Discussion 103 



elastic fibres homogeneous or are there different substances in the fibres?" 

 It was believed that there are fibres in the elastic substance but that there 

 is also another cementing material which probably is different from the 

 elastic fibres. Schwarz' and Dettmer's theory was that the elastic fibres 

 are built up of collagen fibres and cementing substance, and these 

 workers found that the fibres which are obtained after dissolution of the 

 elastic fibres have cross-striation like those of the collagen fibres. 

 Recently it was decided that the entire substance reacts to elastase: 

 the cementing substance as well as the fibres are dissolved by elastase, 

 and I believe that these fibres which have a cross-striation corresponding 

 to that of collagen are probably mixed with the elastic substance as in 

 the cervical ligament. In the vessels, elastic fibres and collagen fibres 

 occur together. 



Recently, Hall, Keech, Reed, Saxl, Tunbridge and Wood stated that 

 collagen can be transformed into elastin. In collaboration with Banga 

 and Szabo I found that during thermal or chemical contraction-relaxa- 

 tion, a mucopolysaccharide and a soluble protein are dissolved from the 

 collagen fibre. We called the substance left behind after the dissolution 

 of these two substances "metacollagen". We believe that metacollagen 

 is similar to elastin. 



Best: That was very good of you, Prof. Balo, at such very short notice. 



