Glycosaminoglycans from renal brush border membranes of rabbits

Brush border membranes were prepared from the rabbit kidney cortex by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and digested with pronase. A glycosaminoglycan fraction was isolated from the digest by ion-exchange chromatography. Electrophoretogram on cellulose acetate membrane (Separax) of the glycosaminoglycan fraction indicated the presence of two components, which were identified as chondroitin sulfate A/C and dermatan sulfate on the basis of their mobility in Separax electrophoresis and sensitivity to chondroitinase ABC. Neither hyaluronic acid nor heparan sulfate was detected. The results of high-performance liquid chromatography of the pyridylamino derivatives of unsaturated disaccharides in the digests with chondroitinase AC and ABC of the glycosaminoglycan fraction indicated that the ratio of chondroitin 4-sulfate, chondroitin 6-sulfate and dermatan sulfate was 5.5 : 1.0 : 9.1.