Heparan sulfate

  • Heparitin
  • Suleparoid
  • 9050-30-0
  • 57459-72-0 (sodium salt)

Template: Infobox chemical / molecular formula search is not possible

Heparan sulfate is in a group of glycosaminoglycans, which consist of long chains of disaccharide building blocks, as well as to the group of heparins. The disaccharides of heparin sulfates consist of D- glucosamine units combined with D -glucuronic acid or L- iduronic acid, which

  • R1, R3 = SO 3 H / H
  • R2 = SO3H/Ac
  • X1 = X2 = H or COOH, and X1 = X2 = H and COOH

Much L- iduronic acid is in the heparin sulfates, complex helical structures are formed. They are important components of the extracellular matrix and are found in the plasma membranes of animal cells. Like all acidic proteoglycans have the heparin sulfates many negative charges (that are polyanions ) and therefore are in solution hydrated before, but can also store water. They make an important contribution in order for the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix. In addition, they often go non-covalent, ie relatively weak links with the hyaluronic acid a. In addition, heparan sulfate acts anticoagulant and is a component of various medicines.

Different modified heparan sulfates have different binding specificities and may contribute to the accumulation of certain growth factors in cells. By binding of the growth factor FGF-1 (fibroblast growth factor) in the development of the nervous system by a specific heparan sulfate, as well as later in development FGF -2, the differentiation of precursor cells into neurons is controlled early by another modification.

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