Does the triple helical domain of type I collagen encode molecular recognition and fiber assembly while telopeptides serve as catalytic domains? Effect of proteolytic cleavage on fibrillogenesis and on collagen-collagen interaction in fibers.

Over the last several decades, it has been established that proteolytic removal of short, non-helical terminal peptides (telopeptides) from type I collagen significantly alters the kinetics of in vitro fibrillogenesis. However, it has also been observed that the protein is still capable of forming fibers even after complete removal of telopeptides. This study focuses on the characterization of this fibrillogenesis competency of collagen. We have combined traditional kinetic and thermodynamic assays of fibrillogenesis efficacy with direct measurements of interaction between collagen molecules in fibers by osmotic stress and x-ray diffraction. We found that telopeptide cleavage by pepsin or by up to 20 h of Pronase treatment altered fiber assembly kinetics, but the same fraction of the protein still assembled into fibers. Small-angle x-ray diffraction showed that these fibers have normal, native-like D-stagger. Force measurements indicated that collagen-collagen interactions in fibers were not affected by either pepsin or Pronase treatment. In contrast, prolonged (>20 h) Pronase treatment resulted in cleavage of the triple helical domain as indicated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The triple-helix cleavage correlated with the observed decrease in the fraction of protein capable of forming fibers and with the measured loss of attraction between helices in fibers. These data suggest that telopeptides play a catalytic role, whereas the information necessary for proper molecular recognition and fiber assembly is encoded in the triple helical domain of collagen.