The purpose of the project is to study the chemical and physical properties and biosynthesis of proteoglycans in a number of tissue and cell systems. Topics of present interest include: 1) Protein chemistry and immunology of the core protein of proteoglycans from the Swarm rat chondrosarcoma; 2) Biosynthesis of core protein precursors and processing to mature proteoglycans; 3) Effects of bacterial endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides), interleukin-l and growth factors (insulin-like growth factors and transforming growth factor beta) on the regulation of proteoglycan metabolism in organ cultures of bovine articular cartilages; 4) The regulation of hyaluronic acid synthesis and catabolism in organ cultures of bovine articular cartilage; 5) sulfate-proteoglycan and dermatan sulfate-proteoglycan in chick, cat, and human cornea.
