Elastic fiber

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Elastic fiber
Subcutaneous tissue from a young rabbit. Highly magnified. (Elastic fibers labeled at right)
Identifiers
FMA63868
Anatomical terminology

Elastic fibers (or yellow fibers) are an essential component of the extracellular matrix composed of bundles of proteins (elastin) which are produced by a number of different cell types including fibroblasts, endothelial, smooth muscle, and airway epithelial cells.[1] These fibers are able to stretch many times their length, and snap back to their original length when relaxed without loss of energy. Elastic fibers include elastin, elaunin and oxytalan.

Elastic fibers are formed via elastogenesis,

tropoelastin, the soluble monomeric precursor to elastic fibers is produced by elastogenic cells and chaperoned to the cell surface. Following excretion from the cell, tropoelastin self associates into ~200 nm particles by coacervation, an entropically driven process involving interactions between tropoelastin's hydrophobic domains, which is mediated by glycosaminoglycans, heparan, and other molecules.[8][9][10] These particles then fuse to give rise to 1-2 micron spherules which continue to grow as they move down from the cells surface before being deposited onto fibrillin microfibrillar scaffolds.[1]

Following deposition onto microfibrils tropoelastin is insolubilized via extensive crosslinking by members of the lysyl oxidase and lysyl oxidase like family of copper-dependent amine oxidases into amorphous elastin, a highly resilient, insoluble polymer that is metabolically stable over a human lifespan.[1] These two families of enzymes react with the many lysine residues present in tropoelastin to form reactive aldehydes and allysine via oxidative deamination.[11]

These reactive aldehydes and allysines can react with other lysine and allysine residues to form desmosine, isodesmosine, and a number of other polyfunctional crosslinks that join surrounding molecules of tropoelastin into an extensively crosslinked elastin matrix. This process creates a diverse array of intramolecular and intermolecular crosslinks[12] These unique crosslinks are responsible for elastin's durability and persistence. Maintenance of crosslinked elastin is carried out by a number of proteins including lysyl oxidase-like 1 protein.[13]

Mature elastic fibers consist of an amorphous

elastin receptor
.

Distribution

visceral pleura (outer lining) of the human lung

Elastic fibers are found in the

fetal tissue and other tissues which must undergo mechanical stretching.[1] In the lung there are thick and thin elastic fibers.[3]

Elastic fibers are absent from

keloids and dermatofibromas and they are decreased greatly, or are absent in anetodermas.[15]

Histology

Elastic fibers stain well with

aldehyde fuchsin, orcein,[16] and Weigert's elastic stain in histological
sections.

The permanganate-bisulfite-toluidine blue reaction is a highly selective and sensitive method for demonstrating elastic fibers under polarizing optics. The induced birefringence demonstrates the highly ordered molecular structure of the elastin molecules in the elastic fiber. This is not readily apparent under normal optics.

Defects and disease

There is evidence to believe that certain defects of any components of the elastic matrix may impair and alter the structural appearance of elastic and collagen fibers.

Cutis laxa and Williams syndrome have elastic matrix defects that have been directly associated with alterations in the elastin gene.

neutrophils during the inflammatory response. This leads most often to emphysema
and liver disease in affected individuals.

fibullin
for example).

lysosomal
storage disease, is associated with an altered elastic matrix.

arterioles
with alterations in the elastic matrix.

Elastosis

Elastosis is the buildup of elastic fibers in tissues, and is a form of degenerative disease.[17] There are a multitude of causes, but the most commons cause is actinic elastosis of the skin, also known as solar elastosis, which is caused by prolonged and excessive sun exposure, a process known as photoaging. Uncommon causes of skin elastosis include elastosis perforans serpiginosa, perforating calcific elastosis and linear focal elastosis.[17]

Skin elastosis causes
Condition Distinctive features Histopathology
Actinic elastosis
(most common, also called solar elastosis) 		Elastin replacing collagen fibers of the
reticular dermis
Elastosis perforans serpiginosa Degenerated elastic fibers and transepidermal perforating canals (arrow in image points at one of them)[18]
Perforating calcific elastosis Clumping of short elastic fibers in the dermis.[18]
Linear focal elastosis Accumulation of fragmented elastotic material within the papillary dermis and transcutaneous elimination of elastotic fibers.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^
    S2CID 196458819
    .
  2. PMID 15837523
    .
  3. ^
    PMID 34355407
    .
  4. PMID 25960419
    .
  5. PMID 26601954
    .
  6. PMID 19016471
    .
  7. S2CID 4343659
    .
  8. PMID 21081222
    .
  9. PMID 10419484
    .
  10. PMID 18547105
    .
  11. S2CID 31863161
    .
  12. PMID 30108173
    .
  13. PMID 14745449
    .
  14. PMID 15748998
    .
  15. ISBN 9781893357259. Archived from the original
    on June 20, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2016. Elastic fibers are absent from scarring processes such as scars, keloids, and dermatofibromas
  16. ^ "Connective Tissue". Archived from the original on November 7, 2008.
  17. ^ a b Wright B. "Elastosis". DermNet NZ.
  18. ^
    PMID 24278718.
    -Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
    license

External links
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