Collagen Synthesis, Genetic Diseases, and Scurvy

Abstract

Collagen synthesis and degradation are central to the well-being of the teeth and periodontium. Section 1 is an overview of collagen synthesis and secretion with special emphasis on the fibrillar collagens. Section 2 describes mutations of fibrillar collagen, the associated diseases, and the effects of these and other stromal protein mutations on tooth structure. Section 3 describes the enzymes and their cofactors that process procollagen in the endoplasmic reticulum. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the role of ascorbate in collagen synthesis, the changes associated with its deficiency (scurvy), and its function as a reducing agent (antioxidant) in plants and animals (Sect. 4).