Glycosaminoglycans were isolated from purified fractions of glomerular basement membranes and partially characterized by chemical analysis and cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Basement membranes were prepared by detergent treatment of rat glomeruli and subjected to digestion with papain and Pronase. Glycosaminoglycans were isolated from the digests by precipitation with cetyl pyridinium chloride and ethanol. Results of cellulose acetate electrophoresis of the isolated glycosaminoglycan fraction revealed the presence of one major and one minor spot. The major spot was identified as heparan sulfate because it comigrated with the heparan sulfate standard and was sensitive to heparinase and to nitrous acid oxidation but insensitive to chondroitinase ABC and to testicular or leech hyaluronidase. The minor spot was tentatively identified as hyaluronic acid based on its migratory behavior and sensitivity to leech and testicular hyaluronidase. The chemical composition of the isolated glycosaminoglycan was typical of that of heparan sulfate (high carbazole/orcinol ratio, high sulfate content, absence of galactosamine). The data support and confirm the cytochemical data obtained previously [Kanwar, Y. S. & Farquhar, M. G. (1979) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 76, 1303-1307] demonstrating that heparan sulfate is the only sulfated glycosaminoglycan detectable in the glomerular basement membrane. The present results suggest that in addition to sulfated glycosaminoglycan some nonsulfated glycosaminoglycan (hyaluronic acid) may also be present in the glomerular basement membrane.