Identification of a major basic protein in guinea pig eosinophil granules

Elucidation of the functions of the eosinophil might be accomplished by analysis of the granule constituents. We have purified eosinophils (93% or greater) from the peritoneal cavity of the guinea pig and have investigated a variety of methods to disrupt cells and liberate intact granules. Lysis in 0.34 M sucrose gave the best yield of granules and these had the characteristic morphology of eosinophil granules when examined by electron microscopy. Granules were solubilized by a variety of treatments and the solutions analyzed by polyacrylamide electrophoresis at pH 3 in 6 M urea. Comparison of the electrophoretic patterns of solubilized eosinophil and neutrophil granules revealed a difference: a major portion (53+/-3%; x +/-1 SE) of the protein from the eosinophil granule migrated as a single component. This major band protein has a molecular weight between 6,000 and 12,000 daltons and a pI of 10 or greater. Analysis of eosinophil granule constituents on Sephadex G-50 revealed two main peaks; peak 1 possessed peroxidase activity and peak 2 contained the major band protein. These studies indicate that eosinophil granules contain a cationic protein of low molecular weight which lacks peroxidase activity and which accounts for greater than 50% of granule protein.