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:

The Optical Rotatory Power of Collagen

Nature volume 184, pages 1562–1563 (1959)Cite this article

Abstract

THE changes in the optical rotatory power of collagen in solution on thermal denaturation have been extensively studied1–3. Cohen1 first showed that the optical rotatory dispersion curve for un-denatured collagen is normal, that is, is fitted by a single term Drude equation. This result was confirmed by Harrington4 for three different collagens. The observation of normal dispersion, despite the fact that the collagen molecule in solution is known to have a similar three-chain helical configuration to that found from X-ray fibre diagrams, is in contrast to the observation of anomalous dispersion allied to helical configuration in the α-proteins and α-synthetic polypeptides.

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. Cohen, C., J. Biophys. Biochem. Cytol., 1, 203 (1955).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Boedtker, H., and Doty, P., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 78, 4267 (1956).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Doty, P., and Nishihara, T., in ‘Recent Advances in Gelatin and Glue. Research’, Ed. G. Stainsby, 92 (Pergamon Press, London, 1957).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Harrington, W. F., Nature, 181, 997 (1958).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Szent-Györgyi, A. G., and Cohen, C., Science, 126, 697 (1957).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Orekhovich, V. N., Toustanovski, A. A., and Plotnikova, N. E., Biochem. Leningr., 13, 55 (1948).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Burge, R. E., and Hynes, R. D., J. Mol. Biol., 1, 155 (1959).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Cowan, P. M., and McGavin, S., Nature, 176, 501 (1955).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wheatstone Physics Laboratory and Medical Research Council Biophysics Research Unit, University of London King's College, Strand, W.C.2

    R. E. BURGE & R. D. HYNES

Authors
  1. R. E. BURGE
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. D. HYNES
    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

BURGE, R., HYNES, R. The Optical Rotatory Power of Collagen. Nature 184, 1562–1563 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1038/1841562a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1841562a0

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