The preparation of an alkali-soluble collagen from demineralized bone.

Ossein was solubilized by the action of alkali and a resulting high-molecular-weight fraction isolated. The chemical and physical properties of this fraction were studied and compared with those of an acid-soluble collagen prepared from calf skin by conventional techniques. From the results it is concluded that the alkali-soluble protein exhibits only minor differences from acid-soluble collagen, and that these differences can be ascribed for the most part to a decrease in the inter- and intramolecular cross-linking.