Difference in thermal stability of type-I and type-III collagen from rat skin

Abstract

Type-I and type-III collagens were obtained by differential salt fractionation of neutral-salt-soluble collagen from rat skin. Their thermal stabilities were determined by u.v. difference spectroscopy. The ‘melting’ temperature (T_m) in 5mm-acetic acid of type-III collagen was almost 2°C above that of type-I collagen. Intramolecular covalent cross-linking had no effect on the thermal stability.