Self-similarity and the assembly of collagen molecules

Sasisekharan, V and Bansal, M (1990) Self-similarity and the assembly of collagen molecules. In: Current Science, 59 (17-18). pp. 863-866.

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Abstract

The Bragg reflections seen on the equator, in the X-ray pattern of collagen fibrils, have been generally interpreted as arising from a quasi-hexagonal packing of the triplehelical collagen molecules. However, these reflections can be 'accurately' indexed only on the basis of a much larger monoclinic cell. In this paper 'we outline a completely different approach, based on the principle of self-similarity, to describe the assembly of rod-like molecules of collagen. Assuming that the collagen molecules are packed, with local exagonal site symmetry, but no long range translational order, an aperiodic lattice arrangement is described (with only the inter-molecular separation as a variable parameter). This can account for the observed equatorial X-ray pattern as well as the longer range lateral spacings seen. in collagen fibrils under the electron microscope.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Current Science
Publisher:	Indian Academy of Sciences
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to Indian Academy of Sciences
Keywords:	collagen molecules;monoclinic cell;collagen fibrils
Department/Centre:	Division of Biological Sciences > Molecular Biophysics Unit
Date Deposited:	01 Jan 2008
Last Modified:	19 Sep 2010 04:41
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/12568

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