The effect of ultraviolet irradiation on acid-soluble collagen

Abstract

1. A study has been made of the effect of ultraviolet irradiation on the conformational changes taking place in cooled solutions of thermally denatured acid-soluble calf-skin collagen. 2. The increase in negative rotation and viscosity at 15° for irradiated and thermally denatured collagen solutions becomes less as the irradiation dose is increased. 3. The principal effect of ultraviolet irradiation is the fission of the primary collagen chains, eventually yielding chain lengths incapable of stabilizing a helical structure. 4. The effects of ultraviolet irradiation on acid-soluble collagen may be closely correlated with similar effects on neutral salt-soluble collagen.