Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Action of Ultra-violet Light on Soluble Collagens

Nature volume 215, pages 165–166 (1967)Cite this article

Abstract

IT has been shown1 that rat tail tendon becomes less soluble after exposure to short wave ultra-violet light and that the amount of soluble collagen in mouse skin was decreased after irradiation2. Fujimori3, working with acetic acid solutions of calf skin collagen, recently showed that irradiation resulted in the acquirement of ability to fluoresce in long wave ultra-violet light. These changes in properties have been ascribed to the formation of cross-links from the aromatic side-chains of phenyl-alanine and tyrosine3,4. Working with suspensions of acid-soluble and neutral salt-soluble collagens from rat skin we have also found that short wave ultra-violet light does produce fluorescence, and we have sought to measure the fluorescence quantitatively and correlate this with changes of solubility and shrinkage temperature after different periods of irradiation.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bailey, A. J., Rhodes, D. N., and Cater, C. W., Radiat. Res., 4, 606 (1964).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Bottoms, E., and Schuster, S., Nature, 199, 192 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Fujimori, E., Biochemistry, 5, 1034 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Cooper, D. R., and Davidson, R. J., Biochem. J., 97, 139 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Jackson, D. S., Biochem. J., 65, 277 (1957).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gross, J., and Kirk, D., J. Biol. Chem., 233, 355 (1958).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Bergman, I., and Loxley, R., Anal. Chem., 35, 361 (1963).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Fawcett, J. K., J. Med. Lab. Tech., 12, 1 (1954).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Brown, P., Consden, R., and Glynn, L. E., Ann. Rheum. Dis., 17, 196 (1958).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Cooper, D. R., and Davidson, R. J., Biochem. J., 98, 655 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. LaBella, F. S., and Paul, G., J. Gerontol., 20, 54 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Research Council Rheumatism Research Unit, Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital, Taplow, Maidenhead, Berkshire

    R. CONSDEN & J. A. KIRRANE

Authors
  1. R. CONSDEN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. A. KIRRANE
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

CONSDEN, R., KIRRANE, J. Action of Ultra-violet Light on Soluble Collagens. Nature 215, 165–166 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/215165a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/215165a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing