Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 17, 2026
Ensemble Force Spectroscopy by Shear Forces
Published on: July 26, 2022
Investigation of the heparin-thrombin interaction by dynamic force spectroscopy
Congzhou Wang1, Yingzi Jin2, Umesh R Desai2
1Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA 23284, United States.
Background:
The interaction between heparin and thrombin is a vital step in the blood (anti)coagulation process. Unraveling the molecular basis of the interactions is therefore extremely important in understanding the mechanisms of this complex biological process.
Methods:
In this study, we use a combination of an efficient thiolation chemistry of heparin, a self-assembled monolayer-based single molecule platform, and a dynamic force spectroscopy to provide new insights into the heparin-thrombin interaction from an energy viewpoint at the molecular scale.
Results:
Well-separated single molecules of heparin covalently attached to mixed self-assembled monolayers are demonstrated, whereby interaction forces with thrombin can be measured via atomic force microscopy-based spectroscopy. Further these interactions are studied at different loading rates and salt concentrations to directly obtain kinetic parameters.
Conclusions:
An increase in the loading rate shows a higher interaction force between the heparin and thrombin, which can be directly linked to the kinetic dissociation rate constant (koff). The stability of the heparin/thrombin complex decreased with increasing NaCl concentration such that the off-rate was found to be driven primarily by non-ionic forces.
General Significance:
These results contribute to understanding the role of specific and nonspecific forces that drive heparin-thrombin interactions under applied force or flow conditions.
