Type of collagen

Chains

Basic structural characteristics

Distribution in body

I

[α₁(I)]∙²α₂(I); [α₁(I)]³ (not native)

fibrous

skin, tendon, ligament, bone, cornea, general connective tissues

II

[α₁(II)]³

fibrous

cartilage, vitreous humour, inner core of vertebral disc―nucleus pulposus, less organized-meshwork

III

[α₁(III)]³

fibrous

co-distributes with type I in smaller amount, endotenon

IV

[α₁(IV)]∙²α₂(IV);

α₃(IV)∙α₄(IV)∙α₅(IV);

[α₅(IV)]²∙α₆(IV)

forming network

basement membrane of organs

V

[α₁(V)]∙²α₂(V);

α₁(V)∙α₂(V)∙α₃(V);

[α₁(V)]³

fibrous

co-distributes with type I in smaller amount

VI

α₁(VI).α₂(VI).α₃(VI)

with beaded-filament structure

around muscles, in “cross-structure between fibrils”

VII

[α₁(VII)]³

forming anchoring fibrils

epidermal-dermal boundary

VIII

[α₁(VIII)]²∙α₂(VIII)

forming network

basement membrane between corneal proper and endothelial-Descement’s membrane

IX

[α₁(IX)]∙α₂(IX)∙α₃(IX)

fibril associated collagens with interrupted triple helices (FACIT)

co-distributes with type II

X

[α₁(X)]³

forming network

hypertrophic structure of cartilage

XI

α₁(XI)∙α₂(XI)∙α₃(XI).

fibrous

co-distributes with type II

XII

[α₁(XII)]³

FACIT

co-distributes with type I in small amount

XIII

[α₁(XIII)]³

transmembrane protein

cell-matrix and cell―cell adhesion, neuromuscular junctions

XIV

[α₁(XIV)]³

FACIT

co-distributes with type I in small amount