However, such residues were scarce in cell surface glypican-1. Brefeldin A-arrested glypican-1, which was non-S-nitrosylated and carried side chains rich in Nunsubstituted glucosamines, colocalized extensively with caveolin-1 but not with Rab9. Suramin, which inhibits heparanase, induced the appearance of Snitrosylated glypican-1 in caveolin-1-rich compartments. Inhibition of deaminative cleavage did not prevent heparanase from generating heparan sulfate oligosaccharides that colocalized strongly with caveolin-1. Growthquiescent cells displayed extensive NO-dependent deaminative cleavage of heparan sulfate-generating anhydromannose-terminating fragments that were partly associated with acidic vesicles. Proliferating cells generated such fragments during polyamine uptake. We conclude that recycling glypican-1 that is associated with caveolin-1-containing endosomes undergoes sequential N-desulfation/N-deacetylation, heparanase cleavage, S-nitrosylation, NO release, and deaminative cleavage of its side chains in conjunction with polyamine uptake.Mammalian glypican-1 (Gpc-1) 1 is a member of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked cell-surface proteoglycan (PG) family with six known members to date. These PG, like other cell surface PG, are selective regulators of ligand-receptor encounters and thereby control growth and development (1-4). Gpc proteins are post-translationally modified by the addition of the glycosaminoglycan heparan sulfate (HS) at sites located close to the C-terminal GPI-membrane anchor (see Scheme 1). The central part of the protein consists of a cysteine-rich domain containing information that ensures a high level of HS substitution (5). Many of the functions of Gpc are dependent on the HS side chains, which are capable of binding and/or activating and/or transporting a variety of growth factors, cytokines, enzymes, viral proteins, and polyamines (6 -11).GPI-anchored proteins are usually associated with sphingolipid-and cholesterol-rich plasma membrane domains. Such enriched domains may exist either as small phase-separated "rafts" or, when associated with caveolin-1 (Cav-1), form flaskshaped plasmalemmal invaginations called caveolae, which are involved in signal transduction and special forms of non-clathrindependent endocytosis mediated by Cav-1-containing endosomes, also called caveosomes (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17).Biochemical studies using radioactively labeled precursors have demonstrated recycling of newly made Gpc-1 in normal fibroblasts as well as in transformed cells (18,19). During recycling, the HS side chains are degraded both by heparanase and by NO-dependent deaminative cleavage at N-unsubstituted glucosamine residues (GlcNH 3 ϩ ) (20). New HS chains can then be synthesized on the stubs remaining on the core protein (see Scheme 1). Biosynthesis of HS takes place in the Golgi and involves many interacting enzymes (21,22). The stubs should first be extended with a GlcNAc-hexuronic acid (HexUA) repeat backbone. The GlcNH 3 ϩ residues are either a result of inadequate sulfation dur...