INTERACTION OF INTACT TYPE-VI COLLAGEN WITH HYALURONAN

The capacity of non-pepsinyzed type VI collagen to bind to hyaluronan wa investigated. Type VI collagen was extracted from bovine meniscal cartilage with 6 M GuHCl and purified by extraction of PEG precipitates and dissociative Sephacryl S-500 HR chromatography. Type VI collagen, detected with a monoclonal antibody, bound in 0.5 M NaCl to hyaluronan-coated micro-wells, the degree of binding being higher at 37-degrees-C than 23-degrees-C and 4-degrees-C. Incubation of type VI collagen in competitive inhibition assays with testicular hyaluronidase digests of hyaluronan in liquid phase, reduced binding of the protein to hyaluronan-coated microwells to background levels. Thus, non-pepsinyzed type VI collagen binds to hyaluronan in vitro.