Premium
Relationship between anticoagulant activity of heparin and susceptibility to periodate oxidation
Author(s) -
Fransson Lars-Åke,
Lewis Walter
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(79)80065-4
Subject(s) - citation , chemistry , periodate , library science , philosophy , computer science , organic chemistry
Heparin and heparan sulphate chains have a common carbohydrate backbone composed of alternating &D(or o-L) uromc acid and o-D-glucosarnrne resrdues Joined 1 + 4. However, heparin is a potent anticoagulant while heparan sulphates have little or no activity [ 11. The chemical distmction between the two glycans is based on differences in 0and N-sulphate content, m the ratio and drstributron of N-acetyl and N-sulphate groups and m the Liduronic acid to D-glucuronic acid ratio [2,3]. The anticoagulant activity of heparm appears to depend on chamlength, the distnbution of N-sulphate groups and a high degree of 0-sulphation [4]. The followmg requirements have been proposed: (i) Molecular weight > 6000; (ri) N-sulphate to N-acetyl ratio >l provided that blocks of N-acetylglucosamine-uranic acid repeats are absent from the intenor of the molecule, (in) 0-Sulphate to hexosamme ratio >l , (IV) L-Iduromc acid content >50% of total uromc acrd. It is generally assumed that 0-sulphated Liduronic acid resrdues are essential for biologrcal activity [ 11. These residues occur only m single sequences in heparan sulphate while heparin may contarn up to 5 or 6 such units in consecutive order [2].