The kinetics and mechanics of cell adhesion molecules

A unifying theory for the molecular biomechanics of receptor-ligand interaction is being developed, which is based on the probabilistic formulation for kinetics of small systems plus the constitutive laws describing the dependence of kinetic rates on force. A diverse set of experiments were performed to test the theory, including those using various cells and molecules, being conducted under both steady and transient conditions, and employing different techniques including centrifugation, micropipette, and rosetting. Specific solutions to each experiment were obtained, many of which are analytical. The satisfactory comparisons between predictions and data not only validate the theory but also enable determination of the constitutive equations and the associated parameters.