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Tissue specific differences in fibrillin microfibrils analysed using single particle image analysis.

Yinhui Lu1, Michael J Sherratt, Ming-Chuan Wang

  • 1Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.

Journal of Structural Biology
|May 16, 2006
PubMed
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Fibrillin microfibrils provide elasticity to connective tissues. Structural analysis reveals conserved microfibril morphology across different tissues, suggesting fibrillin forms the basic scaffold.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Structural Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Fibrillin microfibrils are essential supramolecular protein polymers in mammalian connective tissues, crucial for elasticity and elastin deposition.
  • The precise molecular organization within microfibrils and the influence of associated proteins remain largely uncharacterized.
  • Tissue-specific variations in microfibril structure are yet to be determined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the ultrastructure of fibrillin microfibrils using advanced imaging techniques.
  • To determine if microfibril structure differs across various mammalian tissues.
  • To elucidate the role of associated proteins in microfibril organization.

Main Methods:

  • Low-dose electron microscopy (EM) was employed to image fibrillin microfibrils.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Single particle image analysis and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were utilized for structural determination.
  • Microfibrils from aorta, ciliary zonules, and vitreous humor were analyzed, with over 500 repeats averaged per sample.

    • Main Results:

    • The overall morphology of fibrillin microfibrils was found to be highly conserved across the studied tissues.
    • Minor variations were observed in the bead and shoulder regions of the microfibrils.
    • Averages revealed consistent structural patterns, indicating a fundamental fibrillin scaffold.

    Conclusions:

    • The conserved structure of isolated fibrillin microfibrils suggests they form a fundamental scaffold.
    • Microfibril-associated molecules may be lost during purification or play a minimal role in the core structure.
    • These findings provide insights into the structural basis of connective tissue elasticity.