Immunochemical Studies of Fragments of Bovine Nasal Cartilage Proteoglycan Subunit

Abstract

Cartilage proteoglycan subunit, which consists of a core protein with chondroitin sulfate and keratan sulfate side chains, contains an antigen common to many species. In order to better characterize this antigen, fragments of bovine nasal cartilage proteoglycan subunit were produced by proteolytic digestion of the core protein and these were separated into chondroit in sulfate and keratan sulfate-containing pept ides by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Immunochemical studies of these fragments indicate that proteoglycan subunit is not uniform in its structure and that its antigenicity is due to determinants in the core protein, particularly in those segments of the core protein near the attachment of keratan sulfate side chains.