GLYCOSAMINOGLYCANS AND CHONDROITIN DERMATAN SULFATE PROTEOGLYCANS IN THE MYOCARDIUM OF A NONHUMAN PRIMATE

Lyophilized mid-wall left ventricular myocardial tissues of the long-t ailed non-human primate, Macaca fascicularis, were examined for the pr esence of glycosaminoglycans and chondroitin-dermatan sulfate proteogl ycans. Mean uronic acid concentration in all samples was 0.97 +/- 0.27 mug per mg dry weight myocardium. The distribution of the glycosamino glycans in the myocardium, determined by cellulose acetate strip elect rophoresis was 62 +/- 4% heparan sulfate, 20 +/- 6% hyaluronan, and 16 +/- 5% chondroitin/dermatan sulfate. The analysis of chondroitin/derm atan sulfate proteoglycans, done directly on the extracts of lyophiliz ed myocardium using agarose-acrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting with monoclonal antibodies to various carbohydrate epitopes and with polyclonal antibodies to the protein core, showed the presenc e of biglycan and decorin. That these two and no other chondroitin/der matan sulfates were present was established by core protein analysis u sing SDS PAGE and Western blotting. Quantification of chondroitin/derm atan sulfate proteoglycans uncovered high individual specific variabil ity of the chondroitin/dermatan sulfate epitopes, but only moderate va riability of biglycan and decorin core proteins. The variability of th e chondroitin/dermatan sulfate epitopes is most likely related to indi vidual specific differences in chain number, iduronate content and sul fation patterns of biglycan and decorin.