Scientists have discovered a bond never before seen in living organisms in the basement membrane, a tough, structural layer of cells surrounding most tissues. This membrane is very important for the structural integrity of organisms. Type IV collagen, the main component of the basement membrane, is a triple helix molecule. The end of each rope-like molecule has a globule of amino acids. These amino acid globules are connected to amino acid globules of other cartilage IV molecules. Scientists originally thought they were held together with sulfur-sulfur bonds, but new technology shows that the bonds are actually covalent sulfur-nitrogen bonds called sulfilimine bonds. The high-resolution mass spectrometers of today made this discovery possible.
Posted by Bethany Klett
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