Tendons (white structure in the inset) attach muscles to bones. Image credit: Manu5 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Muscles are anchored to bones through specialized tissues called tendons. Made of bundles of fibers (or fascicles) linked together by an ‘interfascicular’ matrix, healthy tendons are required for organisms to move properly. Yet, these structures are constantly exposed to damage: the interfascicular matrix, in particular, is highly susceptible to injury as it allows the fascicles to slide on each other.
One way to avoid damage could be for the body to continually replace proteins in tendons before they become too impaired. However, the way proteins are renewed in these structures is currently not well understood – indeed, it has long been assumed that almost no protein turnover occurs in tendons. In particular, it is unknown whether proteins in the interfascicular matrix have a higher turn over than those in the fascicles.
To investigate, Choi, Simpson et al. fed rats on water carrying a molecular label that becomes integrated into new proteins. Analysis of individual proteins from the rats’ tendons showed great variation in protein turnover, with some replaced every few days and others only over several years. This suggests that protein turnover is actually an important part of tendon health. In particular, the results show that turnover is higher in the interfascicular matrix, where damage is expected to be more likely.
Protein turnover also plays a part in conditions such as cancer, heart disease and kidney disease. Using approaches like the one developed by Choi, Simpson et al. could help to understand how individual proteins are renewed in a range of diseases, and how to design new treatments.
