STRUCTURE OF HEPARAN-SULFATE FROM THE FRESH-WATER MOLLUSK ANOMANTIDAESP - SEQUENCING OF ITS DISACCHARIDE UNITS

1. The disaccharide sequences of a heparan sulfate isolated from Anoma ntidae sp. was determined with the aid of heparitinase I, heparitinase II from Flavobacterium heparinum, mollusc beta-glucuronidase and alph a-N-acetylglucosaminidase besides nitrous acid degradation and chemica l analyses. 2. Like the mammalian heparan sulfates the mollusc heparan sulfate is composed of different oligosaccharide blocks of N-acetylat ed disaccharides, N-sulfated disaccharides and N,6-sulfated disacchari des and has in its nonreducing end the monosaccharide glucosamine 2,6- disulfate. 3. The oligosaccharides produced by heparitinase I degradat ion contain at their reducing ends a N-acetylated, 6-sulfated disaccha ride. 4. These and other results lead to the conclusion that the gener al structure of the heparan sulfate is maintained through evolution.