Abstract

Structure and Function of Collagen Types is a collection of articles that reviews the different types of collagens (Type I to XI). Each article focuses on a particular type of collagen and written by leading investigators in the collagen field.
The book begins with a review of the fibril forming collagens (types I, II, and III) and traces the early work on the structure of these collagens to our knowledge of the structure of the collagen genes. This chapter is followed by a detailed description of type IV (basement membrane) collagen. Chapter 3 addresses the biosynthesis and chain assembly of type V collagen. The evidence that type VI collagen is assembled to form tetramers is presented in chapter 4. The subsequent article shows that type VII collagens are assembled to form partially overlapping dimers. Chapter 6 presents the structure of type VIII collagen. Chapters 7, 8, and 9 discuss the structure and characteristics of collagens that are synthesized by cartilaginous tissues and these are designated as type IX, type X, and type XI. The final chapter reviews the recombinant DNA techniques used to investigate collagen structure and the possibility to recognize new collagen types from a cDNA library.
Physiologists, cell biologists, and researchers in the field of collagen will find the text very insightful.