The immunological study on the effect of pepsin digestion on genetically distinct types of collagen in muscle of kuruma prawn Penaeus japonicus

1. 1. The effect of pepsin digestion on each type of collagen from the muscle of kuruma prawn Penaeus japonicus was examined by immunological techniques. 2. 2. The major collagen (named type AR-I) in intact form comprised of several types of α-components. Although they were all identical to each other in the helical region, each of them had a distinct form of non-helical domain with a slight modification. 3. 3. The minor collagen (named type AR-II) in intact form had the large non-helical domain sensitive to pepsin digestion and disulfide bonds in its molecule. 4. 4. Another type of minor collagen was proved to be present in the prawn muscle.