Mapping and quantification of the major oligosaccharide components of heparin

A new method of determining the oligosaccharide composition of commercial glycosaminoglycan heparin is described in which heparin was first depolymerized using heparin lyase (EC 4.2.2.7), and then analysed by a single h.p.l.c. step. All 20 of the porcine and bovine heparins examined were found to contain a small number of major oligosaccharide components, which on average comprised 86% of their mass. The five most abundant oligosaccharides have defined chemical structures. Although the relative abundance of oligosaccharides varied, the heparins examined were surprisingly similar. Porcine, bovine, low-Mr, and high and low antithrombin III (ATIII)-affinity heparins, however, each had distinctly different proportions of these major oligosaccharide components. The concentrations of one of these five oligosaccharides, containing a portion of the ATIII binding site, correlated with the anticoagulant activity of the ATIII-affinity-fractionated porcine-mucosal heparins from which it was derived. An additional oligosaccharide of undetermined structure was found in significant quantities in both bovine heparin and high ATIII-affinity porcine-mucosal heparin. The correlation between oligosaccharide concentration and anticoagulant activity suggests that the oligosaccharide is derived from a structural variant of the ATIII-binding site. Finally, for the heparins examined chondroitin/dermatan sulphate formed 0.6-7.4% of their mass.