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Updated: Aug 13, 2025

Detection of Glycosaminoglycans by Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis and Silver Staining
Published on: February 25, 2021
Studying the Effects of Glycosaminoglycans in Cell Morphological Aspect with Scanning Electron Microscopy
Christos Koutsakis1, Marco Franchi2, Anastasia-Gerasimoula Tavianatou3
1Biochemistry, Biochemical Analysis and Matrix Pathobiology Research Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Patras, Greece. ckoutsakis@upatras.gr.
Abstract:
Glycosaminoglycans, the building blocks of proteoglycans, play a central role in the extracellular matrix and regulate a number of cellular processes. Therefore, any imbalance in their levels can lead to significant changes in cell behavior and phenotype. Additionally, glycosaminoglycans and their derivatives can be deployed as therapeutic agents in pathological conditions. Since cell morphology is a critical indicator of specialized cellular functions, its study can provide valuable insight. Scanning electron microscopy is a high-resolution imaging technique that makes for an ideal tool to observe the cellular appearance in 2D and 3D cultures under different conditions and/or substrates. In this chapter we provide a step-by-step protocol to study the influence of exogenously added glycosaminoglycans in the morphology of cells using scanning electron microscopy.
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