Liu Baoyu, Chen Wei, Zhu Cheng
Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Annu Rev Phys Chem. 2015 Apr;66:427-51. doi: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-040214-121742. Epub 2015 Jan 12.
Molecular force spectroscopy has become a powerful tool to study how mechanics regulates biology, especially the mechanical regulation of molecular interactions and its impact on cellular functions. This force-driven methodology has uncovered a wealth of new information of the physical chemistry of molecular bonds for various biological systems. The new concepts, qualitative and quantitative measures describing bond behavior under force, and structural bases underlying these phenomena have substantially advanced our fundamental understanding of the inner workings of biological systems from the nanoscale (molecule) to the microscale (cell), elucidated basic molecular mechanisms of a wide range of important biological processes, and provided opportunities for engineering applications. Here, we review major force spectroscopic assays, conceptual developments of mechanically regulated kinetics of molecular interactions, and their biological relevance. We also present current challenges and highlight future directions.
分子力谱已成为研究力学如何调节生物学的有力工具，特别是分子相互作用的机械调节及其对细胞功能的影响。这种力驱动方法揭示了各种生物系统中分子键物理化学的大量新信息。描述力作用下键行为的新概念、定性和定量测量方法以及这些现象背后的结构基础，极大地推进了我们从纳米尺度（分子）到微观尺度（细胞）对生物系统内部运作的基本理解，阐明了广泛重要生物过程的基本分子机制，并为工程应用提供了机会。在此，我们综述主要的力谱分析方法、分子相互作用机械调节动力学的概念发展及其生物学意义。我们还介绍了当前面临的挑战并突出了未来的方向。
