# BIOCHEMISTRY OF BONE AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE

> **NIH NIH R01** · RUSH UNIVERSITY · 1987 · $146,387

## Abstract

The objectives of the project remains the study of the physiologic role of
cartilage lysozyme.  Our recent findings indicate that a certain pool of
cartilage lysozyme is selectively associated with hyaluronic acid forming a
complex of such a nature that it cannot be broken by dissociative solvents such
as 4 M guanidinium hydrochloride in cesium chloride density gradients.  It is,
therefore, postulated that lysozyme can occupy certain proteoglycan-binding
sites on the hyaluronic acid molecule thereby regulating the size and/or degree
of aggregation of the proteoglycan-aggregates.  Furthermore, emphasis will be
directed toward a detailed study of this hyaluronic acid-lysozyme complex by
applying selective degradation of hyaluronic acid by Streptomyces derived
hyaluronidase.  In addition, we were able to show that the "blockage" of freshly
sythesized lysozyme with either anti-lysozyme antibodies or soluble chitin
oligomers inhibited the biosynthesis of matrix components such as proteoglycans.
 These data will be substantiated to show that lysozyme plays and essential role
in cartilage extracellular matrix biosynthesis and organization.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3154679
- **Project number:** 5R01AR009132-22
- **Recipient organization:** RUSH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** KLAUS E KUETTNER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $146,387
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1976-12-01 → 1988-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3154679

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3154679, BIOCHEMISTRY OF BONE AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE (5R01AR009132-22). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3154679. Licensed CC0.

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