title: Procollagen production and procollagen messenger RNA levels and activity in human lung fibroblasts during periods of rapid and stationary growth.
abstract: The production of procollagen molecules by human diploid fetal lung fibroblasts (HFL-1 cells) remains constant in both rapid and stationary growth phases. However, log phase cells degrade 3-fold more newly synthesized collagen inside the cell prior to secretion than do stationary phase cells. Procollagen mRNA levels, measured by hybridization with a type I procollagen mRNA-specific complementary DNA, are approximately 2-fold higher in confluent cells than in log phase cells. There are no significant differences in the ability of either log phase or confluent HFL-1 cell procollagen mRNA to be translated in an in vitro cell-free translation system. Therefore, the ability of HFL-1 cells to maintain constant collagen production irrespective of the growth status of the cells results from the combined action of a number of regulatory mechanisms, including changes in procollagen mRNA levels, the utilization of procollagen mRNA, and intracellular procollagen degradation.
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D011247:Pregnancy; D011347:Procollagen / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D011347:Procollagen; D012333:RNA, Messenger