354
J. T . D I N G L E A N D M . W E B B
these techniques provide a valuable approach to a number of problems.
These include the identification of cell types associated with the synthesis and degradation of mucopolysaccharides, the cellular location
of the synthesis, and the relationship of these processes to (1) the environment, (2) other biosynthetic processes and cellular activities,
(3) symbiosis, cell aggregation and differentiation, (4) the direct action
of hormones, vitamins and enzymes on target tissues, and (5) calcification.
The study of these aspects of mucopolysaccharide metabolism,
however, requires the initial knowledge of the nature and contents
of the mucopolysaccharides present in the explanted tissues and organs.
Unfortunately, at the present time this is not always available, since
so much of Tissue Culture is done with embryonic material, whilst
most chemical studies have been made with adult tissues. It has been
claimed that both molecular weight (Hvedberg and Jensen, 1959) and
metabolism (Davidson, Small, Perchemlides and Baxley, 1961) of
mucopolysaccharides from animal skin and connective tissue are agedependent. In this review the classification of mucopolysaccharides
and their chemical structure and distribution are first considered and
then more recent studies on the isolation and fractionation of mucopolysaccharides, particularly by methods that have been adapted, or
seem capable of adaptation to Tissue Culture, are briefly reviewed.
Although this survey is primarily concerned with mucopolysaccharide
metabolism in Tissue Culture, it has not been possible to restrict the
subject matter solely to this topic since the latter is so dependent upon
knowledge gained from other systems.
I I . A N A L Y T I C A L A N D T E C H N I C A L M E T H O D S
A. C L A S S I F I C A T I O N OF M U C O P O L Y S A C C H A R I D E S
It is apparent that the terms mucopolysaccharide, mucoprotein,
mucin and glycoprotein are used frequently without precise definition
or meaning. Moreover, despite attempts by several authorities to
introduce systems of classification (Stacey, 1946; Masume, 1949;
Meyer, 1953; Winzler, 1955; Pigman and Piatt, 1957; BettelheimJevons, 1958), there is still, as stressed by Morgan (1961) in the introductory remarks to a recent symposium, no generally accepted terminology in this field. For the purposes of this review the term mucopolysaccharide (MPS) is used to denote a hexosamine-containing
heteropolysaccharide, free from amino acid and protein, the prefix
" m u c o " being descriptive of its origin, whilst the terms mucopeptide
J. T . D I N G L E A N D M . W E B B
these techniques provide a valuable approach to a number of problems.
These include the identification of cell types associated with the synthesis and degradation of mucopolysaccharides, the cellular location
of the synthesis, and the relationship of these processes to (1) the environment, (2) other biosynthetic processes and cellular activities,
(3) symbiosis, cell aggregation and differentiation, (4) the direct action
of hormones, vitamins and enzymes on target tissues, and (5) calcification.
The study of these aspects of mucopolysaccharide metabolism,
however, requires the initial knowledge of the nature and contents
of the mucopolysaccharides present in the explanted tissues and organs.
Unfortunately, at the present time this is not always available, since
so much of Tissue Culture is done with embryonic material, whilst
most chemical studies have been made with adult tissues. It has been
claimed that both molecular weight (Hvedberg and Jensen, 1959) and
metabolism (Davidson, Small, Perchemlides and Baxley, 1961) of
mucopolysaccharides from animal skin and connective tissue are agedependent. In this review the classification of mucopolysaccharides
and their chemical structure and distribution are first considered and
then more recent studies on the isolation and fractionation of mucopolysaccharides, particularly by methods that have been adapted, or
seem capable of adaptation to Tissue Culture, are briefly reviewed.
Although this survey is primarily concerned with mucopolysaccharide
metabolism in Tissue Culture, it has not been possible to restrict the
subject matter solely to this topic since the latter is so dependent upon
knowledge gained from other systems.
I I . A N A L Y T I C A L A N D T E C H N I C A L M E T H O D S
A. C L A S S I F I C A T I O N OF M U C O P O L Y S A C C H A R I D E S
It is apparent that the terms mucopolysaccharide, mucoprotein,
mucin and glycoprotein are used frequently without precise definition
or meaning. Moreover, despite attempts by several authorities to
introduce systems of classification (Stacey, 1946; Masume, 1949;
Meyer, 1953; Winzler, 1955; Pigman and Piatt, 1957; BettelheimJevons, 1958), there is still, as stressed by Morgan (1961) in the introductory remarks to a recent symposium, no generally accepted terminology in this field. For the purposes of this review the term mucopolysaccharide (MPS) is used to denote a hexosamine-containing
heteropolysaccharide, free from amino acid and protein, the prefix
" m u c o " being descriptive of its origin, whilst the terms mucopeptide