A novel large dermatan sulfate proteoglycan from human fibroblasts

Defective Glycosaminoglycan Substitution of Decorin in a Patient With Progeroid Syndrome Is a Direct Consequence of Two Point Mutations in the Galactosyltransferase I (�4galT-7) Gene

The small dermatan sulfate proteoglycan decorin is involved in the regulation of collagen fibrillogenesis, cell adhesion and migration, and growth factor signaling. In a progeroid patient carrying two point mutations in beta4 galactosyltransferase I (beta4GalT-7) only 50% of the decorin core protein molecules are substituted with glycosaminoglycan chains. We expressed decorin, as well as wild-type and mutant alleles of beta4GalT-7 in galactosyltransferase-deficient CHO618 cells. Decorin was less efficiently substituted with glycosaminoglycan chains upon expression of beta4GalT-7(186D) compared to beta4GalT-7-expressing cells. Decorin from beta4GalT-7-expressing cells displayed increased molecular heterogeneity. Decorin glycosaminoglycan chains were completely susceptible to chondroitinase ABC treatment. Cells expressing beta4GalT-7(206P) did not synthesize the proteoglycanform of decorin. Thus, the beta4GalT-7 mutations directly affect the molecular phenotype of decorin observed in a patient with the progeroid form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which may be a major mechanistic cause for the skin and wound healing defects observed in this patient.

Significant role of adhesion properties of primary osteoblast-like cells in early adhesion events for chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate surface molecules

The purpose of this study was to characterize the role of cell surface adhesive macromolecules through enzyme modulation and metabolic recovery prior to and during a kinetic cell adhesion assay. Primary rat calvarial osteoblast-like cells were derived from Sprague-Dawley calvarial plates. Cell adhesion kinetics was evaluated with the definition of first-order adhesion kinetics. Osteoblasts were incubated in an adhesion buffer for 1 h prior to a cell attachment assay using various enzymes to remove cell surface glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). A subtractive adhesion analysis was performed by plating cells at 5 x 10(4)/well for variable periods through 2 h. The medium was collected, the well surface washed and pooled, and the number of cells enumerated with a Coulter Counter. Cell adhesion demonstrated first-order logarithmic adhesion kinetics in the first 60 min. Scatchard analysis demonstrated a linear relationship. Preexposure of cells to various enzyme combinations demonstrated that 50% of the equilibrium adhesion was dependent on chondroitin sulfate or dermatan sulfate surface macromolecules. These results were confirmed with pretreatment with a metabolic inhibitor of GAG synthesis (beta-D-xyloside). These results suggest an important role for cell associated chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate in cell adhesion in addition to Arg-Gly-Asp or integrin mediated adhesion events.

The soft tissue cover of the mandibular condyle. Differentiation in histological forms and age-related changes of aggrecan- and versican-like proteoglycans

Age-related changes of the composition of the extracellular matrix of the soft tissue cover of the mandibular condyle (STC), especially of the large proteoglycans, have been investigated. Proteoglycans were extracted from the STC of neonatal, juvenile and adult domestic pigs, fractionated by density gradient centrifugation and analyzed by electrophoresis/Western blotting. Experiments revealed firstly that a large CS/KS proteoglycan (aggrecan) is an essential constituent of the STC at all ages. This proteoglycan is required for nutrition of avascular tissues, and age-related changes in its average size and substitution with KS (keratan sulfate) may be a response to altered functional loading and tissue architecture of the STC. Secondly it was shown that a large CS/DS (chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate) proteoglycan characterized by a doublet of core proteins at 200 and 250 kDa, thereby resembling perlecan, is present in the tissue of adults, but not of neonates and juveniles. Thirdly a large CS/DS proteoglycan characterized by core proteins at 350, 450 and 550 kDa, thereby resembling versican, was present in juveniles. It was detectable only weakly in neonates and not in adults. Results of core protein analysis were confirmed by results of agarose gel electrophoresis/Western blotting of the undigested proteoglycans isolated directly from the tissue extracts. Versican is believed to destabilize cell-matrix interactions required for cell proliferation and differentiation. In this context, presence of versican-like proteoglycans in the STC of growing individuals and its disappearance in adults appears to be related to the growth potential of the mandibular condyle.

Changes in messenger RNA and protein levels of proteoglycans and link protein in human osteoarthritic cartilage samples

OBJECTIVE

To determine the steady-state messenger RNA (mRNA) levels and corresponding protein contents of major matrix components in osteoarthritic (OA) cartilage.

METHODS

Steady-state levels of gene-specific mRNA (relative to GAPDH) were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the relative levels of the corresponding proteins were determined by Western blotting.

RESULTS

All mRNA levels and corresponding protein contents of aggrecan and versican (hyaluronan-binding large proteoglycans), decorin, biglycan, fibromodulin, and lumican (small proteoglycans), and link protein were higher in OA cartilage samples than in age-matched normal samples. The ratio of increase, however, was different for each component. The mRNA and protein levels of biglycan, decorin, and fibromodulin increased synchronously, whereas message for link protein and lumican were several-fold higher than expected by their measured protein contents. Versican was also detected in OA cartilage; however, the versican protein content was associated with a relatively low mRNA level.

CONCLUSION

The expression of matrix components was increased in chondrocytes of OA cartilage, especially the expression of small proteoglycans, most likely due to the repair processes. A discoordinate gene expression accompanied with imbalanced accumulation of noncollagenous matrix components may contribute to the disorganization of the cartilage and the development of OA processes.

Neuroglycan C, a novel membrane-spanning chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan that is restricted to the brain

Monoclonal antibodies were raised to membrane-bound proteoglycans derived from rat brain, and four monoclonal antibodies that recognized a 150-kDa chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan with a core glycoprotein of 120 kDa were obtained. Immunohistological study revealed that the proteoglycan was associated with developing neurons. We screened rat brain cDNA libraries using the four monoclonal antibodies and isolated overlapping cDNA clones that encoded the entire core protein of 514 amino acids plus a 30-residue signal peptide. The deduced amino acid sequence suggested an integral membrane protein divided into five structurally different domains: an N-terminal domain to which chondroitin sulfate chains might be attached, a basic amino acid cluster consisting of seven arginine and two lysine residues, a cysteine-containing domain, a membrane-spanning segment, and a C-terminal cytoplasmic domain of 95 amino acids. On Northern blots, the cDNA hybridized with a single mRNA of 3.1 kilobases that was detectable in brains of neonatal and adult rats but not in kidney, liver, lung, and muscle of either. The sequence of the proteoglycan did not exhibit significant homology to any other known protein, indicating that the proteoglycan, designated neuroglycan C, is a novel integral membrane proteoglycan.

Immunostaining of a heterodimeric dermatan sulphate proteoglycan is correlated with smooth muscles and some basement membranes

A heterodimeric 760-kDa dermatan sulphate proteoglycan tentatively named PG-760 was characterized as a product of keratinocytes, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts. The two core proteins of 460 kDa and 300 kDa are linked by disulphide bridges, and both carry one or only very few dermatan sulphate chains. Different antisera against PG-760 were used in the present study to investigate the distribution in selected murine tissues by light and electron microscopy. PG-760 immunostaining was observed in cornea (epithelium including basement membrane, stroma, and Descemet's membrane), skin, mucosa of the small intestine, Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS)-tumour (matrix and cells), and the smooth muscle layers of uterus, small intestine, and blood vessels. No staining was observed in capillaries, striated muscles, and liver parenchyma including the central vein. The expression of PG-760 in EHS-tumour was also demonstrated after extraction with 4 M guanidine and partial purification by diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-chromatography. We conclude that this novel proteoglycan exhibits a unique tissue distribution being a constituent of some but not all basement membranes, of some other extracellular matrices, and additionally, of all investigated smooth muscle layers.

Decorin and a large dermatan sulfate proteoglycan in bovine striated muscle

Proteoglycans were extracted and isolated from adult bovine muscle tissue by dissociative extraction followed by density gradient centrifugation, gel chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography. Two proteoglycans were characterized; one of large molecular size (PG-L) and one of small molecular size (PG-S). The recovery of PG-L and PG-S was 33% and 67%, respectively. By cellulose acetate electrophoresis before and after treatment with chondroitinase AC and ABC both samples were shown to carry predominantly dermatan sulfate chains. The large proteoglycan was recognized with an antibody against a large dermatan sulfate proteoglycan from bovine sclera, whereas the small was recognized by an antibody against decorin from bovine sclera. Chondroitinase ABC treatment of PG-S followed by SDS-PAGE showed a core protein with a molecular weight of 45 kDa, which also reacted with the decorin antibody. Amino-acid analysis of both PG-L and PG-S revealed an amino-acid composition closely similar, although not identical, to the large dermatan sulfate proteoglycan from bovine sclera and decorin, respectively. Immunohistochemical analyses of muscle tissue sections showed that decorin and the large dermatan sulfate proteoglycan are present in the perimysium layers of muscle tissue, although although with a somewhat different pattern of distribution. Decorin was, in addition, found in the endomysium.

Isolation and purification of proteoglycans

Purification of a protein typically involves development of a quantitative assay to track protein integrity (e.g. enzyme activity) during subsequent isolation steps. The generalized procedure involves choosing the source of the protein, defining extraction conditions, developing bulk purification methods followed by refined, more selective methods. The purification of proteoglycans is often complicated by a) limited source quantities, b) necessity of chaotrophic solvents for efficient extraction, c) their large molecular size and d) lack of defined functions to enable purity (i.e. activity, conformation) to be assessed. Because the usual goal of proteoglycan purification is physical characterization (intact molecular weight, core protein and glycosaminoglycan class and size), the problems of a suitable assay and/or native conformation are avoided. The 'assay' for tracking proteoglycan isolation typically utilizes uronic acid content or radiolabel incorporation as a marker. Once extracted from their cellular/extracellular environment, proteoglycans can be isolated by density gradient centrifugation and/or column chromatography techniques. Recent advances in the composition of chromatographic supports have enabled the application of ion-exchange, gel permeation, hydrophobic interaction and affinity chromatography resins using efficient high-pressure liquid chromatography to proteoglycan purification.

Isolation and purification of proteoglycans

Purification of a protein typically involves development of a quantitative assay to track protein integrity (e.g. enzyme activity) during subsequent isolation steps. The generalized procedure involves choosing the source of the protein, defining extraction conditions, developing bulk purification methods followed by refined, more selective methods. The purification of proteoglycans is often complicated by a) limited source quantities, b) necessity of chaotropic solvents for efficient extraction, c) their large molecular size and d) lack of defined functions to enable purity (i.e. activity, conformation) to be assessed. Because the usual goal of proteoglycan purification is physical characterization (intact molecular weight, core protein and glycosaminoglycan class and size), the problems of a suitable assay and/or native conformation are avoided. The 'assay' for tracking proteoglycan isolation typically utilizes uronic acid content or radiolabel incorporation as a marker. Once extracted from their cellular/extracellular environment, proteoglycans can be isolated by density gradient centrifugation and/or column chromatography techniques. Recent advances in the composition of chromatographic supports have enabled the application of ion-exchange, gel permeation, hydrophobic interaction and affinity chromatography resins using efficient high-pressure liquid chromatography to proteoglycan purification.

Transforming growth factor-beta induces selective increase of proteoglycan production and changes in the copolymeric structure of dermatan sulphate in human skin fibroblasts

Human embryonic skin fibroblasts were pretreated with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) for 6 h and then labeled with [35S]sulphate and [3H]leucine for 24 h. Radiolabeled proteoglycans from the culture medium and the cell layer were isolated and separated by isopycnic density-gradient centrifugation, followed by gel, ion-exchange and hydrophobic-interaction chromatography. The major proteoglycan species were examined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulphate before and after enzymatic degradation of the polysaccharide chains. The results showed that TGF-beta increased the production of several different 35S-labelled proteoglycans. A large chondroitin/dermatan sulphate proteoglycan (with core proteins of approximately 400-500 kDa) increased 5-7-fold and a small dermatan sulphate proteoglycan (PG-S1, also termed biglycan, with a core protein of 43 kDa) increased 3-4-fold both in the medium and in the cell layer. Only a small effect was observed on another dermatan sulphate proteoglycan, PG-S2 (also named decorin). These observations are generally in agreement with results of other studies using similar cell types. In addition, we have found that the major heparan sulphate proteoglycan of the cell layer (protein core approximately 350 kDa) was increased by TGF-beta treatment, whereas all the other smaller heparan sulphate proteoglycans with protein cores from 250 kDa to 30 kDa appeared unaffected. To investigate whether TGF-beta also influences the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chain-synthesizing machinery, we also characterized GAGs derived from proteoglycans synthesized by TGF-beta-treated cells. There was generally no increase in the size of the GAG chains. However, the dermatan sulphate chains on biglycan and decorin from TGF-beta treated cultures contained a larger proportion of D-glucuronosyl residues than those derived from untreated cultures. No effect was noted on the 4- and 6-sulphation of the GAG chains. By the use of p-nitrophenyl beta-D-xyloside (an initiator of GAG synthesis) it could be demonstrated that chain synthesis was also enhanced in TGF-beta-treated cells (approximately twofold). Furthermore, the dermatan sulphate chains synthesized on the xyloside in TGF-beta-treated fibroblasts contained a larger proportion of D-glucuronosyl residues than those of the control. These novel findings indicate that TGF-beta affects proteoglycan synthesis both quantitatively and qualitatively and that it can also change the copolymeric structure of the GAG by affecting the GAG-synthesizing machinery. Altered proteoglycan structure and production may have profound effects on the properties of extracellular matrices, which can affect cell growth and migration as well as organisation of matrix fibres.