Probing collagen/enzyme mechanochemistry in native tissue with dynamic, enzyme-induced creep.

ABSTRACT: Mechanical strain or stretch of collagen has been shown to be protective of fibrils against both thermal and enzymatic degradation. The details of this mechanochemical relationship could change our understanding of load-bearing tissue formation, growth, maintenance, and disease in vertebrate animals. However, extracting a quantitative relationship between strain and the rate of enzymatic degradation is extremely difficult in bulk tissue due to confounding diffusion effects. In this investigation, we develop a dynamic, enzyme-induced creep assay and diffusion/reaction rate scaling arguments to extract a lower bound on the relationship between strain and the cutting rate of bacterial collagenase (BC) at low strains. The assay method permits continuous, forced probing of enzyme-induced strain

SUBMITTER: Zareian R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3712121 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature