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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Detection of Glycosaminoglycans by Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis and Silver Staining
Published on: February 25, 2021
Structural analysis of glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans by means of Raman microspectrometry
Richard Ellis1, Ellen Green, C Peter Winlove
1School of Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom. R.E.Ellis@exeter.ac.uk
Abstract:
Raman spectra have been determined for hyaluronan, chondroitin-4-sulfate, chondroitin-6-sulfate, aggrecan monomers and aggregates. The nature of the saccharides and the pattern of sulfation can be discerned. There were only small spectral changes with pH and ionic composition. Differences between hydroxyl vibrations, bulk water and solution conditions are shown. The spectrum of aggrecan is dominated by chondroitin sulfate contribution. The sulfation pattern and ratio of protein to glycosaminoglycan and the secondary structure of the core protein were determined.
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