Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Organotypic Culture Method to Study the Development Of Embryonic Chicken Tissues
05:12

Organotypic Culture Method to Study the Development Of Embryonic Chicken Tissues

Published on: August 25, 2018

Developmental changes in the type I procollagen processing pathway in chick-embryo cornea

S J Mellor1, G L Atkins, D J Hulmes

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Scotland, U.K.

The Biochemical Journal
|June 15, 1991
PubMed

Insights

Chick embryo corneal development reveals dynamic type I procollagen processing. Fibril diameters remain largely unaffected by variations in N- and C-propeptide removal pathways.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Developmental Biology
  • Ophthalmology

Background:

  • Type I collagen is crucial for corneal structure and integrity.
  • Procollagen processing, involving N- and C-propeptide removal, is essential for collagen fibrillogenesis.
  • Understanding these processing pathways during development is key to comprehending corneal tissue formation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the developmental changes in type I procollagen processing in chick embryo corneas.
  • To quantify the kinetics of N- and C-propeptide removal.
  • To correlate procollagen processing pathways with collagen fibril diameter changes.

Main Methods:

  • Pulse-chase experiments were used to track procollagen processing.
  • Electrophoretic analysis of salt-soluble extracts identified processing intermediates.
  • Kinetic modeling was applied to determine rate constants for propeptide removal.
  • Electron microscopy measured collagen fibril diameters.

Main Results:

  • Developmental changes in type I procollagen processing were observed between embryonic days 12 and 17.
  • The relative flux through pC-collagen and pN-collagen pathways increased approximately 4-fold.
  • Pro alpha 1(I) and pro alpha 2(I) chains exhibited slightly different processing routes.
  • Collagen fibril diameters increased by less than 10% during this period.

Conclusions:

  • Procollagen processing pathways in the salt-soluble pool undergo significant developmental modulation.
  • Collagen fibril diameters are relatively insensitive to variations in the procollagen processing pathway.
  • These findings provide insights into the regulation of extracellular matrix formation during corneal development.

More Related Videos

Laser Capture Microdissection of Mouse Embryonic Cartilage and Bone for Gene Expression Analysis09:20

Laser Capture Microdissection of Mouse Embryonic Cartilage and Bone for Gene Expression Analysis

Published on: December 18, 2019

Investigating Scarless Tissue Regeneration in Embryonic Wounded Chick Corneas09:31

Investigating Scarless Tissue Regeneration in Embryonic Wounded Chick Corneas

Published on: May 2, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue01:27

Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue

Chondrocytes form a temporary cartilaginous model by dividing and secreting a thick gel-like extracellular matrix. Once the chondrocytes undergo programmed cell death, osteoblasts enter the site of the cartilaginous model. The process of replacing the temporary cartilaginous model with bone in an ordered manner is called endochondral ossification. In endochondral ossification, not all of the cartilage is replaced by bone tissue. Some cartilage that performs a protective and supportive function...
Collagens are the Major Structural Proteins of ECM01:13

Collagens are the Major Structural Proteins of ECM

Three main types of fibers are secreted by fibroblasts: collagen fibers, elastic fibers, and reticular fibers. Collagen fiber is made from fibrous protein subunits linked together to form a long, straight fiber. Collagen fibers, while flexible, have great tensile strength, resist stretching, and give ligaments and tendons their characteristic resilience and strength. These fibers hold connective tissues together, even during the body's movement.
Connective tissue proper includes loose...
Fibril-associated Collagen01:11

Fibril-associated Collagen

Fibril-associated collagens are a type of collagens present in the extracellular matrix with interrupted triple helices or FACIT (Fibril-associated collagens interrupted triple-helices). FACIT help connect and attach the collagen fibrils with each other as well as with other proteins of the extracellular matrix.
For example, the type II collagen fibrils in cartilage have covalently bound type IX fibril-associated collagens at regular intervals. Other types of fibril-associated collagens are...
Type IV Collagen of Basal Lamina01:05

Type IV Collagen of Basal Lamina

Type IV collagen is a 400 nm long, network-forming collagen that acts as a barrier between the epithelial and endothelial cells. Type IV collagen  forms the backbone of the basement membrane by scaffolding with laminin, entactin, proteoglycans, and fibronectin. Apart from rendering structural support to the basement membrane, it also helps entail signaling potentials necessary for both pathological and physiological functions.
A type IV collagen molecule has six alpha chains which can exist in...
Phases of Wound Repair01:28

Phases of Wound Repair

Following injury, the integrity of the injured tissues must be reestablished. For example, in skin tissue, wound repair involves coordination among resident skin cells, blood mononuclear cells, extracellular matrix, growth factors, and cytokines to complete the healing cascade.
Formation of Blood Clot
In case of deep injuries, trauma to blood vessels results in blood loss. In the meantime, phospholipids released from the ruptured endothelial cellular membrane are converted into arachidonic...
Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification01:24

Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification

Bone formation, or ossification, begins around the sixth to seventh week of embryonic development. Most bones develop from a cartilaginous template through the process of endochondral ossification. Cartilage formation begins when clusters of mesenchymal cells differentiate into chondrocytes. These chondrocytes proliferate rapidly and secrete an extracellular matrix that becomes encased in a membrane called the perichondrium. The resulting cartilage model provides a template that resembles the...