Note: In each case (enzyme, acid and alkali) the predominant disaccharide unit in each fraction is shown in square brackets. However, each size class also contains oligosaccharides with the same degree of polymerisation but with variations in degree and position of sulphation. Dextra can provide custom services to subfractionate the differentially-sulphated heparin oligosaccharides in any size class-please enquire.

Heparinase I Derived Unsaturated Oligosaccharides

This group of unsaturated oligosaccharides is produced by the partial depolymerisation of Heparin using the enzyme heparinase I.  This cleaves Heparin between N-sulphated glucosamine (GlcNSO₃) and 2-O-sulphated idurnate (IdoA, 2S).  This method of cleavage results in unsaturated oligosaccharides with uronate 2-O-sulphate (UA, 2S) at the non-reducing end of the fragment.  Unsaturation is present between carbons 4-5 on this terminal uronate residue.

The individual products are separated by high resolution gel permeation chromatography.

These oligosaccharides are produced by partial deaminative scission using nitrous acid.  The oligosaccharides have either uronate 2-O-sulphate (shown below) or non sulphated uronate at the non-reducing end of the fragment.  Note that the end chain uronate structure is not affected by nitrous acid but anhydromannose is produced at the reducing end, which is subsequently reduced to anhydromannitol.

Below are shown examples of the oligomeric series which can be extended in DP as for the enzyme and alkali-derived fractions.  Please enquire for availability and price of these and higher members of the series.

ID2002        Disaccharide (dp2)

ID2004        Tetrasaccharide (dp4)