Overview of Fibrous Proteins

Fibrous Proteins

OVERVIEW

Collagen and elastin are examples of common, well-characterized fibrous proteins of the extracellular matrix that serve structural functions in the body. For example, collagen and elastin are found as components of skin, connective tissue, blood vessel walls, and the sclera and cornea of the eye. Each fibrous protein exhibits special mechanical properties, resulting from its unique structure, which are obtained by combining specific amino acids into regular, secondary structural elements. This is in contrast to globular proteins, whose shapes are the result of complex interactions between secondary, tertiary, and, sometimes, quaternary structural elements.