Molecule

S2416 

Research Area: Immunology
Biological Activity:
Chondroitin sulfate is a kind of sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which is composed of a chain of alternating sugars including N-acetylgalactosamine and glucuronic acid. As part of a proteoglycan, it is usually attached to some particular proteins. The chondroitin chain contains over one hundred individual sugars sulfated in different positions and quantities. Chondroitin sulfate plays an important role in the structural constituent of cartilage. And chondroitin sulfate produces much of its resistance to compression. Chondroitin sulfate has become a broadly used dietary supplement for treatment of osteoarthritis in comination with glucosamine. Chondroitin sulfate chains are unbranched polysaccharides of variable length containing two alternating monosaccharides: D-glucuronic acid (GlcA) and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc). Some GlcA residues are epimerized into L-iduronic acid (IdoA); the resulting disaccharide is then referred to as dermatan sulfate. Chondroitin’s functions depend largely on the properties of the overall proteoglycan of which it is a part. These functions can be widely divided into structural and regulatory functions. [1]