Postnatal mechanical loading drives adaptation of tissues primarily through modulation of the non-collagenous matrix
- University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom
- University College London, United Kingdom
- Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
Abstract
Mature connective tissues demonstrate highly specialised properties, remarkably adapted to meet their functional requirements. Tissue adaptation to environmental cues can occur throughout life and poor adaptation commonly results in injury. However, the temporal nature and drivers of functional adaptation remain undefined. Here, we explore functional adaptation and specialisation of mechanically loaded tissues using tendon; a simple aligned biological composite, in which the collagen (fascicle) and surrounding predominantly non-collagenous matrix (interfascicular matrix) can be interrogated independently. Using an equine model of late development, we report the first phase-specific analysis of biomechanical, structural and compositional changes seen in functional adaptation, demonstrating adaptation occurs postnatally, following mechanical loading, and is almost exclusively localised to the non-collagenous interfascicular matrix. These novel data redefine adaptation in connective tissue, highlighting the fundamental importance of non-collagenous matrix and suggesting that regenerative medicine strategies should change focus from the fibrous to the non-collagenous matrix of tissue.
Data availability
The mass spectrometry proteomics data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE partner repository, with the dataset identifier PXD012169.
Article and author information
Author details
Chavaunne T Thorpe
Funding
Horserace Betting Levy Board (PRJ/776)
- Danae E Zamboulis
- Helen L Birch
- Hazel R C Screen
- Peter D Clegg
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Ethics
Animal experimentation: Samples were collected from horses euthanised for reasons unrelated to this project at a commercial abattoir or equine practices following owner consent under ethical approval for use of the cadaveric material granted by the Veterinary Research Ethics Committee, School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool (VREC352).
Copyright
© 2020, Zamboulis et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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Postnatal mechanical loading drives adaptation of tissues primarily through modulation of the non-collagenous matrix
eLife 9:e58075.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.58075
