Fibrous-long spacing fiber formation by collagen and non-collagenous acidic components from calf skin.

Fibrous-long spacing (FLS) fibers were reconstituted in the supernatant fraction after disaggregation of calf insoluble collagen fibers. Macromolecular components of the fibers were biochemically analyzed. Amino acid analysis demonstrated that the major component of FLS was collagen consisting of types I and III collagen in the relative percentage of 92 and 8% respectively. Hyaluronic acid and dermatan sulfate were the major components of glycosaminoglycans present in the ratio of 1:2. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) revealed several minor non-collagenous proteins which were not derived from serum components. The results suggest that non-collagenous components including glycosaminoglycans, are involved in the formation of FLS.