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Related Concept Videos

Glycosaminoglycans01:23

Glycosaminoglycans

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), also known as mucopolysaccharides, are long and linear polymers comprising of specific repeating disaccharides - the amino sugar that can be N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetylgalactosamine, and a uronic acid that is usually glucuronic acid or iduronic acid.
GAGS are found in the extracellular matrix of vertebrates, invertebrates, and bacteria. Due to their polar nature they attract water, and serve as excellent lubricants or shock absorbers in an animal body.
Hyaluronic...
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Polyacrylamide Gels for Invadopodia and Traction Force Assays on Cancer Cells
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Polyacrylamide Gels for Invadopodia and Traction Force Assays on Cancer Cells

Published on: January 4, 2015

Gel-like behavior in aggrecan assemblies.

Ferenc Horkay1, Peter J Basser, Anne-Marie Hecht

  • 1Section on Tissue Biophysics and Biomimetics, Laboratory of Integrative and Medical Biophysics, NICHD, National Institutes of Health, 13 South Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. horkay@helix.nih.gov

The Journal of Chemical Physics
|April 10, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) addition to aggrecan solutions enhances cartilage

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Preparation of 3D Collagen Gels and Microchannels for the Study of 3D Interactions In Vivo
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Preparation of 3D Collagen Gels and Microchannels for the Study of 3D Interactions In Vivo

Published on: May 9, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Materials Science
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Aggrecan, a bottlebrush-shaped polyelectrolyte, forms complexes with hyaluronic acid (HA).
  • These complexes are crucial for providing compressive resistance in cartilage.
  • Aggrecan alone self-assembles into aggregates in solution, influencing osmotic pressure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of hyaluronic acid (HA) on aggrecan aggregation and solution properties.
  • To understand how aggrecan-HA complexes influence osmotic pressure and load-bearing resistance.
  • To characterize the structural organization of aggrecan aggregates with and without HA.

Main Methods:

  • Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) to study aggregate behavior and microgel properties.
  • Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) for high-resolution structural analysis.
  • Neutron spin echo (NSE) to probe relaxation dynamics and diffusion modes.

Main Results:

  • HA addition initially reduces osmotic pressure but increases it at physiological concentrations.
  • Aggrecan aggregates behave as microgels that become denser with increasing concentration.
  • Individual aggrecan molecules retain their identity within microgels, with limited interpenetration.
  • Aggrecan-HA complexes exhibit denser and more uniform structures than aggrecan alone.

Conclusions:

  • Complexation with HA significantly modifies the long-range organization of aggrecan microgels.
  • The enhanced space-filling property of aggrecan-HA complexes optimizes resistance to osmotic compression.
  • These findings provide insights into the biomechanical function of aggrecan and HA in cartilage.