Antibodies to the heparan sulfate proteoglycans synthesized by endothelial cell cultures.

We have determined, using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, that endothelial cell cultures derived from rabbit aorta synthesize a wide spectrum of heparan sulfate proteoglycans. The electrophoretically slower-moving heparan sulfate proteoglycans have been isolated from the endothelial cell culture medium. Antibodies to these proteoglycan species have been raised in the goat. The goat antiserum binds selectively the heparan sulfate proteoglycans that were used for the immunization and does not cross-react with the other (faster moving) species. Only a moderate level of cross-reactivity was observed with the heparan sulfate proteoglycans synthesized by another cell line (presumably smooth muscle cells) of vascular derivation. These results support the suggestion that structural differences in the heparan sulfate proteoglycans are responsible for certain differences in function between the various cell types of the vessel wall.