title: Synthesis of a fluorogenic mucopolysaccharide by chondrocytes in cell culture with 4-methylumbelliferyl beta-D-xyloside.
abstract: Culture of chondrocytes in the presence of 4-methylumbelliferyl beta-D-xyloside resulted in a synthesis of protein-free, fluorogenic chondroitin sulfate which was heterogeneous on DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Degradation of the major chromatographic fraction with chondroitinase-ABC yielded, in addition to a large quantity of delta4-glucuronic acid-containing disaccharides, two fluorogenic oligosaccharides of different size. Quantitative analysis showed that delta4-glucuronic acid, galactose, xylose, and 4-methylumbelliferone were present in the small oligosaccharide fragment in a molar ratio of 1:2:1:1. Since these analytical data are analogous to those reported for glycopeptides derivedfrom proteochondroitin sulfates, it may be suggested that 4-methyl-umbelliferyl beta-D-xyloside replaces the need for xylosyl protein core in the normal synthesis of proteochondroitin sulfate with a resultant production of the unusual polysaccharide bearing the added xyloside at the reducing end.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002807:Chondroitin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D002999:Clone Cells; D003374:Coumarins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005453:Fluorescence; D006027:Glycosides / Q000378:metabolism*; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D011133:Polysaccharide-Lyases / Q000378:metabolism; D013249:Sternum / Q000196:embryology; D013464:Sulfuric Acids; D014994:Xylose / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003374:Coumarins; D006027:Glycosides; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D013464:Sulfuric Acids; D002807:Chondroitin; D014994:Xylose; D011133:Polysaccharide-Lyases