Association of axonally transported heparan sulfate with isolated synaptic plasma membrane

Studies on isolated synaptic plasma membranes (SPM) have detected little if any heparan sulfate or other glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), while more recent studies employing proteoglycan antibodies have localized heparan sulfate proteoglycan in presynaptic plasma membrane of intact tissue. To further address the issue of proteoglycans in synaptic plasma membrane, we have investigated the possible presence of axonally transported GAGs in SPM isolated from the goldfish optic tectum. SPMs isolated from tecta following rapid axonal transport of 35SO4 labeled molecules down the optic nerve, showed specific radioactivity approximately two-fold higher than the starting homogenate. Treatment of the transport labeled SPM with the enzyme heparitinase liberated 21% of the radioactivity, indicating the presence of a significant fraction of transported label in heparan sulfate. In a separate series of experiments a GAG fraction was isolated from transport labeled SPM and was found to consist of heparan sulfate containing 28% of transported radioactivity. Chondroitin (4 or 6) sulfate, which undergoes axonal transport in the goldfish optic system, was not found associated with SPM. Taken together the results support immunological evidence for the presence of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in presynaptic plasma membrane.