Sulfation of Glycosaminoglycans and Its Implications in Human Health and Disorders

• Published in: Annual review of biomedical engineering Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 1 - 26
• Main Authors: Soares da Costa, Diana, Reis, Rui L, Pashkuleva, Iva
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Annual Reviews 21.06.2017
• Subjects: biomaterials; chondroitin sulfate; Chondroitin Sulfates - metabolism; Congenital Abnormalities - metabolism; dermatan sulfate; Dermatan Sulfate - metabolism; Evidence-Based Medicine; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - genetics; Glycosaminoglycans - metabolism; heparan sulfate; heparin; Heparitin Sulfate - metabolism; Humans; keratan sulfate; Metabolic Diseases - metabolism; heparin; keratan sulfate; dermatan sulfate; heparan sulfate; biomaterials; chondroitin sulfate
• ISSN: 1523-9829; 1545-4274
• DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-071516-044610

Sulfation is a dynamic and complex posttranslational modification process. It can occur at various positions within the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) backbone and modulates extracellular signals such as cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions; different sulfation patterns have been identified for the same organs and cells during their development. Because of their high specificity in relation to function, GAG sulfation patterns are referred to as the sulfation code. This review explores the role of GAG sulfation in different biological processes at the cell, tissue, and organism levels. We address the connection between the sulfation patterns of GAGs and several physiological processes and discuss the misregulation of GAG sulfation and its involvement in several genetic and metabolic disorders. Finally, we present the therapeutic potential of GAGs and their synthetic mimics in the biomedical field.