COL29A1 belongs to the class of collagens containing von Willebrand factor (VWF) type A (vWA) domains. These collagens form filaments with globular domains containing vWA motifs, which are involved in protein-ligand interactions for the organization of tissue architecture and cell adhesion (Soderhall et al., 2007).

The deduced 2,614-amino acid protein has a calculated molecular mass of 289.9 kD and shares 32% amino acid identity with COL6A3. COL29A contains 6 N-terminal and 3 C-terminal vWA domains flanking a short collagen triple helix, and an 18-amino acid secretion signal. Northern blot analysis detected a 9.6-kb transcript in human skin. RT-PCR analysis detected highest expression in skin, followed by lung, small intestine, colon, and testis.