Fibroblast-like" cells from the intimal pattern of chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate, layer of bovine aorta were grown in culture. The heparan sulfate and hyaluronate. The distribution formation, composition, molecular weight and pattern of the extracellular glycosaminoglycans turnover rate of different pools of glycosaminoresembles closely that found in bovine aorta, glycans were investigated in cultures incubated in A small subfraction of the pericellular pool -tenthe presence of [ 35 S]sulfate or [ 14 C]glucosamine. tatively named "undercellular" pool -has been The newly synthesized glycosaminoglycans are characterized by its high heparan sulfate content, distributed into an extracellular pool (37 -58%), The intracellular and pericellular [ 35 S]glycosa cell-membrane associated or pericellular pool aminoglycan pools reach a constant radioactivity (23 -33%), and an intracellular pool (19 -30%), after 8 -12 h and 24 h, respectively, whereas the each pool exhibiting a characteristic distribution extracellular [ 35 S]glycosaminoglycans are seAbbreviations: CS, chondroitin sulfate; DS, dermatan sulfate; HA, hyaluronate; HS, heparan sulfate; ADi-4-S, 3-ö-A 4 -glucuronosyWV-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate; ADi-6-S, 3-O-A 4 -glucuronosyl-7V-acetylgalactosamine 6-sulfate; ADi-0-S, 3-0-A 4 -glucuronosyl-A r -acetylgalactosamine; PPO = 2,5-diphenyloxazol; POPOP = l,4-bis-4-methyl--5-phenyl-2-oxazolyl benzol. Enzymes: Chondroitin ABC lyase (EC 4.2.2.4): elimination of ADi-4-S, ADi-6-S, ADi-O-S from polysaccharides containing 1,4-0-hexosaminyl and l,3-j3-D-glucuronosyl or l,3,a-L-iduronosyl linkages, thus bringing about depolymerization. Acts on chondroitin 4-sulfate, chondroitin 6-sulfate and dermatan sulfate and slowly on hyaluronate. Chondroitin AC lyase (EC 4.2.2.5): elimination of ADi-4-S, ADi-6-S, ADi-O-S from polysaccharides containing l,4-(3-hexosaminyl and l,3-|3-D-glucuronosyl linkages, thus bringing about depolymerization. Acts on chondroitin 4-sulfate and chondroitin 6-sulfate, but less well on hyaluronate. Trypsin(EC3.4.21.4) NomenclatureIn this paper glycosaminoglycans are defined as [ 35 S]sulfate-or [ 14 C]hexosamine-containing polysaccharides characterized by the NaCl molarity by which they are eluted from Dowex 1X2 as compared with authentic glycosaminoglycan preparations and by their susceptibility towards chondroitinases. A covalent linkage of glycosaminoglycans to a protein or polypeptide moiety is not excluded. The term proteoglycan is used for gly cosaminoglycan-containing macromolecules which are excluded from Sepharose 4B gel or are eluted from it with a volume distinctly smaller than that of glycosaminoglycans.