Berlin 2012 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 7: Posters: Proteins

BP 7.34: Poster

Monday, March 26, 2012, 17:30–19:30, Poster A

Single molecule force spectroscopy of desmoglein-2-homocomplexes — •Verena Mohaupt¹, Volker Walhorn¹, Anna Gärtner², Hendrik Milting², and Dario Anselmetti¹ — ¹Experimental Biophysics & Applied Nanoscience, Bielefeld University, Germany — ²E. & H. Klessmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research & Development, Heart and Diabetes Centre NRW, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bad Oeyenhausen, Germany

Desmosomes are molecular complexes of cell-adhesion molecules and linking proteins that form the junction between adherent cells like heart muscle cells. These domains exhibit a high density of Ca²⁺-dependent cell adhesion proteins like desmoglein (DSG) or desmocollin (DSC). Notably, mutations in desmosomal proteins are often associated with inherent heart muscle disease like arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), which is the major cause of sudden cardiac death in adolescent and athletes.

We use atomic force microscopy (AFM) and AFM single molecule force spectroscopy (AFM-SMFS) to investigate and quantify the Ca²⁺-dependent bond strength of single DSG2-homocomlexes. Furthermore binding kinetics and reaction lengths can be deduced according to the Kramers-Bell-Evans model. The analysis and comparison of wildtype and mutant DSG2 with respect of insights to the processes of ARVC related heart muscle degeneration will be discussed.