Biomaterial Database

Analysis of the cuticular collagens of Ascaris suum. 1990

B Betschart, and K Wyss

Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel.

The nematode cuticle is an extracellular structure composed mainly of collagens, with an insoluble epicuticle on the surface. The extracted collagens from adult Ascaris suum can be separated by SDS-PAGE into three major groups of polypeptides with apparent molecular masses of 34, 60-70 and 120-140 kDa. Densitometric evaluation of the polypeptide bands indicated that the three groups are present in the ratio of 1:2:6. Rotary shadowing of reduced, extracted molecules showed fibers 45 nm in length. This length is in excellent agreement with the calculated total length of amino acids in (Gly-X-Y) regions deduced from the collagen gene sequence of Caenorhabditis elegans and A. suum. It is proposed that the three groups of collagen polypeptides found in SDS-PAGE correspond to collagen monomers, dimers and trimers, and that the molecules in the dimeric and trimeric forms are cross-linked via non-reducible bonds.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D008970	Molecular Weight	The sum of the weight of all the atoms in a molecule.	Molecular Weights,Weight, Molecular,Weights, Molecular
D011487	Protein Conformation	The characteristic 3-dimensional shape of a protein, including the secondary, supersecondary (motifs), tertiary (domains) and quaternary structure of the peptide chain. PROTEIN STRUCTURE, QUATERNARY describes the conformation assumed by multimeric proteins (aggregates of more than one polypeptide chain).	Conformation, Protein,Conformations, Protein,Protein Conformations
D003094	Collagen	A polypeptide substance comprising about one third of the total protein in mammalian organisms. It is the main constituent of SKIN; CONNECTIVE TISSUE; and the organic substance of bones (BONE AND BONES) and teeth (TOOTH).	Avicon,Avitene,Collagen Felt,Collagen Fleece,Collagenfleece,Collastat,Dermodress,Microfibril Collagen Hemostat,Pangen,Zyderm,alpha-Collagen,Collagen Hemostat, Microfibril,alpha Collagen
D004591	Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel	Electrophoresis in which a polyacrylamide gel is used as the diffusion medium.	Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis,SDS-PAGE,Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-PAGE,Gel Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide,SDS PAGE,Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate PAGE,Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-PAGEs
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001200	Ascaris	A genus of nematodes of the superfamily ASCARIDOIDEA whose species usually inhabit the intestine.	Ascari