The role of hydroxylation in the secretion of collagen by mouse fibroblasts in culture

The secretion of collagen may be specifically and quantitatively measured in a cell culture system using mouse fibroblasts, line 3T6. The results of such a study show that inhibition of the hydroxylation of collagen with α,α′-dipyridyl reduces the rate of secretion to 27% of the rate of normally hydroxylated collagen. Dipyridyl does not hinder passage of the normally hydroxylated collagen species to the medium. Therefore its effect on the secretion of under-hydroxylated collagen (protocollagen) is due to its inhibition of hydroxylation and not to an inhibition of the cell's secretory machinery.