Collagen, type XV, alpha 1 explained

Collagen alpha-1(XV) chain is a protein that in humans is encoded by the COL15A1 gene.^{[1] [2]}

This gene encodes the alpha chain of type XV collagen, a member of the FACIT collagen family (fibril-associated collagens with interrupted helices). Type XV collagen has a wide tissue distribution but the strongest expression is localized to basement membrane zones so it may function to adhere basement membranes to underlying connective tissue stroma. Mouse studies have shown that collagen XV deficiency is associated with muscle and microvessel deterioration.^[2]

Type XV collagen is known to be a tumor suppressor that can be used to understand tumor cells environment. Type XV collagen provides the membrane with support and cell anchorage but does not typically have a tight structural network.^[3]

Changes of collagen XV can be known to lead to cancer-like behavior in tissues. The loss of collagen XV would no longer provide structural support for the membrane, which can cause tumor cells to invade the basement membrane; prompting possible metastasis. The over expression of collagen XV is known to be found in cervical cancer.^[4]

For possible future medical purposes the lack of collagen XV present in tissues can be a means for indication of an invasive tumor.

Further reading

• Myers JC, Kivirikko S, Gordon MK, Dion AS, Pihlajaniemi T . Identification of a previously unknown human collagen chain, alpha 1(XV), characterized by extensive interruptions in the triple-helical region . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 89 . 21 . 10144–8 . November 1992 . 1279671 . 50294 . 10.1073/pnas.89.21.10144 . 1992PNAS...8910144M . free .
• Kivirikko S, Heinämäki P, Rehn M, Honkanen N, Myers JC, Pihlajaniemi T . Primary structure of the alpha 1 chain of human type XV collagen and exon-intron organization in the 3' region of the corresponding gene . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 269 . 7 . 4773–9 . February 1994 . 10.1016/S0021-9258(17)37611-1 . 8106446 . free .
• Muragaki Y, Abe N, Ninomiya Y, Olsen BR, Ooshima A . The human alpha 1(XV) collagen chain contains a large amino-terminal non-triple helical domain with a tandem repeat structure and homology to alpha 1(XVIII) collagen . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 269 . 6 . 4042–6 . February 1994 . 10.1016/S0021-9258(17)41739-X . 8307960 . free .
• Myers JC, Dion AS, Abraham V, Amenta PS . Type XV collagen exhibits a widespread distribution in human tissues but a distinct localization in basement membrane zones . Cell and Tissue Research . 286 . 3 . 493–505 . December 1996 . 8929352 . 10.1007/s004410050719 . 37769206 .
• Hägg PM, Hägg PO, Peltonen S, Autio-Harmainen H, Pihlajaniemi T . Location of type XV collagen in human tissues and its accumulation in the interstitial matrix of the fibrotic kidney . The American Journal of Pathology . 150 . 6 . 2075–86 . June 1997 . 9176399 . 1858337 .
• Hägg PM, Muona A, Liétard J, Kivirikko S, Pihlajaniemi T . Complete exon-intron organization of the human gene for the alpha1 chain of type XV collagen (COL15A1) and comparison with the homologous COL18A1 gene . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 273 . 28 . 17824–31 . July 1998 . 9651385 . 10.1074/jbc.273.28.17824 . free .
• Ramchandran R, Dhanabal M, Volk R, Waterman MJ, Segal M, Lu H, Knebelmann B, Sukhatme VP . 6 . Antiangiogenic activity of restin, NC10 domain of human collagen XV: comparison to endostatin . Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications . 255 . 3 . 735–9 . February 1999 . 10049780 . 10.1006/bbrc.1999.0248 .
• Li D, Clark CC, Myers JC . Basement membrane zone type XV collagen is a disulfide-bonded chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan in human tissues and cultured cells . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 275 . 29 . 22339–47 . July 2000 . 10791950 . 10.1074/jbc.M000519200 . free .
• Nishi M, Mizushima A, Nakagawara K, Takeshima H . Characterization of human junctophilin subtype genes . Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications . 273 . 3 . 920–7 . July 2000 . 10891348 . 10.1006/bbrc.2000.3011 .
• Eklund L, Muona A, Liétard J, Pihlajaniemi T . Structure of the mouse type XV collagen gene, Col15a1, comparison with the human COL15A1 gene and functional analysis of the promoters of both genes . Matrix Biology . 19 . 6 . 489–500 . November 2000 . 11068203 . 10.1016/S0945-053X(00)00090-1 .
• Tomono Y, Naito I, Ando K, Yonezawa T, Sado Y, Hirakawa S, Arata J, Okigaki T, Ninomiya Y . 6 . Epitope-defined monoclonal antibodies against multiplexin collagens demonstrate that type XV and XVIII collagens are expressed in specialized basement membranes . Cell Structure and Function . 27 . 1 . 9–20 . February 2002 . 11937714 . 10.1247/csf.27.9 . free .
• Myers JC, Amenta PS, Dion AS, Sciancalepore JP, Nagaswami C, Weisel JW, Yurchenco PD . The molecular structure of human tissue type XV presents a unique conformation among the collagens . The Biochemical Journal . 404 . 3 . 535–44 . June 2007 . 17355226 . 1896284 . 10.1042/BJ20070201 .

Notes and References

1. Huebner K, Cannizzaro LA, Jabs EW, Kivirikko S, Manzone H, Pihlajaniemi T, Myers JC . Chromosomal assignment of a gene encoding a new collagen type (COL15A1) to 9q21 → q22 . Genomics . 14 . 2 . 220–4 . October 1992 . 1427836 . 10.1016/S0888-7543(05)80209-5 . free .
2. Web site: Entrez Gene: COL15A1 collagen, type XV, alpha 1.
3. 2020-05-01. Collagen XV, a multifaceted multiplexin present across tissues and species. Matrix Biology Plus. en. 6-7. 100023. 10.1016/j.mbplus.2020.100023. 2590-0285. free. Bretaud. Sandrine. Guillon. Emilie. Karppinen. Sanna-Maria. Pihlajaniemi. Taina. Ruggiero. Florence. 33543021. 7852327.
4. Clementz AG, Harris A . Collagen XV: exploring its structure and role within the tumor microenvironment . Molecular Cancer Research . 11 . 12 . 1481–6 . December 2013 . 24043668 . 4159701 . 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-12-0662 .