Homeostatic maintenance via degradation and repair of elastic fibers under tension.

ABSTRACT: Cellular maintenance of the extracellular matrix requires an effective regulation that balances enzymatic degradation with the repair of collagen fibrils and fibers. Here, we investigate the long-term maintenance of elastic fibers under tension combined with diffusion of general degradative and regenerative particles associated with digestion and repair processes. Computational results show that homeostatic fiber stiffness can be achieved by assuming that cells periodically probe fiber stiffness to adjust the production and release of degradative and regenerative particles. However, this mechanism is unable to maintain a homogeneous fiber. To account for axial homogeneity, we introduce a robust control mechanism that is locally governed by how the binding affinity of particles is modulated

SUBMITTER: Alves C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4899696 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature