title: A 3D-structural model of unsulfated chondroitin from high-field NMR: 4-sulfation has little effect on backbone conformation.
abstract: The glycosaminoglycan chondroitin sulfate is essential in human health and disease but exactly how sulfation dictates its 3D-structure at the atomic level is unclear. To address this, we have purified homogenous oligosaccharides of unsulfated chondroitin (with and without (15)N-enrichment) and analysed them by high-field NMR to make a comparison published chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronan 3D-structures. The result is the first full assignment of the tetrasaccharide and an experimental 3D-model of the hexasaccharide (PDB code 2KQO). In common with hyaluronan, we confirm that the amide proton is not involved in strong, persistent inter-residue hydrogen bonds. However, in contrast to hyaluronan, a hydrogen bond is not inferred between the hexosamine OH-4 and the glucuronic acid O5 atoms across the beta(1-->3) glycosidic linkage. The unsulfated chondroitin bond geometry differs slightly from hyaluronan by rotation about the beta(1-->3) psi dihedral (as previously predicted by simulation), while the beta(1-->4) linkage is unaffected. Furthermore, comparison shows that this glycosidic linkage geometry is similar in chondroitin-4-sulfate. We therefore hypothesise that both hexosamine OH-4 and OH-6 atoms are solvent exposed in chondroitin, explaining why it is amenable to sulfation and hyaluronan is not, and also that 4-sulfation has little effect on backbone conformation. Our conclusions exemplify the value of the 3D-model presented here and progress our understanding of glycosaminoglycan molecular properties.
authors.affiliation: Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
authors.forename: Benedict M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Sattelle
authors.forename: Javad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shakeri
authors.forename: Ian S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almond
mesh_terms: D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D002807:Chondroitin / Q000737:chemistry*; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry; D015195:Drug Design; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008958:Models, Molecular; D013431:Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D013431:Sulfates; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D002807:Chondroitin; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates