Morphological studies ofItype collagen fibril from different species by AFM

Objective:To study the aggregation behavior ofⅠtype collagen from pig and bovine skin by means of atomic force microscopy(AFM). Methods:Ⅰtype collagen dispersions with certain concentrations were prepared. After drying in air, they were imaged by AFM. Results:It was found that collagen from different animal's skin couldn't exist as monomers. Monomers and aggregates existed simultaneously in the solution even at low concentration. At high concentration, the ultrastructure of different collagen fibril was also different. Five parameters of factor of porosity, R p-v,R a,R rms and Mean Ht were measured.Conclusion:By AFM the difference of collagen fibril from different species can be clearly gained. This AFM technology is an excellent method for the imaging of collagen fibril.