Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Biological significance of the intermolecular crosslinks of collagen

Nature volume 251, pages 105–109 (1974)Cite this article

Abstract

Current theories of the crosslinks stabilising the collagen fibre are based on the isolation of compounds from borohydride-reduced collagen. What is the evidence for their existence in vivo and what, if any, is the physiological significance of these proposed crosslinks both in normal and pathological conditions?

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bailey, A. J., Comprehensive Biochemistry (edit. by Florkin, M., and Stotz, E. H.), 26, 297–423 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Traub, W., and Piez, K. A., Adv. Protein Chem., 25, 243 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bailey, A. J., and Robins, S. P., Frontiers in Matrix Biology (edit. by Robert, L.), 1, 130–153 (Karger, Basle, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Tanzer, M. L., Science, 180, 561 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Gallop, P. M., Blumenfeld, O. O., and Seifter, S., A. Rev. Biochem., 41, 617 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bailey, A. J., Peach, C. M., and Fowler, L. J., in Chemistry and Molecular Biology of the Intercellular Matrix (edit. by Balazs, E. A.), 1, 385–404 (Academic Press, New York, 1969).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bailey, A. J., and Peach, C. M., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 33, 812 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bailey, A. J., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 160, 447 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Robins, S. P., and Bailey, A. J., FEBS Lett., 38, 334 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Bailey, A. J., Fowler, L. J., and Peach, C. M., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 35, 672 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Mechanic, G. L., Gallop, P. M., and Tanzer, M. L., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 45, 644 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Davis, N. R., and Bailey, A. J., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 45, 1416 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Bailey, A. J., Peach, C. M., and Fowler, L. J., Biochem. J., 117, 819 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Robins, S. P., Shimokomaki, M., and Bailey, A. J., Biochem. J., 131, 771 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Robins, S. P., and Bailey, A. J., FEBS Lett., 33, 167 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Eyre, D., and Glimcher, M. J., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 295, 301 (1973).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Miller, E. J., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 45, 444 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Balian, G., and Bailey, A. J., Biochem. J. (in the press).

  19. Miller, E. J., J. biol. Chem., 248, 1666 (1973).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Hodge, A. J., and Petruska, J., in Aspects of Protein Structure (edit. by Ramachandran, G. A.), 289–306 (Academic Press, New York, 1963).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Tanzer, M. L., Housley, T., Berube, L., Fairweather, R., Franzblau, C., and Gallop, P. M., J. biol. Chem., 248, 393 (1973).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Robins, S. P., and Bailey, A. J., Biochem. J., 135, 657 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Brand, K., Tsolas, O., and Horecker, B. L., Archs Biochem. Biophys., 130, 521 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Schauer, R., Hoppe-Seylers Z. Physiol., 352, 1517 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Bailey, A. J., and Peach, C. M., Biochem. J., 121, 257 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Tanzer, M. L., and Mechanic, G., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 39, 182 (1970).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Levene, C. I., Bates, C. J., and Bailey, A. J., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 263, 574 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Fairweather, R. B., Tanzer, M. L., and Gallop, P. M., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 48, 1311 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Tanzer, M. L., Fairweather, R. B., and Gallop, P. B., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 310, 130 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Robins, S. P., and Bailey, A. J., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 48, 76 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Tanzer, M. L., Fairweather, R., and Gallop, P. M., Archs Biochem. Biophys., 151, 137 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Kang, A. H., Piez, K. A., and Gross, J., Biochemistry, 8, 1506 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Kang, A. H., Igarashi, S., and Gross, J., Biochemistry, 8, 3200 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Barnes, M. J., Constable, B. J., Morton, L. F., and Kodicek, E., Biochem. J., 125, 925 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Barnes, M. J., in Hard Tissue Growth, Repair and Remineralisation, Ciba Foundation Symposium II, 247–261 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Miller, E. J., Lane, J. M., and Piez, K. A., Biochemistry, 8, 30 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Bailey, A. J., and Robins, S. P., FEBS Lett., 21, 330 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Bailey, A. J., Bazin, S., and Delauney, A., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 328, 383 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Sinex, F. M., Treatise on Collagen (edit. by Ramachandran, G. N.), 2 B, 410–448 (Academic Press, New York, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Lent, A., and Franzblau, C., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 26, 43 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Mechanic, G. L., Gallop, P. M., and Tanzer, M. L., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 45, 644 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Deshmukh, K., and Nimmi, M. E., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 46, 175 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. McKusick, V. A., Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue (Mosby, St Louis, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  44. Beighton, P., The Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (Heineman Medical, London, 1970).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  45. Krane, S. M., Pinnell, S. R., and Erbe, R. W., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci U.S.A., 69, 2899 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Eyre, D. R., and Glimcher, M. J., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 69, 2594 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Lichtenstein, J. R., Martin, G. R., Kohn, L. D., Byers, P. H., and McKusick, V. A., Science, 182, 298 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Lenears, A., Ansay, M., Nusgens, B. V., and Lapiere, C. M., Eur. J. Biochem., 23, 535 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  49. Bailey, A. J., and Lapiere, C. M., Eur. J. Biochem., 34, 91 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Danks, D. M., Cambell, P. E., Walker-Smith, J., Stevens, B. J., Gillespie, J. M., Blomfield, J., and Turner, B., Lancet, i, 110 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  51. Siegel, R. C., Pinnel, S. R., and Martin, G. R., Biochemistry, 9, 4486 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Laitinen, O., Uitto, J., and, Iivanainen, M., Clin. chim. Acta, 21, 321 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Priest, R. E., Moinuddi, J. F., and Priest, J. H., Nature, 245, 264 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Layman, D. L., Narayanan, A. S., and Martin, G. R., Archs Biochem. Biophys., 149, 97 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Herbert, C. M., Jayson, M. I. V., Beighton, P., and Bailey, A. J. (in preparation).

  56. Herbert, C. M., Lindberg, K. A., Jayson, M. I. V., and Bailey, A. J., Lancet, i, 187 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Barnes, M. J., in Hard Tissue Growth, Repair and Remineralisation, 247–261 (Associated Scientific Press, Amsterdam, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  58. Beisswenger, P. J., and Spiro, R. G., Science, 168, 596 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Kang, A. H., and Trelstad, R. L., J. clin. Invest., 52, 2571 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agricultural Research Council, Meat Research Institute and Department of Animal Husbandry, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, UK

    A. J. Bailey, S. P. Robins & G. Balian

Authors
  1. A. J. Bailey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. P. Robins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. Balian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bailey, A., Robins, S. & Balian, G. Biological significance of the intermolecular crosslinks of collagen. Nature 251, 105–109 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/251105a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/251105a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing