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Collagen breaks at weak sacrificial bonds taming its mechanoradicals

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Collagen is a force-bearing, hierarchical structural protein important to all connective tissue. In tendon collagen, high load even below macroscopic failure level creates mechanoradicals by homolytic bond scission, similar to polymers. The location and type of initial rupture sites critically decid...

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Main Authors: Rennekamp, Benedikt (Author) , Karfusehr, Christoph (Author) , Kurth, Markus (Author) , Ünal, Aysecan (Author) , Riedmiller, Kai (Author) , Gryn’ova, Ganna (Author) , Hudson, David M. (Author) , Gräter, Frauke (Author)
Format: Article (Journal) Chapter/Article
Language:English
Published: October 21, 2022
In: bioRxiv beta
Year: 2022, Pages: 1-17
DOI:10.1101/2022.10.17.512491
Online Access:Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.17.512491
Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.17.512491v2
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Author Notes:Benedikt Rennekamp, Christoph Karfusehr, Markus Kurth, Aysecan Ünal, Kai Riedmiller, Ganna Gryn’ova, David M. Hudson, and Frauke Gräter
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Summary:Collagen is a force-bearing, hierarchical structural protein important to all connective tissue. In tendon collagen, high load even below macroscopic failure level creates mechanoradicals by homolytic bond scission, similar to polymers. The location and type of initial rupture sites critically decide on both the mechanical and chemical impact of these micro-ruptures on the tissue, but are yet to be explored. We here use scale-bridging simulations supported by gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to determine breakage points in collagen. We find collagen crosslinks, as opposed to the backbone, to harbor the weakest bonds, with one particular bond in trivalent crosslinks as the most dominant rupture site. We identify this bond as sacrificial, rupturing prior to other bonds while maintaining the material’s integrity. Also, collagen’s weak bonds funnel ruptures such that the potentially harmful mechanoradicals are readily stabilized. Our results suggest this unique failure mode of collagen to be tailored towards combatting an early onset of macroscopic failure and material ageing.
Item Description:Gesehen am 27.03.2023
Physical Description:Online Resource
DOI:10.1101/2022.10.17.512491

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