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R J Linhardt

Publications and source records attributed to R J Linhardt.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Oligosaccharide mapping of low molecular weight heparins: structure and activity differences.

Low molecular weight heparins from a variety of commercial sources were examined. These had been prepared by several methods including peroxidative cleavage, nitrous acid cleavage, chemical beta-elimination, enzymatic beta-elimination, and chromatographic fractionation. The molecular weight and polydispersity of these low molecular weight heparins showed greater differences than were observed for typical commercial heparin preparations. Considerable differences were also observed in the antithrombin III mediated anti factor Xa activity, the heparin cofactor II mediated antifactor IIa activity, and the USP activity of these low molecular weight heparins. An oligosaccharide-mapping technique (comparable to the peptide mapping of proteins) was applied to these low molecular weight heparins in an effort to understand the structural features responsible for their activity differences. Heparin lyase from Flavobacterium heparinum was first used to depolymerize the low molecular weight heparin into its constituent oligosaccharides. The oligosaccharides present in the resultant mixture were identified and quantitated by using standard oligosaccharides of defined structure on gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and strong anion exchange high pressure liquid chromatography. Six of the oligosaccharide products have been identified and represent nearly 90 wt % of heparin's mass. Even though all the low molecular weight heparins showed these six oligosaccharide components, their content in each varied greatly, accounting for 20 to over 90% of their mass. The antithrombin III mediated anti factor Xa activities of the low molecular weight heparins correlated only poorly to the concentration of a hexasaccharide containing a portion of heparin's antithrombin III binding site. The heparin cofactor II mediated antifactor IIa activity, however, could not be correlated to these six oligosaccharides of known structure nor to the molecular weight or charge density of these low molecular weight heparins. The low molecular weight heparins prepared by different methods each showed a new distinctive oligosaccharide in their maps. Their isolation and structural characterization, which included two-dimensional NMR and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry, indicated that these unusual oligosaccharides result from end-sugar modification during chemical depolymerization. Both gel electrophoresis and high-pressure liquid chromatography mapping techniques showed a greater structural diversity between low molecular weight heparins than had previously been observed between similarly analyzed commercial heparins.

Factor Xa Inhibitors↗

Study of structurally defined oligosaccharide substrates of heparin and heparan monosulfate lyases.

The rapid preparation of multimilligram quantities of five heparin-derived oligosaccharides (1-5) is described. These oligosaccharides are the final products obtained from the action of heparin lyase (heparinase, E.C. 4.2.2.7) at its primary sites in the heparin polymer. Five oligosaccharides comprise from 75-85 wt% of commercial porcine mucosal heparins and are recovered in good yield and high purity. Four of these five oligosaccharides were further acted upon at much lower rates by prolonged treatment with heparin lyase or heparan monosulfate lyase (heparitinase, E.C. 4.2.2.8), revealing the subspecificities of these enzymes. These oligosaccharides were used as defined substrates for heparin lyase and heparan monosulfate lyase and their kinetic constants were obtained. Potential applications for these oligosaccharides include their use as defined substrates for purification of heparin monosulfate lyases, and for establishing the catalytic purity of enzyme preparations.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗

Sequence analysis of highly sulfated, heparin-derived oligosaccharides using fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry.

Heparin, a polydisperse, sulfated copolymer of 1----4 linked glucosamine and uronic acid residues, has been used clinically as an anticoagulant for half a century. Despite a yearly use of over 50 million doses in the U.S. alone, heparin's exact chemical structure remains unclear. The negative ion fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) analysis is presented for a series of enzymatically prepared, homogeneous, structurally characterized, highly sulfated, heparin-derived oligosaccharides using triethanolamine as the FAB matrix. In addition to the clear presence of monoanionic sodiated molecular ions, structurally significant (sequence) fragment ions are observed and characterized with respect to the known structure for five of the heparin-derived oligosaccharides. The structure of a sixth oligosaccharide is predicted by using negative ion FAB-MS and subsequently confirmed by chemical, enzymatic, and NMR spectroscopic methods.

Heparin↗

Nonrandom structural features in the heparin polymer.

Computer simulation studies were used to prepare an ensemble of heparin number chains. The polydispersity of these chains was simulated by introducing a specific "fraction of terminators", and it closely resembled the experimentally observed polydispersity of a porcine mucosal, glycosaminoglycan heparin. The same percentage of simulated chains contained antithrombin III (ATIII) binding site sequences as are typically found to contain ATIII binding sites using affinity chromatography. Heparin lyase action was then simulated by using Michaelis-Menten kinetics. In one model, heparin chains were constructed from the random assembly of monosaccharide units using the observed mole percentage of each. After simulated depolymerization, the final oligosaccharides formed were compared to the observed oligosaccharide products. The simulation which assumed a random distribution of monosaccharide units in heparin did not agree with experimental observations. In particular, no ATIII binding site sequences were found in the simulated number chains. The results of this simulation indicate that heparin is not simply a random assembly of monosaccharide units. These results are consistent with the known, ordered biosynthesis of heparin. In a second model, heparin chains were constructed from randomly assembled oligosaccharides at the mole percentage in which each is found in the final product mixture. The action of heparin lyase was then simulated, and the distribution of the oligosaccharide products was measured throughout the simulated time course of the depolymerization reaction. The simulated rate of formation and final concentration of a particular oligosaccharide which contains a portion of heparin's ATIII binding site were similar to those observed experimentally. These results are consistent with the random distribution of ATIII binding sites within glycosaminoglycan heparin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

Resistance of heparinase-derived heparin fragments to biotransformation.

The biotransformation of heparinase-derived heparin fragments was examined via a combined approach using 35S-labeled heparin fragments as well as unlabeled chemically defined heparin fragments. Rats dosed with either [35S]di-, tetra-, hexa-, or octasaccharide fragments (2 mg/kg body weight, intravenously) excreted 63-69% of the injected radioactivity into the urine within 24 h with two-thirds being excreted during the first 6 h. Gel permeation chromatography of the urinary material shows that the tetra- and octasaccharides have undergone minor (approximately 5%) depolymerization whereas no change was observed for the di- and hexasaccharides. No N-desulfation was demonstrated for any of the substances. The hexa- and octasaccharide metabolites present in the urine 24 h after dosing exhibited the same antifactor Xa activity as that of the injected material. A chemically defined trisulfated disaccharide and a hexasulfated tetrasaccharide were prepared and dosed in a similar manner. Only one metabolite was recovered from animals dosed with disaccharide. This compound was characterized by anion exchange chromatography, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and mass spectrometry and shown to be identical to the injected disaccharide. Five metabolites were isolated from the urine of rats dosed with the hexasulfated tetrasaccharide. The major metabolite, consisting of at least 65% of the total, was characterized as described for the disaccharide and shown to be identical to the injected compound. The remaining material appeared to be disaccharides and, possibly, a tetrasaccharide conjugate. Taken together, our results show that the heparinase-derived heparin fragments are very resistant to biotransformation compared with heparin and endogenous heparin fragments. These fragments may therefore be useful in defining structure activity relationships in vivo.

Animals↗

Structural features of heparin and their effect on heparin cofactor II mediated inhibition of thrombin.

Heparins from different species and tissues show similar levels of ATIII and HCII mediated anti-IIa activities. On fractionation, chains containing predominantly ATIII or HCII activities could not be separated. Oligosaccharide mapping demonstrates that the concentration of an oligosaccharide comprising a portion of heparin's ATIII binding site in a particular heparin fraction correlates with ATIII mediated anti-IIa activity, but does not correlate with HCII mediated anti-IIa activity. These results suggest that ATIII and HCII do not share a common binding site. Partial enzymatic depolymerization of heparin resulted in large oligosaccharides which could be purified and partially characterized. Although oligosaccharides of degree of polymerization (dp) 18 and 20 showed significant ATIII and HCII mediated anti-IIa activities no separation of these activities resulted. These data suggest however that a minimum chain length of dp18 was required for HCII mediated anti-IIa activity.

Animals↗

Analysis of glycosaminoglycan-derived oligosaccharides using reversed-phase ion-pairing and ion-exchange chromatography with suppressed conductivity detection.

Oligosaccharides prepared from glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) including heparin, heparan sulfate, chondroitin sulfates, dermatan sulfate, and keratan sulfate were analyzed using reverse-phase ion-pairing HPLC and ion-exchange HPLC with suppressed conductivity detection. The results were compared with those obtained by strong anion-exchange HPLC using uv detection. These oligosaccharides were first prepared by enzymatically depolymerizing the GAGs with enzymes including heparin lyase (EC 4.2.2.7), heparan sulfate lyase (EC 4.2.2.8), chondroitin ABC lyase (EC 4.2.2.4), and keratan sulfate hydrolase (EC 3.2.1.103). Analysis was then performed without derivitization under isocratic conditions with a limit of sensitivity in the picomole range. Preliminary studies suggest that this approach may be particularly useful in examining oligosaccharides having no uv chromophore such as those prepared from keratan sulfate.

Chondroitin Sulfates↗

A dose escalation study of ORG 10172 (low molecular weight heparinoid) in stroke.

An intravenous infusion of a low molecular weight heparinoid, with a reduced risk of hemorrhage, may be an alternative to heparin in the management of acute ischemic stroke. To evaluate this hypothesis, we studied the safety of the heparinoid, ORG 10172, in a dose-escalation study in 26 patients. The drug was administered as a loading bolus followed by a 7-day infusion in five rates with target anti-factor Xa levels from 0.2 to 1.0 U/ml. The drug was well tolerated; no major bleeding complications or thrombocytopenia occurred. There were no deaths or hemorrhagic transformation of cerebral infarctions. The results indicate that ORG 10172 at doses to achieve a level of 1.0 U/ml or less may be used safely in management of acute cerebral infarction.

Adult↗

Mapping and quantification of the major oligosaccharide components of heparin.

A new method of determining the oligosaccharide composition of commercial glycosaminoglycan heparin is described in which heparin was first depolymerized using heparin lyase (EC 4.2.2.7), and then analysed by a single h.p.l.c. step. All 20 of the porcine and bovine heparins examined were found to contain a small number of major oligosaccharide components, which on average comprised 86% of their mass. The five most abundant oligosaccharides have defined chemical structures. Although the relative abundance of oligosaccharides varied, the heparins examined were surprisingly similar. Porcine, bovine, low-Mr, and high and low antithrombin III (ATIII)-affinity heparins, however, each had distinctly different proportions of these major oligosaccharide components. The concentrations of one of these five oligosaccharides, containing a portion of the ATIII binding site, correlated with the anticoagulant activity of the ATIII-affinity-fractionated porcine-mucosal heparins from which it was derived. An additional oligosaccharide of undetermined structure was found in significant quantities in both bovine heparin and high ATIII-affinity porcine-mucosal heparin. The correlation between oligosaccharide concentration and anticoagulant activity suggests that the oligosaccharide is derived from a structural variant of the ATIII-binding site. Finally, for the heparins examined chondroitin/dermatan sulphate formed 0.6-7.4% of their mass.

Animals↗

Homogeneous, structurally defined heparin-oligosaccharides with low anticoagulant activity inhibit the generation of the amplification pathway C3 convertase in vitro.

This paper demonstrates that heparin-oligosaccharides with low anticoagulant activity have a high capacity to inhibit activation of the amplification pathway of complement in vitro. We prepared heparin-oligosaccharides by partial depolymerization of heparin using purified flavobacterial heparinase. The resulting oligosaccharide mixture was then fractionated using strong anion exchange-high pressure liquid chromatography to produce individual oligosaccharide components of this mixture, with degree of polymerization ranging from 2 to 16. These heparin-oligosaccharides were examined for both their anticoagulant activity and capacity to inhibit activation of the amplification pathway of complement. Although there was little difference among commercial heparins, a correlation between molecular weight and activity to inhibit convertase generation was clearly established for heparin-oligosaccharides between degree of polymerization 2 through 16. Heparin-oligosaccharides of degree of polymerization 10-16 (Mr 3888-5320) demonstrated up to 54% of heparin's activity on a molar basis (and up to 163% of heparin's activity on a weight basis) in inhibiting the amplification pathway of complement in vitro while showing almost no anticoagulant activity. These studies, for the first time, completely separate heparin's ability to inhibit complement activation from its anticoagulant activity.

Animals↗

Fractionation of heparin-derived oligosaccharides by gradient polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis.

Heparin-derived oligosaccharides, prepared by using flavobacterial heparinase, having a high degree of heterogeneity (sequence variability) were resolved into sharp well-defined bands by using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The use of a stacking gel and a high-density-pore-gradient resolving gel was primarily responsible for the success of this separation. Low-Mr standards of known structure and having a degree of polymerization (dp) 2-6 were used to establish that the separation on gradient PAGE was primarily dependent on molecular size. High-Mr oligosaccharides (dp 8-20) were prepared using strong-anion-exchange h.p.l.c. and were used to help characterize the gradient PAGE separation. Kinetic profiles were obtained for the depolymerization of heparin and heparan sulphate with heparinase and heparitinase respectively. The utility of this approach in sequencing oligosaccharides derived from glycosaminoglycans is discussed.

Animals↗

Bioassays. Patents and literature.

Bioassays, including immunoassays, enzyme assays, and assays using enzyme electrodes, and nucleic acid hybridization probes have been the subject of considerable industrial and academic research. New bioassay methods have applications in the medical, chemical, pharmaceutical, and food products industries. Recent US patents and scientific literature on a variety of new bioassay methods are surveyed. A description of these patents and a list of references are given.

Bibliographies as Topic↗

Monoclonal antibodies and immobilized antibodies. Patents and literature.

Antibodies in both their free and immobilized state have been the object of considerable industrial and academic interest. A variety of methods are used for preparing and immobilizing antibodies. Applications for monoclonal antibodies include the preparation of therapeutics, diagnostics, and in affinity fractionation. Recent US patents on monoclonal and immobilized antibodies and scientific literature on monoclonal antibodies are surveyed. A description of these patents and a list of references are given.

Antibodies↗

New approaches for anticoagulation in extracorporeal therapy.

The need to fully heparinize patients undergoing extracorporeal therapy often leads to hemorrhagic complications. Two approaches have been used to solve this problem. The first involves full heparinization of blood entering the extracorporeal device followed by the elimination of heparin from the blood returned to the patient using an immobilized heparinase reactor system. Animal studies have demonstrated the successful elimination of heparin's anticoagulant activity using this reactor. The second approach uses very low molecular weight (VLMW) heparins with improved properties. Although low molecular weight heparins and heparinoids have been successfully used in hemodialysis, these preparations are polydisperse mixtures. New VLMW heparins are described which are pure, monodisperse, structurally defined drugs and show improved pharmacokinetics and greater specificity than heparin. The separation of ATIII and HCII mediated activity against factors IIa and Xa may permit extracorporeal therapy with only partial anticoagulation resulting in increased antithrombotic activity with decreased hemorrhagic side-effects. Finally, these VLMW heparins suggest certain desirable structural characteristics in the design blood compatible non-thrombotic synthetic polymers for use in extracorporeal devices.

Enzymes, Immobilized↗

Structure and activity of a unique heparin-derived hexasaccharide.

A hexasaccharide representing a major sequence in porcine mucosal heparin has been enzymatically prepared from heparin. Its structure was determined by an integrated approach using chemical, enzymatic, and spectroscopic methods. Two-dimensional 1H homonuclear COSY, C-H correlation NMR, and selective irradiation were used to assign many of the NMR resonances. In addition, new techniques including sulfate determination by ion chromatography and Fourier transform IR and californium plasma desorption mass spectroscopy have been applied, resulting in an unambiguous structural assignment of delta IdoAp2S(1----4)-alpha-D-GlcNp2S6S(1----4)-alpha-L-IdoAp++ +(1----4)-alpha-D-GlcNA cp6S-(1----4)-beta-D-GlcAp(1----4)-alpha-D-GlcNp2S3S6S (where delta IdoA represents 4-deoxy-alpha-L-threo-hex-4-enopyranosyluronic acid, p represents pyranose, and GlcA and IdoA represent glucuronic and iduronic acid). This hexasaccharide contains a portion of the antithrombin III-binding site and has a Kd of 4 X 10(-5) M. Unlike other small heparin oligosaccharides, which are specific for coagulation factor Xa, it inhibits both factors IIa and Xa equally through antithrombin III. This hexasaccharide may have the unique capacity to act primarily through heparin cofactor II to inhibit thrombin (factor IIa) and shows over half of heparin's heparin cofactor II-mediated anti-factor IIa activity. These studies suggest the occurrence of contiguous binding sites on heparin for Xa, antithrombin III, and heparin cofactor II.

Animals↗

Polysaccharide lyases.

Polysaccharide lyases (or eliminases) are a class of enzymes (EC 4.2.2.-) that act to cleave certain activated glycosidic linkages present in acidic polysaccharides. These enzymes act through an eliminase mechanism, rather than through hydrolysis, resulting in unsaturated oligosaccharide products. Acidic polysaccharides are ubiquitous and so are the lyases that degrade them. This review article examines lyases that act on acidic polysaccharides of plant, animal, and microbial origin. These lyases are predominantly of microbial origin and come from a wide variety of both pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria and fungi. The lyases discussed include alginate lyase (EC 4.2.2.3), pectin lyase (EC 4.2.2.10), pectate lyase (EC 4.2.2.2), oligogalacturonide lyase (EC 4.2.2.6), exopolygalacturonate lyase (EC 4.2.2.9), chondroitin lyases (EC 4.2.2.4 and EC 4.2.2.5), hyaluronate lyase (EC 4.2.2.1), heparin lyase (EC 4.2.2.7), heparan lyase (EC 4.2.2.8), and other unclassified lyases. This review examines the sources, regulation, purification, and properties of these polysaccharide lyases.

Animals↗