Table 1. N-terminal amino acid sequence residues of bovine versican and aggrecan peptides derived from fresh ligament tissue and culture medium.

Deglycosylated core protein peptides from ligament explant cultures were resolved on 4–15% gradient polyacrylamide/SDS gels and electro-eluted on to PVDF sequencing membranes. The bands were cut out and subjected to N-terminal amino acid sequencing. The approx. M_r values of peptides with the corresponding yield of the first amino acid in the peptide sequence respectively are shown. ‘X’ in the amino acid sequences represents an unidentified amino acid residue.

Fresh tissue matrix peptides			Culture medium peptides
Approx. Mr (×10−3)	Residues	Yield (pmol)	Approx. Mr (×10−3)	Residues	Yield (pmol)	Origin of peptide sequence
300	LQKVNMEK	14	>300	XQXVNMEK	6	L1QKVNMEK*
250	LQKVNMEK	2	70	XQKXNME	2
220	LQKVNMEK	2
200	XQKVNMEK	2
170	LQKVNMEK	2
140	LQKVNME	2	250	ARGSVIL	20	A374RGSVIL†
			220	ARGSVIL	8
			220	XEVSEXD	2	V1EVSEPD†
			70	VEVSEPDN	19
			170	GRGTIDI	3	G1481RGTIDI†
			140	AGEGPSGI	18	A1772GEGPSGI†
			80	GQRPPVXY	15	G1873RPPVTY†
			35	ARLEIES	13	A2048RLEIES†

* Peptide sequences are based on the primary sequence of bovine versican V₀ variant [34].

† Peptide sequences are based on the primary sequence of bovine aggrecan [35].