The effect of a strongly-interacting macromolecular probe on the swelling and exclusion properties of loose connective tissue.

Poly(L-lysine), a cationic polypeptide known to undergo specific interactions with acid mucopolysaccharides, is used as a macromolecular probe in an investigation into the structure of loose connective tissue. The polypeptide apparently binds, via an electrostatic mechanism, to the mucopolysaccharide component of the tissue, leading to a reduction in the swelling of the tissue. The polypeptide does not, however, have a deswelling effect on the tissue; the ultimate reduction in swelling is influenced by the absolute amount of polybase which enters the tissue during the swelling process. Dextran 2000 is found to have a dwelling effect on the tissue which is independent of the action of the polypeptide; this is suggestive of a large degree of independence between the collagen network and the mucopolysaccharide-containing matrix. The polypeptide, moreover, causes a reduction in the excluded volume of the tissue.