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.     

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.     

Change in the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans by fibrotic vitreous induced by erythrocytes

Vitreous fibrosis was induced in rabbit eyes by intravitreal injection of erythrocytes. The fibrotic vitreous removed from experimental animals were then incubated with [³H]glucosamine at 37°C for 24 h. The newly synthesized ³H-labeled glycosaminoglycans were isolated by 4 M guanidium hydrochloride extraction followed by pronase digestion. The ³H-labeled glycosaminoglycans were then characterized by gel filtration column chromatography and by specific enzymatic degradation, i.e., hyaluronidase, chondroitinase AC, and/or chondroitinase ABC. The disaccharides derived from chondroitinase ABC degradation were identified by thin-layer chromatography. We previously demonstrated that 91% of the total glycosaminoglycan synthesized by normal vitreous was hyaluronic acid. Our present results indicate that in the fibrotic vitreous, the synthesis of hyaluronic acid was decreased to 26%, whereas the synthesis of chondroitin sulfate increased to 59% of the total newly synthesized glycosaminoglycans. These results suggest that cells present in fibrotic vitreous resemble fibroblasts with respect to their activities in glycosaminoglycans synthesis.     

The catalytic machinery of chondroitinase ABC I utilizes a calcium coordination strategy to optimally process dermatan sulfate

The chondroitinases are bacterial lyases that specifically cleave chondroitin sulfate and/or dermatan sulfate glycosaminoglycans. One of these enzymes, chondroitinase ABC I from Proteus vulgaris, has the broadest substrate specificity and has been widely used to depolymerize these glycosaminoglycans. Biochemical and structural studies to investigate the active site of chondroitinase ABC I have provided important insights into the catalytic amino acids. In this study, we demonstrate that calcium, a divalent ion, preferentially increases the activity of chondroitinase ABC I toward dermatan versus chondroitin substrates in a concentration-dependent manner. Through biochemical and biophysical investigations, we have established that chondroitinase ABC I binds calcium. Experiments using terbium, a fluorescent calcium analogue, confirm the specificity of this interaction. On the basis of theoretical structural models of the enzyme-substrate complexes, specific amino acids that could potentially play a role in calcium coordination were identified. These amino acids were investigated through site-directed mutagenesis studies and kinetic assays to identify possible mechanisms for calcium-mediated processing of the dermatan substrate in the active site of the enzyme.     

Characterization of glycosaminoglycans in peritoneal leukocytes from guinea pig

The glycosaminoglycans were isolated from polymorphs and monocytes which were induced in peritoneal cavity of guinea pig by the injection of caseinate solution. The glycosaminoglycan contents of polymorphs and monocytes were approximately 25 and 47 μg of glucuronic acid per 100 mg of dry weight, respectively. The compositions of glycosaminoglycans in polymorphs and monocytes were different from each other. Electrophoretic characterization and enzymatic susceptibility demonstrated that the glycosaminoglycans in polymorphs contained hyaluronic acid as the main constituent with minor components of other glycosaminoglycans and that the major glycosaminoglycan in monocytes was dermatan sulfate.Polymorphs and monocytes were incubated in vitro in the presence of labeled precursor. The results indicated that chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate in polymorphs were synthesized by incubation in vitro at the ratio of 60–65 and 30%, respectively, and that monocytes synthesized 20% of chondroitin sulfate and 70% of dermatan sulfate.     

Simultaneous Determination of Dermatan Sulfate and Oversulfated Dermatan Sulfate in Plasma by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Postcolumn Fluorescence Derivatization

A chemical method for the determination of dermatan sulfate (DS) and oversulfated dermatan sulfate has been developed and applied to the pharmacokinetic study of these polysaccharides in experimental animals. The analytical procedure includes a simple preparation step of administered DS and oversulfated DS from blood plasma, HPLC for the separation and detection of DS and oversulfated DS using an Asahipak NH₂P-50 column, fluorometric reaction of the polysaccharides with guanidine in a strong alkaline medium. DS and oversulfated DS were extracted from plasma by treating it with proteinase to remove plasma proteins and recovered with endogenous plasma glycosaminoglycans by ethanol precipitation. Finally, DS and oversulfated DS were analyzed by fluorometric HPLC. The detection limits of DS and oversulfated DS were 10 and 20 ng, respectively. Furthermore, we demonstrated that artificial oversulfation of DS increased its biological half-life after intravenous administration to rats.     

The nature and origin of the glycosaminoglycans of the embryonic chick vitreous body

Glycosaminoglycans of the embryonic chicken vitreous were characterized and then were used as markers to establish which tissues synthesize the vitreous humor during development. The glycosaminoglycans are predominantly chondroitin sulfates by several criteria. They are resistant to streptomyces hyaluronidase, an enzyme which degrades only hyaluronate, and are digested by testicular hyaluronidase and chondroitinase AC, enzymes which degrade hyaluronate plus chondroitin 4- and 6-sulfates. On electrophoresis on cellulose acetate in 0.15 M phosphate buffer, pH 6.7, the vitreous glycosaminoglycans migrate slightly slower than authentic chondroitin sulfate, but, in 0.1 N HCl, they migrate very close to chondroitin sulfate standards. Finally, the disaccharides produced by digestion of these radioactively labeled glycosaminoglycans with chondroitinases AC and ABC were identified as Δdi-4S and Δdi-6S, as expected for chondroitin 4- and 6-sulfate. By using incorporation of radioactive precursors into chondroitin sulfates in vitro, we than determined which tissues synthesize the vitreous humor in the developing eye. Late in development, on Day 12–13, the isolated vitreous is very active in chondroitin sulfate synthesis, while the neural retina, the lens, and the pecten are less active and produce a high proportion of enzyme-resistant GAG. The eye tissues isolated from embryos labeled in ovo retain similar amounts and types of glycosaminoglycans, indicating that cells within the vitreous synthesize the vitreous humor glycosaminoglycans at this time. Earlier in development, from Days 6 to 8, the isolated vitreous incorporates very low levels of radioactivity into GAG, but the neural retina incorporates high levels of radioactivity into chondroitin sulfate. When the embryos are labeled in ovo and the same tissues are isolated following incorporation, the vitreous retains more radioactive chondroitin sulfate than does the neural retina. Thus, the vitreous humour glycosaminoglycan is initially synthesized by the neural retina and is secreted into the vitreous space.     

Purification and characterization of decorin from the culture media of MRC-5 cells

Myofibroblasts play an important role in fibrogenesis. Myofibroblasts secrete several components of the extracellular matrix, including decorin. To clarify the properties of decorin synthesized by myofibroblasts, we have purified and characterized decorin secreted into culture medium by the myofibroblast cell line MRC-5. Decorin was purified by successive chromatography steps using Hitrap Q and Superdex 200. Purified decorin showed a broad band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which was resolved into two smaller molecular weight bands after digestion with chondroitinase ABC. Further digestion with N-glycanase resolved these two bands into a single band, indicating that the N-glycation pattern of decorin is heterogeneous. The N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of the purified protein and its reactivity towards an antibody raised against a C-terminal peptide of decorin indicate that MRC-5 cells secrete full-length decorin into the culture medium. To characterize the glycosaminoglycan chains attached to decorin, glycosaminoglycans from the purified protein were treated with chondroitinase ACI, chondroitinase ACII, chondroitinase ABC and chondroitinase B. The resulting disaccharides were analyzed by chromatography, which indicated that decorin secreted by MRC-5 cells is a dermatan sulfate proteoglycan. In conclusion, the decorin secreted by MRC-5 cells has similar characteristics to the decorin expressed in several tissues. Thus, culturing MRC-5 cells may be highly useful for studying the role of decorin and myofibroblasts in fibrosis.     

Synthesis of glycosaminoglycans by human embryonic lung fibroblasts. Different distribution of heparan sulphate, chondroitin sulphate and dermatan sulphate in various fractions of the cell culture

Foetal human lung fibroblasts, grown in monolayer, were allowed to incorporate ³⁵SO₄²⁻ for various periods of time. ³⁵S-labelled macromolecular anionic products were isolated from the medium, a trypsin digest of the cells in monolayer and the cell residue. The various radioactive polysaccharides were identified as heparan sulphate and a galactosaminoglycan population (chondroitin sulphate and dermatan sulphate) by ion-exchange chromatography and by differential degradations with HNO₂ and chondroitinase ABC. Most of the heparan sulphate was found in the trypsin digest, whereas the galactosaminoglycan components were largely confined to the medium. Electrophoretic studies on the various ³⁵S-labelled galactosaminoglycans suggested the presence of a separate chondroitin sulphate component (i.e. a glucuronic acid-rich galactosaminoglycan). The ³⁵S-labelled galactosaminoglycans were subjected to periodate oxidation of l-iduronic acid residues followed by scission in alkali. A periodate-resistant polymer fraction was obtained, which could be degraded to disaccharides by chondroitinase AC. However, most of the ³⁵S-labelled galactosaminoglycans were extensively degraded by periodate oxidation–alkaline elimination. The oligosaccharides obtained were essentially resistant to chondroitinase AC, indicating that the iduronic acid-rich galactosaminoglycans (i.e. dermatan sulphate) were composed largely of repeating units containing sulphated or non-sulphated l-iduronic acid residues. The l-iduronic acid residues present in dermatan sulphate derived from the medium and the trypsin digest contained twice as much ester sulphate as did material associated with the cells. The content of d-glucuronic acid was low and similar in all three fractions. The relative distribution of glycosaminoglycans among the various fractions obtained from cultured lung fibroblasts was distinctly different from that of skin fibroblasts [Malmström, Carlstedt, Åberg & Fransson (1975) Biochem. J. 151, 477–489]. Moreover, subtle differences in co-polymeric structure of dermatan sulphate isolated from the two cell types could be detected.     

Requirement of chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate recognition in midkine-dependent migration of macrophages

Midkine (MK) is a heparin-binding growth factor that promotes cell migration, cell growth and cell survival. The promotion of migration of inflammatory cells, especially macrophages, by MK is involved in formation of a vascular abnormality, i.e. neointima formation. MK-induced migration of peritoneal exudate macrophages was inhibited by heparin, chondroitin sulfate E and dermatan sulfate, but not by chondroitin sulfate D or chondroitin 6-sulfate. Digestion of macrophages with chondroitinase ABC as well as chondroitinase B decreased the migratory activity. However, heparitinase digestion showed only slight effects. These results indicated that a chondroitin sulfate, i.e. an E-type oversulfated structure with dermatan sulfate domain, is involved in MK-induced migration of macrophages. Although a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP ), participates in MK-induced migration of neurons and osteoblasts, PTP was not detected in macrophages. The MK-induced migration was inhibited by PP1, wortomanin, PD 98059 and vanadate, indicating that the downstream signaling system, which includes Src, PI3 kinase and ERK as important components, is shared with other MK signaling systems in which PTP is involved.     

Analysis of polysulfated chondroitin disaccharides by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatography method for analyzing disaccharides derived from chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans has been developed which employs a Whatman Partisil-10 PAC amino-cyano column and an acetonitrile/methanol/ammonium acetate solvent to resolve disulfated, monosulfated, and unsulfated disaccharides in a chromatographic run of less than 20 min. The single known trisulfated chrondroitin disaccharide can be eluted in an alternate solvent system containing the same mobile phase components in different proportions. Disaccharides were prepared for chromatography from glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans of known compositions by digestion with chondroitinase ABC, with the exception of king crab cartilage glycosaminoglycan which was incubated sequentially with hyaluronidase and chondroitinase ABC. Disaccharides were extracted from the digestion mixtures in 80% ethanol, dried over nitrogen, resuspended in the HPLC solvent, and chromatographed at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. Unsaturated disaccharides in the column eluate were detected by continuous ultraviolet absorbance monitoring at 232 nm; alternatively, fractions were collected and assayed for uronic acid content or radioactivity. By utilizing the HPLC technique in conjunction with chondroitinase ABC and AC digestion and sulfatase hydrolysis, the epimeric structures of chondroitin sulfates E and H were confirmed. With this technique, rapid and reproducible analyses of chondroitin sulfate disaccharides generated from mouse mast cell proteoglycan and from glycosaminoglycans of squid cranial cartilage, shark skin, hagfish skin, and hagfish notocord were in close agreement with compositions obtained by other techniques.     

Distinctive fibroblastic subpopulations in skin and oral mucosa demonstrated by differences in glycosaminoglycan content

Summary The glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content of rabbit skin, oral mucosa, and cultured [³H]-glucosamine-labeled dermal and submucosal fibroblasts was compared. Skin contained predominantly dermatan sulfate (DS) and a small amount of hyaluronic acid (HA), whereas mucosa contained primarily keratan sulfate (KS) and smaller quantities of HA and DS. Culture medium from dermal and submucosal fibroblasts contained GAGs co-electrophoresing with DS, HA, and chondroitin sulfate (CS), although the relative proportions of these GAG differed. CS isolated from dermal and mucosal fibroblast culture medium co-electrophoresed with chondroitin 4-sulfate (C4-S) on cellulose acetate, whereas dermal medium CS was resistant to digestion by chondroitinase ABC, and mucosal medium CS was chondroitinase ABC-susceptible. The pericellular matrix of dermal fibroblasts contained primarily DS and C4-S/C6-S, as confirmed by chondroitinase ABC digestion; the corresponding fraction of mucosal fibroblasts contained HS and a GAG co-electrophoresing with a C6-S standard, yet resistant to digestion by chondroitinase ABC. Thus the GAG content of dermal and mucosal fibroblasts differed both qualitatively in terms of the type of GAG secreted into the culture medium and pericellular matrix, and quantitatively, in terms of the relative proportions of these GAGs in both fractions. These differences support the concept of distinctive fibroblastic subpopulations in skin and mucosal tissue, inasmuch as the cells were subjected to identical culturing conditions. This work was supported by research grant 15878 (C.N.B.) from the Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children and DE 07803 (C.N.B.) from the National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.     

Isolation and identification of glycosaminoglycans associated with purified nuclei from rat liver

Nuclei isolated from rat liver were purified extensively and then subjected to extraction of glycosaminoglycans by the conventional method with a slight modification including the treatments with amylase nucleases, (DNAase and RNAase), and sialidase in addition to the pronase treatment. The nuclear glycosaminoglycan fraction thus prepared was subjected to chromatography on Dowex 1-X2 (Cl^?) and electrophoresis before or after digestion with specific enzymes such as Streptomyces hyaluronidase, chondroitinase ABC and AC. These results together with the results of chemical analyses have revealed that the purified nuclei from rat liver contain glycosaminoglycans equivalent to 0.2–0.3 μg hexuronic acid per mg DNA. A major component of the nuclear glycosaminoglycans has been identified as hyaluronic acid, while a minor component as chondroitin sulfate A (or C). Preliminary investigations have shown that most of the nuclear glycosaminoglycans are associated with the chromatin fraction.     

Proteoglycans synthesized in vitro by nude and normal mouse peritoneal macrophages

Peritoneal macrophages from nude mice were found to be functionally similar to 'activated' macrophages from normal mice. The objective of the present study was to characterize the proteoglycans synthesized and secreted in vitro by peritoneal macrophages isolated from nude and normal Balb/c mice and to investigate the relationship between macrophage 'activation' and changes in the proteoglycan patterns. Macrophages obtained by peritoneal lavage were seeded in Petri dishes. After 2 h incubation at 37 degrees C, the adherent cells (macrophages) were exposed to [35S]sulphate for the biosynthetic labelling of proteoglycans. After incubation, the cell and medium fractions were collected and analysed for proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans. The glycosaminoglycans were identified and characterized by a combination of agarose gel electrophoresis and enzymatic degradation with specific mucopolysaccharidases. It was shown that 3/4 of the total 35S-labelled glycosaminoglycans were in the extracellular compartment after 24-48 h. The macrophages synthesized dermatan sulphate (68%), chondroitin sulphate (7%) and heparan sulphate (25%). Both cell and medium fractions of normal and nude mouse macrophages contained glycosaminoglycans with the same ratios, although the nude mouse macrophages synthesized 2-fold less glycosaminoglycans than the normal mouse macrophages. Lower levels of 35S-proteoglycans were also obtained from in vitro 'activated' macrophages, but the ratios of dermatan sulphate:chondroitin sulphate: heparan sulphate were altered in these cells as compared to the control. Furthermore, all the 35S-macromolecules found in the extracellular compartment of nude and normal control cells were of proteoglycan nature, in contrast to the medium fractions of 'activated' macrophages, which contain both intact proteoglycans and 'free' glycosaminoglycan chains. These results indicate that, at least as regards the proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, the nude mouse macrophages are not identical to the 'activated' macrophages from normal mice.     

A Chondroitin/Dermatan Sulfate Form of CD44 Is a Receptor for Collagen XIV (Undulin)

Collagen XIV, a fibril-associated collagen with interrupted triple helices, is expressed in differentiated soft connective tissues and in cartilage. However, a cellular receptor for this protein has not been identified. Here we show that human placental collagen XIV, isolated by a mild and simple two-step method, serves as adhesive protein for a variety of mesenchymal and some epithelial cells. Cell adhesion could be inhibited by preincubation of the collagen XIV substrate with heparin or with the chondroitin/dermatan sulfate proteoglycan decorin and by pretreatment of cells with chondroitinase ABC or heparinase III, suggesting a cell membrane proteoglycan as receptor. Affinity chromatography of¹²⁵I-labeled fibroblast cell surface proteins on collagen XIV–Sepharose yielded a chondroitin/dermatan sulfate proteoglycan with a molecular mass of 97–105 kDa after chondroitinase ABC digestion and of 60–70 kDa after further treatment withN-glycosidase F. The eluates contained also some high-molecular-weight material that was susceptible to digestion with heparinase but no detectable integrins. Immunoprecipitation with a specific monoclonal antibody identified the prominent chondroitin/dermatan sulfate proteoglycan as a member of the CD44 family. The interaction between collagen XIV and cells appears to be finely tuned, since matrix-associated glycosaminoglycans, and particularly proteoglycans like decorin, could compete with cells for the binding site(s) on collagen XIV under physiological conditions.     

Biosynthesis of proteoglycans by rat embryo parietal yolk sacs in organ culture

The embryonic rat parietal yolk sac has been previously shown to synthesize a number of basement membrane glycoconjugates including type IV procollagen, laminin, and entactin. In this study, parietal yolk sacs were isolated from 14.5-day rat embryos and incubated in organ culture for 4-7 h with [35S]sulfate, [3H] glucosamine, and/or 3H-labeled amino acids, and the newly synthesized proteoglycans were characterized. The major [35S]sulfate-labeled macromolecule represented approximately 90% of the medium and 80% of the tissue radioactivity. It also represented nearly 80% of the total [3H]glucosamine-labeled glycosaminoglycans. After purification by sequential ion-exchange chromatography and isopycnic CsCI density gradient ultracentrifugation, size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography showed a single species with an estimated Mr of 8-9 X 10(5). The intact proteoglycan did not form aggregates in the presence of exogenous hyaluronic acid or cartilage aggregates. Alkaline borohydride treatment released glycosaminoglycan chains with Mr of 2.0 X 10(4) which were susceptible to chondroitinase AC II and chondroitinase ABC digestion. Analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography of the disaccharides generated by chondroitinase ABC digestion revealed that chondroitin 6-sulfate was the predominant isomer. The uronic acid content of the glycosaminoglycans was 92% glucuronic acid and 8% iduronic acid, and the hexosamine content was 96% galactosamine and 4% glucosamine. No significant amounts of N- or O-linked oligosaccharides were detected. Deglycosylation of the proteoglycan with chondroitinase ABC in the presence of protease inhibitors revealed a protein core with an estimated Mr of 1.25-1.35 X 10(5). These results indicated that the major proteoglycan synthesized by the 14.5-day rat embryo parietal yolk sac is a high-density chondroitin sulfate containing small amounts of copolymeric dermatan sulfate. Hyaluronic acid and minor amounts of heparan sulfate proteoglycan were also detected.     

Buffer induced modification of 6-sulfated disaccharide in chondroitin lyase digestions

High-performance liquid chromatographic analyses of chondroitin lyase AC or ABC hydrolysates revealed unexpected high content of material coeluting with the nonsulfated disaccharide 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-O-(β-d-gluco-4-enepyranosyl uronic acid)-d-galactose. Incubation of a commercial preparation of the 6-sulfated disaccharide, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-O-(β-d-gluco-4-enepyranosyl uronic acid)-6-O-sulfo-d-galactose with “enriched Tris buffer” generated material coeluting with nonsulfated disaccharide. The amount of material exhibiting this anomalous chromatographic behavior was proportional to the amount of 6-sulfated disaccharide added to the incubation mixture. This suggested a precursor/product relationship between the 6-sulfated disaccharide and the anomalous peak. The result was specific for the 6-sulfated disaccharide: incubation of the 4-sulfated disaccharide, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-O-(β-d-gluco-4-enepyranosyl uronic acid)-4-O-sulfo-d-galactose, with enriched Tris buffer did not generate material with anomalous chromatographic properties. When [³⁵S]sulfate labeled cartilage glycosaminoglycans were hydrolyzed with chondroitin lyases, some of the radioactivity coeluted with the nonsulfated disaccharide. Thus, buffer-induced modification of 6-sulfated disaccharide was not caused by hydrolysis of ester sulfate. Although the proportion of the 6-sulfated disaccharide which was recovered in the anomalous peak was constant for incubations done simultaneously, incubations done at different times gave variable results. Thus, control incubations of 6-sulfated disaccharide with chondroitinase buffer must be included with each reaction series to allow correction for the proportion of the material eluting with nonsulfated disaccharide which is actually 6-sulfated.     

Oversulfated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan in cultured human peritoneal macrophages

Human peritoneal macrophages were cultured in vitro and labeled with [35S]-sulfate. Both on day 1 and day 6 in culture the cells were found to synthesize exclusively chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, the main part (70%) being associated with the medium after a 20 hour pulse. The glycosaminoglycan chains were found to be oversulfated both after 1 and 6 days in culture, due to the presence of disulfated disaccharide units.     

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to study chondroitin lyase action pattern

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was applied to determine the action pattern of different chondroitin lyases. Two commercial enzymes, chondroitinase ABC (Proteus vulgaris) and chondroitinase ACII (Arthrobacter aurescens), having action patterns previously determined by viscosimetry and gel electrophoresis were first examined. Next, the action patterns of recombinant lyases, chondroitinase ABC from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (expressed in Escherichia coli) and chondroitinase AC from Flavobacterium heparinum (expressed in its original host), were examined. Chondroitin sulfate A (CS-A, also known as chondroitin-4-sulfate) was used as the substrate for these four lyases. Aliquots taken at various time points were analyzed. The products of chondroitinase ABC (P. vulgaris) and chondroitinase AC (F. heparinum) contained unsaturated oligosaccharides of sizes ranging from disaccharide to decasaccharide, demonstrating that both are endolytic enzymes. The products afforded by chondroitinase ABC (B. thetaiotaomicron) and chondroitinase ACII (A. aurescens) contained primarily unsaturated disaccharide. These two exolytic enzymes showed different minor products, suggesting some subtle specificity differences between the actions of these two exolytic lyases on chondroitin sulfate A.     

Organization of glycosaminoglycan chains in a chondroitin sulfate - dermatan sulfate proteoglycan from bovine aorta

A chondroitin sulfate - dermatan sulfate proteoglycan was isolated from bovine aorta intima by extraction of the tissue by 4 M guanidine hydrochloride. The proteoglycan was purified by CsCl isopycnic centrifugation followed by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. The proteoglycan had 21.9% protein, 22.1% uronate, 21.4% hexosamine and 10.8% sulfate. Glycosaminoglycan chains obtained from the proteoglycan by β-elimination were resolved by gel filtration into two fractions, one containing chondroitin 6-sulfate with an approximate molecular weight of 49 000 and the other containing chondroitin 4-sulfate and dermatan sulfate in a proportion of 2:1 with an approximate molecular weight of 37 000. Digestion of the proteoglycan by chondroitinase ABC or AC yielded a protein core with similar composition and behavior in gel filtration and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. An approximate molecular weight of 180 000 was estimated for the core protein. Dermatan sulfate chains with an approximate molecular weight of 10 000 were observed only in the digest of chondroitinase AC. Limited trypsin hydrolysis of the proteoglycan yielded three peptide fragments containing chondroitin 6-sulfate, chondroitin 4-sulfate and dermatan sulfate in varied proportions. A tentative structure for the proteoglycan was suggested.