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Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Illinois November 17, 2004
Cell adhesion is critical in such diverse biological processes as development, immunology, and tissue differentiation. These processes are mediated by cell surface adhesion molecules whose nanomechanical properties determine the integrity of tissues and trigger signaling events. Fragments of some adhesion molecules are widely used to modify the biological properties of biomaterials. This work describes the use of molecular force measurements to determine both the mechanism of protein binding and the mechanical properties of the resulting linkages. These investigations reveal novel design rules of biomolecular adhesion, the regulation of intermembrane space, and the regulation of protein function by post-translational modification. Such investigations provide unprecedented insight into the fundamental principles of biomolecular adhesion and identified key design parameters determining the nanomechanical properties of these critical proteins. |
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