DIFFERENT HUMAN TENASCIN-C VARIANTS IN THE EXTRACELLULAR-MATRIX OF CULTURED HUMAN FIBROBLASTS

Using an immunoadsorbent prepared with a mononoclonal antibody specifi c for the high molecular mass isoform of human tenascin-C, we purified tenascin-C molecules containing at least one large subunit from the e xtracellular matrix of cultured normal human fibroblasts. Sodium dodec yl sulphate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting an alyses have shown that both high and low molecular mass subunits are p resent in these tenascin-C preparations. Because the monoclonal antibo dy used is able to bind only the high molecular mass isoform, the pres ent data show that part of the tenascin-C present in the fibroblast ex tracellular matrix is made up of heterohexameric molecules.