Capillary electrophoresis for the analysis of chondroitin sulfate- and dermatan sulfate-derived disaccharides

High-voltage capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) has been used for the first time in the analysis of non-, mono-, di-, and trisulfated disaccharides derived from chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate, and hyaluronic acid. These glycosaminoglycans are first depolymerized using polysaccharide lyases. The resulting unsaturated disaccharide products can be detected by their ultraviolet absorbance at 232 nm. Different retention times were obtained for each unsaturated disaccharide analyzed by CZE. The application of a constant voltage across a 70-cm fused silica capillary using a single, simple buffer system resolved an eight-component mixture within 40 min. Quantitation of disaccharides derived from chondroitin sulfate using chondroitin ABC lyase (EC 4.2.2.4) and mixtures of unsaturated disaccharide standards was possible requiring only picogram quantities of sample. The disaccharides examined had a net charge of from -1 to -4 and were resolved primarily on the basis of net charge and secondarily on the basis of charge distribution. Two unsulfated disaccharides both containing the same unsaturated uronic acid residue were analyzed. One was from chondroitin having an N-acetylgalactosyl residue and one from hyaluronate having an N-acetylglycosyl residue. Despite the fact that they differed only by the chirality at one center, these disaccharides were resolved by CZE. CZE is a fast and simple method that represents a powerful new tool for analysis and separation of acidic disaccharide components of glycosaminoglycans.