Sulfated polysaccharides and their utilization mechanisms by microorganisms: A review

Sulfated polysaccharides (SPS) are a class of biomacromolecules bearing a large negative charge; due to their structural complexity and diverse biological activities, they had become a hot topic in glycoscience research. This paper focused on recent advances in the study of SPS, systematically discussing both natural and synthetic sources. It explored the structural composition of four typical SPS namely heparin, chondroitin sulfate, fucoidan, and fondaparinux sodium, as well as their biological activities, including antiviral, antioxidant, antitumor, anticoagulant, and immunomodulatory effects. Subsequently, the paper analyzed the degradation mechanisms of these polysaccharides by various types of microorganisms, particularly gut microbiota, with a particular emphasis on the degradation of SPS by the Bacteroidetes phylum (Sus-like system), Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and Micrococcus, then compared their degradation strategies. The roles of various active enzymes in the degradation process were analyzed, and the role of SPS synthesized by microorganisms themselves in their survival and development was discussed. The unique structure of SPS and their corresponding biological activities gave them enormous application potential in fields such as synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and healthcare.