Characterization and Purification from Human Brain of a Hyaluronic Acid-Binding Glycoprotein, Hyaluronectin

Using affinity chromatography and enzyme-labelled immunological assays combined with affinity adsorption, we have obtained evidence for the binding of a brain glycoprotein to hyaluronic acid, and on this basis named it hyaluronectin. This binding was inhibited by hyaluronic acid and by the products of its hydrolysis by hyaluronidase from bovine testis, but was not inhibited by other glycosaminoglycans or by monosaccharides. Preparative affinity chromatography of brain acid-soluble proteins produced hyaluronectin in a good degree of purity. Contamination by albumin was less than 1% and the yield was as high as 80%.