Open AccessREVERSIBLE TRANSFORMATION OF FIBROUS COLLAGEN TO A SOLUBLE STATE in vivo
Author(s) -
L. Klein
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.62.3.920
Subject(s) - connective tissue , in vivo , chemistry , proline , biochemistry , salt (chemistry) , in vitro , amino acid , biology , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology
Metabolic pathways of pre-existing and newly synthesized collagen fractions from skin and induced connective tissue were studied in rats that had been labeled with3 H-L-proline 6 and 20 weeks previously. The distribution of specific radioactivity was determined for soluble and insoluble collagens. Multiple extractions of neutral salt-soluble and citrate-soluble collagen demonstrated constant specific radioactivities which indicated the achievement of an isotopic steady state. Citrate-soluble collagen was four times more radioactive than neutral salt-soluble collagen, which indicated a large difference in biological age (months) between fractions.Different levels of specific radioactivity in collagen fractions from implanted sponge indicated that both pre-existing (citrate-soluble) and newly synthesized collagen (salt-soluble) contributed to the insoluble collagen of induced connective tissue in normal and hypophysectomized rats. The isotopic data indicated that pre-existing fibrous collagen could be solubilizedin vivo and translocated from skin to sponge via citrate-soluble collagen.