Collagen fibrils from the dermis of the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa are
aggregated in vitro by the dermal glycoprotein stiparin (Trotter et al., 1
996). Under physiological ionic conditions stiparin appears to be both nece
ssary and sufficient to cause fibrils to aggregate (Trotter et al., 1997).
We report here the initial biochemical and biophysical characterization of
a sulfated glycoprotein from C. frondosa dermis that binds stiparin and inh
ibits its fibril-aggregating activity. This inhibitory glycoprotein, which
has been named 'stiparin-inhibitor,' has the highest negative charge densit
y of all the macromolecules extracted from the dermis. SDS-PAGE reveals thr
ee similar to 31-kDa bands that stain with alcian blue but not with Coomass
ie blue. Analytical ultracentrifugation indicates a native molecular weight
of 62 kDa. Transmission electron microscopy of rotary-shadowed molecules s
hows curved rods about 22 nm long. The glycoprotein does not bind collagen
fibrils, but does bind stiparin with a 1:1 stoichiometry. The binding of st
iparin-inhibitor to stiparin prevents the binding of stiparin to collagen f
ibrils. The carbohydrate moiety produced by papain-digestion of the glycopr
otein retains all of its inhibitory activity. The carbohydrate moiety of th
e inhibitor is dominated by galactose and sulfate. (C) 1999 Published by El
sevier Science B.V./International Society of Matrix Biology. All rights res
erved.