Procollagen messenger RNA levels and activity and collagen synthesis during the fetal development of sheep lung, tendon, and skin.
The rates of type I collagen synthesis in sheep lung, tendon, and skin were evaluated during the latter half of fetal development and compared with the levels of type I procollagen mRNA, quantified by molecular hybridization with a type I procollagen specific complementary DNA, and with the activity of total procollagen mRNA measured by in vitro cell-free translation. In the lung and tendon, the levels of type I procollagen mRNA and activity of total procollagen mRNA parallel collagen synthesis during development. In the skin, however, type I collagen synthesis declines sharply during fetal development, but both type I procollagen mRNA levels and total procollagen mRNA activity remain at the high levels of early development. These observations suggest that in developing lung and tendon, type I procollagen mRNA levels are likely the major determinants of the levels of type I collagen synthesis. In contrast, the dichotomy between type I procollagen mRNA levels and rates of type I collagen synthesis in the developing sheep skin suggest the skin utilizes mechanisms in addition to mRNA levels to modulate expression of the type I collagen gene.
D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003094:Collagen / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D011347:Procollagen / Q000235:genetics*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D012756:Sheep; D012867:Skin / Q000196:embryology*; D013710:Tendons / Q000196:embryology*
D011347:Procollagen; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003094:Collagen