Partial characterization of a low molecular weight proteoglycan isolated from bovine parietal pericardium

Knowledge of the nature of pericardial connective tissue components is incomplete. To gain a better understanding of the composition of this tissue, bovine parietal pericardium was extracted with 4 M guanidine hydrochloride yielding a proteoglycan-containing protein mixture. This was fractionated by a three-step chromatographic procedure with the resultant purification of a 75-110 Kd proteoglycan. The purified proteoglycan was susceptible to chondroitinase ABC digestion but resistant to chondroitinase AC and nitrous acid degradation suggesting the presence of dermatan sulfate glycosaminoglycan(s). This is the first reported isolation of a proteoglycan from parietal pericardium.