title: Atomic force microscopy measurements of intermolecular binding forces.
abstract: Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements of intermolecular binding strength between a single pair of complementary cell adhesion molecules in physiological solutions provided the first quantitative evidence for their cohesive function. This novel AFM-based nanobiotechnology opens a molecular mechanic approach for studying structure- to function-related properties of any type of individual biological macromolecules. The presented example of Porifera cell adhesion glyconectin proteoglycans showed that homotypic carbohydrate to carbohydrate interactions between two primordial proteoglycans can hold the weight of 1,600 cells. Thus, glyconectin type carbohydrates, as the most peripheral cell surface molecules of sponges (today's simplest living Metazoa), are proposed to be the primary cell adhesive molecules essential for the evolution of the multicellularity.
authors.affiliation: Faculté des Sciences de l'Université de Rouen, 76 821 Mont Saint Aignan Cedex, France. gradimir@gradimir.com
authors.forename: Gradimir N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Misevic
authors.forename: Yannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Karamanos
authors.forename: Nikola J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Misevic
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D017348:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Transmission; D036103:Nanotechnology
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates