Location on heparin of the oligosaccharide section essential for anticoagulant activity

Monitoring the stability of heparin: NMR evidence for the rearrangement of sulfated iduronate in phosphate buffer

Heparin, a major anticoagulant drug, comprises a complex mixture of motifs. Heparin is isolated from natural sources while being subjected to a variety of conditions but the detailed effects of these on heparin structure have not been studied in depth. Therefore, the result of exposing heparin to a range of buffered environments, ranging pH values from 7 to 12, and temperatures of 40, 60 and 80 °C were examined. There was no evidence of significant N-desulfation or 6-O-desulfation in glucosamine residues, nor of chain scission, however, stereochemical re-arrangement of α-L-iduronate 2-O-sulfate to α-L-galacturonate residues occurred in 0.1 M phosphate buffer at pH 12/80 °C. The results confirm the relative stability of heparin in environments like those during extraction and purification processes; on the other hand, the sensitivity of heparin to pH 12 in buffered solution at high temperature is highlighted, providing an important insight for heparin manufacturers.

Introduction to the Molecules Special Edition Entitled 'Heparan Sulfate and Heparin: Challenges and Controversies': Some Outstanding Questions in Heparan Sulfate and Heparin Research

The scope of this article is to provide a brief general introduction to heparan sulfate (HS) and heparin, and attempt to identify some of the central challenges regarding research into the chemistry and biology of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), some of which are the subject of contributions to the special issue of Molecules (published in volume 23, 2018) entitled 'Heparan Sulfate and Heparin: Challenges and Controversies' [...].

Labelling heparan sulphate saccharides with chromophore, fluorescence and mass tags for HPLC and MS separations

The analysis of heparin/HS saccharides derived from small amounts of tissue or cells is a considerable technical challenge and the development of methods to characterise these carbohydrates has progressed comparatively slowly. A number of procedures have been devised to tag glycans selectively at the reducing end with a group that will enhance the sensitivity of detection and facilitate chromatographic separations. Outlined in this chapter are two useful strategies designed specifically for the analysis of heparin/HS saccharides. The first involves a fluorophore label, Bodipy-FL-hydrazide, which permits highly sensitive (fmol level) detection of saccharides utilising high performance strong anion exchange chromatography. The second facilitates oligosaccharide separation by gel-permeation chromatography and reverse phase high performance ion-pairing chromatography (RP-HPIPC) through the use of a phenylsemicarbazide tag. The latter also serves as an effective mass tag for electrospray mass spectrometry, permitting enhanced analysis of HS saccharides. These methods provide new opportunities for the development of glycomics approaches to study the structure and function of the heparan sulfate family of glycans.

Selective cleavage of heparin using aqueous 2-hydroxypyridine: Production of an aldose-terminating fragment with high anticoagulant activity

Unfractionated heparin (UFH) was partially depolymerized by heating at 115 degrees C with aqueous 2-hydroxypyridine. Compared to starting UFH, no significant loss of anticoagulant (anti-Xa) activity was observed. Products consisted of polysaccharide fragments and small quantities of ammonia, sulfate, and hexuronic acid. Fragments with aldose termini that reacted with [3H]NaBH4 (fragment A) were of relatively uniform size (6000 D) and increased as depolymerization time increased. Fragment A contained the anticoagulant activity, with 90-94% and 24-31% binding to Sepharose-thrombin and Sepharose-antithrombin, respectively. In contrast, a non-reducing fragment B that did not react with [3H]NaBH4 was more heterogeneous (6000-10,000 D) and did not have anticoagulant activity or Sepharose-antithrombin affinity. Given the polysaccharide 3H-incorporation, small release of monosaccharide products, and fragment A end-group analysis, thermolysis of UFH is likely limited to one site per molecule when protected by 2-hydroxypyridine. Thus, an anticoagulant fragment A is hydrolytically released from UFH leaving a variable-length fragment B complete with linkage region.

Highly sensitive sequencing of the sulfated domains of heparan sulfate

The heparan sulfates (HS) are hypervariable linear polysaccharides that act as membrane co-receptors for growth factors, chemokines, and extracellular matrix proteins. In most instances, the molecular basis of protein recognition by HS is poorly understood. We have sequenced 75% of the sulfated domains (S-domains) of fibroblast HS, including all of the major ones. This analysis revealed tight coupling of N- and 2-O-sulfation and a low frequency but precise positioning of 6-O-sulfates, which are required functional groups for HS-mediated activation of the fibroblast growth factors. S-domain sequencing was conducted using a novel and highly sensitive method based on a new way of reading the sequence from high performance liquid chromatography separation profiles of metabolically labeled HS-saccharides following specific chemical and enzymatic scission. The implications of the patterns seen in the sulfated domains for better understanding of the synthesis and function of HS are discussed.

A strategy for rapid sequencing of heparan sulfate and heparin saccharides

Sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are linear polysaccharides of repeating disaccharide sequences on which are superimposed highly complex and variable patterns of sulfation, especially in heparan sulfate (HS). HS and the structurally related heparin exert important biological functions, primarily by interacting with proteins and regulating their activities. Evidence is accumulating that these interactions depend on specific saccharide sequences, but the lack of simple, direct techniques for sequencing GAG saccharides has been a major obstacle to progress. We describe how HS and heparin saccharides can be sequenced rapidly by using an integrated strategy with chemical and enzymic steps. Attachment of a reducing-end fluorescent tag establishes a reading frame. Partial selective chemical cleavage at internal N-sulfoglucosamine residues with nitrous acid then creates a set of fragments of defined sizes. Subsequent digestion of these fragments with combinations of exosulfatases and exoglycosidases permits the selective removal of specific sulfates and monosaccharides from their nonreducing ends. PAGE of the products yields a pattern of fluorescent bands from which the saccharide sequence can be read directly. Data are presented on sequencing of heparin tetrasaccharides and hexasaccharides of known structure; these data show the accuracy and versatility of this sequencing strategy. Data also are presented on the application of the strategy to the sequencing of an HS decasaccharide of unknown structure. Application and further development of this sequencing strategy, called integral glycan sequencing, will accelerate progress in defining the structure-activity relationships of these complex GAGs and lead to important insights into their biological functions.

Rational design of synthetic heparin analogues with tailor-made coagulation factor inhibitory activity

Computer modelling of the antithrombin III-heparin-thrombin complex inspired the synthesis of novel glycoconjugates, whose factor Xa and thrombin inhibitory activities can be adjusted in a rational way, leading to anticoagulants with unprecedented characteristics.

Structural domains in chondroitin sulfate identified by anti-chondroitin sulfate monoclonal antibodies. Immunosequencing of chondroitin sulfates

Monoclonal antibodies have been developed that recognize epitopes in native chondroitin sulfate chains. One of these antibodies, CS-56, reportedly recognizes chondroitin 4- and 6-sulfates. However, this antibody, and four other anti-chondroitin sulfate antibodies, 4C3, 4D3, 6C3 and 7D4, do not recognize epitopes in chondroitin sulfate chains from Swarm rat chondrosarcoma proteoglycan, an indication that native chondroitin sulfate epitopes are more structurally complex than the standard 0-, 4-, and 6-sulfated disaccharide repeats that constitute the backbone of chondroitin sulfate chains. A series of limited chondroitinase digestions was performed on the large aggregating proteoglycan monomer extracted from embryonic chick chondrocyte cultures to identify the digestion parameters required to release the different native chondroitin sulfate epitopes. Some epitopes were more accessible to enzymatic digestion than other epitopes. The approximate location of epitopes was determined by measuring the size of undigested oligosaccharides retained on the core protein following a limited digestion, and correlating this with the level of immunoreactivity for the different antibodies. These analyses identified the locations of three different antigenic domains. Domain 1 resides at the linkage region and contains epitopes for two of the five antibodies, and a portion of the epitopes for a third antibody. Domain 2 lies in the interior of the chain and contains epitopes for three of the five antibodies. Domain 3 resides at the non-reducing terminus and does not contain epitopes for any of the anti-chondroitin sulfate antibodies used in this study. These results indicate that specific native chondroitin sulfate epitopes are non-randomly distributed within the linear framework of chondroitin sulfate chains.

Depolymerization of heparin by complexed ferrous ions

Treatment of porcine heparin with the ferrous-EDTA complex and ascorbic acid for 24 h at 37 degrees C results in the degradation of most of the glycosaminoglycan to smaller fragments. About 65% of the products comprise oligosaccharides composed of less than 30 sugar units. The extent of depolymerization is decreased significantly if ascorbate or EDTA is not included in the reaction mixture. Gel filtration of the reaction products yielded fractions with narrow chain length ranges. The sulfate content of the fractions and their electrophoretic mobilities on cellulose acetate indicate that the components have equivalent charge densities. Depolymerization products with 20 or more sugar units retain significant anticoagulant potencies as measured by their effect in accelerating the neutralization of factor Xa by antithrombin.

Comparison of the separation of bovine heparin by strong anion exchange and by gel filtration chromatography

Heparin has been fractionated by strong anion exchange chromatography followed by elution of the pools on a gel filtration column. This resulted in the expected inverse relationship in the elution order for the pools run by the two methods. Also chromatography of heparin was performed in the reverse order: gel filtration first, followed by anion exchange of the pools. For this order of separation four of the five gel filtration pools of different molecular weights eluted at a similar LiCl concentration. The specific activities of different pools of heparin were evaluated using a colorimetric microwell kinetics assay using antithrombin and thrombin. For the pools separated by ion exchange first, there was an exponential increase of specific activity with increasing molecular weight for all pools. For the pools isolated by gel filtration first, the specific activities became level after an initial increase in relation to molecular weight. Thus, unique pools of heparin species are being isolated by different modes of chromatography.

Heparin and Concanavalin A interaction: isolation of fraction with higher anticoagulant activity

Heparin and Concanavalin A complexes were studied under different conditions. Interaction was measured by reading the turbidity at 420 nm. The influence of the pH, heparin, and salt concentration was measured. In the presence of salts pH was very critical, and above pH 5.4 the interaction was practically negligible. At pH 4.6 or 5.2 and the lowest salt concentration compatible with buffering, heparin fractions with different anticoagulant specific activities were detected in the precipitate and in the supernatant, after the interaction. In all cases a significative difference was observed in favor of the heparin isolated from the precipitate. Possibility of an artifact was eliminated by using adequate blanks and running the coagulation tests in the presence of an excess of Concanavalin A.

Thrombin inhibitory activity of heparin cofactor II depends on the molecular weight and sulfate amount of dextran sulfate

The effect of molecular weight and sulfate amount of sulfated polysaccharide on the thrombin inhibitory activity of heparin cofactor II was investigated by using various dextran sulfate fractions with different molecular weight and sulfur content. The activity of dextran sulfate fractions of each size increased as the sulfur content was increased from 9 to 18%, and the activity decreased in molecules below 10 kDa. The maximum second order rate constant of heparin cofactor II-thrombin reaction in the presence of the fractions of over-10 kDa and 18% sulfur was 2.7 X 10(8) M-1 min-1 that was almost same as in the presence of heparin or dermatan sulfate. On the other hand, dextran sulfate accelerated antithrombin III-thrombin reaction only about 40-fold less than heparin. These results indicate that a large molecular size and significant amount of sulfate groups are only essential in the acceleration of the thrombin inhibitory activity of heparin cofactor II, whereas a specific sequence of heparin is required to that of antithrombin III.

Requirement of free carboxyl groups for the anticoagulant activity of heparin

The uronic acid carboxyl groups of a heparin fraction with high anticoagulant activity, were converted to the methyl ester by treatment with diazomethane. The product obtained after purification did not have the characteristic activity of heparin in accelerating the inhibition of thrombin or factor Xa, by antithrombin. Esterification also abolished the binding of heparin to antithrombin as measured by changes in the intrinsic fluorescence. It is concluded that free carboxyl groups are essential for the activity of heparin.

Evidence of random structural features in the heparin polymer

The first use of computer-simulation studies to examine heparin's structure has been reported. The product distributions obtained when porcine mucosal heparins were depolymerized with heparinase have been compared to computer-simulated distributions. The modeled distribution was relatively unaffected by the polydispersity and molecular weight of heparin. However, the percent of heparinase-cleavable glycosidic linkages and their distribution throughout the polymer resulted in a marked change in the simulated product distribution. The similarity between experimentally observed and computer-simulated product distributions is consistent with the random distribution of heparinase-cleavable sites in porcine mucosal heparin. Finally, a random distribution of N-acetyl residues with respect to heparinase-cleavable sites was experimentally observed.

The uronic acid composition of anticoagulantly active and inactive heparin

Bovine heparin was fractionated with respect to chain length and anticoagulant activity. Analysis of each of these fractions for iduronic and glucuronic acids demonstrated that active heparin has a greater amount of glucuronic acid than inactive heparin. The ratio of the uronic acids in the respective fractions was the same for heparin with different molecular weights. Thus, active heparin with longer chain lengths have more additional glucuronate residues than are required for the antithrombin-binding domain. The results indicate that the active and inactive heparin species differ in more than one structural characteristic and suggest a considerable divergence in their respective biosynthesis.