Hydroxylation of lysine and glycosylation of hydroxylysine during collagen biosynthesis in isolated chick-embryo cartilage cells.

Hydroxylation of lysine and glycosylation of hydroxylysine during collagen biosynthesis in isolated chick-embryo cartilage cells were studied by using continuous labelling and pulse-chase labelling experiments with [14C]lysine. Control experiments with [14C]proline indicated that in continuous labelling the hydroxylation of [14C]proline became linear with time after about 4 min and the secretion of collagen after about 35 min, as reported previously. In similar experiments with [14C]lysine the hydroxylation of [14C]lysine and the glycosylations of hydroxy[14C]lysine became linear at about 4 min, suggesting that these reactions were initiated while the polypeptide chains were growing on the ribosomes. Pulse-chase labelling experiments with [14C]lysine indicated that after a 5 min pulse-label the hydroxylation of [14C]lysine and the glycosylations of hydroxyl[14C]lysine continued during the chase period for about 20 min. The data suggest that these reactions are continued after the release of complete polypeptide chains into the cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum, whereas the reactions are probably not continued after the formation of the triple helix and the movement of the molecules into the Golgi vacuoles.