Approach to Specific Control of Collagen Biosynthesis

Abstract

The effect of various chelating substances on the simultaneous incorporation of [14C]proline and [14C]glycine into collagen was studied in a chick embryo system. 2,2[image]-dipyridyl was found to inhibit completely the hydroxylation of proline to hydroxyproline in millimolar concentration. It did not influence, however, the incorporation of glycine into the collagen molecule. 0.1 mM 1,10-phenanthroline inhibited the biosynthesis of collagen by blocking the incorporation of both glycine and proline; no hydroxylation occurred under these conditions. Both of these inhibition effects were less pronounced when diethyldithio-carbamate was used. As the synthesis of noncollagenous proteins is not affected by phenanthroline in the concentration mentioned, a hypothesis concerning the specific control of collagen biosynthesis is suggested.