Amounts and Variation of Soluble Collagen in Mink Skin During Growth from Kits to Adult Animals

The soluble collagen from mink skin was extracted from 2-week to 6-month-old animals. A total of 14 different age groups, each containing three animals, was studied by using two different buffers for collagen extraction. The amount of soluble collagen was measured. The various collagen species were characterized using capillary zone electrophoresis, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and protein blotting followed by antibody analysis for type I collagen. The data showed that the amount of soluble collagen declines with age. Using capillary electrophoresis it was also found that the distribution of soluble collagen differs in very young kits' skin compared with older animals' skin, whereas the skin from animals more than 2 weeks old was found to contain the same proportions of various collagen species. Antibody analysis of type I collagen found no difference in the relative amount between different age groups, and only the acetic acid-containing buffer extracted type I collagen from the mink skin.