Identification of keratan sulfate disaccharide at C-3 position of glucuronate of chondroitin sulfate from Mactra chinensis.

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), including chondroitin sulfate (CS), dermatan sulfate, heparin, heparan sulfate and keratan sulfate (KS) are linear sulfated repeating disaccharide sequences containing hexosamine and uronic acid [or galactose (Gal) in the case of KS]. Among the GAGs, CS shows structural variations, such as sulfation patterns and fucosylation, which are responsible for their physiological functions through CS interaction with CS-binding proteins. Here, we solved the structure of KS-branched CS-E derived from a clam, Mactra chinensis KS disaccharide [d-GlcNAc6S-(1→3)-β-d-Gal-(1→] was attached to the C-3 position of GlcA, and consecutive KS-branched disaccharide sequences were found in a CS chain.

Characterization of thylakoid membrane in a heterocystous cyanobacterium and green alga with dual-detector fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy with a systematic change of incident laser power.

Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) has been applied to plants, algae and cyanobacteria, in which excitation laser conditions affect the chlorophyll fluorescence lifetime due to several mechanisms. However, the dependence of FLIM data on input laser power has not been quantitatively explained by absolute excitation probabilities under actual imaging conditions. In an effort to distinguish between photosystem I and photosystem II (PSI and PSII) in microscopic images, we have obtained dependence of FLIM data on input laser power from a filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis and single cellular green alga Parachlorella kessleri.

Functional chondroitin sulfate from Enteroctopus dofleini containing a 3-O-sulfo glucuronic acid residue.

There are several reports that chondroitin sulfate containing K-type units [GlcA (3S)-GalNAc (4S)] exhibiting similar levels of neurite outgrowth promoting activities as CS having high amounts of B-, D- and E-type disulfated disaccharides. Although CS containing K-type units possess important biological activities, there are only few sources, such as king crab cartilage, squid cartilage or sea cucumber. In this study, CS containing 13.

Composition of glycosaminoglycans in elasmobranchs including several deep-sea sharks: identification of chondroitin/dermatan sulfate from the dried fins of Isurus oxyrinchus and Prionace glauca.

Shark fin, used as a food, is a rich source of glycosaminoglyans (GAGs), acidic polysaccharides having important biological activities, suggesting their nutraceutical and pharmaceutical application. A comprehensive survey of GAGs derived from the fin was performed on 11 elasmobranchs, including several deep sea sharks. Chondroitin sulfate (CS) and hyaluronic acid (HA) were found in Isurus oxyrinchus, Prionace glauca, Scyliorhinus torazame, Deania calcea, Chlamydoselachus anguineus, Mitsukurina owatoni, Mustelus griseus and Dasyatis akajei, respectively.

Reduced expression of dermcidin, a peptide active against propionibacterium acnes, in sweat of patients with acne vulgaris.

Dermcidin (DCD), an antimicrobial peptide with a broad spectrum of activity against bacteria such as Propionibacterum acnes, is expressed constitutively in sweat in the absence of stimulation due to injury or inflammation. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between DCD expression and acne vulgaris associated with P. acnes.