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Updated: May 15, 2026

Using a GFP-tagged TMEM184A Construct for Confirmation of Heparin Receptor Identity
Published on: February 17, 2017
Use of biosynthetic enzymes in heparin and heparan sulfate synthesis
Elizabeth P Chappell1, Jian Liu
1Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States.
Abstract:
Heparan sulfate and heparin are highly sulfated polysaccharides consisting of repeating disaccharide units of glucuronic acid or iduronic acid that is linked to glucosamine. Heparan sulfate displays a range of biological functions, and heparin is a widely used anticoagulant drug in hospitals. It has been known to organic chemists that the chemical synthesis of heparan sulfate and heparin oligosaccharides is extremely difficult. Recent advances in the study of the biosynthesis of heparan sulfate/heparin offer a chemoenzymatic approach to synthesize heparan sulfate and heparin. Compared to chemical synthesis, the chemoenzymatic method shortens the synthesis and improves the product yields significantly, providing an excellent opportunity to advance the understanding of the structure and function relationships of heparan sulfate. In this review, we attempt to summarize the progress of the chemoenzymatic synthetic method and its application in heparan sulfate and heparin research.
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