Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 8: Posters: Protein Structure \& Dynamics

BP 8.6: Poster

Monday, March 14, 2011, 17:15–20:00, P3

Investigation of self-assembled desmin filament networks by atomic force microscopy — •Mareike Dieding¹, Volker Walhorn¹, Andreas Brodehl², Hendrik Milting², and Dario Anselmetti¹ — ¹Experimentelle Biophysik und Angewandte Nanowissenschaften, Fakultaet für Physik, Universitaet Bielefeld, Universitaetsstr. 25, D-33615 Bielefeld — ²Herz- & Diabeteszentrum NRW, E. & H. Klessmann-Institut fuer Kardiovaskulaere Forschung und Entwicklung, Georgstr. 11, D-32545 Bad Oeynhausen

Arrythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inherited heart muscle disease, frequently accompanied by sudden cardiac death and terminal heart failure.

Various point mutations of the intermediate filament desmin are potential candidates for the trigger factor [1]. Desmin serves as a mechanical integrator of neighboring Z-discs in the sarcomere and also as an important structural component of the intercalated disc by binding to desmosomal plaque proteins.

We investigated the self-assembled desmin network structure by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) under ambient conditions in topographic experiments. We were able to reveal various mutation specific structural defects in the desmin network. Our in vitro results are supporting additional in vivo confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) studies of desmin-transfected cells.

[1] B. Klauke et al., De novo desmin-mutation N116S is associated with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, Hum. Mol. Genet. 19 (23), 2010