Mucinlike glycoproteins from cat tracheal gland cells in primary culture

In a recent study (D. J. Culp, D. K. P. Lee, D. P. Penney, and M. G. Marin. Am. J. Physiol. 263: L264-275, 1992), we reported that primary cultures of cat tracheal gland cells expressed histological, ultrastructural, and immunological characteristics of mucous cells when cultured on floating gels of rat tail collagen (released-gel cultures) compared with cells cultured on glutaraldehyde-fixed collagen gels (fixed-gel cultures). We therefore collected culture medium from gland cells grown under both culture conditions for determination and comparison of glycoconjugates with characteristics of mucin glycoproteins. Cells were cultured in the presence of [3H]glucosamine, and material of high molecular weight and density (HMD material) was isolated. HMD material from both culture conditions were each resistant to heparitinase and heparinase, whereas 72 and 25% of the radiolabel in released-gel and fixed-gel HMD material, respectively, was resistant to chondroitinase ABC. Material resistant to chondroitinase ABC was analyzed further. Both samples contained a single broad glycoprotein band [relative molecular weight (M(r)) > 250,000] after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and had amino acid profiles similar to airway mucin. The sample from fixed-gel cultures had nearly equal amounts of carbohydrate and protein, was highly enriched in N-acetylglucosamine, contained mannose, displayed little blood group A immunoreactivity, and had few O-linked oligosaccharides. Conversely, the sample from released-gel cultures contained 80% carbohydrate, was composed of monosaccharides characteristic of airway mucins, displayed blood group A immunoreactivity, and contained oligosaccharides O-linked via N-acetylgalactosamine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)