Nano-mechanical properties of diabetic glycogen
Glycogen, a highly branched glucose polymer, plays a vital role in maintaining blood sugar homeostasis in vivo. Liver glycogen molecules contain small “β particles” bound together into larger composite “α particles”. Previous results showed that the structure of control and diabetic glycogen particl...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666893925001409 |
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| author | Yujun Wan Yin Yao Richard D. Tilley Robert G. Gilbert Mitchell A. Sullivan |
| author_facet | Yujun Wan Yin Yao Richard D. Tilley Robert G. Gilbert Mitchell A. Sullivan |
| author_sort | Yujun Wan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Glycogen, a highly branched glucose polymer, plays a vital role in maintaining blood sugar homeostasis in vivo. Liver glycogen molecules contain small “β particles” bound together into larger composite “α particles”. Previous results showed that the structure of control and diabetic glycogen particles are different. However, changes in their mechanical properties remain unknown. The morphology and stiffness between diabetic and control murine liver glycogen were compared using an atomic force microscope. Morphological parameters of diabetic glycogen, namely particle size, height, and height-to-size ratio, were similar to those of control glycogen. However, the average Derjaguin-Muller-Toporov (DMT) modulus (a measurement of nanoscale stiffness) of diabetic glycogen was significantly higher than that of control glycogen (4.6 ± 0.7 and 3.7 ± 1.2 GPa, respectively). In addition, two types of modulus distribution patterns across glycogen particles were found from both diabetic and control livers, with diabetic glycogen having increases in stiffness towards the top center of particles. The DMT modulus of liver glycogen from control and diabetic mice was reported here for the first time. These findings indicate that diabetes induces a shift from softer to stiffer glycogen particles. This suggests functional and high-level structural differences between healthy and diabetic glycogen, which may have clinical implications, potentially leading to targeted therapies or diagnostic tools for diabetes management. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ae84d62a80e248948c6051342550ac45 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2666-8939 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications |
| spelling | doaj-art-ae84d62a80e248948c6051342550ac452025-08-20T02:39:35ZengElsevierCarbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications2666-89392025-06-011010080210.1016/j.carpta.2025.100802Nano-mechanical properties of diabetic glycogenYujun Wan0Yin Yao1Richard D. Tilley2Robert G. Gilbert3Mitchell A. Sullivan4Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; Glycation and Diabetes Group, Mater Research Institute, Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UKElectron Microscope Unit, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, AustraliaElectron Microscope Unit, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, AustraliaCentre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, PR China; Corresponding authors.Glycation and Diabetes Group, Mater Research Institute, Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; Centre for Bioinnovation and School of Health, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland 4556, Australia; Corresponding authors.Glycogen, a highly branched glucose polymer, plays a vital role in maintaining blood sugar homeostasis in vivo. Liver glycogen molecules contain small “β particles” bound together into larger composite “α particles”. Previous results showed that the structure of control and diabetic glycogen particles are different. However, changes in their mechanical properties remain unknown. The morphology and stiffness between diabetic and control murine liver glycogen were compared using an atomic force microscope. Morphological parameters of diabetic glycogen, namely particle size, height, and height-to-size ratio, were similar to those of control glycogen. However, the average Derjaguin-Muller-Toporov (DMT) modulus (a measurement of nanoscale stiffness) of diabetic glycogen was significantly higher than that of control glycogen (4.6 ± 0.7 and 3.7 ± 1.2 GPa, respectively). In addition, two types of modulus distribution patterns across glycogen particles were found from both diabetic and control livers, with diabetic glycogen having increases in stiffness towards the top center of particles. The DMT modulus of liver glycogen from control and diabetic mice was reported here for the first time. These findings indicate that diabetes induces a shift from softer to stiffer glycogen particles. This suggests functional and high-level structural differences between healthy and diabetic glycogen, which may have clinical implications, potentially leading to targeted therapies or diagnostic tools for diabetes management.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666893925001409Liver glycogenDiabetesSize-exclusion chromatographyAtomic-force microscopyNanomechanical properties |
| spellingShingle | Yujun Wan Yin Yao Richard D. Tilley Robert G. Gilbert Mitchell A. Sullivan Nano-mechanical properties of diabetic glycogen Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications Liver glycogen Diabetes Size-exclusion chromatography Atomic-force microscopy Nanomechanical properties |
| title | Nano-mechanical properties of diabetic glycogen |
| title_full | Nano-mechanical properties of diabetic glycogen |
| title_fullStr | Nano-mechanical properties of diabetic glycogen |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nano-mechanical properties of diabetic glycogen |
| title_short | Nano-mechanical properties of diabetic glycogen |
| title_sort | nano mechanical properties of diabetic glycogen |
| topic | Liver glycogen Diabetes Size-exclusion chromatography Atomic-force microscopy Nanomechanical properties |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666893925001409 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yujunwan nanomechanicalpropertiesofdiabeticglycogen AT yinyao nanomechanicalpropertiesofdiabeticglycogen AT richarddtilley nanomechanicalpropertiesofdiabeticglycogen AT robertggilbert nanomechanicalpropertiesofdiabeticglycogen AT mitchellasullivan nanomechanicalpropertiesofdiabeticglycogen |