Human type V collagen was purified from placenta and found to contain alpha 1(V), alpha 2(V), and alpha 3(V) chains in varying ratios. Using any of three independent nondenaturing methods (phosphocellulose chromatography, high-performance ion-exchange chromatography on IEX-540 DEAE, and ammonium sulfate precipitation), this preparation could be resolved into two fractions. Analysis of the two fractions by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that one fraction contained alpha 1(V) and alpha 2(V) in a 2:1 ratio and the other contained alpha 1(V), alpha 2(V), and alpha 3(V) in a 1:1:1 ratio. When the crude placental type V collagen was electrophoresed under nondenaturing conditions, two bands were observed, one co-migrating with purified (alpha 1(V]2 alpha 2(V) and the other co-migrating with the fractions containing alpha 1(V), alpha 2(V), and alpha 3(V) chains in a 1:1:1 ratio. Electrophoresis in a second dimension under denaturing conditions confirmed that the fast-migrating band contained (alpha 1(V]2 alpha 2(V) and that the slow-migrating band contained the three chains in equimolar ratio. CD spectra of the two fractions and resistance to trypsin-chymotrypsin digestion confirmed that the two fractions contain triple helical collagen. Thermal denaturations were monitored by the changes in CD signal at 221 nm. The two fractions purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation melted at 39.1 and 36.4 degrees C for the (alpha 1(V]2 alpha 2(V) and alpha 1(V) alpha 2(V) alpha 3(V) fractions, respectively. Trypsin cleavage of these two native fractions at temperatures near melting produced completely different fragmentation patterns, indicating different partial unwinding sites of the alpha 1(V) and alpha 2(V) chains in the two preparations and thus different molecular assemblies. Our data demonstrate the existence of two different molecular assemblies of type V collagen in human placenta consisting of (alpha 1(V]2 alpha 2(V) and alpha 1(V) alpha 2(V) alpha 3(V) heterotrimers.