Electrophoresis for the Analysis of Acidic Oligosaccharides

Abstract

Carbohydrates are the most abundant species among the biopolymers and have recently been actively studied as important biological molecules (1). Acidic oligosaccharides play especially important biological roles, including control of cell proliferation, differentiation (2, 3), adhesion (4, 5), migration (6), morphological regulation (7, 8) during development (9), blood coagulation (10 –12), virus and bacterial infection (13), and tumor malignancy (14). These functions are regulated by the subtle differences in oligosaccharide structure. Heparin, for example, contains a specific pentasaccharide sequence, containing a rare 3-O-sulfo glucosamine residue, that is essential for antithrombin III binding, resulting in anticoagulation (15).