Impact of Polymer Tether Length on Multiple Ligand-Receptor Bond Formation

• DOI: 10.1126/science.293.5529.465
• Publication Date: 2002-07-27T09:39:52Z
• Authors: Claus Jeppesen; Joyce Y. Wong; Tonya L. Kuhl; Jacob N. Israelac...; Nasreen Mullah; Samuel Zalipsky; Carlos M. Marques
• Keywords: Streptavidin; Receptor–ligand kinetics

The promoters of cell adhesion are ligands, which often attached to flexible tethers that bind surface receptors on adjacent cells. Using a combination Monte Carlo simulations, diffusion reaction theory, and direct experiments (surface force measurements) the biotin-streptavidin system, we have quantified polymer chain dynamics kinetics spatial range tethered ligand-receptor binding. results show efficiency strong binding does not depend solely molecular architecture or energy receptor-ligand pair, nor equilibrium configuration tether, but rather its “rare” extended conformations.