SEQUENCING OF HEPARAN-SULFATE PROTEOGLYCANS - IDENTIFICATION OF VARIABLE AND CONSTANT OLIGOSACCHARIDE REGIONS IN 8 HEPARAN-SULFATE PROTEOGLYCANS OF DIFFERENT ORIGINS

The sequence of the disaccharide units of eight heparan sulfate proteo glycans of different origins is described. All heparan sulfates contai n 5 variable regions made of oligosaccharide blocks of disaccharides, namely, GlcUA(1-4)GlcNAc, GlcUA(1-4)GlcNS, IdoUA (1-4) GlcNS,6S, IdoUA -GlcNAc,6S, and IdoUA,2S(1-4)GlcNS,6S, besides two constant regions ma de of an internal tetrasaccharide (IdoUA-GlcNAc-IdoUA-GlcNS) and monos accharides (GlcNS, and GlcNS,6S) at the non-reducing terminal. The N-a cetylated region of the heparan sulfates is linked to the serine of th e protein core through a trisaccharide of Xyl-Gal-Gal. Heparan sulfate s differ from one another in terms of the number of disaccharides that compose each block.