Interaction of a tropoelastin model with connective tissue components.
It has been suggested that tropoelastin interacts with macromolecular components of connective tissue during the formation of elastic fibers. alpha-Elastin, used traditionally as a model of tropoelastin and mature elastin, is not suitable for the monitoring of this interaction in vitro. Therefore a new model of tropoelastin, the methyl ester of alpha-elastin, was synthesized and the interaction of this modified elastin with hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, proteoglycan subunits, solubilized structural glycoproteins and collagen was studied by turbidimetric measurement. Results indicate that alpha-elastin methyl ester is a better model of tropoelastin than alpha-elastin especially in those experiments where ionic interactions are believed to occur. It was also found that alpha-elastin methyl ester formed aggregates with hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, proteoglycan subunits and solubilized structural glycoproteins at room temperature and under conditions close to physiological ones. Alpha-elastin does not interact with these compounds under similar conditions. The character of the bonds involved in the interaction and the possible biological significance of the experiments are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D004549:Elastin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D000432:Methanol; D008954:Models, Biological; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D014333:Tropoelastin / Q000378:metabolism*
D006023:Glycoproteins; D011509:Proteoglycans; D014333:Tropoelastin; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D004549:Elastin; D000432:Methanol