Cover Image, Volume 107, Issue 6

Typically, thermal denaturation of cartilage and collagen involves changes in the secondary and higher order structures, with the protein chains remaining intact. M. Fields et al. use high temperature Raman spectroscopy to show that hydrolysis and breakage of peptide linkages, caused by reaction with H2O molecules released from the tissue at high temperature, accompanies irreversible denaturation of collagen from human cartilage. This occurs even for nominally anhydrous samples, proving strongly bound water molecules remain within the macromolecular matrix. The results will help design routes to materials derived from these biological products and aid surgery involving local heating of cartilage. (DOI: 10.1002/bip.23017)

Source: Biopolymers - March 25, 2017 Category: Biochemistry Tags: COVER IMAGE Source Type: research