Rabbit palatal mucosa sialoglycoproteins: solubilization and biosynthesis in vitro

An extraction scheme is presented for rapidly and almost quantitatively solubilizing tissue sialoglycoproteins by selective means. Central to this approach is the use of protease-free bacterial collagenase for obtaining “collagen-associated” molecules from the extracellular matrix. Evidence is presented, based upon turnover rates during biosynthesis in vitro, that the extraction scheme is effective in solubilizing sialoglycoproteins from distinct “compartments” of the tissue. Of specific importance is the presence of connective tissue glycoproteins in the soluble compartment and the observation that the collagen-associated glycoproteins have the lowest turnover, befitting molecules of extracellular location.