The resistance to dispersion of collagen fibres formed in vitro in the presence of ascorbic acid

Abstract

Collagen fibres have been allowed to form by warming soluble collagen at pH 7.4 to 37° in the presence of amounts of ascorbic acid which are within the physiological range (up to 10⁻⁴ M). Such fibres are more resistant to dispersion by denaturants, enzymes with little or no group specificity, and ultrasonic treatment than fibres formed in the presence of buffer alone. This stabilising effect appears to be associated with the enol grouping of ascorbic acid. The possibility of an analogous stabilisation mechanism in vivo is discussed.