Extracellular matrix synthesis in blastula and gastrula stages of normal and hybrid frog embryos. III. Characterization of galactose- and glucosamine-labelled materials.

Normal Rana pipiens gastrulae show more incorporation of isotopically-labelled galactose and glucosamine into TCA-insoluble materials than blastulae. Interspecific hybrid embryos which undergo developmental arrest at the onset of gastrulation often synthesize reduced amounts of galactose- and glucosamine-labelled materials. These materials are high-molecular weight, but not collagen. After pronase digestion, labelled materials elute in the void volume of Sephadex G-50. Labelled materials migrate slowly on cellulose acetate, bind to several kinds of anion exchangers and elute at low ionic strength, are precipitated by cetyl pyridinium chloride (CPC) when mixed with carrier compounds, and are not degraded by Clostridium neuraminidase or Streptomyces, leech, and bovine testicular hyaluronidases.