Collagen functions
Collagen is one of the most important proteins in vertebrates and represents one third of the total proteins of the human body, where it plays a fundamental role in the structure and functionality of organs and tissues, such as skin, cartilage, muscle tissue.
Collagen certainly occupies the most important role among the structural proteins of our body.
It consists of long protein chains (over 1400 amino acids) that wrap around each other in three to form a very strong and compact triple helix structure.
Collagen fibers are the main constituent of connective tissue, which plays a structural role in protecting and supporting soft tissues and includes a large part of the skin's structure, ligaments and tendons, cartilages.
Based on the sequence of amino acids that make up the polypeptide chains and on the structure of the chains themselves, 28 types of collagen have been identified, among which the most important are type I collagen, which makes up most of the collagen present in our body ( 90%) and is found not only in tendons and bones, especially in the skin, where it represents the main structural component of the extracellular matrix of the dermis; type II collagen, which is an essential element of cartilage and plays a fundamental role in the joints and intervertebral discs; type III collagen, present in the dermis and in the walls of blood vessels; type IV collagen, which assumes a lattice structure with a supporting function and forms the basement membrane.
Collagen and Skin Aging
Skin aging is a complex phenomenon that involves numerous factors both external, such as exposure to sunlight (photo-aging) or particular environmental conditions (eg pollutants, smoke, etc.), both intrinsic, such as the passage of time and the genetic predisposition.
When the skin ages it loses its tone and elasticity characteristics, and there is a reduction in the thickness of the dermis matrix. This is made up mostly of type I collagen and, to a lesser extent, of type III collagen, which form fibers that, being arranged parallel to the skin surface, give it strength and resistance. Furthermore, type IV collagen is present, which is an integral part of the basement membrane, a support structure placed between the connective tissue and the epithelial tissue to which the cells are anchored and which, thanks to its mechanical properties, provides support to the tissues.
Collagen is degraded by enzymes with proteolytic action, called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), capable of specifically breaking down the long protein chains that make up collagen, forming shorter fragments with no mechanical properties. MMPs are a family of molecules similar in chemical structure, with different specificities for a wide variety of substrates, capable of degrading all the components of the extracellular matrix (collagen, elastin, laminins, proteoglycans). The MMPs most involved with skin aging processes are MMP1, which begins the degradation of type I and III collagen; MMP9, which operates a further fragmentation into smaller peptides; while MMP2 attacks type IV collagen, contributing to the formation of wrinkles.
In young skin that is not exposed to sunlight, the synthesis of collagen by fibroblasts and its degradation by MMPs are in constant equilibrium, so as to guarantee the physiological turnover of structural macromolecules, keeping their content and functionality unchanged, and preserving the integrity of the skin. With increasing age there is a progressive imbalance of this equilibrium and there is a gradual reduction in the synthesis of collagen precursor peptides, associated with an increase in the degradation of mature collagen. The consequence of this degenerative phenomenon is a general disorganization of the collagen fibers, which partially lose their supporting role, causing a partial atrophy of the extracellular matrix, which becomes soft and lacking in tone.
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Role of Free Radicals and Antioxidants
In addition to the passage of time, there are external factors that accelerate the processes of skin aging, including oxidative stress.
In fact, free radicals are able to alter the homeostasis of intracellular and extracellular processes, causing damage to biomolecules (nucleic acids, proteins, lipids) that modify the functionality of the cells and the interaction with the matrix in which they are found. Furthermore, oxidative stress stimulates the synthesis and activation of MMPs, altering the normal collagen metabolism, which is destroyed more rapidly. Antioxidant systems therefore play an important role in reducing the effects of aging on the skin, as they protect the structural fibers of collagen from uncontrolled degradation and contribute to maintaining the balance at the level of the extracellular matrix.
