Glycosaminoglycans sulfation patterns

Pavao, M. S., Mourao, P. A., Mulloy, B., and Tollefsen, D. M. (1995). A unique dermatan sulfate-like glycosaminoglycan from ascidian. Its structure and the effect of its unusual sulfation pattern on anticoagulant activity. J. Biol. Chem. 270,31027-31036. 

Periodate oxidation was used in early work for obtaining information on the substitution pattern of heparin.1,100 102 In fully N-substituted (N-sulfated or N-acetylated, or both) glycosaminoglycans, the only bond susceptible to splitting by periodate is C-2-C-3 of unsubstituted uronic acid residues. As illustrated in Scheme 4 for heparin, only nonsulfated D-glucuronic acid and L-iduronic acid residues are split by periodate. 

The urinary excretion of glycosaminoglycans by juvenile cases of vitamin A deficiency and of protein-calorie malnutrition (kwashiorkor) is less than normal (M41). The predominant differences are the absence of hyaluronic acid and the presence of chondroitin sulfate of low sulfate content (C12). Treatment of the cases with vitamin A deficiency restored the glycosaminoglycan spectrum to normal. Decreased urinary glycosaminoglycan levels have also been noted in primary hepatoma (K6). It has been suggested that the urinary excretion pattern of individual glycosaminoglycans is pathognomic of certain hereditary bone diseases (T3). 

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