DERMATAN SULFATE RELEASED AFTER INJURY IS A POTENT PROMOTER OF FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR-2 FUNCTION

Proteoglycans have been shown in vitro to bind multiple components of the cellular microenvironment that function during wound healing. To s tudy the composition and function of these molecules when derived from an in vivo source, soluble proteoglycans released into human wound fl uid were characterized and evaluated for influence on fibroblast growt h factor-2 activity. Immunoblot analysis of wound fluid revealed the p resence of syndecan-1, syndecan-4, glypican, decorin, perlecan, and ve rsican. Sulfated glycosaminoglycan concentrations ranged from 15 to 65 mu g/ml, and treatment with chondroitinase B showed that a large prop ortion of the glycosaminoglycan was dermatan sulfate. The total glycos aminoglycan mixture present in wound fluid supported the ability of fi broblast growth factor-a to signal cell proliferation. Dermatan sulfat e, and not heparan sulfate, was the major contributor to this activity , and dermatan sulfate bound FGF-2 with K-d = 2.48 mu M. These data de monstrate that proteoglycans released during wound repair are function ally active and provide the first evidence that dermatan sulfate is a potent mediator of fibroblast growth factor-2 responsiveness.