What is "tropoelastin"

n. A water-soluble molecule that binds to form the protein elastin.

Tropoelastin is a water-soluble molecule with a molecular weight of approximately 72,000 daltons. Multiple tropoelastin molecules covalently bind together with crosslinks to form the protein elastin that is very prevalent in the body. There is only one gene for this molecule. However, alternative splicing does produce tissue specific elastin variants.

There are 36 small domains in Tropoelastin and each weighs about 2 kilo daltons. Within the exons, there are alternating hydrophobic and Lysine-rich domains that are important in forming Elastin. Tropoelastin does not undergo cleavage and formation of the microfibril is achieved by a self-association process termed coacervation.