Chen, X and Richter, RP orcid.org/0000-0003-3071-2837 (2019) Effect of calcium ions and pH on the morphology and mechanical properties of hyaluronan brushes. Interface Focus, 9 (2). 20180061. ISSN 2042-8898
Abstract
Hyaluronan (HA) is a linear, regular polysaccharide that plays as a chief structural and functional component in peri- and extracellular matrices, thus contributing significantly to many basic cellular processes. To understand more comprehensively the response of the supramolecular organization of HA polymers to changes in their aqueous environment, we study the effects of Ca²⁺ concentration and pH on the morphology and rigidity of films of end-grafted HA polymers on planar supports (HA brushes), as a well-defined in vitro model system of HA-rich matrices, by reflection interference contrast microscopy and quartz crystal microbalance. The thickness and softness of HA brushes decrease significantly with Ca²⁺ concentration but do not change with pH, within the physiological ranges of these parameters. The effect of Ca²⁺ on HA brush thickness is virtually identical to the effect of Na⁺ at 10-fold higher concentrations. Moreover, the thickness and softness of HA brushes decrease appreciably upon HA protonation at pH less than 6. Effects of pH and calcium ions are fully reversible over large parameter ranges. These findings are relevant for understanding the supramolecular organization and dynamics of HA-rich matrices in biological systems and will also benefit the rational design of synthetic HA-rich materials with tailored properties.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2019 The Author(s). This is an author produced version of a paper published in Interface Focus. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | hyaluronan brush; viscoelasticity; thin film; quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring; reflection interference contrast microscopy; pericellular coat |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Biological Sciences (Leeds) > School of Biomedical Sciences (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number EU - European Union GA 306435 BBSRC BB/R000174/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 03 Jan 2019 15:01 |
Last Modified: | 18 Mar 2019 11:47 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | The Royal Society |
Identification Number: | 10.1098/rsfs.2018.0061 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:140450 |