The mammalian chitinase-like lectin, YKL-40, binds specifically to type I collagen and modulates the rate of type I collagen fibril formation.

YKL-40 is expressed in arthritic cartilage and produced in large amounts by cultured chondrocytes, but its exact role is unclear, and the identities of its physiological ligands remain unknown. Purification of YKL-40 from resorbing bovine nasal cartilage and chondrocyte monolayers demonstrated the existence of three isoforms, a major and minor form from resorbing cartilage and a third species from chondrocytes. Affinity chromatography experiments with purified YKL-40 demonstrated specific binding of all three forms to collagen types I, II, and III, thus identifying collagens as potential YKL-40 ligands. Binding to immobilized type I collagen was inhibited by soluble native ligand, but not heat-denatured ligand, confirming a specific interaction. Binding of the chondrocyte-derived species to type I collagen was also demonstrated by surface plasmon resonance analysis, and the dissociation rate constant was calculated (3.42 x 10(-3) to 4.50 x 10(-3) s(-1)). The chondrocyte-derived species was found to prevent collagenolytic cleavage of type I collagen and to stimulate the rate of type I collagen fibril formation in a concentration-dependent manner. By contrast, the cartilage major form had an inhibitory effect on type I collagen fibrillogenesis. Digestion with N-glycosidase F, endoglycosidase H and lectin blotting did not reveal any difference in the carbohydrate component of these two YKL-40 species, indicating that this does not account for the opposing effects on fibril formation rate.