Collagen hydroxylation

Why does impaired hydroxylation have such devastating consequences Collagen synthesized in the absence of ascorbate is less stable than the normal protein. Studies of the thermal stability of synthetic polypeptides have been especially informative. Hydroxyproline stabilizes the collagen triple helix by forming interstrand hydrogen bonds. The abnormal fibers formed by insufficiently hydroxylated collagen contribute to the skin lesions and blood-vessel fragility seen in scurvy. 

Vitamin C deficiency results in an impairment in the hydroxylation of collagen. Properly hydroxylated collagen molecules self-associate to form a triple-helix structure within the cell (Figure 9.83). Collagen that is not hydroxylated and does not form the triple helix is not readily secreted from the cell. Its secretion is impaired. The underhydroxylated collagen tends not to build up in the cell but instead is rapidly degraded. Historically, one confusing aspect of vitamin C research was that the deficiency seemed not to result in an accumulation of abnormal... 

Prolyl hydroxylase from the earthworm requires the same co-factors as the animal enzymes, but it has a different substrate specificity. It requires that the glycine residue precede the proline rather than follow it. Thus, the peptide (Gly-Pro-Ala)n is a substrate for earthworm prolyl hydroxylase but not for mammalian and bird enzymes (132). Prolyl hydroxylase from carrots appears to be very similar in co-factor requirements and specificity to that of the animal enzymes (119). The plant enzyme could hydroxylate collagen prepared from chick-embryo tibias and the animal enzyme could hydroxylate the unhydroxylated plant substrate dehydroxyextensin. 

C (Ascorbic acid) Hydroxylates collagen Biochemical Connections box, p. 471. 

Barnes, M. J., Constable, B. J., Morton, L. F., and Kodicek, E., 1970, Studies in vivo on the biosynthesis of collagen and elastin in ascorbic acid-deficient guinea pigs. Evidence for the formation and degradation of a partially hydroxylated collagen, Biochem. J. 119 575-585. 

Collagen chains are synthesized as longer precursors, called procollagens, with globular extensions—propeptides of about 200 residues—at both ends. These procollagen polypeptide chains are transported into the lumen of the rough endoplasmic reticulum where they undergo hydroxylation and other chemical modifications before they are assembled into triple chain molecules. The terminal propeptides are essential for proper formation of triple... 

FIGURE 6.16 The hydroxylated residues typically found in collagen. 

FIGURE 6.20 A disaccharide of galactose and glucose is covalently linked to the 5-hydroxyl group of hydroxylysines in collagen by the combined action of the enzymes galactosyl transferase and glucosyl transferase. 

Since 1973, several authors have proved that there is a relationship between thermostability of collagen and the extent of hydroxylation of the proline residues31,34). Equilibrium measurements of the peptides al-CB 2 of rat tail and rat skin revealed a higher rm, for al-CB 2 (rat skin)157). The sequence of both peptides is identical except that in the peptide obtained from rat skin, the hydroxylation of the proline residues in position 3 has occurred to a higher extent than in the case of al-CB 2 (rat tail). Thus, a mere difference of 1.8 hydroxy residues per chain causes a ATm of 26 K. Obviously, there are different stabilizing interactions in the triple-helical state, that means al-CB 2 (rat skin) forms more exothermic bonds than al-CB 2 (rat tail) in the coil triple-helix transition. This leads to an additional gain of enthalpy which overcompensates the meanwhile occurring losses of entropy. 

Very few post-translational modifications have been found on tropoelastin. However, hydroxylation of 25% of the proline residues is observed [10]. The enzymatic modification of proline to hydroxyproline (Hyp) is performed by prolyl hydroxylase [11]. The purpose of this hydroxylation remains unclear and it is even proposed that Hyps in tropoelastin are a by-product of collagen hydroxylation as this occurs in the same cellular compartment [8]. 

Collagen triple helices are stabilized by hydrogen bonds between residues in dijferent polypeptide chains. The hydroxyl groups of hydroxyprolyl residues also participate in interchain hydrogen bonding. Additional stability is provided by covalent cross-links formed between modified lysyl residues both within and between polypeptide chains. 

C Ascorbic acid Coenzyme in hydroxylation of proline and lysine in collagen synthesis antioxidant enhances absorption of iron Scurvy—impaired wound healing, loss of dental cement, subcutaneous hemorrhage... 

A number of iron-containing, ascorbate-requiring hydroxylases share a common reaction mechanism in which hydroxylation of the substrate is linked to decarboxylation of a-ketoglutarate (Figure 28-11). Many of these enzymes are involved in the modification of precursor proteins. Proline and lysine hydroxylases are required for the postsynthetic modification of procollagen to collagen, and prohne hydroxylase is also required in formation of osteocalcin and the Clq component of complement. Aspartate P-hydroxylase is required for the postsynthetic modification of the precursor of protein C, the vitamin K-dependent protease which hydrolyzes activated factor V in the blood clotting cascade. TrimethyUysine and y-butyrobetaine hydroxylases are required for the synthesis of carnitine. 

Bone is a porous tissue composite material containing a fluid phase, a calcified bone mineral, hydroxyapatite (HA), and organic components (mainly, collagen type). The variety of cellular and noncellular components consist of approximately 69% organic and 22% inorganic material and 9% water. The principal constiments of bone tissue are calcium (Ca ), phosphate (PO ), and hydroxyl (OH ) ions and calcium carbonate. There are smaller quantities of sodium, magnesium, and fluoride. The major compound, HA, has the formula Caio(P04)g(OH)2 in its unit cell. The porosity of bone includes membrane-lined capillary blood vessels, which function to transport nutrients and ions in bone, canaliculi, and the lacunae occupied in vivo by bone cells (osteoblasts), and the micropores present in the matrix. 

The human lens is rich in ascorbate, which is required for normal collagen synthesis and acts as a water-soluble antioxidant, reacting rapidly with superoxide, hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals. However, ascorbic acid can undergo auto-oxidation and, at certain concentrations, can form hydroxyl radicals with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of light and riboflavin as described above (Delaye and Tardieu, 1983 Ueno et al., 1987). 

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