Sea urchin fibrillar collagen 2 alpha chain participates in heterotrimericmolecules of (1 alpha)(2)2 alpha stoichiometry

In sea urchin, two fibrillar collagen chains (1 alpha and 2 alpha) have bee n characterized by molecular biology while two biochemically detected chain s (alpha1 and alpha2) have been reported. Here, to determine the relationsh ip between these results, Western-blotting and Edman degradation sequencing of the amino-termini of pepsinized sea urchin fibrillar collagen chains we re performed. The data demonstrate that the 2 alpha chain corresponds to th e alpha2 chain and is involved in the formation of heterotrimeric molecules [(1 alpha)(2)2 alpha]. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V./International Societ y of Matrix Biology. All rights reserved.