Collagen Type XV (COL15)

Collagen alpha-1(XV) chain is the alpha chain of type XV collagen, a member of the FACIT collagen family . Type XV collagen has a wide tissue distribution but the strongest expression is localized to basement membrane zones so it may function to adhere basement membranes to underlying connective tissue stroma.

Mouse studies have shown that collagen XV deficiency is associated with muscle and microvessel deterioration.The highest degree of homology between collagens type XV and type XVIII involves the C-terminal endostatin sequence. The corresponding fragment in type XV collagen has also been shown to have antiangiogenic activity .