On the self-affinity of heparan sulfates from quiescent or proliferating normal 3T3 cells and from SV40-transformed cells.

35S-Labelled heparan sulfates derived from the culture medium (extracellular), a trypsinate of the cells (pericellular) and the cell residue (intracellular) of quiescent normal, proliferating normal or SV40-transformed 3T3 cells were analyzed for charge heterogeneity, by ion exchange chromatography and for self-affinity, by chromatography on heparan sulfate-agarose gels. Quiescent normal cells retained most of their heparan sulphate intra- or pericellularly. The surface-exposed material was charge heterogeneous and had a strong affinity for heparan sulfate. In cultures of growing cells and transformed cells most of the heparan sulfate was found in the medium. The heparan sulfate retained on the surface or growing cells had a lower self-affinity than did the corresponding material from normal and transformed cells. Although cell surface heparan sulfates from transformed cells showed affinity for a matrix substituted with the total heparan sulfate pool, the affinity for one particular subtype was much less pronounced or non-existent.