Isolation and immunological reactivity of soluble fractions from rat seminiferous tubule basement membrane.

A preparation rich in basement membranes isolated from rat testes (STBM) was exposed to pepsin, collagenase, trypsin, and pronase to obtain soluble fractions. The immunological reactivity of these fractions was studied by gel immunodiffusion or by passive hemagglutination tests against an anti-STBM serum. All fractions reacted with the antiserum, but the highest titer was detected when the antiserum was reacted with a fraction that contained only traces of hydroxyproline (fraction 1), whereas low titers were obtained with collagen or collagen fragments isolated from STBM. Antibodies in the anti-STBM serum were mainly directed to the glycoproteins of STBM not related to collagen. Fraction 1, obtained by subsequent collagenase and trypsin digestion of STBM and purification by Sephadex G-200, was a high molecular weight glycoprotein that was free of half-cystine and methionine, had only traces of hydroxyproline, and contained 7.2% neutral sugars, 0.26% sialic acid, and 8.7 residues of glucosamine per 1000 residues of amino acids.