Proteoglycan synthesis in human erythroleukaemia (HEL) cells

Synthesis of sulphated proteoglycans was compared in human erythroleukaemia (HEL) cells grown under control conditions and under stimulation by dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Synthesis of [35S]sulphate-labelled proteoglycans by DMSO-treated cells was decreased by about 35% relative to controls, but synthesis of proteoglycans by PMA-treated cells increased 3-4-fold. Control and DMSO-treated cells secreted 65% of the newly synthesized proteoglycans, but PMA-treated cells secreted more than 90%. Sepharose CL-6B chromatography and SDS/PAGE suggested the presence of several proteoglycans in the cells and culture medium. The PMA-treated cells synthesized a low-Mr proteoglycan (Kav. 0.3( that was not present in controls and DMSO-treated cultures. The proteoglycans of the cells and medium from control, DMSO-treated and PMA-treated cultures could be separated into three fractions by octyl-Sepharose chromatography. The proteoglycans were resistant to trypsin but were degraded by Pronase and papain to fragments similar in size to the NaOH/NaBH4-generated glycosaminoglycans. The average chain length of the glycosaminoglycans (Kav. 0.20 on Sepharose CL-6B for controls) was decreased by DMSO (Kav. 0.25) and by PMA (Kav. 0.30-0.38). Chondroitin ABC lyase digestion of the proteoglycans from the medium of the control cultures produced two core proteins at Mr 31,000 and 36,000. The DMSO medium proteoglycans had only the 31,000-Mr core protein, and the PMA culture medium proteoglycans had core proteins of Mr 27,000, 31,000 and 36,000. Changes in synthesis of proteoglycans induced by DMSO or PMA may have relevance for the maturation of haematopoietic cells.