Biological function of unique sulfated glycosaminoglycans in primitive chordates.
Glycoconj J
; 34(3): 277-283, 2017 06.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-27614617
ABSTRACT
Glycosaminoglycans with unique sulfation patterns have been identified in different species of ascidians (sea squirts), a group of marine invertebrates of the Phylum Chordata, sub-phylum Tunicata (or Urochordata). Oversulfated dermatan sulfate composed of [4-α-L-IdoA-(2-O-SO3)-1 â 3-ß-D-GalNAc(4-OSO3)-1]n repeating disaccharide units is found in the extracellular matrix of several organs, where it seems to interact with collagen fibers. This dermatan sulfate co-localizes with a decorin-like protein, as indicated by immunohistochemical analysis. Low sulfated heparin/heparan sulfate-like glycans composed mainly of [4-α-L-IdoA-(2-OSO3)-1 â 4-α-D-GlcN(SO3)-1 (6-O-SO3)-1]n and [4-α-L-IdoA-(2-O-SO3)-1 â 4-α-D-GlcN(SO3)-1]n have also been described in ascidians. These heparin-like glycans occur in intracellular granules of oocyte assessory cells, named test cells, in circulating basophil-like cells in the hemolymph, and at the basement membrane of different ascidian organs. In this review, we present an overview of the structure, distribution, extracellular and intracellular localization of the sulfated glycosaminoglycans in different species and tissues of ascidians. Considering the phylogenetic position of the subphylum Tunicata in the phylum Chordata, a careful analysis of these data can reveal important information about how these glycans evolved from invertebrate to vertebrate animals.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Phylogeny
/
Urochordata
/
Animal Structures
/
Dermatan Sulfate
/
Disaccharides
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Glycoconj J
Journal subject:
BIOQUIMICA
/
METABOLISMO
Year:
2017
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Greece