Normal and Shear Interactions between Hyaluronan–Aggrecan Complexes Mimicking Possible Boundary Lubricants in Articular Cartilage in Synovial Joints
Open accessAbstract
Using a surface force balance, normal and shear interactions have been measured between two atomically smooth surfaces coated with hyaluronan (HA), and with HA/aggrecan (Agg) complexes stabilized by cartilage link protein (LP). Such HA/Agg/LP complexes are the most abundant mobile macromolecular species permeating articular cartilage in synovial joints and have been conjectured to be present as boundary lubricants at its surface. The aim of the present study is to gain insight into the extremely efficient lubrication when two cartilage surfaces slide past each other in healthy joints, and in particular to elucidate the possible role in this of the HA/Agg/LP complexes. Within the range of our parameters, our results reveal that the HA/Agg/LP macromolecular surface complexes are much better boundary lubricants than HA alone, likely because of the higher level of hydration, due to the higher charge density, of the HA/Agg/LP layers with respect to the HA alone. However, the friction coefficients (μ) associated with the mutual interactions and sliding of opposing HA/Agg/LP layers (μ ≈ 0.01 up to pressure P of ca. 12 atm, increasing sharply at higher P) suggest that such complexes by themselves cannot account for the remarkable boundary lubrication observed in mammalian joints (up to P > 50 atm).
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The major macromolecules (HA, Agg, lubricin) thought to be implicated in cartilage lubrication do not, when measured directly as boundary lubricants in SFB experiments, lead to friction coefficients anywhere near as low as those observed between healthy cartilage at physiological pressures.
“Thus we conclude that, to date, the major macromolecules (HA, Agg, lubricin) thought to be implicated in cartilage lubrication do not, when measured directly as boundary lubricants in SFB experiments, lead to friction coefficients anywhere near as low as those observed between healthy cartilage at physiological pressures.”
From Hydration lubrication (2013) · cites this paper as [122]
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredEven for Agg molecules rubbing against each other at lower pressures, friction coefficient is at least ten-fold higher than seen in articular cartilage.
“However, even for Agg molecules rubbing against each other at the lower pressures, the friction coefficient is at least ten-fold higher than seen in for articular cartilage.”
From Hydration lubrication (2013) · cites this paper as [122]
The Results report friction of μ = 0.014 ± 0.004 for the Agg-bearing layers up to about 12 atm, and the Conclusions give μ ≈ 0.001–0.005 as characteristic of synovial joint lubrication. The source supports higher friction at lower pressures, but not an unqualified ‘at least ten-fold’ difference: 0.014 is less than ten times 0.005. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredFriction coefficient between two HA-coated surfaces is rather high (≈0.3) already at quite low pressures.
“Friction forces as a function of the load, shown as empty triangles and stars in Fig. 18, indicate a rather high friction coefficient ( ≈ 0.3) between two such HA-coated surfaces already at quite low pressures.”
From Hydration lubrication (2013) · cites this paper as [122]
The Results report high friction between two avidin–HA-coated surfaces, but give μ = 0.4 ± 0.05, not ≈0.3. They describe this as occurring from about 2 atm, while the Discussion says friction is weak below about 3 atm and rises rapidly with further compression. Thus the magnitude and low-pressure characterization do not fully match. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAt higher pressures (above ca. 15 atm), friction coefficient increases, possibly due to greater bridging likelihood.
“At higher pressures -from above ca. 15 atm in the study by Seror et al. -the friction coefficient increases as shown, possibly due to a greater bridging likelihood.”
From Hydration lubrication (2013) · cites this paper as [122]
The Results report that friction rises under stronger compression, reaching μ ≈ 0.1 at about 16 atm. The Discussion suggests increased interpenetration of opposing aggrecan layers at higher pressures, but does not specifically attribute this rise to a greater likelihood of bridging; its explicit discussion of bridges concerns HA layers. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSeror et al. reconstructed HA and HA/agg complex onto mica surfaces in SFB and measured boundary lubrication.
“In a series of papers, Seror et al. [121, 122] reconstructed both HA and, separately, the HA/agg complex onto the mica surfaces in the SFB, and measured the resulting boundary lubrication, as summarized in Fig. 18.”
From Hydration lubrication (2013) · cites this paper as [122]
In Seror et al.'s experiments, HA was attached to mica by coating mica with avidin and functionalizing HA with biotin, which forms strong specific attachment.
“In these experiments the HA was first attached to the mica. HA is negatively charged, as is the mica, and to induce its attachment the mica was coated with avidin and the HA was functionalized with biotin; biotin forms strong specific attachment to avidin, as indicated schematically in the left inset in Fig. 18.”
From Hydration lubrication (2013) · cites this paper as [122]
Once Agg molecules are attached to HA to form complexes, friction coefficient is markedly reduced to ≈0.01 up to ca. 10 atm pressure.
“Once Agg molecules are attached to the HA to form complexes similar to those in bulk native cartilage, as indicated by the right cartoon in Fig. 18, the friction coefficient is markedly reduced (to ≈ 0.01) up to ca. 10 atm pressure.”
From Hydration lubrication (2013) · cites this paper as [122]
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Klein, J. (2013) · Friction · doi:10.1007/s40544-013-0001-7 · Cited by 567 · see citing works
Self-citationLubrication of Articular Cartilage
Jahn, S., Seror, J., & Klein, J. (2016) · Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering · doi:10.1146/annurev-bioeng-081514-123305 · Cited by 406 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Seror, J., Merkher, Y., Kampf, N., Collinson, L., Day, A. J., Maroudas, A., & Klein, J.
- Affiliations
- Weizmann Institute of Science (IL)
- Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (IL)
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Klein, Jacob
- Venue
- Biomacromolecules
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2012-11-01
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 3823-3832
- ISSN
- 1525-7797 (ISSN-L)
- 1526-4602
- PMC
- PMC3497856
- OpenAlex
- W2118691586
- Cited by
- 89
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 4.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Biomacromolecules (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Ministerstvo Průmyslu a Obchodu
- Versus Arthritis (18472)
- American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rheumatology › Osteoarthritis Treatment and Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans research
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Lubricants and Their Additives
- Keywords
- hyaluronic acid, aggrecan, boundary lubrication, articular cartilage, synovial joints, friction coefficient, surface force balance, hydration, charge density
- MeSH terms
- Proteoglycan Link Protein, Animals, Cartilage, Articular, Cattle, Hyaluronic Acid, Joints, Lubrication, Proteoglycans, Stress, Mechanical, Surface Properties, Synovial Fluid, Synovial Membrane, Extracellular Matrix Proteins, Friction, Aggrecans, Lubricants
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