Quantification of the stiffness and strength of cadherin ectodomain binding with different ions

(整期优先)网络出版时间:2014-03-13
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Thestiffnessandstrengthofextracellular(EC)regionofcadherinareproposedtobetwoimportantmechanicalpropertiesbothforcadherinasamechanotransductorandfortheformationofcell-celladhesion.Inthisstudy,wequantitativelycharacterizedthestiffnessandstrengthofECstructurewhenitbindswithdifferenttypesofionsbymoleculardynamicssimulations.ResultsshowthatECstructureexhibitsarod-likeshapewithhighstiffnessandstrengthwhenitbindswiththebivalentionsofcalciumormagnesium.However,itswitchestoasoftandcollapsedconformationwhenitbindswiththemonovalentionsofsodiumorpotassium.ThisstudyshedslightontheimportantroleofthebivalentionsofcalciuminthephysiologicalfunctionofEC.