Fractionation and properties of four heparitin sulfates from beef lung tissue: Isolation and partial characterization of a homogeneous species of heparitin sulfate

Several commerical batches of heparitin sulfate extracted from beef lung tissue were fractionated into at least four distinct mucopolysaccharides by a combination of polyacrylamide and agarose gel electrophoresis. The four heparitin sulfates (A, B, C and D) were distinguished from each other and from heparin by several physical and chemical properties such as electrophoretic migration, molecular weight, presence of N-acetyl, N- and )-sulfate residues, optical rotation and enzymatic degradation. Of particular significance was the isolation of a heparitin sulfate (heparitin sulfate C) with a homogeneous molecular weight.     

Interactions between mucopolysaccharides and cationic polypeptides in aqueous solution: hyaluronic acid, heparitin sulfate, and keratan sulfate

Circular dichroism spectroscopy has been used to study the interactions of hyaluronic acid, heparitin sulfate, and keratan sulfate with cationic polypeptides. The results indicate that the presence of these mucopolysaccharides has an effect in the conformation of poly(L -lysine) and poly(L -arginine), such that the former adopts the “random” form and the latter takes up the α-helical conformation, rather than the “charged coil” form expected at neutral pH. The relative strengths of the interactions can be judged from the melting temperatures above which they are disrupted. Both the stoichiometry and the strength of the interactions depend on the position, number, and type of anionic groups attached to the polysaccharide backbone. Such considerations place the six common mucopolysaccharides in order of increasing strength of interaction: hyaluronic acid < chondroitin 4-sulfate < heparitin sulfate < chondroitin 6-sulfate < keratan sulfate ? dermatan sulfate. These differences should be paralleled by differences in the interaction of the mucopolysaccharides with collagen and fibrous proteins.     

Chemistry of heparitin sulfate and heparin from normal tissues and from patients with Hunter syndrome.

Some structural features of heparitin sulfate excreted by patients with Hunter syndrome are described. It is shown, with the aid of heparitinases and heparinase from Flavobacterium heparinum, that the Hunter heparitin sulfate is a very complex structure composed of nine different disaccharide units containing regions akin to normal heparitin sulfate and regions akin the heparin. Two-thirds of the iduronic acid residues of Hunter heparitin sulfate are devoid of sulfate, contrasting with heparin in which most of the iduronic acid residues are sulfated. The isolation and characterization of the non-reducing ends of heparin and of the heparitin sulfates is also described. Based on these results the specificity of the heparinase and heparitinases as well as the biosynthesis of iduronic acid-containing heparin-like compounds is discussed.     

Structural studies of heparitin sulfates

Heparitin sulfate fractions with a large range in sulfate content were subjected to degradation by Flavobacterium heparinase and by nitrous acid. The products obtained were fractionated by chromatography, characterized, and used to arrive at tentative structures for these complex polysaccharides. The heparitin sulfate chains examined appear to be composed of: 1. uninterrupted blocks of N-acetylglucosamine containing disaccharides; 2. larger blocks with a molecular weight range of 5000 to 6000 which include the N-acetyl block but do not contain heparinase sensitive linkages; 3. segments containing mainly areas where N-acetyl, N-sulfate and some disulfated units alternate in the chain.The size and arrangement of these polymer segments seem to vary with the sulfate content of a particular heparitin sulfate. For instance, the polysaccharides with the highest degree of sulfation do not appear to contain N-acetyl blocks of significant size.     

Structural studies of heparitin sulfates.

Heparitin sulfate fractions with a large range in sulfate content were subjected to degradation by Flavobacterium heparinase and by nitrous acid. The products obtained were fractionated by chromatography, characterized, and used to arrive at tentative structures for these complex polysaccharides. The heparitin sulfate chains examined appear to be composed of: 1. uninterrupted blocks of N-acetylglucosamine containing disaccharides; 2. larger blocks with a molecular weight range of 5000 to 6000 which include the N-acetyl block but do not contain heparinase sensitive linkages; 3. segments containing mainly areas where N-acetyl, N-sulfate and some disulfated units alternate in the chain. The size and arrangement of these polymer segments seem to vary with the sulfate content of a particular heparitin sulfate. For instance, the polysaccharides with the highest degree of sulfation do not appear to contain N-acetyl blocks of significant size.     

On the structure of heparitin sulfates Analyses of the products formed from heparitin sulfates by two heparitinases and a heparinase from Flavobacterium heparinum

The analyses of the products formed from heparitin sulfates by the action of two heparitinases and a heparinase from Flavobacterium heparinum is reported. Heparitin sulfates A and B are degraded by heparitinase I yielding two disaccharides, one of them composed of N-acetylglucosamine and an unsaturated uronic, joined by α(1 → 4) linkage, and the other, with the same composition but with an O-sulfate at the hexosamine moiety. A third disaccharide is also formed from heparitin sulfate B, by the action of the same enzyme, composed of glucosamine N-sulfate and an unsaturated uronic acid joined probably by α(1 → 4) linkage. Besides these three disaccharides, heparitin sulfate B yields, by the action of heparitinase I, an oligosaccharide (with an average molecular weight of 6000) which is completely degraded by the heparitinase II yielding a disaccharide composed of glucosamine 2,6-disulfate and unsaturated uronic acid. All the disaccharides are further degraded by α-glycuronidase from Flavobacterium heparinum yielding the respective monosaccharides. Based on these and other analyses the possible structures of the heparitin sulfates are proposed.     

On the structure of heparitin sulfates. Analyses of the products formed from heparitin sulfates by two heparitinases and a heparinase from Flavobacterium heparinum.

The analyses of the products formed from heparitin sulfates by the action of two heparitinases and a heparinase from Flavorbacterium heparinum is reported. Heparitin sulfates A and B are degraded by heparitinase I yielding two disaccharides, one of them composed of N-acetylucosamine and an unsaturated uronic, joined by alpha(1 lead to 4) linkage, and the other, with the same composition but with an O-sulfate at the hexosamine moiety. A third disaccharide is also formed from heparitin sulfate B, by the action of the same enzyme, composed of glucosamine N-sulfate and an unsaturated uronic acid joined probably by alpha(1 lead to 4) linkage. Besides these three disaccharides, heparitin sulfate B yields, by the action of heparitinase I, an oligosaccharide (with an average molecular weight of 6000) which is completely degraded by the heparitinase II yielding a disaccharide composed of glucosamine 2,6-disulfate and unsaturated uronic acid. All the disaccharides are further degraded by alpha-glycuronidase from Flavobacterium heparinum yielding the respective monosaccharides. Based on these and other analyses the possible structures of the heparitin sulfates are proposed.     

Inhibition of heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan biosynthesis

Proteoglycans (PGs) are composed of a protein moiety and a complex glycosaminoglycan (GAG) polysaccharide moiety. GAG chains are responsible for various biological activities. GAG chains are covalently attached to serine residues of the core protein. The first step in PG biosynthesis is xylosylation of certain serine residues of the core protein. A specific linker tetrasaccharide is then assembled and serves as an acceptor for elongation of GAG chains. If the production of endogenous GAG chains is selectively inhibited, one could determine the role of these endogenous molecules in physiological and developmental functions in a spatiotemporal manner. Biosynthesis of PGs is often blocked with the aid of nonspecific agents such as chlorate, a bleaching agent, and brefeldin A, a fungal metabolite, to elucidate the biological roles of GAG chains. Unfortunately, these agents are highly lethal to model organisms. Xylosides are known to prime GAG chains. Therefore, we hypothesized that modified xylose analogs may able to inhibit the biosynthesis of PGs. To test this, we synthesized a library of novel 4-deoxy-4-fluoroxylosides with various aglycones using click chemistry and examined each for its ability to inhibit heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate using Chinese hamster ovary cells as a model cellular system.