title: Interactions of collagen molecules in the presence of N-hydroxysuccinimide activated adipic acid (NHS-AA) as a crosslinking agent.
abstract: The effect of crosslinking agent on pepsin-soluble bovine collagen solution was examined using N-hydroxysuccinimide activated adipic acid (NHS-AA) as a crosslinker. Electrophoretic patterns indicated that crosslinks formed when NHS-AA was added. A higher polarity level deduced from the changes in the fluorescence emission spectrum of pyrene in the crosslinked collagen solution indicated that the formation of well-ordered aggregates was suppressed. The random aggregation of collagens was also observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Furthermore, the association of collagens into fibrils was influenced by crosslinking. Self-assembly was suppressed at 37°C; however, as temperature was increased to 39°C, a small amount of NHS-AA leaded to an improvement in the ability of self-aggregation. Although more random structure was brought about by crosslinking, self-aggregation might still be promoted as temperature was increased, accompanying by the thermal stability improvement of fibrils.
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Guoying
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000577:Amides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D024022:Fibrillar Collagens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D012996:Solutions; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013388:Succinimides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D024022:Fibrillar Collagens; D012996:Solutions; D013388:Succinimides; C001426:N-hydroxysuccinimide