COL27A1
Encyclopedia
Collagen alpha-1 chain (COL27A1) is a protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

 that in humans is encoded by the COL27A1 gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

.

COL27A1 is a type XXVII collagen
Collagen
Collagen is a group of naturally occurring proteins found in animals, especially in the flesh and connective tissues of mammals. It is the main component of connective tissue, and is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content...

. It was discovered by James Pace. This gene appears to be turned on in cartilage
Cartilage
Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs...

, the eye, and in the ear. Type XXVII collagen
Type XXVII collagen
Type XXVII collagen is the protein predicted to be encoded by COL27A1. It was first described by Dr. James M. Pace and his colleagues at the University of Washington. It is related to the fibrillar collagens: type II, type XI, and type XXIV. Current research suggests that it is made by...

is related to the "fibrillar" class of collagens and may play a role in development of the skeleton.

Fibrillar collagens, such as COL27A1, compose one of the most ancient families of extracellular matrix molecules. They form major structural elements in extracellular matrices of cartilage, skin, and tendon.

Further reading

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