Isolation and purification of a small molecular weight hydroxyproline-containing structural glycopeptide from early mammalian granulation tissue.

A small molecular weight structural glycopeptide was solubilized after collagenase digestion of the connective tissue capsule surrounding the 5-day sponge-implant of the rat. The major amino acids are one residue each of aspartic and glutamic acids, proline, hydroxyproline and alanine and two residues of glycine, and the carbohydrates are one residue each of glucose, xylose and hexosamine and two residues of mannose. The sum of the amino acid and carbohydrate residues gives a molecular weight of 1635. Dansylation of the glycopeptide produces a single strongly fluorescent yellow-orange amino-terminal spot, not positively identified. The solubilization of the granuloma glycopeptide by collagenase and its composition are suggestive of its association with an immature form of collagen in early granulation tissue.