Proteoglycans of soluble fraction of mouse mastocytoma

Proteoglycans have been isolated from a high speed supernatant fraction of a mouse mastocytoma by procedures which should minimize alteration of the native protein-polysaccharide molecule. The methods used include in vivo labeling proteoglycans with 35S-sulfate, 3H-leucine and 3H-lysine, centrifugation of the tumor homogenate at 105,000 g, cetylpyridinium fractionation of the supernatant, and further purification of some of the fractions obtained by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, gel filtration on Sepharose 4B and cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Two major sulfated proteoglycans were obtained, one containing keratan sulfate-like material (KSP-S), the other a heparin-like polymer (HP-S). The presence in HP-S of a compound similar to heparin was confirmed by its digestibility with flavobacterium heparinase. HP-S contained about 4 per cent protein. Glycine was the predominant amino acid, and serine did not appear to be involved in the peptide-carbohydrate linkage. The proteoglycan present in HP-S appeared to be homogeneous when examined using cellulose acetate electrophoresis. KSP-S was found to contain sialic acid and its protein content was significantly higher than that of HP-S. Glutamic and aspartic acids were the most abundant amino acids in KSP-S.