Mechanical and structural tricks worth mimicking in extracellular matrix proteins

细胞外基质蛋白中值得模仿的机械和结构技巧

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-06784
• 负责人: Gourdon, Delphine
• 金额: $ 3.42万
• 依托单位: University of Ottawa
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=632978
• 关键词: Mechanical; structural; tricks; worth; mimicking

Living cells sense and respond to their microenvironment through physical and chemical signals. Mechanical interactions are believed to control a number of cell functions such as division, migration and differentiation. In vivo, these interactions are determined both by the adjacent cells and by the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) fibrillar network. The behavior of the single proteins forming such supermolecular ECM structures has been studied extensively, but surprisingly the structural and mechanical properties of individual fibers—on the length scale of cells—together with the likely synergetic roles played by the different proteins present in the ECM have remained elusive. Elucidating the physical processes that govern the function of ECM proteins and their interactions with living cells (called mechanobiology) is a fertile field of research, as it represents a novel strategy for controlling living cell functions that can find numerous technological applications.

活细胞通过物理和化学信号感知微环境并对其做出反应。机械相互作用被认为控制着许多细胞功能，如分裂、迁移和分化。在体内，这些相互作用既由相邻细胞决定，也由周围的细胞外基质(ECM)纤维网络决定。形成这种超分子ECM结构的单个蛋白质的行为已经被广泛研究，但令人惊讶的是，单个纤维的结构和机械性能-在细胞长度的尺度上-以及存在于ECM中的不同蛋白质可能发挥的协同作用仍然难以捉摸。阐明控制ECM蛋白功能及其与活细胞相互作用的物理过程(称为机械生物学)是一个肥沃的研究领域，因为它代表了一种控制活细胞功能的新策略，可以找到许多技术应用。