Structural diversity of mammalian hepatic dermatan sulfates

Dermatan sulfate-proteoglycans (DS-PGs) were extracted from rabbit, rat and bovine defatted livers by magnesium chloride extraction and DEAE-cellulose chromatography, and then submitted successively to Asahipak GS-520 gel filtration chromatography, Asahipak ES-502N anion exchange chromatography, and cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis. The disaccharide composition of the glycosaminoglycan chains was determined by differential digestion by chondroitinase ABC, AC, ACII and/or B followed by HPLC for analysis of the resulting unsaturated disaccharides. The hepatic dermatan sulfate chains contained disulfated disaccharide units; Di-diSB and Di-diSE. The hepatic DS-PGs were divided into two groups; Di-diSE-poor DS-PGs and Di-diSE-rich DS-PGs. The iduronic acid content of Di-diSE-poor dermatan sulfate chains was higher than that of Di-diSE-rich ones.