# PROTEINS OF ANCHORING FIBRIL BASEMENT MEMBRANE COMPLEX

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 1987 · $109,580

## Abstract

Type VII collagen is a recently described collagen from human amnion.  The
biochemical and structural features of this molecule suggest that it is a
component of anchoring fibrils.  Anchoring fibrils are
collagenase-sensitive, fibrous structures that are thought to anchor
certain epithelial cell layers onto the underlying connective tissue.
Anchoring fibrils are altered in many disease states, such as in recessive
epidermoly sis bullosa dystrophica, a heritable skin disorder.  This
disorder is characterized by degeneration of the dermis and disruption of
anchoring fibrils, resulting in severe blistering of the skin.  Different
regions of the dermal-epidermal junction are affected in patients with
other forms of epidermolysis bullosa.

The objectives of this research are (1) to define new proteins of the
dermal-epidermal junction, (2) to identify the molecular components of the
anchoring fibrils and (3) to determine the nature of the interaction
between anchoring fibrils, the basement membrane and the underlying
stroma.  Specific aims are (1) to isolate an anchoring fibril-basement
membrane (AF-BM) complex from skin, using non-degradative, mechanical
methods, (2) to solubilize, purify and characterize the various components
of this complex, using standard techniques of self fractionation, column
chromatography, HPLC and peptide mapping (3) to define the interactive
sites on the molecules by performing binding studies using whole molecules
and derived peptides and (4) to reconstitute anchoring fibrils from the
purified components, monitoring fiber formation by electron microscopy.
Human skin, fetal calf skin and skin from lathyritic chicken embryos will
be used.  Preliminary studies from this laboratory indicate that there is a
collagenous protein in the AF-BM complex that resembles Type VII collagen.
This protein will be compared to Type VII collagen from amnion to establish
whether or not they are identical.  In addition, there is a large,
non-collagenous protein that differs from other previously described
proteins of the epidermal-dermal junction.  This protein will be
characterized to define its chemical nature, precise location and ability
to interact with other components of the AF-BM complex.  Several monoclonal
antibodies are available to aid in the localization of these proteins.
These studies will help define the role of anchoring fibrils in the body
and will provide a foundation for the study of connective tissue disorders
that involve anchoring fibrils.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3157416
- **Project number:** 5R01AR035927-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **SAM.gov UEI:** RN64EPNH8JC6
- **Principal Investigator:** LOUANN W MURRAY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $109,580
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1985-08-01 → 1989-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3157416

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3157416, PROTEINS OF ANCHORING FIBRIL BASEMENT MEMBRANE COMPLEX (5R01AR035927-03). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3157416. Licensed CC0.

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