Regensburg 2025 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 17: Poster Session II

BP 17.72: Poster

Dienstag, 18. März 2025, 18:00–20:30, P4

Triacylglycerols affect the water content and cohesive strength of collagen fibrils — •Martin Dehnert, Tiberius Klose, Yang Pan, Dietrich R. T. Zahn, Maximilian Voigtländer, Johannes F. Teichert, and Robert Magerle — Fakultät für Naturwissenschaften, Technische Universität Chemnitz, Germany

Collagens, lipids, and water are among the major molecular components of connective tissue, but surprisingly little is known about their interactions in vivo. Here, we provide direct evidence that type I collagen fibrils extracted from chicken calcaneal tendon contain triacylglycerols (TAG), which influence the water content of the fibrils and act as plasticizers that affect the mechanical properties of the fibrils. We use organic solvents to dissolve lipids from native collagen fibrils and identify them as TAG using Raman spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy. Using atomic force microscopy-based 3D depth profiling, we quantify the changes in volume, water content, and indentation modulus of the fibrils caused by the removal of TAG at the single fibril level. Based on these findings, we propose a molecular model for the intercalation of TAG into collagen fibrils. The discovery of the biomechanical function of TAG is fundamental to understanding the role of lipids in collagen fibrils during development, aging, and disease.

Keywords: Collagen; Lipids; Nanomechanics; Atomic Force Microscopy; Force-Distance Data