| • | a homotrimer of three identical alpha-chains |
| • | composed of type VII collagen |
| • | play a role in maintaining adherence between the epidermis and dermis |
| • | stretch from lamina densa to anchoring plaques in papillary dermis |
| • | (both the lamina densa and anchoring plaques contain type IV collagen) |
| • | mnemonic = type VII connects type IV to type IV |
| • | involved in pathogenesis of: |
| • | epidermolysis bullosa acquisita= 290 kd dermal protein (part of the NC1 domain of type VII collagen) |
| • | dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa |
| • | (when the floor of the salt-split lights up) |
| • | (when the floor of the salt-split lights up) |
|