简介:Thestiffnessandstrengthofextracellular(EC)regionofcadherinareproposedtobetwoimportantmechanicalpropertiesbothforcadherinasamechanotransductorandfortheformationofcell-celladhesion.Inthisstudy,wequantitativelycharacterizedthestiffnessandstrengthofECstructurewhenitbindswithdifferenttypesofionsbymoleculardynamicssimulations.ResultsshowthatECstructureexhibitsarod-likeshapewithhighstiffnessandstrengthwhenitbindswiththebivalentionsofcalciumormagnesium.However,itswitchestoasoftandcollapsedconformationwhenitbindswiththemonovalentionsofsodiumorpotassium.ThisstudyshedslightontheimportantroleofthebivalentionsofcalciuminthephysiologicalfunctionofEC.