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Updated: Nov 17, 2025
Biochemical Titration of Glycogen In vitro
Published on: November 24, 2013
Structural characterization and immunostimulatory activity in vitro of a glycogen from sea urchin-Strongylocentyotus
Qing-Chi Wang1, Maosheng Wei1, Yang Yue1
1Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China; Lab for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Lab for Marine Sci. and Tech, Qingdao, 266071, China; Department of Earth Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China.
Abstract:
Sea urchin possesses both high nutritional and medicinal value. It contains diverse biological active polysaccharides. But there are few studies on its glycogen. In the current study, a glucan (MSGA) was separated from Strongylocentyotus internedius and purified by ion exchange and gel filtration column. Chemical analysis revealed that MSGA with 2.65 × 107 Da is made up entirely of glucose. The analysis of methylation, NMR and mass spectrum demonstrated that MSGA is a highly branched glycogen with α-(1→4) linked gluconic backbone and branched at C-6 (one branch per five residues). In addition, MSGA showed good in vitro immunostimulatory activity via NF-κB and MAPKs pathways. It is considered that high degree of branching is necessary for its activity. However, the relationship between structure and immunostimulatory activity of natural glycogens is difficult to elucidate because the difference in their structural properties. Therefore, much more research is needed in this area.
