Regensburg 2004 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help

SYLS: Life Sciences on the Nanometer Scale - Physics Meets Biology

SYLS 3: Symposium "Life Sciences on the Nanometer Scale - Physics Meets Biology"

SYLS 3.2: Poster

Wednesday, March 10, 2004, 16:00–18:30, B

Modulation of the Nanoscale-Structure of Fibronectin Fibrils — •Tilo Pompe — Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V. & Max-Bergmann-Zentrum für Biomaterialien Dresden

The protein fibronectin is a major component of the extracellular matrix providing cells with binding sites to the surrounding tissue. The formation of fibrils from single fibronectin molecules is a complex process which includes binding of cell receptors, like integrins, conformational changes of fibronectin by mechanical forces exerted from the cell, and polymerisation of fibronectin molecules at newly exposed binding sites. Scanning force microscopy analysis revealed that early stages of fibronectin fibrillogenesis are controlled by the binding strength of fibronectin molecules to the underlying polymer substrate. Furthermore, the nano-structure of the fibrils exhibits characteristic distances between small fibrils with a distinct periodicity of 73 nm. The periodic spacing implies a mechanism of the fibrillogenesis process directly related to the force applied to the protein via the cytoskeleton of the cell.