Fibrous proteins are especially abundant outside the cell, where they are a main component of the gel-like extracellular matrix that helps to bind collections of cells together to form tissues. Cells secrete extracellular matrix proteins into their surroundings, where they often assemble into sheets or long fibrils. Collagen is the most abundant of these proteins in animal tissues. A collagen molecule consists of three long polypeptide chains, each containing the nonpolar amino
Figure 3–21 actin filaments.
(A) Transmission electron micrographs of negatively stained actin filaments. (B) The helical arrangement of actin molecules in an actin filament. (A, courtesy of Roger Craig.)
Figure 3–22 Some properties of a helix.
(A–D) A helix forms when a series of subunits bind to each other in a regular way. At the bottom, each of these helices is viewed from directly above the helix and seen to have two (A), three (B), and six  (C and D) subunits per helical turn. Note that the helix in (D) has a wider path than that in (C), but the same number of subunits per turn. (E) As discussed in the text, a helix can be either right-handed or left-handed. As a reference, it is useful to remember that standard metal screws, which insert when turned clockwise, are right-handed. Note that a helix retains the same handedness when it is turned upside down. (PDB code: 2DHB.) acid glycine at every third position. This regular structure allows the chains to wind around one another to generate a long regular triple helix (Figure 3–23A). Many collagen molecules then bind to one another side-by-side and end-toend to create long overlapping arrays—thereby generating the extremely tough collagen fibrils that give connective tissues their tensile strength, as described in Chapter 19.
Proteins Contain a Surprisingly Large Amount of Intrinsically Disordered Polypeptide Chain
It has been well known for a long time that, in complete contrast to collagen, another abundant protein in the extracellular matrix, elastin, is formed as a highly disordered polypeptide. This disorder is essential for elastin’s function. Its relatively loose and unstructured polypeptide chains are covalently cross-linked to short section of 50 nm collagen fbril collagen molecule 300 nm × 1.5 nm 1.5 nm
Figure 3–23 Collagen and elastin. (A) Collagen is a triple helix formed by three extended protein chains that wrap around one another (bottom). Many rodlike collagen molecules are cross-linked together in the extracellular space to form unextendable collagen fibrils (top) that have the tensile strength of steel. The striping on the collagen fibril is caused by the regular repeating arrangement of the collagen molecules within the fibril.
(B) Elastin polypeptide chains are cross-linked together in the extracellular space to form rubberlike, elastic fibers. Each elastin molecule uncoils into a more extended conformation when the fiber is stretched and recoils spontaneously as soon as the stretching force is relaxed. The cross-linking in the extracellular space mentioned creates covalent linkages between lysine side chains, but the chemistry is different for collagen and elastin.
produce a rubberlike, elastic meshwork that can be reversibly pulled from one conformation to another, as illustrated in Figure 3–23B. The elastic fibers that result enable skin and other tissues, such as arteries and lungs, to stretch and recoil without tearing.