Open AccessInteractions of cartilage extracellular matrix macromolecules
Author(s) -
Horkay Ferenc
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of polymer science part b: polymer physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.65
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1099-0488
pISSN - 0887-6266
DOI - 10.1002/polb.23191
Subject(s) - aggrecan , cartilage , extracellular matrix , hyaluronic acid , proteoglycan , articular cartilage , macromolecule , osmotic pressure , chemistry , biophysics , tissue engineering , matrix (chemical analysis) , materials science , biomedical engineering , anatomy , biochemistry , composite material , osteoarthritis , biology , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
Articular cartilage is a low‐friction, load‐bearing tissue located at joint surfaces. The extracellular matrix (ECM) of cartilage consists of a fibrous collagen network, which is prestressed by the osmotic swelling pressure exerted by negatively charged proteoglycan (PG) aggregates embedded in the collagen network. The major PG is the bottlebrush‐shaped aggrecan, which forms complexes with linear hyaluronic acid (HA) chains. We quantify microscopic and macroscopic changes resulting from self‐assembly between aggrecan and HA using a complementary set of physical measurements to determine structure and interactions by combining scattering techniques, including small‐angle X‐ray scattering, small‐angle neutron scattering, and dynamic light scattering with macroscopic osmotic pressure measurements. It is demonstrated that the osmotic pressure that defines the load‐bearing ability of cartilage is primarily governed by the main macromolecular components (aggrecan and collagen) of the ECM. Knowledge of the interactions between the macromolecular components of cartilage ECM is essential to understand biological function and to develop successful tissue engineering strategies for cartilage repair. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012