Properties of heparin binding to purified plasma membranes from bovine granulosa cells

Bovine granulosa cells were disrupted by nitrogen cavitation and the resulting membrane vesicles were isolated by centrifugation using a self-generating Percoll gradient. Transmission electron microscopy and marker enzyme assays revealed a highly enriched preparation of plasma membrane vesicles with little contamination from intracellular organelles. The membranes were examined for their ability to bind 3H]heparin under a variety of physical conditions. Binding was dependent largely on electrostatic interactions which were sensitive to alterations in the ionic strength and pH of the medium. Optimal binding was obtained in the absence of added salt and at pH 6.5 but reduced by 50% at 150 mM-NaCl or at pH values above 7.5. Heparin binding to the membranes was abolished by a 1-h pretreatment with chymotrypsin, plasmin, pronase or trypsin. Detergent treatment of the membranes had various effects, depending on the ionic characteristics of the detergents used. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gels of plasma membrane proteins revealed a complex pattern of polypeptides with Mr of 10,000-120,000. Autoradiographic analysis of plasma membrane proteins on Western blots labelled with 125I-labelled heparin revealed 3 major heparin-binding proteins with molecular weights of 14,000-16,000. These studies report a new method of rapidly obtaining purified membranes from a limited population of granulosa cells. The characterization of the binding domains as membrane-associated proteins provides opportunities for numerous additional studies. Detergent solubilization of the membranes without appreciable loss in binding activity should simplify attempts to purify the binding proteins. Further analysis of the interactions of these molecules with native follicular fluid GAGs at various stages of granulosa cell development should provide useful insights into the role of complex carbohydrates in follicular maturation.