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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 May 1.
Published in final edited form as: Methods. 2008 May;45(1):65–74. doi: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2008.01.002

Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

Hierarchical depiction of a heterotypic collagen fibril, emphasizing the internal axial relationships required for mature cross-link formation. Upper: Three-dimensional concept of the type II/IX/XI heterotypic fibril of developing cartilage matrix. Middle: Detail illustrating required nearest neighbor axial relationships for trifunctional intermolecular cross-links to form in collagens of cartilage, bone, and other high-tensile strength tissue matrices. The exact 3D spatial pattern of cross-linking bonds is still unclear for any tissue. Lower: Detail of the axial stagger of individual collagen molecules required for pyridinoline cross-linking.