Heparin as a Glycosaminoglycan Biosynthesis

Being an alternating copolymer of ahexosamine and an alduronic acid, heparin belongs to the class of glycosaminoglycans (GAG), formerly 

Because the only general review13 on these compounds in this Series dates back to 1946, it seems pertinent to recall the main structural features of these polysaccharides. (For extensive discussions on the structure and the physicochemical and biological properties of GAG, see Refs. 8,10, and 13-18.) 

Name Abbreviation Major uronic acidfe and hexosamine Main repeating disaccharides 

4-sulfate 2-amino-2-deoxy- (1 —4)-0-(/ -D-glucopyranosyluronic acid)-(l — 3)-0-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy- -D- 

---