are associated to the endoplasmic reticulum at sieve plates. There are evidences that the forisomes's behavior could depend on Ca²⁺ changes provoked by Ca²⁺-permeable ion channels, located on the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane of sieve elements.[1] responsible for shape changes.

Forisomes have possible applications as biomimetic smart materials (e.g. valves in microdevices) or smart composite materials.