[Characteristics of collagen preparations labelled in vitro by 14C-acetic anhydrides. Their use for the determination of collagenase activity and as radioactive markers].

A modified procedure in developed for acetylation by means of 14C-acetic anhydride of highly purified collagen I preparations. The acetylated collagen exhibited high specific radioactivity and was effectively hydrolyzed by bacterial collagenase. The 14C-acetylated collagen was used as a radioactive marker in electrophoretic analysis of labelled proteins.