Occurrence of collagen and proteoglycan forms of type IX collagen in chick embryo cartilage. Production and characterization of a collagen form-specific antibody.

Type IX collagen from chick embryonic cartilage is a proteoglycan bearing a single chondroitin sulfate chain covalently linked to the alpha 2(IX) polypeptide chain. We have isolated type IX collagen metabolically labeled with 3H]proline using an antibody to type IX collagen and have found that the molecule is synthesized in two forms, a collagen form (COLIX) and a proteoglycan form (PGIX). In cultured chondrocytes, the two forms of type IX collagen showed a different ability to be deposited in the matrix. We have suggested the possibility that both forms may arise from an alternative substitution of a chondroitin sulfate chain to the NC3 domain of the alpha 2(IX) chain. Based on the reported amino acid sequence at the NC3 domain of alpha 2(IX), we have synthesized undecapeptides containing the sequence around the glycosaminoglycan attachment site of the alpha 2(IX) chain. Antibody against the peptide, which was raised in rabbit, only recognized COLIX and made it possible to distinguish COLIX from PGIX. Evidence shows that this could be due to a difference in antigenicity of the NC3 domain of the alpha 2(IX) chain between COLIX and PGIX caused by the substitution of a chondroitin sulfate chain to the serine residue in this domain. Therefore, this antibody may be useful as a probe for studies on the functions of glycosaminoglycan substitution in type IX collagen.