FIG. 4.

Highly processed aggrecan accumulates in TGF-β1-stimulated chondrocyte-agarose tissue constructs. Blots are of extracts of freshly-prepared constructs (Day 0) and constructs cultured for 16 days with or without TGF-β1. Aggrecan fragments bearing the G1, G2, and G3 domains or the NITEGE or GVA neoepitopes were examined. Extracts were also probed for the small proteoglycan, decorin. Numbers to the left of each blot indicate the migration of molecular weight markers (in kDa). Equal volumes of extracts pooled from 6 constructs were loaded in each lane.