The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care · 1983 · 35 citations · 0 references
Life SciencesCell BiologyMolecular BiologyBiomechanicsMechanobiologyWound HealingActin FilamentsCell-scaffold InteractionsConnective TissueExtracellular MatrixFibrous ProteinsWound ContractionBeta-sheet FibrilsCollagen Fiber ArchitectureCollagen Fiber MechanicsCollagen Fiber StructureCollagen NanofibersCollagen NetworksTissue Mechanics In Wound HealingWound Contraction Mechanics
Myofibroblast anchoring strands (MAS) are extracellular structures that connect the termini of actin bundles within myofibroblasts to collagen fascicles in the extracellular space of wound healing tissues. The strands appear to be primarily comprised of microfibrils of fibronectin 2-5 nm in diameter. They also embody parallel arrays of intermediary sized filaments (ISF) and an amorphous matrix of collagen. The MAS effectively translate the cellular contractile forces required for cell motility into the collagen filament/fiber deformations required for wound contraction. However, the primary function of the strands appears to be the assembly of ISF into collagen fibrils.