Bacterial β-glucuronidases, heparinases, cleave heparan sulfate and heparin. These bacteria typically use these
glycosaminoglycans as carbon and nitrogen sources.
Our group
has developed an interest in glycosaminoglycan chemistry and biology over the
past few years (see for example, Pearson et
al, Org Biomol Chem, 2011) and to this end we have now explored the
synthesis and activity of defined heparan sulfate oligomers.
In this
paper we report on a 1D-NMR-based study of the enzymatic reaction between
selected heparan sulfate fragments and a bacterial β-glucuronidase.
Thus, exposure of regioselectively sulfated heparan sulfate fragments to the
enzyme was monitored by 1H-NMR spectroscopy under optimal enzyme
reaction conditions.
From this study we have gained insight to
the enzymatic reaction pathway.
