Chemical synthesis of human syndecan-4 glycopeptide bearing O-, N-sulfation and multiple aspartic acids for probing impacts of the glycan chain and the core peptide on biological functions.

Proteoglycans are a family of complex glycoproteins with glycosaminoglycan chains such as heparan sulfate (HS) attached to the core protein backbone. Due to the high structural heterogeneity of HS in nature, it is challenging to decipher the respective roles of the HS chain and the core protein on proteoglycan functions. While the sulfation patterns of HS dictate many activities, the core protein can potentially impact HS functions.