title: Structural diversity among sulfated alpha-L-galactans from ascidians (tunicates). Studies on the species Ciona intestinalis and Herdmania monus.
abstract: Sulfated polysaccharides occurring in the tunic of different species of ascidians differ markedly in electrophoretic pattern and chemical composition. A purified sulfated alpha-L-galactan from Herdmania monus was studied using methylation analysis and NMR spectroscopy; it is composed mainly of 3-sulfated 4-linked alpha-L-galactopyranoyl units. This is the first description of a homo-polymer of sulfated alpha-L-galactose. In contrast, the sulfated L-galactan from Ciona intestinalis shows marked structural heterogeneity and a low sulfate content. These data indicate unusual structural diversity among sulfated L-galactans from different species of ascidians.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mulloy
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Mourão
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D002848:Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose; D002938:Ciona intestinalis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005685:Galactans / Q000378:metabolism*; D005692:Galactose Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008745:Methylation; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010504:Periodic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D013464:Sulfuric Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D014561:Urochordata / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005685:Galactans; D013464:Sulfuric Acids; D010504:Periodic Acid; D005692:Galactose Oxidase