title: Serum-induced collagen gel contraction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand the molecular events underlying disease-related vitreous gel contraction, the effect of serum components on collagen was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bovine vitreous or dermal collagen was incubated with a mixture of transglutaminase (TG; factor XIIIa) and fibronectin (FN), and the biochemical changes of collagen were monitored by gel electrophoresis. In addition, serum-induced changes in the volume of the collagen gel were monitored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gel electrophoresis revealed a new high-molecular-weight band (M(r) 240,000) presumably due to intermolecular cross-links of collagen peptides and FN. The serum components also were shown to cause a significant decrease in the volume of the collagen gel. CONCLUSION. Collagen gel contraction could be attributed to the collagen-FN-collagen cross-links catalyzed by TG.
authors.affiliation: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akiba
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kakehashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tano
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chakrabarti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003094:Collagen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins; D003094:Collagen; D011503:Transglutaminases