Heparin major uronic acid

Dermatan sulfate (chondrmtin sulfate B, /3-heparin) differs in structure from the chondroitin sulfates in oontmning n-iduronic acid as the major uronic acid (Hoffman et al., 1956a Cifonelli et al., 1958 Stoffyn and Jeanloz, 1960). Its characteristic repeating disaccharide is shown in hlg. 6. However, it has recently been shown that ivgiucuronic acid is also an integr part of the dermatan sulfate molecule which may thus be regarded as a hybrid molecule with elements of chondroitin sulfate in addi-... 

The identification of L-iduronic acid as the major glycuronic acid constituent of heparin proved to be a much slower process than the identification of the amino sugar residue. Although this compound was detected in acid hydrolyzates of heparin116117 and heparin oligosaccharides,118 its yield was usually poor, because of the drastic conditions used for the acid hydrolysis (which are known to lead to extensive destruction of uronic acid).119120 Also, L-iduronic acid escaped detection as L-idose in the hydrolyzates of carboxyl-reduced heparin, probably because L-idose is readily converted into 1,6-anhydro-L-idose under the usual hydrolytic conditions. 

L18. Lindahl, U., and Axelsson, O., Identification of iduronic acid as the major sulphated uronic acid of heparin. /. Bid. Chem. 246, 74-82 (1971). 

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