Role of carbohydrates in thyrotropin binding sites

The role of carbohydrates in thyrotropin binding was studied by glycosidase treatment of human thyroid membranes. Removal of over 75% of membrane sialic acid resulted in a 50% increase of TSH binding, measured in 10 mM Tris-HCl, 50 mM NaCl, 0.1% bSA, pH 7.4, 37 degrees C (buffer A). This augmentation was due to an increase in binding to high affinity sites (Ka 1 X 10(10)M-1). The binding was highly specific and was not significantly inhibited by gangliosides. In contrast, low affinity binding of TSH was unchanged either in buffer A or in 10 mM Tris-acetate, 0.1% bSA pH 6.0, 4 degrees C (buffer B) and was inhibited by gangliosides. Treatment of membranes with beta-galactosidase, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase and alpha-L-fucosidase had little effect on TSH binding. The data suggests that membrane-associated sialic acid inhibits TSH binding to high affinity receptors and that gangliosides are not involved in tthis TSH-receptor interaction.