Chondroitin occurrence

Vieira, R. P. and Mourao, P. A. (1988). Occurrence of a unique fucose-branched chondroitin sulfate in the body wall of a sea cucumber. J. Biol. Chem. 263,18176-18183. 

The lens comprises three parts the capsule, lens epithehum, and lens fibers. Any opacity in the lens that causes it to lose its transparency and/or scatter light is called a cataract. Heparan sulfates and chondroitin sulfates are essential for lens differentiation and homeostasis, and abnormal expressions of these glycosaminoglycans may be involved in the occurrence of a cataract. 

Hammer ME, Burch TG. Viscous corneal protection by sodium hyaluronate, chondroitin sulfate, and methylcellulose. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1984 25 1329-1332 Harrison SE, Soil DB, Shayegan M. Clinch T. Chondroitin sulfate a new and effective protective agent for intraocular lens insertion. Ophthalmology 1982 89 1254-1260 Hayreh SS. Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Occurrence after cataract extraction. Arch Ophthalmol 1980 98 1410-1416... 

Occurrence, Isolation, and Structure.—Acid glycosaminoglycans in human platelets and leucocytes have been identified by using chondroitinase and Streptomyces hyaluronidase. The principal components are the chondroitin sulphates, with smaller amounts of hyaluronic acid, whereas heparan sulphate occurs only in leucocytes, possibly as a membrane component. Normal human kidney contains mainly hyaluronic acid and dermatan sulphate, with smaller proportions of chondroitin 4- and 6-sulphates and an over-sulphated chondroitin sulphate. A family of high-molecular-weight chondroitin sulphates possessing different degrees of sulphation has been identified in the nuclei of cultured mouse melanoma cells a minor component appears to be heparan sulphate. ... 

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