# STRUCTURE OF TYPE VI COLLAGEN AND ITS ROLE IN DISEASE

> **NIH NIH R01** · THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY · 1992 · $167,923

## Abstract

Type VI collagen is a microfibrillar component found in most soft tissues
and in cartilage.  The triple-helical molecules are composed of three
constituent chains, alpha2(VI), alpha2(VI) and alpha3(VI) chains.
Several polymorphic mRNAs encoding for alpha2(VI) and alpha3(VI) variants
are transcribed from the genes by alternative splicing mechanism.  The
long term objectives of this grant are to elucidate the biological
function of collagen VI and to investigate whether defects in collagen VI
are associated with heritable or acquired connective tissue diseases.
The specific aims of this competing continuation application are: (1) To
define the biological significance of the variation in mRNAs for the
alpha2(VI) and alpha3(VI) chains.  The distribution of mRNA and protein
variants will be determined in human cell lines and mouse tissues of
different developmental stages. (2) To define the molecular requirements
for the assembly of the collagen VI triplehelical molecules.  The
approach will be to express full-length or partial cDNAs of each chain in
mammalian cells and to study the assembly of the triple-helices. (3) To
define the functional role of specific domains in each of the three
collagen VI chains.  Fusion proteins containing specific domains and
variant domains will be prepared in bacterial or mammalian cells
expression vectors and used for functional studies. (4) To examine the
complexity of collagen VI structure in tissues by searching for isoforms
of collagen VI chains and for associated noncollagenous proteins. (5) To
complete the isolation of genomic clones for the alphal(VI), alpha2(VI)
and alpha3(VI) collagen genes and to define the important structural
features of the genes. (6) To identify cis- and trans-regulatory elements
that control the expression of the three collagen VI genes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3158945
- **Project number:** 5R01AR038912-06
- **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:** 1992
- **Award amount:** $167,923
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1987-07-15 → 1996-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3158945

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3158945, STRUCTURE OF TYPE VI COLLAGEN AND ITS ROLE IN DISEASE (5R01AR038912-06). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3158945. Licensed CC0.

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