ABSTRACT

Collagen is a multifunctional family of proteins of unique structural characteristics. It is the most abundant and ubiquitous protein in the body, its functions ranging from serving crucial biomechanical functions in bone, skin, tendon, and ligament to controlling cellular gene expressions in development [Nimni and Harkness, 1988]. Collagen molecules like all proteins are formed in vivo by enzymatic regulated step-wise polymerization reaction between amino and carboxyl groups of amino acids, where R is a side group of

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an amino acid residue.