M protein is a major virulence determinant for the group A streptococcus by virtue of its ability to allow the organism to resist phagocytosis. Common in eucaryotes, the fibrillar coiled-coil design for the M molecule may prove to be a common motif for surface proteins in gram-positive organisms. This type of structure offers the organism several distinct advantages, ranging from antigenic variation to multiple functional domains. The close resemblance of this molecular design to that of certain mammalian proteins could help explain on a molecular level the formation of epitopes responsible for serological cross-reactions between microbial and mammalian proteins. Many of the approaches described in the elucidation of the M-protein structure may be applied for characterizing similar molecules in other microbial systems. Images

Streptococcal M protein: molecular design and biological behavior.

Amide modes and protein conformation.

Structure and biology of proteoglycans.

Lumican, a prototypic leucine-rich proteoglycan with keratan sulfate side chains, is a major component of the cornea, dermal, and muscle connective tissues. Mice homozygous for a null mutation in lumican display skin laxity and fragility resembling certain types of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. In addition, the mutant mice develop bilateral corneal opacification. The underlying connective tissue defect in the homozygous mutants is deregulated growth of collagen fibrils with a significant proportion of abnormally thick collagen fibrils in the skin and cornea as indicated by transmission electron microscopy. A highly organized and regularly spaced collagen fibril matrix typical of the normal cornea is also missing in these mutant mice. This study establishes a crucial role for lumican in the regulation of collagen assembly into fibrils in various connective tissues. Most importantly, these results provide a definitive link between a necessity for lumican in the development of a highly organized collagenous matrix and corneal transparency.

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Lumican Regulates Collagen Fibril Assembly: Skin Fragility and Corneal Opacity in the Absence of Lumican

Hyaluronan : preparation, structure, properties, and applications

Antibodies, found in human sera from patients with poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, against proteoglycans (PG) derived from bovine and human glomeruli were investigated. PG were isolated by 4 M guanidine-HCl extraction of whole glomeruli, followed by DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B ion exchange chromatography. The anionic fractions were further purified by chromatography on Sepharose CL-4B. Biochemical analysis of the two resulting peaks revealed the presence of high molecular weight anionic material containing protein, uronic acid, glucosamine, and galactosamine. Enzymatic and chemical susceptibilities indicated the presence of heparan sulfate PG and a galactosamine-containing PG. Immunologic studies revealed the presence of anti-PG antibodies to both PG peaks of the Sepharose CL-4B column in glomerulonephritis sera. Inhibition studies using an ELISA demonstrated that heparan sulfate was a major antigenic determinant. Cross-reactivity with both mammalian and streptococcal hyaluronate was noted. Inhibition studies also indicated the presence of a second antigenic site containing N-acetylgalactosamine, possibly representing chondroitin or dermatan sulfate PG.

https://rupress.org/jem/article-pdf/161/2/277/1393886/277.pdf

Sera from patients with poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis contain antibodies to glomerular heparan sulfate proteoglycan.

Macromolecules from normal rabbit cornea and cornea containing a 2-mm diameter button of scar tissue were biosynthetically labeled with 35S-sulfate and 3H-glucosamine in vivo and in organ culture. Labeled macromolecules, including proteoglycans (PGs) extracted from the normal cornea, scar tissue, and corneal tissue adjacent to the scar with guanidine hydrochloride were chromatographed on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B columns and eluted with increasing concentrations of NaCl. The elution pattern of corneal macromolecules synthesized in vitro was remarkably similar to that in vivo. In another experiment, corneas having 2-, 4-, and 8-week-old scars were labeled in organ culture and also extracted. Scars synthesized PGs with lower sulfation than those of adjacent corneal tissue. Although PG synthesis in scar decreased with wound age, the synthesis in adjacent cornea remained the same. In a third experiment, PGs extracted from pools of unlabeled 2- and 4-week-old scars, adjacent corneal tissue, and normal corneas were chromatographed on ion-exchange columns and analyzed chemically. The quantity of PGs in scar and adjacent cornea increased with healing time. The ratios of keratan sulfate PG to dermatan sulfate PG in normal cornea, scar, and adjacent cornea was 2.3, 0.6, and 1.5, respectively. The PGs from adjacent corneal tissue had a higher charge density than those from scar. The predominant adjacent-cornea dermatan sulfate PG had a higher charge density than that in normal cornea. The authors conclude that cornea adjacent to the healing wound synthesized PGs measurably different fro those in scar and normal cornea.

Biochemical analyses of proteoglycans in rabbit corneal scars.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) (4F2 and 7E12) were prepared against heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) isolated from bovine glomeruli. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and immunoblotting demonstrated that the mABs reacted with HSPG. Indirect immunofluorescence (IF) showed that the mAbs stained renal basement membranes (BMs) and BMs in other organs of normal bovine and human tissues in patterns typical of HSPG. Immunoinhibition studies, and immunoblotting of heparan lyase digested HSPG, indicated that the mAbs recognize HSPG core protein.In kidney biopsies from patients with acute poststreptococcal GN, intact linear glomerular BM (GBM) staining for HSPG was noted despite markedly widened capillary loops. In membranous and in diffuse proliferative lupus GN, loss of HSPG staining was demonstrated at sites of immunodeposition of IgG or C3, while increased staining for HSPG was noted in areas of newly formed GBM. Extensive loss of HSPG was seen in areas of glomerular sclerosis and necrosis. In biopsie...

Monoclonal antibodies to heparan sulfate proteoglycan: development and application to the study of normal tissue and pathologic human kidney biopsies.

Examination of corneal proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans by rotary shadowing and electron microscopy.

Hybrldomas were developed that secreted monoclonal antibodies against two proteokeratan sulfates (PKS) from rabbit corneal stroma. A total of 28 antibodies were isolated, all of the IgG type with k light chains. All were found to react with both PKSs. As judged by immunohistochemical staining, none of them reacted with scleral or eonjunctival components, nor with sections of skin, but all reacted with nasal cartilage. When tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, against components of the proteoglycans, all of the antibodies reacted with keratan sulfate-peptide (isolated from papain digests of PKS or of cartilage proteoglycan), and all but two reacted with oligosaccharide-containing protein cores (prepared by keratanase treatment of PKS). Reactivity with cores was probably due to residual portions of the keratan sulfate chains since the endogenous oligosaccharide-peptides (non-sulfated, non-keratan sulfate oligosaccharides isolated after papain digestion of PKS) were not active. None of the antibodie...

Shridhar P. Damle

Papers

Sera from patients with poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis contain antibodies to glomerular heparan sulfate proteoglycan.

Biochemical analyses of proteoglycans in rabbit corneal scars.

Monoclonal antibodies to heparan sulfate proteoglycan: development and application to the study of normal tissue and pathologic human kidney biopsies.

Examination of corneal proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans by rotary shadowing and electron microscopy.

Monoclonal antibodies to proteokeratan sulfate of rabbit corneal stroma.