Ring-Mesh Model of Proteoglycan Glycosaminoglycan Chains in Tendon based on Three-dimensional Reconstruction by Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy.

ABSTRACT: Tendons are composed of collagen fibrils and proteoglycan predominantly consisting of decorin. Decorin is located on the d-band of collagen fibrils, and its glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains have been observed between collagen fibrils with transmission electron microscopy. GAG chains have been proposed to interact with each other or with collagen fibrils, but its three-dimensional organization remains unclear. In this report, we used focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy to examine the three-dimensional organization of the GAG chain in the Achilles tendon of mature rats embedded in epoxy resin after staining with Cupromeronic blue, which specifically stains GAG chains. We used 250 serial back-scattered electron images of longitudinal sections with a 10-nm interval for reconstruction.

SUBMITTER: Watanabe T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5095423 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature