Type II collagen of lamprey

1. 1. The major collagen in lamprey notochord is type II, as determined by its amino acid composition and solubility properties. 2. 2. This collagen has a distribution of charged residues indistinguishable from higher vertebrate Type II collagens as judged by its SLS banding pattern. 3. 3. Lamprey type II collagen has a higher thermal stability than lamprey skin collagen, in contrast to the identical melting temperatures for these types in mammals. 4. 4. A minor collagen in lamprey notochord has solubility properties, amino acid composition, and electrophoretic mobility similar to that of 1α, 2α, 3α collagen in human cartilage.