An indentation-based framework for probing the glycosaminoglycan-mediated interactions of collagen fibrils.

ABSTRACT: Microscale deformation processes, such as reorientation, buckling, and sliding of collagen fibrils, determine the mechanical behavior and function of collagenous tissue. While changes in the structure and composition of tendon have been extensively studied, the deformation mechanisms that modulate the interaction of extracellular matrix (ECM) constituents are not well understood, partly due to the lack of appropriate techniques to probe the behavior. In particular, the role of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in modulating collagen fibril interactions has remained controversial. Some studies suggest that GAGs act as crosslinkers between the collagen fibrils, while others have not found such evidence and postulate that GAGs have other functions. Here, we introduce a new framework, relying on orien

SUBMITTER: Ostadi Moghaddam A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10061372 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature