Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan and heparan sulfate proteoglycan production by cultured pigeon peritoneal macrophages

Proteoglycan production was examined in cultures of thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages obtained from White Carneau and Show Racer pigeons. Following a 24-h incubation in the presence of [35S]sulfate and [3H]serine, total production and distribution of 35S-labeled proteoglycan into media (60-65%), pericellular (21-27%), and intracellular (13-14%) compartments was similar in White Carneau and Show Racer macrophage cultures. Media proteoglycans consisted of high-molecular-weight chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, low-molecular-weight chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, and heparan sulfate proteoglycan. High-molecular-weight chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan was predominantly 6-sulfated (80%) and contained a core protein larger than 200 kd, whereas low-molecular-weight chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan was 4-sulfated and contained a 28-kd core protein. Pericellular proteoglycan was similar in size to low-molecular-weight proteoglycan and consisted of a predominantly 6-sulfated (75%) chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan and heparan sulfate proteoglycan. Intracellular 35S-labeled chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate were smaller than media and pericellular proteoglycans, suggestive of intracellular degradative processing.