Formation of dermatan sulfate by cultured human skin fibroblasts. Effects of sulfate concentration on proportions of dermatan/chondroitin

[3H,35S]Dermatan/chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans produced during culture of fibroblasts in medium containing varying concentrations of sulfate were tested for their susceptibility to chondroitin ABC lyase and chondroitin AC lyase. Chondroitin ABC lyase completely degraded [3H]hexosamine-labeled and [35S] sulfate-labeled dermatan/chondroitin sulfate to disaccharides. Chondroitin AC lyase treatment of the labeled glycosaminoglycans produced different results. With this enzyme, dermatan/chondroitin sulfate formed at high concentrations of sulfate yielded small glycosaminoglycans and larger oligosaccharides but almost no disaccharide. This indicated that the dermatan/chondroitin sulfate co-polymer contained mostly iduronic acid with only an occasional glucuronic acid. As the medium sulfate concentration was progressively lowered, there was a concomitant increase in the susceptibility to degradation by chondroitin AC lyase. Thus, the labeled glycosaminoglycans formed at the lowest concentration of sulfate yielded small oligosaccharides including substantial amounts of disaccharide. The smaller chondroitin AC lyase-resistant [3H,35S]dermatan/chondroitin sulfate oligosaccharides were analyzed by gel filtration. Results indicated that, in general, the iduronic acid-containing disaccharide residues present in the undersulfated [3H,35S]glycosaminoglycan were sulfated, whereas the glucuronic acid-containing disaccharide residues were non-sulfated. This work confirms earlier reports that there is a relationship between epimerization and sulfation. Moreover, it demonstrates that medium sulfate concentration is critical in determining the proportions of dermatan to chondroitin (iduronic/glucuronic acid) produced by cultured cells.     

Effects of fibroblasts and endothelial cells on inactivation of target proteases by protease nexin-1, heparin cofactor II, and C1-inhibitor

Previous studies have shown that glycosaminoglycans in the extracellular matrix accelerate the inactivation of target proteases by certain protease inhibitors. It has been suggested that the ability of the matrix of certain cells to accelerate some inhibitors but not others might reflect the site of action of the inhibitors. Previous studies showed that fibroblasts accelerate the inactivation of thrombin by protease nexin-1, an inhibitor that appears to function at the surface of cells in extravascular tissues. The present experiments showed that endothelial cells also accelerate this reaction. The accelerative activity was accounted for by the extracellular matrix and was mostly due to heparan sulfate. Fibroblasts but not endothelial cells accelerated the inactivation of thrombin by heparin cofactor II, an abundant inhibitor in plasma. This is consistent with previous suggestions that heparin cofactor II inactivates thrombin when plasma is exposed to fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. Neither fibroblasts nor endothelial cells accelerated the inactivation of C1s by plasma C1-inhibitor.     

Interactions of serine proteases with cultured fibroblasts

This review summarizes the mechanisms by which several serine proteases, particularly urokinase, thrombin, and elastase, interact with cultured fibroblasts. Many of these studies were prompted by findings that interactions of these proteases with cells and the extracellular matrix are important in a number of physiologic and pathologic processes. Two main pathways have been identified for specific interactions of these proteases with fibroblasts. One involves surface binding sites for the free protease that appear to bind only one particular protease. An unusual feature collectively shared by the binding sites for urokinase, thrombin, and elastase is that the bound protease is not detectably internalized by the fibroblasts. The other pathway by which serine proteases interact with fibroblasts involves proteins named protease nexins (PNs). Three PNs have been identified. They are secreted by fibroblasts and inhibit certain serine proteases by forming a covalent complex with the protease catalytic site serine. The complexes then bind back to the fibroblasts via the PN portion of the complex and are internalized and degraded. Recent studies showing that the fibroblast surface and extracellular matrix accelerate the inactivation of thrombin by PN-1 support the hypothesis that the PNs control protease activity at and near the cell surface. The PNs differ from plasma protease inhibitors in their molecular properties, absence in plasma, site of synthesis, and site of clearance of the inhibitor:protease complexes.     

Biochemical and functional characterization of proteoglycans isolated from basophils of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia

Human basophils were obtained from three donors with myelogenous leukemia. Proteoglycans were labeled by using [35S]sulfate as precursor and were extracted in 1 M NaCl with protease inhibitors to preserve their native structure. [35S]proteoglycans filtered on Sepharose 4B with an average m.w. similar to that of a rat heparin proteoglycan that has an estimated m.w. of 750,000. The [35S]glycosaminoglycan side chains filtered with an average m.w. slightly smaller than a 60,000-m.w. glycosaminoglycan marker. The [35S]glycosaminoglycans were resistant to heparinase and susceptible to degradation by chondroitin AC lyase and chondroitin ABC lyase. The intact [35S]glycosaminoglycans chromatographed on DEAE Sepharose as a single peak eluting just before an internal heparin marker. These findings indicate that the [35S]glycosaminoglycans were made up only of chondroitin sulfates. No heparin was identified. The chondroitin sulfate disaccharides that resulted from the action of chondroitin ABC lyase on the basophil glycosaminoglycans consisted of 92% delta Di-4S, 6% delta Di-6S, and 2% disulfated disaccharides. The [35S]chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans were susceptible to cleavage with proteases and could be shown to be released intact from basophils during degranulation initiated by the calcium ionophore A23187. The basophil proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans were capable of binding histamine in water, but not in phosphate-buffered saline, and had no anticoagulant activity.     

Purification of a form of protease nexin 1 that binds heparin with a low affinity

A form of protease nexin 1 (PN-1) that binds heparin with a low affinity (L-PN-1) was purified and studies since altered interactions with glycosaminoglycans could affect its inhibition of certain serine proteases. Purification of L-PN-1 and PN-1 was achieved by fractionating serum-free conditioned culture medium from human fibroblasts over dextran sulfate-Sepharose followed by immunoaffinity fractionation over a PN-1 monoclonal antibody-Sepharose column. The first step separated L-PN-1 from PN-1, and the second step resulted in apparently homogeneous L-PN-1 and PN-1. Comparisons of the two proteins showed that they could not be distinguished by the following properties: (a) molecular weight; (b) proteases complexed; (c) molecular weights of protease-L-PN-1 and protease-PN-1 complexes; (d) CNBr peptide maps; and (e) immunological cross-reactivity. Studies on activities that depend on the heparin binding domain revealed that heparin equally accelerated the rate of formation of 125I-thrombin-L-PN-1 and 125I-thrombin-PN-1 complexes even when the ratio of heparin to L-PN-1 or PN-1 was varied from 0.01 to 100. A functional difference, however, between L-PN-1 and PN-1 was observed in studies on the ability of the fibroblast surface to accelerate their reactions. Fixed fibroblasts accelerated the formation of 125I-thrombin-L-PN-1 complexes 2-fold, whereas they accelerated the formation of 125I-thrombin-PN-1 complexes 5-fold. The availability of purified L-PN-1 will permit studies on its functional relationship to PN-1.     

Effects of heparan sulfate removal on attachment and reattachment of fibroblasts and endothelial cells

Human skin fibroblasts and calf aorta endothelial cells were grown as tissue culture monolayers in the presence of [35S]sulfate in order to label the glycosaminoglycan portions of proteoglycans for investigation of their role in cell attachment. The [35S]glycosaminoglycans were then selectively removed from the cell monolayers by the addition of various glycosaminoglycan-degrading enzymes. As previously described, in contrast to trypsin treatment none of these enzymes removed any cells from the culture plates. Incubation with a preparation from Flavobacterium heparinum left only small stubs of [35S]glycosaminoglycans on the cell monolayers, indicating that all the cell-surface proteoheparan [35S]sulfate and proteochondroitin [35S]sulfate was accessible to this enzyme preparation. The treatment did not change the amount or time of incubation with trypsin necessary for release of the cells from the monolayers. Thus, cell attachment was not weakened by removal of heparan sulfate or chondroitin sulfate. In contrast, neither fibroblasts nor endothelial cells in suspension would reattach in the presence of the F. heparinum preparation while reattachment occurred readily in the presence of chondroitin ABC lyase. This provides evidence that heparan sulfate, but not chondroitin sulfate, is involved in the process of cell attachment even though neither is necessary for maintaining attachment.     

A method for the sequence analysis of dermatan sulphate.

We are attempting to develop methods for the sequencing of glycosaminoglycans from their reducing end. Here we describe a procedure for the analysis of dermatan sulphate from pig skin. The glycosaminoglycan is released from its parent proteoglycan by exhaustive proteolysis by using both endo- and exo-peptidases. The amino group of the residual serine residue is conjugated with a p-hydroxyphenyl group, which in turn is iodinated with 125I (the Bolton-Hunter reagent, BHR). The ion-exchange-purified end-labelled dermatan sulphate is then degraded partially or completely by various enzymic or chemical means to yield fragments extending from the labelled serine residue to the point of cleavage. The various products are separated by gradient PAGE, detected by autoradiography and quantified by videodensitometry. Complete digestion with chondroitin ABC lyase affords the labelled fragment delta HexA-GalNAc(-SO4)-GlcA-Gal-Gal-Xyl-Ser(-BHR). The structure was confirmed by sequential degradation from the non-reducing end by chondroitin AC lyase, HgCl2, and beta-galactosidase. Periodate oxidation cleaves most of the Xyl even without treatment with alkaline phosphatase, showing that Xyl is not substituted with phosphate. Results from partial and selective periodate oxidation indicate that most of the non-sulphated IdoA residues are located towards the non-reducing end. Partial or complete digestions with testicular hyaluronidase (in the presence of an excess of beta-glucuronidase) or chondroitin AC lyase identify the positions of GlcA residues. The results confirm that HexA next to Gal is always GlcA. Moreover, GlcA is common in the first three disaccharide repeats. Results with testicular hyaluronidase indicate that the distribution of clustered GlcA-GalNAc repeats is periodic and peaks at positions 1-3, 8-9 and around 25. Although there must be chains that contain IdoA in nearly all of the available positions, regions that have not been fully processed during biosynthesis are markedly non-random.     

Identification of chondroitin sulfate E in human lung mast cells

Human lung mast cells (HLMC) enriched up to 99% purity by counter current elutriation and density gradient centrifugation were labeled with 35S-sulfate to determine cell-associated proteoglycans. The 35S-labeled proteoglycans were extracted by the addition of detergent and 4 M guanidine-HCl, and separated from unincorporated precursor by Sephadex G-50 chromatography. 35S-Proteoglycans chromatographed over Sepharose 4B with a Kav of 0.48. 35S-Glycosaminoglycans separated from the parent 35S-proteoglycans by beta-elimination and chromatographed over Sepharose 4B with a Kav of 0.63. Characterization of 35S-proteoglycans by chondroitin ABC lyase treatment revealed approximately 36% of the proteoglycan to be composed of chondroitin sulfates. Analysis by HPLC of component disaccharides liberated by chondroitin ABC lyase using an amino-cyano-substituted silica column indicated that the chondroitin sulfates consisted of the monosulfated A disaccharide (GlcUA----GaINAc4SO4) (75%) and the over-sulfated E disaccharide (GlcUA----GaINAc4,6-diSO4) (25%). Nitrous acid/heparinase-susceptible heparin proteoglycans accounted for approximately 62% of the total 35S-proteoglycans present in the HLMC. Proteoglycans remaining after exposure of the original proteoglycan extract to either heparinase or chondroitin ABC lyase were of similar size, suggesting that the majority of heparin and chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans were on separate protein cores. Proteoglycans extracted from HLMC were protease insensitive. Hence, in addition to heparin proteoglycans, HLMC synthesize a hitherto unrecognized quantity of chondroitin sulfate E proteoglycans.     

Neurite outgrowth activity of protease nexin-1 on neuroblastoma cells requires thrombin inhibition

Protease nexin-1 (PN-1) is a protein proteinase inhibitor recently shown to be identical with the glial-derived neurite-promoting factor or glial-derived nexin. It has been shown to promote neurite outgrowth in neuroblastoma cells and in sympathetic neurons. The present experiments were designed to further test the hypothesis that this activity on neuroblastoma cells is due to its ability to complex and inhibit thrombin. It has been suggested that PN-1:thrombin complexes might mediate the neurite outgrowth activity of PN-1. However, the present studies showed that such complexes, unlike free PN-1, did not promote neurite outgrowth. The neurite outgrowth activity of PN-1 was only detected in the presence of thrombin or serum (which contains thrombin). PN-1 did not affect the rate or extent of neurite outgrowth that occurred when neuroblastoma cells were placed in serum-free medium. Retraction of neurites by thrombin was indistinguishable in cells whose neurites had been extended in the presence or absence of PN-1. The neurite-promoting activity of PN-1 was inhibited by an anti-PN-1 monoclonal antibody, which blocks its capacity to complex serine proteinases. The plasma thrombin inhibitor, antithrombin III, stimulated neurite outgrowth but only when its thrombin inhibitory activity was accelerated by heparin. The neurite outgrowth activity of both antithrombin III and PN-1 corresponded to their inhibition of thrombin. Together, these observations show that PN-1 promotes neurite outgrowth from neuroblastoma cells by inhibiting thrombin and suggest that this depends on the ability of thrombin to retract neurites.     

Comparative study on glycosaminoglycans synthesized in peripheral and peritoneal polymorphonuclear leucocytes from guinea pigs.

Glycosaminoglycans synthesized in polymorphonuclear (PMN) leucocytes isolated from blood (peripheral PMN leucocytes) and in those induced intraperitoneally by the injection of caseinate (peritoneal PMN leucocytes) were compared. Both peripheral and peritoneal PMN leucocytes were incubated in medium containing [35S]sulphate and [3H]glucosamine. Each sample obtained after incubation was separated into cell, cell-surface and medium fractions by trypsin digestion and centrifugation. The glycosaminoglycans secreted from peripheral and peritoneal PMN leucocytes were decreased in size by alkali treatment, indicating that they existed in the form of proteoglycans. Descending paper chromatography of the unsaturated disaccharides obtained by the digestion of glycosaminoglycans with chondroitinase AC and chondroitinase ABC identified the labelled glycosaminoglycans of both the cell and the medium fractions in peripheral PMN leucocytes as 55-58% chondroitin 4-sulphate, 16-19% chondroitin 6-sulphate, 16-19% dermatan sulphate and 6-8% heparan sulphate. Oversulphated chondroitin sulphate and oversulphated dermatan sulphate were found only in the medium fraction. In peritoneal PMN leucocytes there is a difference in the composition of glycosaminoglycans between the cell and the medium fractions; the cell fraction was composed of 60% chondroitin 4-sulphate, 5.5% chondroitin 6-sulphate, 16.8% dermatan sulphate and 13.9% heparan sulphate, whereas the medium fraction consisted of 24.5% chondroitin 4-sulphate, 28.2% chondroitin 6-sulphate, 33.7% dermatan sulphate and 10% heparan sulphate. Oversulphated chondroitin sulphate and oversulphated dermatan sulphate were found in the cell, cell-surface and medium fractions. On the basis of enzymic assays with chondro-4-sulphatase and chondro-6-sulphatase, the positions of sulphation in the disulphated disaccharides were identified as 4- and 6-positions of N-acetylgalactosamine. Most of the 35S-labelled glycosaminoglycans synthesized in peripheral PMN leucocytes were retained within cells, whereas those in peritoneal PMN leucocytes were secreted into the culture medium. Moreover, the amount of glycosaminoglycans in peritoneal PMN leucocytes was significantly less than that in peripheral PMN leucocytes. Assay of lysosomal enzymes showed that these activities in peritoneal PMN leucocytes were 2-fold higher than those in peripheral PMN leucocytes.     

Glycosaminoglycans of arterial basement membrane-like material from cultured rabbit aortic myomedial cells

Arterial basement membrane-like material was prepared by a sonication-differential centrifugation technique from cultures of rabbit aortic myomedial cells after metabolic labelling with [35S]sulphate and [3H]glucosamine. Labelled glycosaminoglycans were obtained from isolated basement membrane-like material by proteinase digestion and gel filtration. Glycosaminoglycans were identified by a combination of Sephadex G-50 chromatography and sequential degradation with nitrous acid, Streptomyces hyaluronidase, testicular hyaluronidase and chondroitinase ABC. The data showed that heparan sulphate and chondroitin sulphate were the predominant glycosaminoglycans of myomedial basement membrane-like material. Heparan sulphate accounted for about 55% of [3H]glucosamine-labelled glycosaminoglycans. In addition small amounts of hyaluronic acid was present. Only trace amounts of dermatan sulphate was found. The glycosaminoglycans were analysed by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Two major peaks were found in the chromatogram consistent with the predominance of heparan sulphate and chondroitin sulphate.     

Glycosaminoglycans of bovine aorta endothelial cells: identification and localization by use of a platelet factor 4-fluorescein probe

We utilized platelet factor 4 (PF4) conjugated to fluorescein to stain the proteoglycans of permeabilized fixed bovine aorta endothelial cells in monolayer culture. Treatment of the monolayers with chondroitin ABC lyase and/or a preparation from Flavobacterium heparinum was used to remove chondroitin sulfate and/or heparan sulfate before staining, with resultant separate identification and partial localization of these glycosaminoglycans. When PF4-fluorescein was utilized with untreated control monolayers, fairly uniform reticular, perinuclear, and cell surface fluorescence was seen. After treatment with chondroitin ABC lyase, fluorescence was retained only on the cell surface. In contrast, treatment with the F. heparinum preparation resulted in the loss of all cell surface fluorescence. Use of both glycosaminoglycan lyases together resulted in loss of essentially all the fluorescence. The cell surface heparan sulfate observed by fluorescence after removal of cell surface chondroitin sulfate appeared to be unevenly distributed, with a heavier accumulation at one pole of each cell. This technique offers a specific method for identification and partial localization of cell surface heparan sulfate.     

Sulfated mucopolysaccharides from normal Swiss 3T3 cell line and its tumorigenic mutant ST1: possible role of chondroitin sulfates in neoplastic transformation.

The sulfated mucopolysaccharide composition of normal Swiss 3T3 cell line and its tumorigenic mutant ST1 is reported. It is shown that chondroitin sulfate B and heparitin sulfate are the sulfated mucopolysaccharides of the normal 3T3 line whereas chondroitin sulfate A and heparitin sulfate are the major ones of the ST1 variant. Degradation of the chondroitin sulfates derived from both cell lines with chondroitinases B and ABC have shown that they contain only 4-sulfated disaccharides differing from each other by the type of uronic acid residue. It is also shown that the chondroitin sulfate A from the tumorigenic variant is mostly located at the cell surface whereas the chondroitin sulfate B from the normal line is less accessible to trypsinization. A relative increase of chondroitin sulfate A was also observed in 3T3 that had lost contact inhibition after successive subcultures, and in the 3T6 cell line. These combined results are in agreement with the earlier proposal that glucuronic acid-containing chondroitin sulfate plays a role in the stimulation of cell division in neoplastic and embryonic tissues.     

Isolation and chemical study of the glycosaminoglycans from squid cornea

1. Oversulphated chondroitin sulphate (ca 93% of tissue glycosaminoglycans) with average molecular weight 72,500, chondroitin sulphate (5%) and small amounts of lowsulphated chondroitin sulphate were isolated from squid cornea. 2. The sulphation pattern of oversulphated chondroitin sulphate was delta di-4S (52%), delta di-diSD (28%), delta di-6S (9%) and delta di-OSCS (11%) and that of chondroitin sulphate 49, 1, 20 and 30% respectively. 3. All glycosaminoglycans contained neutral monosaccharides, glucose being the predominant neutral monosaccharide in oversulphated chondroitin sulphate and chondroitin sulphate and fucose in low-sulphated chondroitin sulphate. 4. Although L-iduronic acid was not detected, the digestion of oversulphated chondroitin sulphate with chondroitinases ABC and AC gave unexpected results.     

The effect of beta-D-xylosides on chondroitin sulphate biosynthesis in embryonic chicken cartilage in the absence of protein synthesis inhibitors.

Incorporation of [35S]]sulphate, [3H]glucose and [3H]serine into glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans of embryonic-chicken sternum was measured in vitro in incubation medium containing 4-methylumbelliferyl beta-D-xyloside or p-nitrophenyl beta-D-xyloside at low concentrations, and in the absence of inhibitors of protein synthesis. Incorporation of sulphate was decreased by 80% in incubations in which 1mM-4-methylumbelliferyl beta-xyloside or 2.5 mM-p-nitrophenyl beta-xyloside was present; under these conditions, serum factors stimulated incorporation to only a small extent. When the concentration of the xyloside was decreased tenfold, incorporation of sulphate was inhibited by 60-70%, but when normal human serum or L-3,3',5-tri-iodothyronine or both were also added to the incubation medium, incorporation was markedly stimulated. Experiments in which [35S]sulphate and [3H]glucose were incorporated simultaneously, and enzymic analysis of glycosaminoglycans formed in such experiments, indicated that chondroitin sulphate formed in the presence of 0.1 mM-4-methylumbelliferyl beta-xyloside contained 30-40% less sulphate than did chondrotin sulphate synthesized in the absence of xylosides. Similar experiments, with [3H]serine instead of [3H]glucose, suggested also a 20-30% decrease in chain length of the chondroitin sulphate; this was confirmed by direct gel filtration of labelled glycosaminoglycans on a calibrated column. Incorporation of [3H]glucose or [3H]serine was stimulated by serum and tri-iodothyronine in parallel with incorporation of sulphate. The changes seen in the total chondroitin sulphate were mirrored in the major proteoglycan fraction, purified by isopycnic centrifugation of salt-extracted proteoglycans. The labelling pattern of chondroitin sulphate from this proteoglycan indicated that decreased sulphation of chondroitin sulphate was largely due to the inferior ability of short polysaccharide chains to accept sulphate, with some direct interference with transfer of sulphate to all chains. The results also suggested that the action of serum factors on synthesis of proteochondroitin sulphate is exercised at the level of either protein synthesis or transport to the sites of initiation of polysaccharide synthesis.     

Platelet surface glycosaminoglycans are an effective shield for distinct platelet receptors

The presence of glycosaminoglycans on the platelet surface was demonstrated by electronmicroscopy and biochemical analysis. Chondroitin ABC lyase was able to remove a substantial portion of the Ruthenium red-stained outer coat of platelets. Analysis of the reaction product released by the enzyme revealed chondroitin 4-sulfate. To determine the biological function of this glycosaminoglycan coat, binding studies with a variety of potential platelet ligands were performed. In decreasing order of effectiveness, chondroitin ABC lyase was able to increase the binding sites of von Willebrand factor, fibrinogen, antibody to platelet-specific antigen P1A1, Fc fragments of IgG, and monomeric IgG. No change in binding was observed with F(ab)2 fragments of IgG, wheat germ agglutinin and pokeweed mitogen. These studies indicate that glycosaminoglycans shield some platelet receptor sites from their respective ligands. Upon release of the heteropolysaccharide from the platelet surface more of these sites become accessible to the ligand. It may be significant that especially glycoproteins involved in platelet adhesion and aggregation are involved in this process.     

Absence of keratan sulphate from skeletal tissues of mouse and rat.

The absence of keratan sulphate synthesis from skeletal tissues of young and mature mice and rats has been confirmed by (1) analysis of specific enzyme degradation products of newly synthesized glycosaminoglycans, and (2) immunohistochemistry and radioimmunoassay using a monoclonal antibody directed against keratan sulphate. Approx. 98% of the [35S]glycosaminoglycans synthesized in vivo by mouse and rat costal cartilage, and all of those of lumbar disc, are chondroitin sulphate. The remainder in costal cartilage were identified as heparan sulphate in mature rats. In contrast, [35S]glycosaminoglycans synthesized by cornea of both species comprised both chondroitin sulphate and keratan sulphate. In mice keratan sulphate accounted for 12-25% and in rats 40-50% of the total [35S]glycosaminoglycans, depending on the age of the animal. Experiments in vitro with organ culture of cartilage and cornea confirm these results. Absence of keratan sulphate from mouse costal cartilage and lumbar disc D1-proteoglycans was corroborated by inhibition radioimmunoassay with the monoclonal antibody MZ15 and by lack of staining for keratan sulphate in indirect immunofluorescence studies using the same antibody.     

Stimulation of proteoglycan synthesis in chick embryo sternum by serum and L-3,5,3'-triiodothyronine.

Incorporation of sulfate into alcian blue-precipitable glycosaminoglycan of 12-day-old chick embryo sterna is stimulated by addition, separately or together, of normal human serum and physiological concentrations of thyroid hormones (Audhya, T.K., and Gibson, K.D. (1975) Proc. Natl. Acad, Sci. U. S. A. 72, 604--608). We present evidence that this stimulation is due to increased synthesis of at least one proteoglycan, with minor alterations in the size and chemical composition of the glycosaminoglycans. Pulse-chase experiments showed no detectable loss of label during the chase, in control sterna or sterna incubated with serum and L-3,5,3'-triiodothyronine; thus, all incorporation was the result of synthesis of glycosaminoglycans. In double-label experiments, with 35SO4(2-) and [3H]acetate, the molar ratio of 3H and 35S incorporated into glycosaminoglycans was changed little, if at all, by addition of serum or triiodothyronine or both, at concentrations which increased incorporation up to 2-fold. Glycosaminoglycans isolated from these and other incubations gave similar elution patterns from agarose columns, and identical electrophoretic patterns on cellulose acetate. Digestion with chondroitinase ABC (chondroitin ABC lyase; EC 4.2.2.4.) showed that incorporation was into chondroitin sulfate and possibly hyaluronic acid, and that the proportions of non-sulfated, 4-sulfated, and 6-sulfated disaccharide units differed little between stimulated and unstimulated sterna. Incorporation of [3H]serine into glycosaminoglycans from papain digest of sterna paralleled incorporation of 35SO4(2-), and indicated a number average molecular weight between 21,000 and 25,000 for the newly synthesized chondroitin sulfate. This value was confirmed by gel filtration chromatography, which also showed that the average molecular weight of the newly synthesized chondroitin sulfate decreased up to 15% under conditions of 2-fold stimulation. Proteoglycans were extracted from sterna incubated with [3H]serine and 35SO4(2-) and analyzed by isopycinic centrifugation in CsCl and by zone sedimentation in a sucrose gradient. A major proteoglycan fraction could be separated by either method. Incorporation of both isotopes into this proteoglycan fraction, and into glycosaminoglycans isolated after papain digestion, was stimulated in a coordinate manner. Almost identical results were obtained with both separation techniques. The results indicate that the synthesis of the major proteoglycan, and probably also of a minor one, is stimulated by serum and triiodothyronine.     

Sulfated glycosaminoglycans of cultured fibroblasts from guinea-pig embryo kidney

The sulfated glycosaminoglycan content of primary cultures of fibroblasts from guinea-pig embryo kidney is reported. A hybrid chondroitin sulfate comprises approx. 90% of these glycosaminoglycans from the cell coat. Changes in the proportion of labelled heparitin sulfate were also observed after successive subcultures. We postulate a possible correlation between the pattern of glycosaminoglycans and processes of cell selection and cell dedifferentiation in these cultures.