Sulfated proteoglycans and sulfated proteins in guinea pig megakaryocytes and platelets in vivo. Relevance to megakaryocyte maturation and platelet activation.

This study has examined changes in proteoglycan synthesis during megakaryocyte maturation in vivo. Guinea pigs were injected with Na235SO4, and megakaryocytes and platelets were isolated from 3 h to 5 days later. The proteoglycans and other sulfated molecules in both cells were characterized at each time point by gel filtration, ion-exchange chromatography, gel electrophoresis, and chemical and enzymatic digestions. Two populations of chondroitin 6-sulfate proteoglycans were found by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography. The major fraction was eluted with 4 M guanidine hydrochloride and the minor fraction with 4 M guanidine HCl, 2% Triton X-100. The Kav of the major proteoglycan peak in the platelets at 1 day after injection was 0.18-0.20 on Sepharose CL-6B and decreased gradually to 0.12 by 3 days, when proteoglycan radioactivity per cell was maximal. The peak for megakaryocyte proteoglycans at 3 h was broad, with Kav = 0.1-0.2. The appearance of different portions of the proteoglycan peak in platelets coincided with their disappearance from megakaryocytes. Proteoglycan size was a function of glycosaminoglycan chain length. The proteoglycans eluted with Triton X-100 from DEAE-Sephacel (Kav = 0.04-0.07 on Sepharose CL-6B) were not labeled in platelets until 2 days after injection. Our data suggest that megakaryocytes synthesize different-sized chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans at different stages of development. The proteoglycans of the major fraction were released from platelets in response to thrombin, and a small amount was released by ADP. The proteoglycans of the Triton X-100 eluate were not released by thrombin or ADP. About 20% of the sulfate radioactivity was incorporated into molecules that appear to be sulfated proteins and were not released by thrombin or ADP.