Collagen-platelet interaction. Type V(A-B) collagen induced platelet aggregation.

One of the more recently discovered collagens, type V (or A-B) collagen, in its native fibillar form mediates human platelet aggregation and the release of serotonin. In agreement with a recent report, it has no detectable effect on human platelets in the soluble or amorphous form. The possibility that the observed results might be due to contaminating interstitial collagens was eliminated by taking advantage of unusual solubility properties of type V collagen. Type V collagen dissolved in 0.1M acetic acid formed native-type fibrils when dialyzed against PBS and amorphous fibrils when dislyzed against 0.05M Tris/0.13M NaCl, pH 7.4, at 4 degrees C. Interstitial collagens remained in solution under both of these conditions. In addition, type V collagen treated with sufficient, purified synovial collagenase to digest all contaminating interstitial collagen retained its platelet-aggregating properties. The purity of type V collagen was confirmed by SDS-PAGE of CNBr digests. These data indicate that the quaternary structure of type V collagen is important in its recognition by platelet membranes.