High molecular weight mucin-like glycoproteins of the bovine interphotoreceptor matrix

A very high molecular weight mucin-like glycoprotein was isolated by gel filtration of interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) from fresh bovine eyes and purified to apparent homogeneity by cesium chloride/guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) equilibrium density gradient centrifugation. Although a molecular weight in excess of 10(7) Da is suggested by gel filtration, the presence of SDS or GuHCl did not alter its elution position, indicating that the large size was not simply due to aggregation. Treatment of this material with disulfide reagents, however, led to a decrease in molecular size. On a relative basis, substantially more of this glycoprotein is present in IPM prepared from retina than from retinal pigment epithelium. While the carbohydrate and amino acid composition are not those of a true 'mucin', the large size and many other properties are quite 'mucin-like'. The carbohydrate composition suggests the presence of both N- and O-glycosidically linked sugar chains. The presence of a mucin-type O-glycosidic linkage is indicated by its susceptibility to alkaline cleavage, with concomitant loss of serine and threonine and increase in 240 nm absorbance; production of a fluorescent product upon reaction with cyanoacetamide; lectin binding properties; and production of N-acetylgalactosaminitol upon alkaline borohydride elimination. This glycoprotein was digested by pronase and trypsin, confirming its protein nature, but was resistant to digestion with chondroitin ABC lyase, hyaluronidase and heparinase, as well as RNAase, indicating that these components were not present to any appreciable extent. ELISA for cartilage keratan sulfate was also negative. Centrifugation in CsCl/GuHCl gradients indicated a density much lower than that of a proteoglycan or nucleic acid as well. In vitro biosynthetic studies suggest that both retina and retinal pigment epithelium may be major sources of material in the IPM. The elution patterns of radioactivity were strikingly similar to the UV elution patterns of IPM. The medium from retinal incubations contained very high molecular weight material which was resistant to enzymes which hydrolyse glycosaminoglycans, suggesting that retina may be the source of this high molecular weight, mucin-like glycoprotein.