Isolation, Characterization and Immunolocalization of a 53-kDal Dentin Sialoprotein (DSP)

We isolated a sialic-rich protein from rat dentin extracts and have named it dentin sialoprotein, DSP (formerly called 95K glycoprotein). DSP is rich in aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine and serine, but contains no cysteine or phosphate. The 30% carbohydrate content includes about 9% sialic acid and indicates that several N-glycosides and O-glycosides are present. Sedimentation equilibrium analysis gave a M_r of 52,570. Based on this molecular weight we calculated that DSP contains about 350-amino acids and 75 monosaccharides. With automated Edman degradation the sequence of the first 8-amino acids was shown to be: Ile-Pro-Val-Pro-Gln-Leu-ValPro. The initial 3 residues of this sequence are identical to the first 3 in human osteopontin (OPN) and are closely similar to the Leu-Pro-Val sequences of OPN from other species, as well as at the beginning of bone acidic glycoprotein-75 (BAG-75).

On Western immunoblots, purified polyclonal antibodies reacted only with DSP in dentin extracts and with none of the proteins from bone. Similarly, immunolocalization experiments showed the presence of DSP in dentin but not in enamel or alveolar bone. Along with immunohistochemical localization data reported elsewhere, these observations suggest that DSP may be an important marker for cells in the odontoblast lineage.