Effect of an Additional Peptide Extension of the N‐Terminus of Collagen from Dermatosparactic Calves on the Cross‐Linking of the Collagen Fibres

Analysis of the highly disorganized fibres of dermatosparactic bovine skin revealed a marked decrease in the inter molecular cross‐linking of the aldimine bond type. However, after removal of the additional peptides from the procollagen in solution with a crude procollagen peptidase preparation, normal fibres were formed on reprecipitation, and analysis of these fibres indicated the formation of normal reducible cross‐links. These studies clearly demonstrate that one effect of the additional peptide extension is to inhibit the formation of both uniform fibres and fibres capable of producing the normal cross‐links.