Abstract
Sulfated polysaccharides, like the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) heparin, are known to exhibit anticoagulant properties when certain structural features are present. The structural requirement for this action is well-established for heparin, in which a pentasaccharide motif plays a key role for keeping the high-affinity interaction to antithrombin. Over the last years of this glycomic era, several novel anticoagulant sulfated glycans have been described. Those from marine sources have been awakening special attention mainly because of their impressive anticoagulant effects together with structural uniqueness. The commonest of these glycans are the sulfated fucans (SFs), the sulfated galactans (SGs), and the marine invertebrate GAGs like the fucosylated chondroitin sulfate and ascidian dermatan sulfate. Since these marine sulfated glycans do not bear within their polymeric chains the specific pentasaccharide motif of heparin, other structural features must be necessary to trigger the anticoagulant effect. The objective of this report is to present the anticoagulant motifs of the marine SFs, SGs and GAGs.
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The author states that he is not aware of any authorship, affiliations, memberships, funding, or financial holdings that might be perceived as damaged or as affecting the objectivity of the content of this material. The author declares no conflict of interest by any part.
Funding
This study was supported by the grants Universal-14/2013-[470330/2013-9] and E-26/110.961/2013 from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), respectively. The content of this work is solely the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.
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Pomin, V.H. Anticoagulant motifs of marine sulfated glycans. Glycoconj J 31, 341–344 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10719-014-9530-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10719-014-9530-1