Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Cell Biology logoLink to The Journal of Cell Biology
. 1976 Oct 1;71(1):59–67. doi: 10.1083/jcb.71.1.59

Vitreous body collagen. Evidence for a dual origin from the neural retina and hyalocytes

PMCID: PMC2109724  PMID: 977655

Abstract

Two different cells types have been shown to synthesize embryonic chick vitreous collagen (vitrosin) at different stages of development. Identification of vitrosin was established by labeling the embryos in ovo [3H]proline at stages 23 and 28 and separating the extracted vitreous collagen alpha-chains by carboxymethylcellulose chromatography. The labeled collagen consisted predominately of alpha 1 chains, indicating a molecule in the form of a trimer of identical chains designated (alpha 1)3. The molecular weight of the labeled chains measured approximately 95,000 daltons by molecular sieve chromatography, and contained 41% of their imino acid as 4- hydroxyproline. To establish which eye tissues synthesize vitrosine, the collagens produced in organ culture by the isolated neural retina, lens and vitreous body from stages 26-27, 29-30, and 40 were examined. At the two earlier stages, only the neural retina synthesized large quantities of (alpha 1)3 collagen whereas the lens and the cells within the vitreous body itself synthesized relatively small amounts of collagen characterized by an alpha 1:alpha 2 ratio of about 2:1. At stage 40, however, the cells of the vitreous body itself synthesized the greatest quantities of collagen, which now was predominantly an (alpha 1)3 type molecule. Stage 40 neural retina and lens synthesized lesser amounts of collagen with an alpha 1:alpha 2 ratio of 2 to 3:1. Chick vitrosin thus appears to be synthesized by the neural retina in early embryonic stages, whereas the major contribution derives from cells within the vitreous body in later development.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (593.7 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Balazs E. A., Toth L. Z., Jutheden G. M., Collins B. A. Cytological and biochemical studies on the developing chicken vitreous. Exp Eye Res. 1965 Sep;4(3):237–248. doi: 10.1016/s0014-4835(65)80037-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chung E., Miller E. J. Collagen polymorphism: characterization of molecules with the chain composition (alpha 1 (3)03 in human tissues. Science. 1974 Mar;183(130):1200–1201. doi: 10.1126/science.183.4130.1200. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cohen A. M., Hay E. D. Secretion of collagen by embryonic neuroepithelium at the time of spinal cord--somite interaction. Dev Biol. 1971 Dec;26(4):578–605. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(71)90142-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dodson J. W., Hay E. D. Secretion of collagenous stroma by isolated epithelium grown in vitro. Exp Cell Res. 1971 Mar;65(1):215–220. doi: 10.1016/s0014-4827(71)80069-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Epstein E. H., Jr (Alpha1(3))3 human skin collagen. Release by pepsin digestion and preponderance in fetal life. J Biol Chem. 1974 May 25;249(10):3225–3231. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. GROSS J., MATOLTSY G., COHEN C. Vitrosin: a member of the collagen class. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1955 May 25;1(3):215–220. doi: 10.1083/jcb.1.3.215. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kang A. H., Piez K. A., Gross J. Characterization of the cyanogen bromide peptides from the alpha 1 chain of chick skin collagen. Biochemistry. 1969 Apr;8(4):1506–1514. doi: 10.1021/bi00832a029. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kefalides N. A. Isolation of a collagen from basement membranes containing three identical - chains. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1971 Oct 1;45(1):226–234. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(71)90073-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. LEVENE C. I., GROSS J. Alterations in state of molecular aggregation of collagen induced in chick embryos by beta-aminopropionitrile (lathyrus factor). J Exp Med. 1959 Nov 1;110:771–790. doi: 10.1084/jem.110.5.771. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Linsenmayer T. F., Toole B. P., Trelstad R. L. Temporal and spatial transitions in collagen types during embryonic chick limb development. Dev Biol. 1973 Dec;35(2):232–239. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(73)90020-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Linsenmayer T. F., Trelstad R. L., Gross J. The collagen of chick embryonic notochord. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1973 Jul 2;53(1):39–45. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(73)91397-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Mayne R., Vail M. S., Miller E. J. Analysis of changes in collagen biosynthesis that occur when chick chondrocytes are grown in 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Nov;72(11):4511–4515. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.11.4511. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Miller E. J. Structural studies on cartilage collagen employing limited cleavage and solubilization with pepsin. Biochemistry. 1972 Dec 19;11(26):4903–4909. doi: 10.1021/bi00776a005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Newsome D. A., Kenyon K. R. Collagen production in vitro by the retinal pigmented epithelium of the chick embryo. Dev Biol. 1973 Jun;32(2):387–400. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(73)90249-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Piez K. A. Cross-linking of collagen and elastin. Annu Rev Biochem. 1968;37:547–570. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.37.070168.002555. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Swann D. A., Constable I. J., Harper E. Vitreous structure. 3. Composition of bovine vitreous collagen. Invest Ophthalmol. 1972 Sep;11(9):735–738. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Trelstad R. L. Human aorta collagens: evidence for three distinct species. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1974 Apr 8;57(3):717–725. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(74)90605-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Trelstad R. L., Kang A. H. Collagen heterogeneity in the avian eye: lens, vitreous body, cornea and sclera. Exp Eye Res. 1974 Apr;18(4):395–406. doi: 10.1016/0014-4835(74)90117-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Trelstad R. L., Kang A. H., Igarashi S., Gross J. Isolation of two distinct collagens from chick cartilage. Biochemistry. 1970 Dec 8;9(25):4993–4998. doi: 10.1021/bi00827a025. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Trelstad R. L., Kang A. H., Toole B. P., Gross J. Collagen heterogeneity. High resolution separation of native ( 1(I) 2 2 and ( 1(II) 3 and their component chains. J Biol Chem. 1972 Oct 25;247(20):6469–6473. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Cell Biology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES