Collagen breaks at weak sacrificial bonds taming its mechanoradicals

• Verfasst von: Rennekamp, Benedikt [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Karfusehr, Christoph [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Kurth, Markus [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Ünal, Aysecan [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Riedmiller, Kai [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Gryn’ova, Ganna [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Hudson, David M. [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Gräter, Frauke [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: Collagen breaks at weak sacrificial bonds taming its mechanoradicals
• Verf.angabe: Benedikt Rennekamp, Christoph Karfusehr, Markus Kurth, Aysecan Ünal, Kai Riedmiller, Ganna Gryn’ova, David M. Hudson, and Frauke Gräter
• E-Jahr: 2022
• Jahr: October 21, 2022
• Umfang: 17 S.
• Fussnoten: Gesehen am 27.03.2023
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: bioRxiv beta
• Ort Quelle: Cold Spring Harbor : Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, 2013
• Jahr Quelle: 2022
• Band/Heft Quelle: (2022), Artikel-ID 2022.10.17.512491, Seite 1-17
• DOI: doi:10.1101/2022.10.17.512491
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• Bibliogr. Hinweis: Forschungsdaten: Rennekamp, Benedikt, 1994 - : Collagen breaks at weak sacrificial bonds taming its mechanoradicals [data]
• K10plus-PPN: 1840135956

Abstract

Collagen is a force-bearing, hierarchical structural protein important to all connective tissue. In tendon collagen, high load even below macroscopic failure level creates mechanoradicals by homolytic bond scission, similar to polymers. The location and type of initial rupture sites critically decide on both the mechanical and chemical impact of these micro-ruptures on the tissue, but are yet to be explored. We here use scale-bridging simulations supported by gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to determine breakage points in collagen. We find collagen crosslinks, as opposed to the backbone, to harbor the weakest bonds, with one particular bond in trivalent crosslinks as the most dominant rupture site. We identify this bond as sacrificial, rupturing prior to other bonds while maintaining the material’s integrity. Also, collagen’s weak bonds funnel ruptures such that the potentially harmful mechanoradicals are readily stabilized. Our results suggest this unique failure mode of collagen to be tailored towards combatting an early onset of macroscopic failure and material ageing.