Extraction of chondroitin/dermatan sulfate glycosaminoglycans from connective tissue for mass spectrometric analysis

Chondroitin/dermatan sulfate (CS/DS) glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are present in high levels in connective tissue where they play roles as structural molecules and in protein-binding interactions. Recent developments in the techniques for analysis of CS/DS using capillary electrophoresis (CE) have enabled progress in the understanding of changes in CS/DS structure that accompany connective tissue diseases including osteoarthritis. Key to these developments is the ability to extract CS/DS GAGs from small quantities of connective tissue. This chapter describes a method for connective tissue GAG extraction, derivatization, and workup for subsequent capillary electrophoretic and/or mass spectrometric analysis.