title: Re-visiting the structure of heparin.
abstract: The sulfated polysaccharide heparin has been used as a life-saving anticoagulant in clinics well before its detailed structure was known. This mini-review is a survey of the evolution in the discovery of the primary and secondary structure of heparin. Highlights in this history include elucidation and synthesis of the specific sequence that binds to antithrombin, the development of low-molecular-weight heparins currently used as antithrombotic drugs, and the most promising start of chemo-enzymatic synthesis. Special emphasis is given to peculiar conformational properties contributing to interaction with proteins that modulate different biological properties.
authors.affiliation: G. Ronzoni Institute for Chemical and Biochemical Research, via G. Colombo, 81 20133 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: casu@ronzoni.it.
authors.forename: Benito
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Casu
authors.affiliation: G. Ronzoni Institute for Chemical and Biochemical Research, via G. Colombo, 81 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naggi
authors.affiliation: G. Ronzoni Institute for Chemical and Biochemical Research, via G. Colombo, 81 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giangiacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Torri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000991:Antithrombins / Q000378:metabolism; D001709:Biotechnology; D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D006493:Heparin / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007067:Iduronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D008970:Molecular Weight
chemical_list: D000991:Antithrombins; D007067:Iduronic Acid; D006493:Heparin
keywords: Active site for antithrombin; Conformations; Heparin oligosaccharides; Heparin structure; Low-molecular-weight heparins; Protein binding