Brown J C, Timpl R
Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried, Germany.
Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 1995 Aug;107(4):484-90. doi: 10.1159/000237090.
The collagens represent a large family of molecular proteins which are located in the extracellular matrix. They all share a triple-helical segment of variable length (100-450 nm) but differ considerably in the size and nature of their globular domains. The various collagen types I-XIX known so far in vertebrates are adjusted to different functions including the formation of fibrils, microfibrils and networks. Their biological role is now increasingly studied by genetic approaches.
胶原蛋白是一大类位于细胞外基质中的分子蛋白。它们都有一段长度可变（100 - 450纳米）的三螺旋片段，但球状结构域的大小和性质差异很大。目前在脊椎动物中已知的各种I - XIX型胶原蛋白适应不同的功能，包括形成纤维、微纤维和网络。现在越来越多地通过遗传学方法研究它们的生物学作用。
