Aminoterminal propeptides of typed 1 procollagen

摘要

Aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen exists in serum in two forms: classical type I procollagen which is a heterotrimer containing two pro alpha 1-chains and one pro alpha 2-chain of type I procollagen, and an alpha 1-homotrimer type I procollagen containing three identical pro alpha 1-chains. These intact, trimeric aminoterminal propeptides may be isolated without the use of proteolytic enzymes and the resultant propeptides may be used to prepare antibodies specific for the intact trimeric propeptide, having no affinity for the monomeric form of the propeptide. Such antibodies are useful in methods of assaying intact trimeric aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen in serum, without false information resulting from inadvertent assay of the monomeric form of the propeptide.