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Cartilage aggrecan can undergo self-adhesion.

Lin Han¹, Delphine Dean, Laura A Daher

¹Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

Biophysical Journal

|August 5, 2008

Summary

Cartilage aggrecan (a macromolecule) self-adheres under compression, even with electrostatic repulsion. Calcium ions and hydrogen bonds enhance this adhesion, crucial for cartilage structure.

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Area of Science:

Biomaterials Science
Biophysics
Biochemistry

Background:

Aggrecan is a major component of cartilage extracellular matrix, providing hydration and resisting compression.
Its highly negatively charged nature typically leads to electrostatic repulsion, yet cartilage maintains structural integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the self-adhesion properties of aggrecan under physiologically relevant conditions.
To elucidate the role of calcium ions and solution conditions on aggrecan self-adhesion.

Main Methods:

Aggrecan was immobilized on gold-coated substrates and atomic force microscope probes.
Colloidal force spectroscopy was used to measure aggrecan-aggrecan adhesion in various NaCl and CaCl2 solutions.

Main Results:

Aggrecan self-adhesion increased with compression time, decreasing ionic strength, and increasing calcium (Ca2+) concentration.
Hydrogen bonding and physical entanglement of glycosaminoglycan chains contribute to adhesion.
Calcium ions mediate adhesion through ion-bridging effects.

Conclusions:

Aggrecan exhibits Ca(2+)-mediated self-adhesion, overcoming electrostatic repulsion.
This self-adhesion mechanism is vital for the structural integrity and self-assembly of the cartilage extracellular matrix.