{
  "id": 18301017,
  "title": "Compartment-Resolved Matrisome Shifts During Postnatal Tendon Maturation in Mice",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/compartment-resolved-matrisome-shifts-during-postnatal-tendon",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-05T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.03.764030v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tendons gain their ability to withstand force during the first month of growth in mice, with their extracellular matrix (ECM) undergoing significant remodeling. The molecular makeup of the tendon matrisome, the component responsible for this remodeling, remains poorly understood. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive view of how the tendon matrisome changes during postnatal tendon maturation.\n\nThe researchers conducted compartment-resolved proteomics on Achilles and plantaris tendons from newborn mice at three different stages: P0, P14, and P28. They used a CHAPS-soluble fraction to capture cellular and soluble matrisome proteins, while the insoluble mature ECM fraction was solubilized using guanidine hydrochloride and hydroxylamine hydrochloride. The samples were then analyzed using label-free quantitative LC-MS/MS.\n\nThe study found that the insoluble matrix was primarily composed of collagenous proteins, which constituted 95-99% of the identified signal intensity. This composition was largely established by P14. On the other hand, the soluble matrisome compartment showed a dynamic shift, with collagens increasing from 50 to over 60% by P14. This was accompanied by the regulation of proteins involved in collagen processing (P4HA1, PCOLCE), crosslinking (LOX, LOXL2), and the regulation of collagen fibril assembly and growth (DCN, BGN, FMOD, THBS3, THBS4).\n\nThe researchers also observed dynamic regulation of less-characterized fibril-associated proteoglycans (KERA, OGN, CHAD), matricellular (COMP, POSTN, MATN2), and angiogenic regulatory proteins (SERPINF1, ECM1). These findings provide new insights into the molecular regulation of functional tendon development, establishing a comprehensive protein-level reference for postnatal tendon maturation.",
  "summary": "Tendons acquire their load-bearing capacity during the first month of postnatal growth, driven by the extensive remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). While the role of specific individual components to this process have been well characterized, a comprehensive assessment of how the tendon matrisome changes during this critical window is lacking. This, in part, is due to the challenges…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}