Molecular size difference of urinary heparan sulfates from normal individuals and genetic mucopolysaccharidoses

Heparan sulfates were isolated from the urine of normal individuals and patients with genetic mucopolysaccharidoses after exhaustive digestion with chondroitinase ABC. Electrophoresis of these preparations on cellulose acetate membrane revealed one spot corresponding in mobility to reference heparan sulphate in barium acetate buffer, while electrophoresis in 0.1 M HCl resulted in two distinct spots for each case; one corresponded in migration rate to reference heparan sulfate, and the other was faster in mobility than reference heparan sulfate but slightly retarded when compared with reference heparin. On thin-layer gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 (superfine) heparan sulfate from normal urine was polydispersed in character and its molecular size was larger than those of other preparations. Heparan sulfates from Hunter's and Sanfilippo's urine were monodispersed and small in molecular size. The molecular size of heparan sulfate from Sanfilippo's urine was the smallest of all. Heparin sulfate from Hurler's urine appeared to be composed of two populations; one corresponded in molecular size to heparan sulfate from normal urine, and the other corresponded to that of Hunter's urine.