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Updated: Dec 16, 2025

Detection of Glycosaminoglycans by Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis and Silver Staining
Published on: February 25, 2021
Analysis of the Glycosaminoglycan Chains of Proteoglycans
Yuefan Song1,2, Fuming Zhang2, Robert J Linhardt2
1National R & D Branch Center for Seaweed Processing, College of Food Science and Engineering, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, P.R. China.
Abstract:
Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are heterogeneous, negatively charged, macromolecules that are found in animal tissues. Based on the form of component sugar, GAGs have been categorized into four different families: heparin/heparan sulfate, chondroitin/dermatan sulfate, keratan sulfate, and hyaluronan. GAGs engage in biological pathway regulation through their interaction with protein ligands. Detailed structural information on GAG chains is required to further understanding of GAG-ligand interactions. However, polysaccharide sequencing has lagged behind protein and DNA sequencing due to the non-template-driven biosynthesis of glycans. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the analysis of GAG chains, specifically focusing on techniques related to mass spectroscopy (MS), including separation techniques coupled to MS, tandem MS, and bioinformatics software for MS spectrum interpretation. Progress in the use of other structural analysis tools, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and hyphenated techniques, is included to provide a comprehensive perspective.
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