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Molecular Packing in Collagen Fibrils

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Biochemistry of Collagen

Abstract

In this chapter I will discuss the three-dimensional arrangement of collagen molecules in the fibrils of connective tissue. This is a problem of quite general significance since the nature of the molecular packing in similar systems such as the fibrils of muscles and other biological fibers is still unknown. Once the sequence and symmetry of the individual collagen molecules are known, it is natural to proceed to inquire how these molecules aggregate to form the functional units of connective tissue. As Crick (1966) recognized, “the superlattice of collagen is a neglected problem and it is time somebody took it up again.”

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  1. A. Miller

    Present address: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble, France

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  1. Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Zoology Department, Oxford University, Oxford, England

    A. Miller

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  1. Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India

    G. N. Ramachandran

  2. The Ben May Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    A. H. Reddi

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Miller, A. (1976). Molecular Packing in Collagen Fibrils. In: Ramachandran, G.N., Reddi, A.H. (eds) Biochemistry of Collagen. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4602-0_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4602-0_3

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