Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Biochemistry (not Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics)
Michelle Bessiake - Texas Southern University
Co-Author(s): Matt Suflita, Fuming Zhang, and Robert Lindhardt, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Albany, NY
In this study, we focus on synthesizing a heparan sulfate (HS) library by using biosynthetic enzymes to produce different sulfation patterns. Heparan sulfate is a complex polysaccharide composed of repeating dissaccharde units (L-iduronic aid and glucosamine) with variable sulfation patterns. Using the E. coli K5 capsular polysaccharide heparosan as the starting material, the heparosan is chemically N-sulfated. Once the resulting N- sulfo heparosan is formed it is treated with various combinations of HS biosynthetic enzymes including: 2-Osulfotranferase-1 (2-OST-1), C5 epimerase, 6-OST-1, 6-OST-3, and 3-OST-1. The resulting HS library was then analyzed by reverse phase ion pairing chromatography – mass spectrometry (RPIP-MS) to determine the sulfation type and composition. For future endeavors, this heparan sulfate library will be used to study the structure-activity relationship between HS sulfation patterns and fibroblast growth factor signaling efficiency
Funder Acknowledgement(s): Dr. Robert Lindhardt
Faculty Advisor: Bobby Wilson,