Product Description

Heparan sulfate is a sulfated polysaccharide produced by all mammalian cells. It is displayed on the cell surface or secreted into the extracellular matrix where it interacts with signaling proteins, structural proteins and enzymes. Heparan sulfate biosynthesis consists of polymerization of the polysaccharide chain on a core protein followed by addition of sulfate groups. About two dozen enzymes are involved in its biosynthesis.

Heparan sulfate produced from natural sources is a heterogeneous mixture of chain lengths and sulfate patterns. Heparan sulfate composition and length varies between tissues and cell types based primarily on the expression of biosynthetic enzymes in the cell.

Heparan sulfate functions via its interaction with binding proteins. Binding is driven by the interaction of sulfate groups with basic amino acids on the protein surface. The arrangement and abundance of sulfate groups determines the affinity of the interaction with each protein having different requirements for high affinity binding. Heparan sulfate’s interaction with hundreds of proteins influences a wide range of developmental, physiological and pathophysiological processes. Heparan sulfate functions in diverse ways.

Some examples include,
• acting as a co-receptor for receptor-ligand interactions
• oligomerizing proteins
• inducing protein conformation changes
• acting as a scaffold for protein-protein interac<ons
• sequestering or protecting proteins

Because it is involved in diverse physiological systems, many researchers encounter a role for heparan sulfate in the system that they are investigating. Advanced BioMatrix provides the research community with high quality research reagents to enable their investigations.