Sulfation of fucoidan in Fucus embryos. I. Possible role in localization

Zygotes of the brown alga Fucus distichus L. Powell divide into two cells which are structurally and biochemically different from each other. Cytochemical staining and autoradiography indicate that a sulfated polysaccharide is localized in only one of the two cells. Up to 10 hr after fertilization, no localization of sulfated polysaccharides is detectable in zygotes, and little ³⁵S (Na₂³⁵SO₄) is incorporated into an acid-soluble carbohydrate fraction. Between 10 and 16 hr, during rhizoid initiation and several hours before the first cell division, there is a large increase in the amount of ³⁵S incorporated into this fraction. The label is found associated with the sulfated fucose polymer fucoidan. Various extraction techniques and labeling experiments demonstrate that fucoidan is unsulfated at fertilization and undergoes little metabolic activity or turnover during the first 24 hr. Thus, the incorporation of sulfate into this carbohydrate fraction appears to involve a sulfation of a preexisting, unsulfated fucan polymer. The degree of sulfation achieved at this time in vivo is sufficient for migration of fucoidan through an electric field in agarose or acrylamide gels. The possible role of sulfation as a mechanism for the localization of fucoidan in the rhizoid cell by means of an intracellular electrical gradient is discussed.     

Effect of Enzyme Preparation from the Marine Mollusk Littorina kurila on Fucoidan from the Brown Alga Fucus distichus

A fucoidanase preparation from the marine mollusk Littorina kurila cleaved some glycosidic bonds in fucoidan from the brown alga Fucus distichus, but neither fucose nor lower oligosaccharides were produced. The main product isolated from the incubation mixture was a polysaccharide built up of disaccharide repeating units -->3)-alpha-L-Fucp-(2,4-di-SO3(-))-(1-->4)-alpha-L-Fucp-(2SO3(-))-(1-->, the structure coinciding with the idealized formula proposed for the initial substance. A polymer fraction with the same carbohydrate chain but sulfated only at positions 2 and nonstoichiometrically acetylated at positions 3 and 4 of fucose residues was isolated as a minor component. It is suggested that the native polysaccharide should contain small amounts of non-sulfated and non-acetylated fucose residues, and only their glycosidic bonds are cleaved by the enzyme. The enzymatic hydrolysis showed that irregular regions of the native polysaccharide containing acetylated and partially sulfated repeating units were assembled in blocks.     

Occurrence of a unique fucose-branched chondroitin sulfate in the body wall of a sea cucumber

The sulfated polysaccharides in the body wall of the sea cucumber occur as three fractions that differ markedly in molecular mass and chemical composition. The fraction containing a high molecular mass component has a high proportion of fucose and small amounts of galactose and amino sugars, whereas another fraction contains primarily a sulfated fucan. The third fraction (F-2), which represents the major portion of the sea cucumber-sulfated polysaccharides, contains approximately equimolar quantities of glucuronic acid, N-acetyl galactosamine, and fucose, and has a sulfate content higher than that in the other two fractions. The structure of fraction F-2 was examined in detail. This polysaccharide has an unusual structure composed of a chondroitin sulfate-like core, containing side chain disaccharide units of sulfated fucopyranosyl linked to approximately half of the glucuronic acid moieties through the O-3 position of the acid. These unusual fucose branches obstruct the access of chondroitinases to the chondroitin sulfate core of F-2. However, after partial acid hydrolysis, which removes the sulfated fucose residues from the polymer, fraction F-2 is degraded by chondroitinases into 6-sulfated and nonsulfated disaccharides.     

Sulfation of fucoidin in focus embryos: III. Required for localization in the rhizoid wall

Zygotes of the brown alga Fucus distichus L. Powell accumulate a sulfated polysaccharide (fucoidin) in the cell wall at the site of rhizoid formation. Previous work indicated that zygotes grown in seawater minus sulfate do not sulfate the preformed fucan (an unsulfated fucoidin) but form rhizoids. Under these conditions, we determined whether sulfation of the fucan is required for its localization in the rhizoid wall. This was accomplished by developing a specific stain for both the fucan and fucoidin. Using a precipitin assay, we demonstrated in vitro that the lectin ricin (RCA(I)) specifically complexes with both the sulfated and desulfated polysaccharide. No precipitate is observed when either is incubated in 0.1 M D-galactose or when RCA(I) is mixed with laminarin or alginic acid, the other major polysaccharides in Fucus. RCA(I) conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) is also shown to bind specifically to fucoidin using a filter paper (DE81) assay. When added to zygotes, RCA(I)-FITC binds only to the site of fucoidin localization, i.e., the rhizoid cell wall. However, RCA(I)-FITC is not observed in the rhizoid wall of zygotes grown in the absence of sulfate. This observation is not due to inability of RCA(I)-FITC to bind to the fucan in vivo. Chemically desulfated cell walls that contained fucoidin in the rhizoid wall bind RCA(I)-FITC only in the rhizoid region. Also, the concentration of fucose-containing polymers and polysaccharides that form precipitates with RCA(I) is the same in embryos grown in the presence or absence of sulfate. If sulfate is added back to cultures of zygotes grown without sulfate, fucoidin is detected at the rhizoid tip by RCA(I)-FITC several hours later. These results support the conclusion that the enzymatic sulfation of the fucan is a modification of the polysaccharide required for its localization and/or assembly into a specific region of the cell wall.     

Estrogen-dependent and progesterone-arrested synthesis and secretion of sulfated glycoproteins in luminal epithelia of rat uteri.

1. 35SO4 administered intraperitoneally was specifically incorporated into a glycopeptide component separated by electrophoresis of the glycosaminoglycan fraction prepared from the uterine epithelia (luminal), as well as the uterine fluid of ovariectomized rats treated with estradiol-17 beta, in contrast to the rats without estrogen treatment. 2. The epithelial cells of uteri isolated from estrogen-treated ovariectomized rats incorporated 35SO4 in vitro into at least two macromolecular components. The larger molecular weight component (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacryl-amide gel electrophoresis and/or gel filtration) labelled with 35S was observed in both the cytosol and particulate fractions, whereas the smaller molecular weight component labelled with 35S was found only in the particulate fraction. 35SO4 was also incorporated into two macromolecular components in the incubation medium, similarly to the particulate fraction. A 35 SO4-labelled glycopeptide similar to that from the epithelial particulate fraction and the incubation medium, and not from the epithelial cytosol fraction. 3. Progesterone, in contrast to estrogen, did not stimulate the sulfated blycoprotein synthesis. Moreover, progesterone administered together with or after estrogen-administration completely arrested the estrogen-dependent synthesis and secretion of the sulfated glycoproteins in the uterine epithelia.     

Study of antioxidant activities of sulfated polysaccharides from Laminaria japonica

The composition, molecular weight and in vitro antioxidant activity of various sulfated polysaccharides obtained by anion exchange chromatography, acid hydrolysis and radical process degradation of the crude sulfated polysaccharide extracted from Laminaria japonica were compared. The low sulfated F-A2, with a peak-molecular weight (Mp) of 5–15 kDa, 14.5% sulfated ester and 21.8% glucuronic acid, exhibited a very strong antioxidant activity on superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, with activity even higher than that of large molecular weight fractions F-A and F-B. However, highly sulfated fractions with a peak-molecular weight below 15 kDa had much lower antioxidant activities than other fractions. These results indicated that the sulfate group of the low molecular weight fractions represents a physical block for the reaction with oxygen radicals. The chemical properties and antioxidant activities of sulfated polysaccharide fractions obtained by radical process degradation of crude sulfated polysaccharide were quite different from those obtained by acid hydrolysates. By radical process degradation, the high molecular weight was decreased to give LM2 (Mp 8 kDa) and LM1 (Mp 1.5 kDa), with a yield of 40% and 15%, respectively. LM2 was enriched with fucose and sulfated ester, while containing low amounts of glucuronic acid. The antioxidant activity showed that LM2 was unable to scavenge either superoxide or hydroxyl radical, which suggested that radical process degradation targeted mainly ascopyllan-like species rich in glucuronic acid, while the fraction rich in sulfated l-fucose remained unchanged. However, LM1 with Mp 1.5 kDa still retained apparent scavenging ability for superoxide radical, although it contained no glucuronic acid and certain amounts of galactose and mannose as main neutral sugars. These result suggest that the antioxidant activity of sulfated polysaccharides is apparently related not only to molecular weight and sulfated ester content, as previously determined, but also to glucuronic acid and fucose content.     

STRUCTURE OF EXTRACELLULAR POLYSACCHARIDES PRODUCED BY A SOIL CRYPTOMONAS SP. (CRYPTOPHYCEAE)1

The Hindak strain of a Cryptomonas species (Cryptophyceae) produces extracellular polysaccharides. Because there is no information on the structure of these compounds in the Cryptophyceae we conducted structural studies. Gas–liquid chromatographic analyses showed that the polysaccharide is composed of fucose, rhamnose, xylose, mannose, glucose, galactose, galacturonic acid, glucuronic acid, and traces of 3-O-methyl galactose. The polysaccharide was separated into two subtractions by ion-exchange chromatography. Fraction A consisted mainly of 1,3-linked galactose units and 1,4-linked galacturonic acid. Unlike fraction B, fraction A did not have xylose, 3-O-methyl galactose, or glucuronic acid. Also, its degree of branching was low compared to that of fraction B. Only traces of sulfate were present infraction A, but fraction B was 10–15% sulfated. Protein was approximately 1% in both fractions. These polysaccharides appear to be a novel type of polymer in algae.     

Complex Compartmentation of Tyrosine Sulfate-Containing Proteins Undergoing Fast Axonal Transport

The compartmentation of fast-transported proteins that possess sulfated tyrosine residues--sulfoproteins--has been examined for further resolution of the possible significance of sulfated tyrosine in routing and delivery of fast-transported proteins. In vitro fast axonal transport of [35S]methionine- or 35SO4-labeled proteins was measured in dorsal root ganglion neurons for analysis of protein compartmentation en route and in synaptic regions. When membrane fractions were exposed to Na2CO3 for separation of "lumenal" and peripheral membrane proteins from integral components of the membrane, approximately 20% of the [35S]methionine incorporated into fast-transported proteins was present in a carbonate-releasable form in the axon, whereas 53% of the incorporated 35SO4 was released by carbonate. Eighty percent of the 35SO4 in this releasable fraction was acid labile, typical of sulfate ester-linked to tyrosine. Sulfoproteins were also detected in synaptosomes and were released into the extracellular medium in a calcium-dependent fashion, an observation suggesting that fast-transported sulfoproteins are secreted. Of the remaining 47% of the fast-transported 35SO4-labeled proteins resistant to carbonate treatment (the integral membrane protein fraction), nearly 60% of the 35SO4 was acid labile. Other membrane stripping agents, such as 0.1 M NaOH, 0.5 M NaCl, or mild trypsin treatment, failed to remove acid-labile 35SO4-labeled species from carbonate-treated membrane. Quantitative comparisons of several of the most abundant sulfoproteins resolved via two-dimensional gel electrophoresis confirmed that approximately 7% of each of the species remained associated with carbonate-treated membranes, presumably as integral membrane components.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Highly acidic glycans from sea cucumbers. Isolation and fractionation of fucose-rich sulfated polysaccharides from the body wall of Ludwigothurea grisea

The body wall of the sea cucumber contains high amounts of sulfated glycans, which differ in structure from glycosaminoglycans of animal tissues and also from the fucose-rich sulfated polysaccharides isolated from marine algae and from the jelly coat of sea urchin eggs. In Ludwigothurea grisea, glycans can be separated into three fractions which differ in molecular mass and chemical composition. The fraction containing a high-molecular-mass component has a high proportion of fucose and small amounts of amino sugars, whereas another fraction contains primarily a sulfated fucan. The third fraction, which represents the major portion of the sea cucumber polysaccharides, contains besides fucose, approximately equimolar proportions of glucuronic acid and amino sugars, and has a sulfate content higher than that in the other two fractions. Both D and L-isomers of fucose are found in these polysaccharides, and the sulfate is linked to the O-3 position of the fucose residues. The attachment position of the sulfate groups to the glucuronic acid units and amino sugars is still undetermined. It is possible that these compounds are involved in maintaining the integrity of the sea cucumber's body wall, in analogy with the role of other macromolecules in the vertebrate connective tissue.     

Isolation and characterization of a highly sulfated heparan sulfate from ascidian test cells.

Several sulfated polysaccharides have been isolated from the test cells of the ascidian Styela plicata. The preponderant polysaccharide is a highly sulfated heparan sulfate with the following disaccharide composition: (1) UA(2SO4)-1-->4 GlcN(SO4)(6SO4), 53%; (2) UA(2SO4)-1-->4-GlcN(SO4), 22%; (3) UA-1-->4-GlcNAc(6SO4), 14% and (4) UA-1-->4-GlcN(SO4), 11%. Two others unidentified sulfated polysaccharides and a glycogen polymer are also present in the ascidian eggs. Histochemistry with the cationic dye 1,9-dimethyl-methylene blue and biochemical analysis of the 35S-sulfate incorporation into the eggs reveal that the sulfated glycans are present exclusively in the test cells. Possibly these sulfated polysaccharides are involved in important functions of these cells, such as to confer an external and hydrophilic layer which protect the eggs and the larvae of ascidians.     

Chemical characters and antioxidative properties of sulfated polysaccharides from Laminaria japonica

A low molecular weight sulfated polysaccharide (L-A) was prepared bymild acid hydrolysis of crude fucoidan (F-A) from Laminaria japonica. In comparison with F-A, L-A had a lower proportion of fucose residues,but a similar proportion of sulfate. The galactose content of both fractionswas relatively high, especially for L-A (57%). The antioxidant propertiesof the two polysaccharides were studied using two low-density lipoproteinoxidation systems. L-A had a stronger effect against low-density lipoproteinoxidation in both systems. F-A inhibited the AAPH-induced low-densitylipoprotein oxidation, but had little effect on the Cu⁺⁺-inducedsystem due to its large molecular mass. The active sulfated fraction L-A,containing galactose, mannose and fucose (about 9: 2: 2) is reported herefor the first time.     

Studies on the Secretion of Maize Root Cap Slime: II. Localization of Slime Production

The distribution of fucose-containing polysaccharides in apical 1-cm sections of corn (Zea mays cv. SX-17) root tips was analyzed. Fucose-containing polysaccharides were localized predominantly in the apical 1 mm of the root, i.e., in the apical initials and root cap. An analysis of the distribution of incorporated radioactive label from l-fucose[(3)H] gave similar results. After a 2-hr incubation with fucose[(3)H], label was found principally in two components, namely a water-soluble slime fraction and hemicellulose. The incorporation of fucose into the water-soluble, ethanol-insoluble fraction was primarily in the apical 1 mm of the root, whereas incorporation into a water-insoluble, potassium hydroxide-soluble fraction was in the region 2 to 5 mm behind the root cap. Addition of sucrose to the incubation medium during fucose[(3)H] incorporation reduces label uptake but increases the amount of label in the fucose-rich secreted polysaccharide. The utility of fucose as a marker for the secreted polysaccharide was confirmed by demonstrating that no appreciable metabolism of this sugar occurs.     

Properties of fucoidan from Cladosiphon okamuranus tokida in gastric mucosal protection

To elucidate the anti-ulcer potential of Cladosiphon fucoidan, anti-peptic activity, bFGF stabilizing activity and inflammatory properties of this and related substances were investigated. Anti-peptic activity was observed with this and other sulfated polysaccharides such as dextran sulfate, carrageenan, and Fucus fucoidan. However, non-sulfated polysaccharides such as mannan and dextran did not exert the anti-peptic activity. The loss of bFGF bioactivity was prevented by all sulfated polysaccharides tested except chondroitin sulfate, at pH 7.4 and at pH 4.0. At pH 2.0, only heparin protected the bFGF activity. The generation of superoxide by macrophages and PMNs was stimulated by dextran sulfate, carrageenan, and Fucus fucoidan, whereas Cladosiphon fucoidan, heparin and chondroitin did not. Dextran sulfate, carrageenan, and Fucus fucoidan also stimulated the secretion of TNFalpha from macrophages, while Cladosiphon fucoidan did not. Thus, Cladosiphon fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide without inflammatory action. These results suggest that Cladosiphon fucoidan is a safe substance with potential for gastric protection.     

Sulfated galactofucan from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lobophora variegata</Emphasis>: Anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties

Sulfated polysaccharides (fucans and fucoidans) from brown algae show several biological activities, including anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory activities. We have extracted a sulfated heterofucan from the brown seaweed Lobophora variegata by proteolytic digestion, followed by acetone fractionation, molecular sieving, and ion-exchange chromatography. Chemical analyses and ¹³C-NMR and IR spectroscopy showed that this fucoidan is composed of fucose, galactose, and sulfate at molar ratios of 1:3:2. We compared the anticoagulant activity of L. variegata fucoidan with those of a commercial sulfated polysaccharide (also named fucoidan) from Fucus vesiculosus and heparin. The experimental inflammation models utilized in this work revealed that fucoidan from L. variegata inhibits leukocyte migration to the inflammation site. Ear swelling caused by croton oil was also inhibited when sulfated polysaccharides from F. vesiculosus and L. variegata were used. The precise mechanism of different action between homo-and heterofucans is not clear; nevertheless, the polysaccharides studied here may have therapeutic potential in inflammatory disorders. Published in Russian in Biokhimiya, 2008, Vol. 73, No. 9, pp. 1265–1273.     

In Vitro Anti-influenza Virus Activities of Sulfated Polysaccharide Fractions from Gracilaria lemaneiformis

In this paper, in vitro anti-influenza virus activities of sulfated polysaccharide fractions from Gracilaria lemaneiformis were investigated. Cytotoxicities and antiviral activities of Gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharides (PGL), Gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharide fraction-1 (GL-1), Gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharide fraction-2 (GL-2) and Gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharide fraction-3 (GL-3) were studied by the Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method, and the inhibitory effect against Human influenza virus H1-364 induced cytopathic effect (CPE) on MDCK cells were observed by the CPE method. In addition, the antiviral mechanism of PGL was explored by Plaque forming unit (PFU), MTT and CPE methods. The results showed: i) Cytotoxicities were not significantly revealed, and H1-364 induced CPE was also reduced treated with sulfated polysaccharide fractions from Gracilaria lemaneiformis; ii) Antiviral activities were associated with the mass percentage content of sulfate groups in polysaccharide fractions, which was about 13%, in polysaccharides (PGL and GL-2) both of which exhibited higher antiviral activity; iii) A potential antiviral mechanism to explain these observations is that viral adsorption and replication on host cells were inhibited by sulfated polysaccharides from Gracilaria lemaneiformis. In conclusion, Anti-influenza virus activities of sulfated polysaccharide fractions from Gracilaria lemaneiformis were revealed, and the antiviral activities were associated with content of sulfate groups in polysaccharide fractions.     

THE FUCUS (PHAEOPHYCEAE) SPERM RECEPTOR FOR EGGS. I. DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERISTICS OF A BINDING ASSAY1

To explore the molecular basis of egg-sperm recognition in the brown alga , Fucus serratus L., we developed an in vitro binding assay involving egg plasma membrane vesicles (PMVs) and proteins contained in a KCl extract of sperm. Binding between the two components was measured using biotinylated PMVs followed by the addition of streptavidin conjugated to alkaline phosphatase and the appropriate substrate. Biotinylation did not affect the ability of egg PMVs to inhibit fertilization in a species-preferential manner. Binding of labeled egg PMVs to the sperm KCl extract was saturable and competable with unlabeled PMVs but was not species-specific. Protease treatment of the KCl extract abolished binding, whereas periodate had no effect, suggesting that sperm protein rather than carbohydrate was involved. Preincubation of the sperm extract with sulfated polysaccharides (e.g. fucoidan and ascophyllan) inhibited binding of egg plasma membranes. Sulfation seems to be important for this effect since desulfated fucoidan was far less effective at blocking binding. Polysaccharides which inhibited binding also inhibited fertilization. Overall, the results indicate that at least some aspects of binding between Fucus sperm and eggs are mediated by a protein(s) derived from sperm which recognizes sulfated glycoconjugates on the egg plasma membrane .     

Comparative study of carrageenans from reproductive and sterile forms of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tichocarpus crinitus</Emphasis> (Gmel.) Rupr (Rhodophyta,Tichocarpaceae)

A comparative study of the structure and properties of the sulfated polysaccharides (carrageenans) isolated from the vegetative and reproductive forms of the red alga Tichocarpus crinitus was performed. The polysaccharides were separated into the gelling (KCl-insoluble) and non-gelling (KCl-soluble) fractions by precipitation with 4% KCl. The total content of polysaccharides extracted from the reproductive form of the alga was 1.8-fold more than that extracted from the vegetative form, and in the first case, the gelling polysaccharides mostly accumulated. The gelling polysaccharides from the vegetative form have the highest molecular weight (354 kD). According to the results of FT-IR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, the gelling polysaccharide fractions from both forms are kappa/beta carrageenans. The differences concern the content of the kappa- and beta-disaccharide units and the presence of a small content of the sulfated disaccharide segments (precursors of the kappa-carrageenans) in the polysaccharide from the reproductive form of the alga. The non-gelling polysaccharide fractions from both forms of the plant are mixtures of sulfated galactans with a low content of 3,6-anhydrogalactose.     

Selective cleavage and anticoagulant activity of a sulfated fucan: stereospecific removal of a 2-sulfate ester from the polysaccharide by mild acid hydrolysis, preparation of oligosaccharides, and heparin cofactor II-dependent anticoagulant activity

A linear sulfated fucan with a regular repeating sequence of [3)-alpha-L-Fucp-(2SO4)-(1-->3)-alpha-L-Fucp-(4SO4)-(1-->3)-alpha-L-Fucp-(2,4SO4)-(1-->3)-alpha-L-Fucp-(2SO4)-(1-->]n is an anticoagulant polysaccharide mainly due to thrombin inhibition mediated by heparin cofactor II. No specific enzymatic or chemical method is available for the preparation of tailored oligosaccharides from sulfated fucans. We employ an apparently nonspecific approach to cleave this polysaccharide based on mild hydrolysis with acid. Surprisingly, the linear sulfated fucan was cleaved by mild acid hydrolysis on an ordered sequence. Initially a 2-sulfate ester of the first fucose unit is selectively removed. Thereafter the glycosidic linkage between the nonsulfated fucose residue and the subsequent 4-sulfated residue is preferentially cleaved by acid hydrolysis, forming oligosaccharides with well-defined size. The low-molecular-weight derivatives obtained from the sulfated fucan were employed to determine the requirement for interaction of this polysaccharide with heparin cofactor II and to achieve complete thrombin inhibition. The linear sulfated fucan requires significantly longer chains than mammalian glycosaminoglycans to achieve anticoagulant activity. A slight decrease in the molecular size of the sulfated fucan dramatically reduces its effect on thrombin inactivation mediated by heparin cofactor II. Sulfated fucan with approximately 45 tetrasaccharide repeating units binds to heparin cofactor II but is unable to link efficiently the plasma inhibitor and thrombin. This last effect requires chains with approximately 100 or more tetrasaccharide repeating units. We speculate that the template mechanism may predominate over the allosteric effect in the case of the linear sulfated fucan inactivation of thrombin in the presence of heparin cofactor II.     

Isolation, fractionation, and preliminary characterization of a novel class of sulfated glycans from the tunic of Styela plicata (Chordata Tunicata)

The sulfated glycans in the tunic of Styela plicata differ from the glycosaminoglycans of animal tissues and also from the sulfated polysaccharides isolated from marine algae. The ascidian glycans occur primarily as three fractions that differ markedly in molecular weight and chemical composition. The high molecular weight fraction encompasses a broad range of molecular weights but is chemically homogeneous and contains an unusual amount of galactose. The 20,000 molecular weight polysaccharide is rich in galactose and glucose while the 8,000 molecular weight fraction is rich in amino sugars and contains the neutral hexoses galactose, glucose, and mannose. All fractions contain large amounts of sulfate esters. The ascidians polysaccharides can be extracted from the tissue by proteolytic enzyme or by guanidine hydrochloride solutions. The high molecular weight fraction is preferentially extracted by papain while guanidine hydrochloride removes mainly the low molecular weight polysaccharides. We speculate that these sulfated glycans are essential for maintaining the structural integrity of the tunic, in analogy with the glycosaminoglycans of vertebrate connective tissues.     

Isolation, purification, and characterization of fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharides from the brown seaweed Ecklonia kurome and their blood-anticoagulant activities

A sulfated polysaccharide fraction, obtained from the hot-water extract of the brown seaweed, Ecklonia kurome by removing laminaran and the major part of alginic acid, gave sulfated polysaccharides (B-I, B-II, C-I, and C-II) by both anion-exchange chromatography on a column of Ecteola-cellulose and by fractional precipitation with ethanol containing 0.3% calcium acetate, and then by gel-filtration chromatography on a Sepharose 4B column. B-I and B-II are composed of fucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, glucuronic acid, and ester sulfate in the approximate molar ratios of 1.00:0.36:0.48:1.08:1.85:2.35 and 1.00:0.81:0.18:0.45:0.61:2.00, respectively. C-I and C-II are composed of fucose, galactose, glucuronic acid, and ester sulfate in approximate molar ratios of 1.00:0.03:0.03:1.61 and 1.00:0.19:0.07:1.48, respectively. Blood-anticoagulant activities with respect to activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were approximately 24, 19, 81, and 85% of that of heparin for B-I, B-II, C-I, and C-II, respectively. All the polysaccharides showed slight antithrombin activity. No antifactor Xa activity was observed for any of the polysaccharides.