# STRUCTURE OF TYPE VI COLLAGEN AND ITS ROLE IN DISEASE

> **NIH NIH R01** · THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY · 1989 · $133,347

## Abstract

The long-term objectives of this grant application are:  1) to
elucidate the normal structure and function of type VI collagen
and 2) to understand the role of type VI collagen in pathological
conditions.

Defects in structure and expression of collagen have been shown
to be directly involved in several heritable diseases of connective
tissue.  Type VI collagen is a component of the extracellular
matrix of almost all tissues.  Because of the limitations of
biochemical approaches, very little is known about its possible
role in pathological conditions.  As a prerequisite to a detailed
understanding of the involvement of type VI collagen in diseases,
we propose to develop new approaches to analyze this protein and
its genes in detail.  Specifically, the aims are (1) to isolate cDNA
clones corresponding to mRNAs for the three chains of type VI
collagen; (2) to determine the whole amino acid sequence of
collagen VI from the base sequences of overlapping cDNA clones
and to confirm the sequencing by Edman degradation of selected
peptides obtained from pepsin-solubilized human placenta
collagen VI; (3) to prepare monospecific antibodies against
synthetic peptides selected from the non-collagenous domains of
collagen VI and to use these antibodies in analysis of the topology
and assembly of the protein and in the development of sensitive
radioimmunoassays for clinical studies; (4) to determine the
chromosomal localization of type VI collagen genes by Southern
blot analysis of hybrid cells; (5) to isolate cDNA probes
corresponding to murine collagen VI and to use these and human
probes for tissue and cell analysis of collagen VI expression under
normal conditions; (6) to characterize collagen VI genes and to
study their expression in cultured fibroblasts from patients with
inherited connective diseases.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3158943
- **Project number:** 5R01AR038912-03
- **Recipient organization:** THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** R8JEVL4ULGB7
- **Principal Investigator:** MON-LI H. CHU
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1989
- **Award amount:** $133,347
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1987-07-15 → 1991-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3158943

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3158943, STRUCTURE OF TYPE VI COLLAGEN AND ITS ROLE IN DISEASE (5R01AR038912-03). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3158943. Licensed CC0.

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