title: Collagen--the predominant protein of the tectorial membrane.
abstract: Evidence is presented that, in contrast to the traditional view, a large proportion of the proteins of the tectorial membrane (TM) consists of collagen, primarily type II: characteristic amino acid composition of TM, including high levels of glycine, hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine; comigration of the main TM protein with appropriate collagen standards in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis; digestion of the main TM protein band following treatment with bacterial collagenase; one- and two-dimensional peptide mapping of cyanogen bromide digests of the TM exhibits patterns characteristic for collagen type II.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D003051:Cochlea / Q000032:analysis*; D003094:Collagen / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003488:Cyanogen Bromide; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000379:methods; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D003012:Microbial Collagenase; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis; D012834:Silver; D013680:Tectorial Membrane / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012834:Silver; D003094:Collagen; D003012:Microbial Collagenase; D003488:Cyanogen Bromide