Interaction of a tropoelastin model with connective tissue components.

It has been suggested that tropoelastin interacts with macromolecular components of connective tissue during the formation of elastic fibers. alpha-Elastin, used traditionally as a model of tropoelastin and mature elastin, is not suitable for the monitoring of this interaction in vitro. Therefore a new model of tropoelastin, the methyl ester of alpha-elastin, was synthesized and the interaction of this modified elastin with hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, proteoglycan subunits, solubilized structural glycoproteins and collagen was studied by turbidimetric measurement. Results indicate that alpha-elastin methyl ester is a better model of tropoelastin than alpha-elastin especially in those experiments where ionic interactions are believed to occur. It was also found that alpha-elastin methyl ester formed aggregates with hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, proteoglycan subunits and solubilized structural glycoproteins at room temperature and under conditions close to physiological ones. Alpha-elastin does not interact with these compounds under similar conditions. The character of the bonds involved in the interaction and the possible biological significance of the experiments are discussed.