Chondroitin sulphate and keratan sulphate are almost isosteric.
Keratan sulphate and chondroitin sulphate (KS and CS) in the 2-fold helical configurations that are prevalent in solution are of very similar tacticity. The chiral centres, anionic sites and hydrophobic patches are in identical conformations. Only the position of the acetamido group varies from CS to KS, but part of its intramolecular H-bonding potential in CS is retained in KS. The formation of tertiary aggregates, observed in vitro and in tissues, is explicable on these bases. The proposal that KS may be a functional substitute for CS [Scott & Haigh (1988) J. Anat. 158, 95-108] under low-O2 conditions is relevant.
Scott
J E
JE
Chemical Morphology, Cell and Structural Biology, University of Manchester, U.K.
D000081:Acetamides / Q000737:chemistry; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry*; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D007632:Keratan Sulfate / Q000737:chemistry*; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012996:Solutions; D013431:Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry
D000081:Acetamides; D012996:Solutions; D013431:Sulfates; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D007632:Keratan Sulfate