The composition and heterogeneity of human intervertebral disc proteoglycans from different aged individuals were investigated. (1) The glycosaminoglycan content in the nucleus pulposus was greater than that in the annulus fibrosus at all ages. Glycosaminoglycan content increased from the infant to the young adult, and then decreased from the young to the mature adult. (2) Disc contained a higher content of hyaluronate than articular cartilage at all ages. (3) Proteolytically modified LP3 was predominant in the disc. (4) Very low link protein concentrations were observed in adult disc proteoglycan preparations and adult disc extracts analysed by SDS/PAGE and immunoblotting suggesting a deficiency in link protein content. In contrast, radioimmunoassay of disc extracts suggests no deficiency in link protein content. (5) The existence of extremely fragmented link protein in adult disc is postulated to reconcile the results of the two analytic methods. (6) Non-proteoglycan forms of biglycan and decorin are present in the disc. The difference between the two non-proteoglycan forms of biglycan appears to be due to different N-linked oligosaccharide substitution rather than proteolysis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.68204 |
| Date | January 1993 |
| Creators | Liu, Jane J. |
| Contributors | Mort, J. S. (advisor), Roughley, P. J. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Division of Surgical Research.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001397496, proquestno: AAIMM94462, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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