Y. Kariya et al., STRUCTURE OF FUCOSE BRANCHES IN THE GLYCOSAMINOGLYCAN FROM THE BODY-WALL OF THE SEA-CUCUMBER STICHOPUS-JAPONICUS, Carbohydrate research, 297(3), 1997, pp. 273-279
Fucose-branched chondroitin sulfate E was prepared from the body wall
of sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus. The purified glycosaminoglycan (G
AG) was chemically desulfated, followed by carboxyl reduction. Intact,
desulfated, and desulfated/carboxyl-reduced GAG fractions were subjec
ted to per-O-methylation. GC-MS analyses of the resultant partially me
thylated alditol acetates demonstrated that the fucose branch is forme
d by two fucopyranosyl residues linked glycosidically through position
(1 --> 3), and that the fucose branch and glucuronic acid are almost
equimolar. In addition, it was elucidated that about 20% of the branch
es stretch from O-3 position of a glucuronic acid moiety of the core c
hondroitin sulfate polymer, while remaining fucose branches are postul
ated to protrude from O-4 and/or O-6 position(s) of a N-acetylgalactos
amine moiety. This fucose branch was also confirmed to be highly sulfa
ted according to six kinds of substitution pattern in methylation anal
ysis. [GRAPHICS] (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.