WEEK 8 (Collagen and Elastin) Flashcards
What are fibrous proteins usually folded into?
Either extended filaments or sheetlike structures with repeated amino acid sequences
What are the characteristics of fibrous proteins?
- relatively insoluble
- provide structural or protective function in our tissues (connective tissues, tendons, bone, muscle fibers, blood vessel walls, sclera & cornea of eye)
What are the characteristics of Collagen?
- most abundant protein in the human body
- LONG, RIGID structure in which three polypeptides are wound around one another in a ROPE-LIKE TRIPLE HELIX
- collagen may be dispersed as a GEL that gives support to the structure (e.g in ECM or the vitreous humor of the eye)
- collagen may be bundled in TIGHT, PARALLEL fibers that provide great strength (e.g in tendons)
How many collagen types does the collagen superfamily of proteins include?
Over 25
What do variations in the amino acid sequence of the alpha chains result in?
components that are about the same size but with slightly different properties
What is the difference between the composition of type I and type II collagens?
type I contains two chains called alpha-1 and one chain called alpha-2
type II contains three alpha-1 chains
The collagens can be organised into how many groups and based on what?
three groups
based on their location and functions in the body
What are the three different groups that collagens can be organised into?
- Fibril-forming collagens
- Network-forming collagens
- Fibril-associated collagens
What are the types of collagens that fall into “Fibril-forming collagens”?
- TYPE I collagen fibers are found in supporting elements of high tensile strength (Skin, bone, tendon, blood vessels, cornea)
- TYPE II collagen molecules are restricted to CARTILAGINOUS STRUCTURES (cartilage, intervertebral disk, vitreous body)
- TYPE III collagen are prevalent in more DISTENSIBLE tissues (blood vessels, skin, muscle)
What are the types of collagens that fall into “Network-forming collagens”?
TYPE IV (basement membrane) and TYPE VIII (corneal and vascular endothelium)
both form a three dimensional mesh rather than distinct fibrils
What are the types of collagens that fall into “Fibril-associated collagens”?
TYPE IX (cartilage) and XII (tendon, ligaments and some other tissues)
both bind to the surface of collagen fibrils, linking these fibrils to one another and to other components in the ECM
What differentiates Collagen from other globular proteins?
Other globular proteins are folded into compact structures but Collagen has an ELONGATED, TRIPLE-HELIX structure that is stabilised by INTERCHAIN HYDROGEN BONDS
What type of protein is Collagen
Fibrous protein
Describe the structure of Collagen regarding the amino acid sequence
- Rich in PROLINE and GLYCINE (smallest amino acid) which are both important in the formation of the TRIPLE-STRANDED HELIX
- Glycine is is found in every THIRD POSITION of each polypeptide chain
- Glycine fits into the the restricted spaces where the three chains of the helix come together
- Glycine residues are part of a repeating sequence -Gly-X-Y- where X is frequently PROLINE and Y is often HYDROXYPROLINE (but can be HYDROXYLYSINE)
Describe the structure of Collagen regarding hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine
- Collagen contains hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine
- Amino acids that result from the HYDROXYLATION of some of the proline and lysine residues after their incorporation into polypeptide chains
- hydroxylation is a POST-TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATION
Describe the structure of Collagen regarding Glycosylation
The hydroxyl group of the HYDROXYLYSINE residues of collagen may be enzymatically GLYCOSYLATED with GLUCOSE and GALACTOSE most commonly sequentially attached to the polypeptide chain prior to TRIPLE-HELIX FORMATION