Nature designs tough collagen: explaining the nanostructure of collagen fibrils

Rheology of heterotypic collagen networks

Collagen fibrils are the main structural element of connective tissues. In many tissues, these fibrils contain two fibrillar collagens (types I and V) in a ratio that changes during tissue development, regeneration, and various diseases. Here we investigate the influence of collagen composition on the structure and rheology of networks of purified collagen I and V, combining fluorescence and atomic force microscopy, turbidimetry, and rheometry. We demonstrate that the network stiffness strongly decreases with increasing collagen V content, even though the network structure does not substantially change. We compare the rheological data with theoretical models for rigid polymers and find that the elasticity is dominated by nonaffine deformations. There is no analytical theory describing this regime, hampering a quantitative interpretation of the influence of collagen V. Our findings are relevant for understanding molecular origins of tissue biomechanics and for guiding rational design of collagenous biomaterials for biomedical applications.

Elastin-like protein matrix reinforced with collagen microfibers for soft tissue repair

Artificial composites designed to mimic the structure and properties of native extracellular matrix may lead to acellular materials for soft tissue repair and replacement, which display mechanical strength, stiffness, and resilience resembling native tissue. We describe the fabrication of thin lamellae consisting of continuous collagen microfiber embedded at controlled orientations and densities in a recombinant elastin-like protein polymer matrix. Multilamellar stacking affords flexible, protein-based composite sheets whose properties are dependent upon both the elastomeric matrix and collagen content and organization. Sheets are produced with properties that range over 13-fold in elongation to break (23-314%), six-fold in Young's modulus (5.3-33.1 MPa), and more than two-fold in tensile strength (1.85-4.08 MPa), exceeding that of a number of native human tissues, including urinary bladder, pulmonary artery, and aorta. A sheet approximating the mechanical response of human abdominal wall fascia is investigated as a fascial substitute for ventral hernia repair. Protein-based composite patches prevent hernia recurrence in Wistar rats over an 8-week period with new tissue formation and sustained structural integrity.

Statistical model with two order parameters for ductile and soft fiber bundles in nanoscience and biomaterials

Traditional fiber bundles models (FBMs) have been an effective tool to understand brittle heterogeneous systems. However, fiber bundles in modern nano- and bioapplications demand a new generation of FBM capturing more complex deformation processes in addition to damage. In the context of loose bundle systems and with reference to time-independent plasticity and soft biomaterials, we formulate a generalized statistical model for ductile fracture and nonlinear elastic problems capable of handling more simultaneous deformation mechanisms by means of two order parameters (as opposed to one). As the first rational FBM for coupled damage problems, it may be the cornerstone for advanced statistical models of heterogeneous systems in nanoscience and materials design, especially to explore hierarchical and bio-inspired concepts in the arena of nanobiotechnology. Applicative examples are provided for illustrative purposes at last, discussing issues in inverse analysis (i.e., nonlinear elastic polymer fiber and ductile Cu submicron bars arrays) and direct design (i.e., strength prediction).

Characterization of biomodified dentin matrices for potential preventive and reparative therapies

Biomodification of existing hard tissue structures, specifically tooth dentin, is an innovative approach proposed to improve the biomechanical and biochemical properties of tissue for potential preventive or reparative therapies. The objectives of the study were to systematically characterize dentin matrices biomodified by proanthocyanidin-rich grape seed extract (GSE) and glutaraldehyde (GD). Changes to the biochemistry and biomechanical properties were assessed by several assays to investigate the degree of interaction, biodegradation rates, proteoglycan interaction, and effect of collagen fibril orientation and environmental conditions on the tensile properties. The highest degree of agent-dentin interaction was observed with GSE, which exhibited the highest denaturation temperature, regardless of the agent concentration. Biodegradation rates decreased remarkably following biomodification of dentin matrices after 24h collagenase digestion. A significant decrease in the proteoglycan content of GSE-treated samples was observed using a micro-assay for glycosaminoglycans and histological electron microscopy, while no changes were observed for GD and the control. The tensile strength properties of GD-biomodified dentin matrices were affected by dentin tubule orientation, most likely due to the orientation of the collagen fibrils. Higher and/or increased stability of the tensile properties of GD- and GSE-treated samples were observed following exposure to collagenase and 8 months water storage. Biomodification of dentin matrices using chemical agents not only affects the collagen biochemistry, but also involves interaction with proteoglycans. Tissue biomodifiers interact differently with dentin matrices and may provide the tissue with enhanced preventive and restorative/reparative abilities.

Salicin regulates the expression of functional 'youth gene clusters' to reflect a more youthful gene expression profile

There are a variety of biological mechanisms that contribute to specific characteristics of ageing skin; for example, the loss of skin structure proteins, increased susceptibility to UV-induced pigmentation and/or loss of hydration. Each of these biological processes is influenced by specific groups of genes. In this research, we have identified groups of genes associated with specific clinical signs of skin ageing and refer to these as functional 'youth gene clusters'. In this study, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to investigate the effects of topical application of salicin in regulating the expression of functional 'youth gene clusters' to reflect a more youthful skin profile and reduce the appearance of attributes associated with skin ageing. Results showed that salicin significantly influences the gene expression profiles of treated human equivalent full-thickness skin, by regulating the expression of genes associated with various biological processes involving skin structure, skin hydration, pigmentation and cellular differentiation. Based on the findings from this experiment, salicin was identified as a key ingredient that may regulate functional 'youth gene clusters' to reflect a more youthful gene expression profile by increasing the expression of genes responsible for youthful skin and decreasing the expression of genes responsible for the appearance of aged skin.

Bone nodules on chitosan-polygalacturonic acid-hydroxyapatite nanocomposite films mimic hierarchy of natural bone

The ultimate goal of bone tissue engineering is to develop bony tissues on tissue engineered constructs that mimic the native bone. Nanoscale characterization of in vitro generated bony tissues on engineered scaffolds is essential to understanding both the physical and mechanical characteristics of the engineered bone. Bone nodule formation, a typical early indicator of bone formation was observed on chitosan-polygalacturonic acid-hydroxyapatite (Chi-PgA-HAP) nanocomposite films without the use of differentiating media. Thus, the Chi-PgA-HAP substrates designed are osteoinductive and provide an appropriate microenvironment for cell organization and tissue regeneration. Imaging using atomic force microscopy revealed several levels of hierarchical structures of bone in the bone nodules, consisting of mineralized collagen fibers, fibrils and mineral deposits in extrafibrillar spaces. The nanoscale elastic properties of the collagen and mineral crystals were found to be in close agreement with the experimental and simulations results on natural bone reported in the literature. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy experiments indicate the presence of collagen and biological apatite in bone nodules exhibiting the characteristics of newly precipitated, immature bone. Collectively, our structural, chemical, and mechanical analyses support the conclusion that synthetic bone nodules mimic the hierarchy of natural bone.

The molecular origins of the mechanical properties of fibrin

When normal blood circulation is compromised by damage to vessel walls, clots are formed at the site of injury. These clots prevent bleeding and support wound healing. To sustain such physiological functions, clots are remarkably extensible and elastic. Fibrin fibers provide the supporting framework of blood clots, and the properties of these fibers underlie the mechanical properties of clots. Recent studies, which examined individual fibrin fibers or cylindrical fibrin clots, have shown that the mechanical properties of fibrin depend on the mechanical properties of the individual fibrin monomers. Within the fibrin monomer, three structures could contribute to these properties: the coiled-coil connectors the folded globular nodules and the relatively unstructured αC regions. Experimental data suggest that each of these structures contributes. Here we review the recent work with a focus on the molecular origins of the remarkable biomechanical properties of fibrin clots.

Mechanical Principles of a Self-Similar Hierarchical Structure

Natural materials such as bone, shell, tendon and the attachment system of gecko exhibit multi-scale hierarchical structures. Here we summarize some recent studies on an idealized self-similar hierarchical model of bone and bone-like materials, and discuss mechanical principles of self-similar hierarchy, in particular to show how the characteristic length, aspect ratio and density at each hierarchical level can be selected to achieve flaw tolerance and superior stiffness and toughness across scale. Tel.: (401) 863-2626; Email address:

A novel collagen/hydroxyapatite/poly(lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) biodegradable and bioactive 3D porous scaffold for bone regeneration

The goal of this study was to design a nontoxic scaffold with both composition and microstructure suitable for bone engineering using collagen (Coll), hydroxyapatite (HA), and poly(lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL). Mineralized type I Coll was produced by direct nucleation of HA particles inside self-assembled Coll fibers to obtain a Coll/HA complex, which was then added to dissolved PLCL (70:30) in 1,4-dioxane. A 3D porous Coll/HA/PLCL scaffold was subsequently produced through freeze-drying/lyophilization and salt-leaching procedures. The resulting Coll/HA/PLCL scaffold displayed a high uniform porosity and highly interconnected pores. X-ray photoelectron spectrometer and Fourier transform infrared analyses revealed the presence of both collagen and HA particles on the surface of the Coll/HA/PLCL scaffold. Proliferation assay, microscopic observations, and gene analysis with quantitative RT-PCR showed that osteoblast cells were able to attach, proliferate, and maintain an osteoblastlike phenotype when cultured on the Coll/HA/PLCL scaffold. In summary, we produced a nontoxic scaffold that contains natural polymers (Coll and HA) and synthetic polymer (PLCL). Through its chemical composition and porous morphology, this scaffold may be useful for osteoblast growth, differentiation, and bone tissue formation.

Evidence that αC region is origin of low modulus, high extensibility, and strain stiffening in fibrin fibers

Fibrin fibers form the structural scaffold of blood clots and perform the mechanical task of stemming blood flow. Several decades of investigation of fibrin fiber networks using macroscopic techniques have revealed remarkable mechanical properties. More recently, the microscopic origins of fibrin's mechanics have been probed through direct measurements on single fibrin fibers and individual fibrinogen molecules. Using a nanomanipulation system, we investigated the mechanical properties of individual fibrin fibers. The fibers were stretched with the atomic force microscope, and stress-versus-strain data was collected for fibers formed with and without ligation by the activated transglutaminase factor XIII (FXIIIa). We observed that ligation with FXIIIa nearly doubled the stiffness of the fibers. The stress-versus-strain behavior indicates that fibrin fibers exhibit properties similar to other elastomeric biopolymers. We propose a mechanical model that fits our observed force extension data, is consistent with the results of the ligation data, and suggests that the large observed extensibility in fibrin fibers is mediated by the natively unfolded regions of the molecule. Although some models attribute fibrin's force-versus-extension behavior to unfolding of structured regions within the monomer, our analysis argues that these models are inconsistent with the measured extensibility and elastic modulus.

In vitro fracture testing of submicron diameter collagen fibril specimens

Mechanical testing of collagenous tissues at different length scales will provide improved understanding of the mechanical behavior of structures such as skin, tendon, and bone, and also guide the development of multiscale mechanical models. Using a microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) platform, stress-strain response curves up to failure of type I collagen fibril specimens isolated from the dermis of sea cucumbers were obtained in vitro. A majority of the fibril specimens showed brittle fracture. Some displayed linear behavior up to failure, while others displayed some nonlinearity. The fibril specimens showed an elastic modulus of 470 ± 410 MPa, a fracture strength of 230 ± 160 MPa, and a fracture strain of 80% ± 44%. The fibril specimens displayed significantly lower elastic modulus in vitro than previously measured in air. Fracture strength/strain obtained in vitro and in air are both significantly larger than those obtained in vacuo, indicating that the difference arises from the lack of intrafibrillar water molecules produced by vacuum drying. Furthermore, fracture strength/strain of fibril specimens were different from those reported for collagenous tissues of higher hierarchical levels, indicating the importance of obtaining these properties at the fibrillar level for multiscale modeling.

Materiomics: biological protein materials, from nano to macro

Materiomics is an emerging field of science that provides a basis for multiscale material system characterization, inspired in part by natural, for example, protein-based materials. Here we outline the scope and explain the motivation of the field of materiomics, as well as demonstrate the benefits of a materiomic approach in the understanding of biological and natural materials as well as in the design of de novo materials. We discuss recent studies that exemplify the impact of materiomics - discovering Nature's complexity through a materials science approach that merges concepts of material and structure throughout all scales and incorporates feedback loops that facilitate sensing and resulting structural changes at multiple scales. The development and application of materiomics is illustrated for the specific case of protein-based materials, which constitute the building blocks of a variety of biological systems such as tendon, bone, skin, spider silk, cells, and tissue, as well as natural composite material systems (a combination of protein-based and inorganic constituents) such as nacre and mollusk shells, and other natural multiscale systems such as cellulose-based plant and wood materials. An important trait of these materials is that they display distinctive hierarchical structures across multiple scales, where molecular details are exhibited in macroscale mechanical responses. Protein materials are intriguing examples of materials that balance multiple tasks, representing some of the most sustainable material solutions that integrate structure and function despite severe limitations in the quality and quantity of material building blocks. However, up until now, our attempts to analyze and replicate Nature's materials have been hindered by our lack of fundamental understanding of these materials' intricate hierarchical structures, scale-bridging mechanisms, and complex material components that bestow protein-based materials their unique properties. Recent advances in analytical tools and experimental methods allow a holistic view of such a hierarchical biological material system. The integration of these approaches and amalgamation of material properties at all scale levels to develop a complete description of a material system falls within the emerging field of materiomics. Materiomics is the result of the convergence of engineering and materials science with experimental and computational biology in the context of natural and synthetic materials. Through materiomics, fundamental advances in our understanding of structure-property-process relations of biological systems contribute to the mechanistic understanding of certain diseases and facilitate the development of novel biological, biologically inspired, and completely synthetic materials for applications in medicine (biomaterials), nanotechnology, and engineering.

Antioxidative peptides derived from enzyme hydrolysis of bone collagen after microwave assisted acid pre-treatment and nitrogen protection

This study focused on the preparation method of antioxidant peptides by enzymatic hydrolysis of bone collagen after microwave assisted acid pre-treatment and nitrogen protection. Phosphoric acid showed the highest ability of hydrolysis among the four other acids tested (hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and/or citric acid). The highest degree of hydrolysis (DH) was 9.5% using 4 mol/L phosphoric acid with a ratio of 1:6 under a microwave intensity of 510 W for 240 s. Neutral proteinase gave higher DH among the four protease tested (Acid protease, neutral protease, Alcalase and papain), with an optimum condition of: (1) ratio of enzyme and substrate, 4760 U/g; (2) concentration of substrate, 4%; (3) reaction temperature, 55 °C and (4) pH 7.0. At 4 h, DH increased significantly (P < 0.01) under nitrogen protection compared with normal microwave assisted acid pre-treatment hydrolysis conditions. The antioxidant ability of the hydrolysate increased and reached its maximum value at 3 h; however DH decreased dramatically after 3 h. Microwave assisted acid pre-treatment and nitrogen protection could be a quick preparatory method for hydrolyzing bone collagen.

Multimodal imaging to study the morphochemistry of basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is the most abundant malignant neoplasm in humans, the pathology of which is characterized by an abnormal proliferation of basal cells. Basal cell carcinoma can show a variety of different morphologies, which are based on different cellular biology. Furthermore, the carcinoma often grows invisibly to the eye imbedded in the surrounding skin. Therefore, in some cases its clinical detection is challenging. Thus, our work aims at establishing an unsupervised tissue classification method based on multimodal imaging and the application of chemometrics to discriminate basal cell carcinoma from non-diseased tissue. A case study applying multimodal imaging to ex-vivo sections of basal cell carcinoma is presented. In doing so, we apply a combination of various linear and non-linear imaging modalities, i.e. fluorescence, Raman and second-harmonic generation microscopy, to study the morphochemistry of basal cell carcinoma. The joint information content obtained by such multimodal approach in studying various aspects of the malignant tissue alterations associated with basal cell carcinoma is discussed.

Forcing form and function: biomechanical regulation of tumor evolution

Cancer cells exist in a constantly evolving tissue microenvironment of diverse cell types within a proteinaceous extracellular matrix. As tumors evolve, the physical forces within this complex microenvironment change, with pleiotropic effects on both cell- and tissue-level behaviors. Recent work suggests that these biomechanical factors direct tissue development and modulate tissue homeostasis, and, when altered, crucially influence tumor evolution. In this review, we discuss the biomechanical regulation of cell and tissue homeostasis from the molecular, cellular and tissue levels, including how modifications of this physical dialogue could contribute to cancer etiology. Because of the broad impact of biomechanical factors on cell and tissue functions, an understanding of tumor evolution from the biomechanical perspective should improve risk assessment, clinical diagnosis and the efficacy of cancer treatment.

On optimal hierarchy of load-bearing biological materials

Load-bearing biological materials such as shell, mineralized tendon and bone exhibit two to seven levels of structural hierarchy based on constituent materials (biominerals and proteins) of relatively poor mechanical properties. A key question that remains unanswered is what determines the number of hierarchical levels in these materials. Here we develop a quasi-self-similar hierarchical model to show that, depending on the mineral content, there exists an optimal level of structural hierarchy for maximal toughness of biocomposites. The predicted optimal levels of hierarchy and cooperative deformation across multiple structural levels are in excellent agreement with experimental observations.

Anisotropic Raman scattering in collagen bundles

Collagen is the main connective tissue protein of vertebrates and shows exceptional mechanical and optical properties. The alignment of collagen fibrils correlates to the function of a specific tissue and leads to optical anisotropy. The effect of the molecular alignment on Raman scattering, however, has barely been investigated. We found that the peak intensities of the C-C, C=O, and N-H vibrational modes, which are typical for the Raman bands of the protein backbone, change with the orientation of the collagen fibrils. These observations demonstrate that Raman spectra contain specific information regarding molecular and fiber alignment.

Improved mechanical stability of dried collagen membrane after metal infiltration

A few percent of transition metals impregnated inside some biological organisms in nature remarkably improve such organisms' mechanical stability. Although the lure to emulate them for development of new biomimetic structural materials has been great, the practical advances have been rare because of the lack of proper synthetic approaches. Multiple pulsed vapor phase infiltration proved successful for the preparation of such transition metal impregnated materials with highly improved mechanical stability. The artificially infiltrated metals (Al, Ti, or Zn) from gas phase lead to around 3 times increase of toughness (in terms of breaking energy) of natural collagen in a dried state. In addition, the infiltrated metals apparently induce considerable crystallographic changes in the natural collagen structures. This infiltration approach can be used as guide for the synthesis of bioinspired structural materials related to metal infiltration.

Synthesis, characterization and ab initio simulation of magnesium-substituted hydroxyapatite

The substitution of magnesium in hydroxyapatite (HA) was examined in HA nano-crystals synthesized by the wet-chemical precipitation method at 90 degrees C. Comprehensive characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, field emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and Rietveld refinement, provided experimental evidence of the effects of Mg substitution on the phase, crystallinity, chemical composition, crystal size, morphology, thermal stability and crystal lattice structure of HA. A computational study using ab initio generalized gradient approximation density functional theory was performed to reveal changes in lattice parameters and preferential calcium sites for Mg substitution in HA. The experimental results showed that a limited amount of Mg (Mg/(Mg+Ca) between 5 and 7 mol.%) could successfully substitute for Ca in HA. HA crystallites became smaller and more irregular, and they formed greater agglomerates with Mg substitution. Mg substitution resulted in decreases in the crystallinity and thermal stability of HA. The lattice constants, a and c, decreased with increasing Mg substitution. The simulation results revealed that the Ca(1) sites in HA lattices were energetically favored sites for Mg substitution.

Fibrillogenesis in continuously spun synthetic collagen fiber

The universal structural role of collagen fiber networks has motivated the development of collagen gels, films, coatings, injectables, and other formulations. However, reported synthetic collagen fiber fabrication schemes have either culminated in short, discontinuous fiber segments at unsuitably low production rates, or have incompletely replicated the internal fibrillar structure that dictates fiber mechanical and biological properties. We report a continuous extrusion system with an off-line phosphate buffer incubation step for the manufacture of synthetic collagen fiber. Fiber with a cross-section of 53+ or - 14 by 21 + or - 3 microm and an ultimate tensile strength of 94 + or - 19 MPa was continuously produced at 60 m/hr from an ultrafiltered monomeric collagen solution. The effect of collagen solution concentration, flow rate, and spinneret size on fiber size was investigated. The fiber was further characterized by microdifferential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), second harmonic generation (SHG) analysis, and in a subcutaneous murine implant model. Calorimetry demonstrated stabilization of the collagen triple helical structure, while TEM and SHG revealed a dense, axially aligned D-periodic fibril structure throughout the fiber cross-section. Implantation of glutaraldehyde crosslinked and noncrosslinked fiber in the subcutaneous tissue of mice demonstrated limited inflammatory response and biodegradation after a 6-week implant period.

Structural hierarchy governs fibrin gel mechanics

Fibrin gels are responsible for the mechanical strength of blood clots, which are among the most resilient protein materials in nature. Here we investigate the physical origin of this mechanical behavior by performing rheology measurements on reconstituted fibrin gels. We find that increasing levels of shear strain induce a succession of distinct elastic responses that reflect stretching processes on different length scales. We present a theoretical model that explains these observations in terms of the unique hierarchical architecture of the fibers. The fibers are bundles of semiflexible protofibrils that are loosely connected by flexible linker chains. This architecture makes the fibers 100-fold more flexible to bending than anticipated based on their large diameter. Moreover, in contrast with other biopolymers, fibrin fibers intrinsically stiffen when stretched. The resulting hierarchy of elastic regimes explains the incredible resilience of fibrin clots against large deformations.

Deformation micromechanisms of collagen fibrils under uniaxial tension

Collagen, an essential building block of connective tissues, possesses useful mechanical properties due to its hierarchical structure. However, little is known about the mechanical properties of collagen fibril, an intermediate structure between the collagen molecule and connective tissue. Here, we report the results of systematic molecular dynamics simulations to probe the mechanical response of initially unflawed finite size collagen fibrils subjected to uniaxial tension. The observed deformation mechanisms, associated with rupture and sliding of tropocollagen molecules, are strongly influenced by fibril length, width and cross-linking density. Fibrils containing more than approximately 10 molecules along their length and across their width behave as representative volume elements and exhibit brittle fracture. Shorter fibrils experience a more graceful ductile-like failure. An analytical model is constructed and the results of the molecular modelling are used to find curve-fitted expressions for yield stress, yield strain and fracture strain as functions of fibril structural parameters. Our results for the first time elucidate the size dependence of mechanical failure properties of collagen fibrils. The associated molecular deformation mechanisms allow the full power of traditional material and structural engineering theory to be applied to our understanding of the normal and pathological mechanical behaviours of collagenous tissues under load.

Nanostructure and mechanics of mummified type I collagen from the 5300-year-old Tyrolean Iceman

Skin protects the body from pathogens and degradation. Mummified skin in particular is extremely resistant to decomposition. External influences or the action of micro-organisms, however, can degrade the connective tissue and lay the subjacent tissue open. To determine the degree of tissue preservation in mummified human skin and, in particular, the reason for its durability, we investigated the structural integrity of its main protein, type I collagen. We extracted samples from the Neolithic glacier mummy known as ‘the Iceman’. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed collagen fibrils that had characteristic banding patterns of 69 ± 5 nm periodicity. Both the microstructure and the ultrastructure of dermal collagen bundles and fibrils were largely unaltered and extremely well preserved by the natural conservation process. Raman spectra of the ancient collagen indicated that there were no significant modifications in the molecular structure. However, AFM nanoindentation measurements showed slight changes in the mechanical behaviour of the fibrils. Young's modulus of single mummified fibrils was 4.1 ± 1.1 GPa, whereas the elasticity of recent collagen averages 3.2 ± 1.0 GPa. The excellent preservation of the collagen indicates that dehydration owing to freeze-drying of the collagen is the main process in mummification and that the influence of the degradation processes can be addressed, even after 5300 years.

The influence of discoidin domain receptor 2 on the persistence length of collagen type I fibers

Collagen fibers in the vertebrate tissue are responsible for its tensile strength. A disruption in the morphological or mechanical properties of collagen fibers is bound to impact tensile strength and contractility of tissues and affect several cellular processes. We had recently established that binding of discoidin domain receptor (DDR2) with collagen type I results in disruption of the native structure and morphology of collagen fibers. In this study we investigate if DDR2 affects the mechanical properties of collagen fibers. We used an analytical approach to determine the persistence length (P(L)) of collagen fibers from transmission electron microscope images of immobilized collagen. Fluctuations in the curvature of collagen fibers formed in-vitro (with or without recombinant DDR2) were analyzed to ascertain their P(L). The P(L) values and fiber-diameter measurements were utilized to estimate Young's Modulus (E) of collagen fibers. Our results show that DDR2 significantly reduced P(L) and E of collagen fibers. We further found that P(L) for native collagen fibers increases as a function of collagen concentration with little dependence on fiber diameter. These results signify a physiological role of DDR2 in modulating extracellular matrix stiffness, which may be of relevance for tissue engineering and medical implants especially in diseases where DDR2 is upregulated.

Mechanistic insight into the function of the C-terminal PKD domain of the collagenolytic serine protease deseasin MCP-01 from deep sea Pseudoalteromonas sp. SM9913: binding of the PKD domain to collagen results in collagen swelling but does not unwind the collagen triple helix

Deseasin MCP-01 is a bacterial collagenolytic serine protease. Its catalytic domain alone can degrade collagen, and its C-terminal PKD domain is a collagen-binding domain (CBD) that can improve the collagenolytic efficiency of the catalytic domain by an unknown mechanism. Here, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), zeta potential, and circular dichroism spectroscopy were used to clarify the functional mechanism of the PKD domain in MCP-01 collagenolysis. The PKD domain observably swelled insoluble collagen. Its collagen-swelling ability and its improvement to the collagenolysis of the catalytic domain are both temperature-dependent. SEM observation showed the PKD domain swelled collagen fascicles with an increase of their diameter from 5.3 mum to 8.8 mum after 1 h of treatment, and the fibrils forming the fascicles were dispersed. AFM observation directly showed that the PKD domain bound collagen, swelled the microfibrils, and exposed the monomers. The PKD mutant W36A neither bound collagen nor disturbed its structure. Zeta potential results demonstrated that PKD treatment increased the net positive charges of the collagen surface. PKD treatment caused no change in the content or the thermostability of the collagen triple helix. Furthermore, the PKD-treated collagen could not be degraded by gelatinase. Therefore, though the triple helix monomers were exposed, the PKD domain could not unwind the collagen triple helix. Our study reveals the functional mechanism of the PKD domain of the collagenolytic serine protease MCP-01 in collagen degradation, which is distinct from that of the CBDs of mammalian matrix metalloproteases.

Energy landscape, structure and rate effects on strength properties of alpha-helical proteins

The strength of protein domains is crucial to identify the mechanical role of protein domains in biological processes such as mechanotransduction, tissue mechanics and tissue remodeling. Whereas the concept of strength has been widely investigated for engineered materials, the strength of fundamental protein material building blocks and how it depends on structural parameters such as the chemical bonding, the protein filament length and the timescale of observation or deformation velocity remains poorly understood. Here we report a systematic analysis of the influence of key parameters that define the energy landscape of the strength properties of alpha-helical protein domains, including energy barriers, unfolding and refolding distances, the locations of folded and unfolded states, as well as variations of the length and pulling velocity of alpha-helical protein filaments. The analysis is facilitated by the development of a double-well mesoscale potential formulation, utilized here to carry out a systematic numerical analysis of the behavior of alpha-helices. We compare the results against widely used protein strength models based on the Bell model, one of the simplest models used to characterize the strength of protein filaments. We find that, whereas Bell-type models are a reasonable approximation to describe the rupture of alpha-helical protein domains for a certain range of pulling speeds and values of energy barriers, the model ceases to hold for very large energy barriers and for very small pulling speeds, in agreement with earlier findings. We conclude with an application of our mesoscale model to investigate the effect of the length of alpha-helices on their mechanical strength. We find a weakening effect as the length of alpha-helical proteins increases, followed by an asymptotic regime in which the strength remains constant. We compare strand lengths found in biological proteins with the scaling law of strength versus alpha-helix filament length. The mesoscale model reported here is generally applicable to other protein filaments that feature a serial array of domains that unfold under applied strain, where a similar length-dependent strength could be observed.

Scoring of collagen organization in healthy and diseased human dermis by multiphoton microscopy

We have used nonlinear imaging to evaluate collagen organization in connective tissue ex-vivo samples. Image analysis methods were tested on healthy dermis, normal scars, and keloids. The evaluation of the second harmonic to autofluorescence aging index of dermis (SAAID) has allowed a first characterization of tissues by scoring the collagen/elastin content. Further analyses on collagen morphology in healthy dermis and keloids were performed by image-pattern analysis of SHG images. The gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) analysis method has allowed classification of different tissues based on the evaluation of geometrical arrangement of collagen fibrillar bundles, whereas a pattern analysis of the FFT images has allowed the discrimination of different tissues based on the anisotropy of collagen fibers distribution. This multiple scoring method represents a promising tool to be extended to other collagen disorders, as well as to be used in in-vivo skin-imaging applications.

Effect of changes in tropocollagen residue sequence and hydroxyapatite mineral texture on the strength of ideal nanoscale tropocollagen-hydroxyapatite biomaterials

Changes in mineral texture (e.g. hydroxyapatite (HAP) or aragonite) and polypeptide (e.g. tropocollagen (TC)) residue sequence are characteristic features of a disease known as osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). In OI, different possibilities of changes in polypeptide residue sequence as well as changes in polypeptide helix replacement (e.g. 3 alpha1 chains instead of 2 alpha1 and 1 alpha2 chain in OI murine) exist. The cross section of the HAP crystals could be needle like or plate like. Such texture and residue sequence related changes can significantly affect the material strength at the nanoscale. In this work, a mechanistic understanding of such factors in determining strength of nanoscale TC-HAP biomaterials is presented using three dimensional molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Analyses point out that the peak interfacial strength for failure is the highest for supercells with plate shaped HAP crystals. TC molecules with higher number of side chain functional groups impart higher strength to the TC-HAP biomaterials at the nanoscale. Overall, HAP crystal shape variation, the direction of applied loading with respect to the relative TC-HAP orientation, and the number of side chain functional groups in TC molecules are the factor that affect TC-HAP biomaterial strength in a significant manner.

Molecular and mesoscale mechanisms of osteogenesis imperfecta disease in collagen fibrils

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder in collagen characterized by mechanically weakened tendon, fragile bones, skeletal deformities, and in severe cases, prenatal death. Although many studies have attempted to associate specific mutation types with phenotypic severity, the molecular and mesoscale mechanisms by which a single point mutation influences the mechanical behavior of tissues at multiple length scales remain unknown. We show by a hierarchy of full atomistic and mesoscale simulation that OI mutations severely compromise the mechanical properties of collagenous tissues at multiple scales, from single molecules to collagen fibrils. Mutations that lead to the most severe OI phenotype correlate with the strongest effects, leading to weakened intermolecular adhesion, increased intermolecular spacing, reduced stiffness, as well as a reduced failure strength of collagen fibrils. We find that these molecular-level changes lead to an alteration of the stress distribution in mutated collagen fibrils, causing the formation of stress concentrations that induce material failure via intermolecular slip. We believe that our findings provide insight into the microscopic mechanisms of this disease and lead to explanations of characteristic OI tissue features such as reduced mechanical strength and a lower cross-link density. Our study explains how single point mutations can control the breakdown of tissue at much larger length scales, a question of great relevance for a broad class of genetic diseases.

A unified multiscale mechanical model for soft collagenous tissues with regular fiber arrangement

In this paper the mechanical response of soft collagenous tissues with regular fiber arrangement (RSCTs) is described by means of a nanoscale model and a two-step micro-macro homogenization technique. The non-linear collagen constitutive behavior is modeled at the nanoscale by a novel approach accounting for entropic mechanisms as well as stretching effects occurring in collagen molecules. Crimped fibers are reduced to equivalent straight ones at the microscale and the constitutive response of RSCTs at the macroscale is formulated by homogenizing a fiber reinforced material. This approach has been applied to different RSCTs (tendon, periodontal ligament and aortic media), resulting effective and accurate as proved by the excellent agreement with available experimental data. The model is based on few parameters, directly related to histological and morphological evidences and whose sensitivity has been widely investigated. Applications to simulation of some physiopathological mechanisms are also proposed, providing confirmation of clinical evidences and quantitative indications helpful for clinical practice.

Image-based multiscale modeling predicts tissue-level and network-level fiber reorganization in stretched cell-compacted collagen gels

The mechanical environment plays an important role in cell signaling and tissue homeostasis. Unraveling connections between externally applied loads and the cellular response is often confounded by extracellular matrix (ECM) heterogeneity. Image-based multiscale models provide a foundation for examining the fine details of tissue behavior, but they require validation at multiple scales. In this study, we developed a multiscale model that captured the anisotropy and heterogeneity of a cell-compacted collagen gel subjected to an off-axis hold mechanical test and subsequently to biaxial extension. In both the model and experiments, the ECM reorganized in a nonaffine and heterogeneous manner that depended on multiscale interactions between the fiber networks. Simulations predicted that tensile and compressive fiber forces were produced to accommodate macroscopic displacements. Fiber forces in the simulation ranged from -11.3 to 437.7 nN, with a significant fraction of fibers under compression (12.1% during off-axis stretch). The heterogeneous network restructuring predicted by the model serves as an example of how multiscale modeling techniques provide a theoretical framework for understanding relationships between ECM structure and tissue-level mechanical properties and how microscopic fiber rearrangements could lead to mechanotransductive cell signaling.

Conformational changes and signaling in cell and matrix physics

Physical factors drive evolution and play important roles in motility and attachment as well as in differentiation. As animal cells adhere to survive, they generate force and 'feel' various mechanical features of their surroundings, with mechanosensory mechanisms based in part on force-induced conformational changes. Single-molecule methods for in vitro nano-manipulation, together with new in situ proteomic approaches that exploit mass spectrometry, are helping to identify and characterize the molecules and mechanics of structural transitions within cells and matrices. Given the diversity of cell and molecular responses, networks of biomolecules with conformations and interactions sculpted by force seem more likely than singular mechanosensors. Elaboration of the proteins that unfold and change structure in the extracellular matrix and in cells is needed - particularly with regard to the force-driven kinetics - in order to understand the systems biology of signaling in development, differentiation, and disease.

Role of the nanoscale interfacial arrangement in mechanical strength of tropocollagen-hydroxyapatite-based hard biomaterials

Nanoscale interfacial interactions between a polypeptide (e.g. tropocollagen (TC)) phase and a mineral (e.g. hydroxyapatite (HAP), aragonite) phase is a strong determinant of the strength of hard biological materials such as bone, dentin and nacre. This work presents a mechanistic understanding of such interfacial interactions by examining idealized TC and HAP interfacial systems. For this purpose, three-dimensional molecular dynamics analyses of tensile and compressive failure in two structurally distinct TC-HAP supercells with TC molecules arranged either along or perpendicular to a chosen HAP surface are performed. Analyses point out that the peak interfacial strength for failure results when the load is applied in the direction of TC molecules aligned along the HAP surface such that the contact area between the TC and HAP phases is at a maximum. Such an alignment also leads to the localization of peak stress over a larger length scale resulting in higher fracture strength. The addition of water is found to invariably cause an increase in the mechanical strength. Overall, analyses point out that the relative alignment of TC molecules with respect to the HAP mineral surface such that the contact area is maximal, the optimal direction of applied loading with respect to the TC-HAP orientation and the increase in strength in a hydrated environment can be important factors that contribute to making nanoscale staggered arrangement a preferred structural configuration in biomaterials.

Coherent X-ray diffraction from collagenous soft tissues

Coherent X-ray diffraction has been applied in the imaging of inorganic materials with great success. However, its application to biological specimens has been limited to some notable exceptions, due to the induced radiation damage and the extended nature of biological samples, the last limiting the application of most part of the phasing algorithms. X-ray ptychography, still under development, is a good candidate to overcome such difficulties and become a powerful imaging method for biology. We describe herein the feasibility of applying ptychography to the imaging of biological specimens, in particular collagen rich samples. We report here speckles in diffraction patterns from soft animal tissue, obtained with an optimized small angle X-ray setup that exploits the natural coherence of the beam. By phasing these patterns, dark field images of collagen within tendon, skin, bone, or cornea will eventually be obtained with a resolution of 60-70 nm. We present simulations of the contrast mechanism in collagen based on atomic force microscope images of the samples. Simulations confirmed the 'speckled' nature of the obtained diffraction patterns. Once inverted, the patterns will show the disposition and orientation of the fibers within the tissue, by enhancing the phase contrast between protein and no protein regions of the sample. Our work affords the application of the most innovative coherent X-ray diffraction tools to the study of biological specimens, and this approach will have a significant impact in biology and medicine because it overcomes many of the limits of current microscopy techniques.

Single molecule effects of osteogenesis imperfecta mutations in tropocollagen protein domains

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disease characterized by fragile bones, skeletal deformities and, in severe cases, prenatal death that affects more than 1 in 10,000 individuals. Here we show by full atomistic simulation in explicit solvent that OI mutations have a significant influence on the mechanical properties of single tropocollagen molecules, and that the severity of different forms of OI is directly correlated with the reduction of the mechanical stiffness of individual tropocollagen molecules. The reduction of molecular stiffness provides insight into the molecular-scale mechanisms of the disease. The analysis of the molecular mechanisms reveals that physical parameters of side-chain volume and hydropathy index of the mutated residue control the loss of mechanical stiffness of individual tropocollagen molecules. We propose a model that enables us to predict the loss of stiffness based on these physical characteristics of mutations. This finding provides an atomistic-level mechanistic understanding of the role of OI mutations in defining the properties of the basic protein constituents, which could eventually lead to new strategies for diagnosis and treatment the disease. The focus on material properties and their role in genetic diseases is an important, yet so far only little explored, aspect in studying the mechanisms that lead to pathological conditions. The consideration of how material properties change in diseases could lead to a new paradigm that may expand beyond the focus on biochemical readings alone and include a characterization of material properties in diagnosis and treatment, an effort referred to as materiomics.

Ductile sliding between mineral crystals followed by rupture of collagen crosslinks: experimentally supported micromechanical explanation of bone strength

There is an ongoing discussion on how bone strength could be explained from its internal structure and composition. Reviewing recent experimental and molecular dynamics studies, we here propose a new vision on bone material failure: mutual ductile sliding of hydroxyapatite mineral crystals along layered water films is followed by rupture of collagen crosslinks. In order to cast this vision into a mathematical form, a multiscale continuum micromechanics theory for upscaling of elastoplastic properties is developed, based on the concept of concentration and influence tensors for eigenstressed microheterogeneous materials. The model reflects bone's hierarchical organization, in terms of representative volume elements for cortical bone, for extravascular and extracellular bone material, for mineralized fibrils and the extrafibrillar space, and for wet collagen. In order to get access to the stress states at the interfaces between crystals, the extrafibrillar mineral is resolved into an infinite amount of cylindrical material phases oriented in all directions in space. The multiscale micromechanics model is shown to be able to satisfactorily predict the strength characteristics of different bones from different species, on the basis of their mineral/collagen content, their intercrystalline, intermolecular, lacunar, and vascular porosities, and the elastic and strength properties of hydroxyapatite and (molecular) collagen.

The effect of tensile and compressive loading on the hierarchical strength of idealized tropocollagen-hydroxyapatite biomaterials as a function of the chemical environment

Hard biomaterials such as bone, dentin and nacre have primarily a polypeptide phase (e.g. tropocollagen (TC)) and a mineral phase (e.g. hydroxyapatite (HAP) or aragonite) arranged in a staggered manner. It has been observed that the mechanical behaviour of such materials changes with the chemical environment and the direction of applied loading. In the presented investigation, explicit three-dimensional molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based analyses are performed on idealized TC-HAP composite biomaterial systems to understand the effects of tensile and compressive loadings in three different chemical environments: (1) unsolvated, (2) solvated with water and (3) calcinated and solvated with water. The MD analyses are performed on two interfacial supercells corresponding to the lowest structural level (level n) of TC-HAP interactions and on two other supercells with HAP supercells arranged in a staggered manner (level n+1) in a TC matrix. The supercells at level n+1 are formed by arranging level n interfacial supercells in a staggered manner. Analyses show that at level n, the presence of water molecules results in greater stability of TC molecules and TC-HAP interfaces during mechanical deformation. In addition, water also acts as a lubricant between adjacent TC molecules. Under the application of shear stress dominated loading, water molecules act to strengthen the TC-HAP interfacial strength in a manner similar to the action of glue. An overall effect of the observed mechanisms is that, in a staggered arrangement, tensile strength increases in the presence of water and calcinated water environments. On the other hand, corresponding compressive strength decreases under similar circumstances. Fundamentally, supercells with primarily normal load transfer at the TC-HAP interfaces are stronger in tensile shear loading. On the other hand, supercells with primarily tangential or shear load transfer at the TC-HAP interfaces are stronger in compressive shear loading. A combination of changes in chemical environment from vacuum to calcinated water and changes in interfacial configurations in a staggered arrangement could be chosen to make the TC-HAP material stronger under applied deformation.