A1 proteoglycan fractions were prepared by isopycnic cesium chloride density gradient centrifugation from early passage cultured fibroblasts derived from the skin of human infants. In five different fibroblast strains, A1 preparations from the medium and the cells, respectively, contained 36-63% and 59-79% of the sulfated proteoglycans applied to the gradients. A subpopulation of A1 proteoglyca...

of aortic cells, the pinocytosis proceeded with high efficiency. The uptake remained linear with time for at most 24h and then reached a plateau, probably owing to the competition for uptake by newly secreted unlabelled proteoglycans. A considerable amount of added proteoglycans, however, became associated with the cell surface (pericellular pool of glycosaminoglycans) and are not removed by re...

-Mast cells are present in the human arterial intima. To study whether mast-cell degranulation influences the rate of proliferation of smooth muscle cells, we cocultured sensitized (IgE-bearing) rat serosal mast cells and rat aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs). When sensitized mast cells were stimulated to degranulate with antigen, the rate of proliferation of the cocultured SMCs decreased sharp...

Many cell membrane receptors, such as the nicotinic ace-tylcholine receptor and the T cell antigen receptor, are composed of several different subunits, and their correct assembly is necessary for the generation of functional receptors. Most lymphokine receptors are composed of at least two components, and ligand-induced oligomeriza-tion is essential for receptor activation and signal transmiss...

Skeletal muscle fibers are surrounded by an extracellular matrix. The extracellular matrix is composed of glycoproteins, collagen, and proteoglycans. Proteoglycans have been suggested to play an important functional role in tissue differentiation; however, an understanding of how the extracellular matrix affects skeletal muscle development and function is largely unknown. Proteoglycans can regu...

The authors' previous studies showed that the glycosaminoglycans present in rabbit bone marrow were composed of chondroitin 6-sulfate (79%) and hyaluronic acid (16%). Immunohistochemically the chondroitin 6-sulfate was demonstrated to be in bone marrow matrix constructing hematopoietic microenvironment. In this study the authors isolated and characterized these glycosaminoglycans in their macro...

The distribution of proteoglycans in the trabecular tissue of human eyes was evaluated histochemically, using Cupromeronic Blue in combination with a series of enzyme digestions and nitrous acid treatment. Within the extracellular matrix of the trabecular meshwork, many Cupromeronic Blue-positive filaments were observed in association with collagen fibrils, basal lamina, a basal lamina-like mat...

Heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans of bone marrow (BM) stromal cells and their extracellular matrix are important components of the microenvironment of hematopoietic tissues and are involved in the interaction of hematopoietic stem and stromal cells. Although previous studies have emphasized the role of HS proteoglycan synthesis by BM stromal cells, we have recently shown that the human hematop...

The proteoglycans extracted from adult chicken were initially purified by DEAE-chromatography. Digestion of these proteoglycans with chondroitinase ABC generated a single 40-kDa core protein while digestion with keratanase generated a single 52-kDa core protein. Digestion with both enzymes combined, however, increased the amount of 40-kDa core protein produced. This suggested that the 40-kDa co...

The 1C6 monoclonal antibody to the hyaluronic acid-binding region weakly stained a 65-kD component in immunoblots of the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans of brain, and the 8A4 monoclonal antibody, which recognizes two epitopes in the polypeptide portion of link protein, produced strong staining of a 45-kD component present in the brain proteoglycans. These antibodies were utilized to examine t...