Chondroitin sulfate

Hyaluronan

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) or mucopolysaccharides are long unbranched polysaccharides consisting of a repeating disaccharide unit. They are synthesized in endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi.This unit consists of an N-acetyl-hexosamine and a hexose or hexuronic acid, either or both of which may be sulfated. The combination of the sulfate group and the carboxylate groups of the uronic acid residues gives them a very high density of negative charge. Members of the glycosaminoglycan family vary in the type of hexosamine, hexose or hexuronic acid unit they contain (e.g. glucuronic acid, iduronic acid, galactose, galactosamine, glucosamine). They also vary in the geometry of the glycosidic linkage. This family of carbohydrates is essential or important for the life of vertebrates and an assortment of lower animals. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 346 pixel Image in higher resolution (977 × 422 pixel, file size: 24 KB, MIME type: image/png) (All user names refer to en. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 346 pixel Image in higher resolution (977 × 422 pixel, file size: 24 KB, MIME type: image/png) (All user names refer to en. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Polysaccharides (sometimes called glycans) are relatively complex carbohydrates. ... Sucrose, a common disaccharide A disaccharide is a sugar (a carbohydrate) composed of two monosaccharides. ... The α-D form of glucuronic acid. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Galactose (also called brain sugar) is a type of sugar found in dairy products, in sugar beets and other gums and mucilages. ... Galactosamine is a hexosamine based upon galactose. ... Chemical structure of α-D-glucosamine Glucosamine (C6H14NO5) is an amino sugar that is an important precursor in the biochemical synthesis of glycosylated proteins and lipids. ...

GAGs form an important component of connective tissues. GAG chains may be covalently linked to a protein to form proteoglycans. Connective tissue is one of the four types of tissue in traditional classifications (the others being epithelial, muscle, and nervous tissue. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... Proteoglycans represent a special class of glycoprotein that are heavily glycosylated. ...

Examples of GAGs

• Chondroitin sulphate
• Dermatan sulphate
• Keratan sulphate
• Heparan sulphate
• Heparin
• Hyaluronan

Chondroitin sulfate is a glycosaminoglycan found in connective tissue. ... Dermatan sulfate is a glycosaminoglycan (formerly called a mucopolysaccharide) found mostly in skin, but also in blood vessels, heart valves, tendons, and lungs. ... Keratan sulfate, also called keratosulfate, is any of several sulfated glycosaminoglycans (structural carbohydrates) that have been found especially in the cornea, cartilage, and bone. ... Heparan Sulfate (HS) is a linear polysaccharide found in all animal tissues. ... Heparin is a highly sulfated glycosaminoglycan widely used as an injectable anticoagulant. ... Hyaluronan (also called hyaluronic acid or hyaluronate) is a glycosaminoglycan distributed widely throughout connective, epithelial, and neural tissues. ...

See also

• Mucopolysaccharidosis (lysosomal storage diseases)
• Lipopolysaccharide

The mucopolysaccharidoses are inborn errors of metabolism resulting from the deficiency of specific lysosomal enzymes needed in glycosaminoglycan catabolism. ... A lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is any of a class of large molecules consisting of a lipid and a polysaccharide (carbohydrate) joined by a covalent bond. ...

External links

• Proteoglycans and Glycosaminoglycans at lancs.ac.uk
• Illustration at scientificpsychic.com
• King M. 2005. Glycosaminoglycans. Indiana University School of Medicine. Accessed December 31, 2006.
• MeSH Glycosaminoglycans