Chemical Modification of Glycosaminoglycan Polysaccharides
Lais C. G. F. Palhares,
James A. London,
Aleksandra M. Kozlowski,
Emiliano Esposito,
Suely F. Chavante,
Minghong Ni,
Edwin A. Yates
Affiliations
Lais C. G. F. Palhares
Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59012-570, Brazil
James A. London
Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, ISMIB, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
Aleksandra M. Kozlowski
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Forest Products and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemigården 4, 412 58 Göteborg, Sweden
Emiliano Esposito
Instituto di Richerche Chemiche e Biochemiche, ‘G.Ronzoni’, Via G Colombo 81, 20133 Milano, Italy
Suely F. Chavante
Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59012-570, Brazil
Minghong Ni
Instituto di Richerche Chemiche e Biochemiche, ‘G.Ronzoni’, Via G Colombo 81, 20133 Milano, Italy
Edwin A. Yates
Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, ISMIB, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
The linear anionic class of polysaccharides, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), are critical throughout the animal kingdom for developmental processes and the maintenance of healthy tissues. They are also of interest as a means of influencing biochemical processes. One member of the GAG family, heparin, is exploited globally as a major anticoagulant pharmaceutical and there is a growing interest in the potential of other GAGs for diverse applications ranging from skin care to the treatment of neurodegenerative conditions, and from the treatment and prevention of microbial infection to biotechnology. To realize the potential of GAGs, however, it is necessary to develop effective tools that are able to exploit the chemical manipulations to which GAGs are susceptible. Here, the current knowledge concerning the chemical modification of GAGs, one of the principal approaches for the study of the structure-function relationships in these molecules, is reviewed. Some additional methods that were applied successfully to the analysis and/or processing of other carbohydrates, but which could be suitable in GAG chemistry, are also discussed.
