Zoanthamine-type alkaloids display a wide spectrum of biological effects. This study aimed to examine the inhibitory effects of norzoanthamine and its ten homologues of zoanthamine class on human fibroblast collagenase by modeling a three-dimensional structure of the ligands at collagenase using energy minimization, docking, molecular dynamics simulation and MM-PB/GBSA binding free energy calcu...

In this study, we investigated the molecular adhesion between the major constituents of cartilage extracellular matrix, namely, the highly negatively charged proteoglycan aggrecan and the type II/IX/XI fibrillar collagen network, in simulated physiological conditions. Colloidal force spectroscopy was applied to measure the maximum adhesion force and total adhesion energy between aggrecan end-at...

Cell adhesions mediate important bidirectional interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix. They provide an interactive interface between the extracellular chemical and physical environment and the cellular scaffolding and signaling machinery. This dynamic, reciprocal regulation of intracellular processes and the matrix is mediated by membrane receptors such as the integrins, as wel...

In almost all cardiac diseases, an increase in extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition or fibrosis occurs, mostly consisting of collagen I. Whereas replacement fibrosis follows cardiomyocyte loss in myocardial infarction, reactive fibrosis is triggered by myocardial stress or inflammatory mediators and often results in ventricular stiffening, functional deterioration, and development of heart fai...

Tendon is a poorly vascularized and highly specialized connective tissue containing few scattered cells that play an important role in the musculoskeletal apparatus by resisting mechanical stress. Because of the slow rate of the metabolism of its molecular components, the tendon gradually loses its mechanical properties and may rupture upon an array of physical activities. In this report, we di...

In this study we have examined for molecular heterogeneity of cell-matrix adhesions and the involvement of actomyosin contractility in the selective recruitment of different plaque proteins. For this purpose, we have developed a novel microscopic approach for molecular morphometry, based on automatic identification of matrix adhesions, followed by quantitative immunofluorescence and morphometri...