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Synthesis

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Collagen is an excellent example of the production of a complex protein structure from a simple amino acid chain. It is made in cells such as fibroblasts:

  • individual polypeptide chains are synthesized on membrane-bound ribosomes according to mRNA templates; this is the pro-alpha chain
  • a signal peptide on the polypeptide ensures that the chain is passed into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum
  • proline and lysine residues on the chain are hydroxylated
  • some hydroxylysine residues may be glycosylated
  • a triple alpha helix of 3 polypeptide chains forms spontaneously; this is procollagen:
    • hydroxyproline forms interchain hydrogen bonds
    • hydroxylysine cross-links collagen molecules
  • procollagen is secreted into the extracellular space where proteolytic enzymes cleave the terminal peptides
  • resulting tropocollagen molecules spontaneously combine with other tropocollagen molecules to form linear array within collagen fibril
  • collagen fibrils orientate themselves along the line of collagen fibre made from several collagen fibrils

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