Collagen Structure & Function

IntroductionIntroduction

Collagen is a member of a naturally occurring protein family. It is one of the most plentiful proteins present in mammals and is responsible for performing a variety of biological functions. It often works in conjuction with other important proteins such as keratin and elastin.

Molecular StructureMolecular Structure

Collagen takes the form of a triple helix which is stabilized by hydrogen bonding. Each of it's α-helices are enclosed by a hydration cylinder. The molecule itself is approxiametly 1-2nm in diameter and 300nm in length.

FunctionFunction

There are currently close to 30 different types of collagen that have been identified. The most abundant type of collagen present in the human body is that of Type I with significant amounts of Type II,III and IV also accounted for.

• Type I- found in bones,tendons,organs
• Type II-found mainly in cartilage
• Type III-found mainly in reticular fibres
• Type IV-found in the basement membrane of cell membranes
• Type V-found in hair

Collagen-Related DisordersCollagen-Related Disorders

There are many types of disorders associated with collagen. These include:

• Elhers-Danlos Syndrome
• Alport Syndrome
• Osteogenesis imperfecta
• Chondrodysplasias
• Atopic Dermatitis

ReferencesReferences

Bella J, Eaton M, Brodsky B, Berman HM Crystal and molecular structure of a collagen-like peptide at 1.9A resolution Science v266, p.75-81

spinqualitylabelsall models PDB ID 1cag Show:Asymmetric Unit Biological Assembly Drag the structure with the mouse to rotate   Export Animated Image
1cag, resolution 1.85Å ()
Ligands:
Non-Standard Residues:
Resources:	FirstGlance, OCA, PDBsum, RCSB
Coordinates:	save as pdb, mmCIF, xml