Berlin 2008 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 13: Biopolymers
BP 13.4: Vortrag
Dienstag, 26. Februar 2008, 18:00–18:15, PC 203
Modelling of individual Hyaluronan-Aggrecan Complexes in the Extracellular Matrix — •Marcel Hellmann1,2, Matthias Weiss2, and Dieter W. Heermann1 — 1Institut für Theoretische Physik, Philosophenweg 19, Universität Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany — 2Cellular Biophysics Group, German Cancer Research Center, Bioquant Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
The extracellular matrix (ECM) forms a protective layer of varying thickness around mammalian cells that acts as a rampart against potentially hostile invaders. To a large extent, the ECM consists of flexible hyaluronan (HA) filaments anchored in the cell’s plasma membrane with rather rigid aggrecan complexes radially attached. In order to elucidate the influence of aggrecans on the ECM thickness, we have studied the behavior of an end-grafted, flexible polymer backbone with a single rigid side chain by means of Monte Carlo simulations.
We have found that already an individual flexible backbone with a single rigid side chain shows appreciable conformational changes compared to an undisturbed flexible chain: Depending on the side chain length (S) and the branching site (b), the backbone (length N) stretches from a mushroom-like to a more brush-like configuration. For b=N, i.e., when attaching the side chain to the free end of the backbone, the effect is strongest. Our data indicate that the thickness of the ECM may be tuned by simply altering the attachment of aggrecans to the HA backbone.