Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Adhikari AS
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3320677 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Adhikari Arjun S AS Chai Jack J Dunn Alexander R AR
Journal of the American Chemical Society 20110119 6
Although mechanical stress is known to profoundly influence the composition and structure of the extracellular matrix (ECM), the mechanisms by which this regulation occurs remain poorly understood. We used a single-molecule magnetic tweezers assay to study the effect of force on collagen proteolysis by matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1). Here we show that the application of ∼10 pN in extensional force causes an ∼100-fold increase in proteolysis rates. Our results support a mechanistic model in w ...[more]