Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Selective Inhibition of Heparan Sulphate and Not Chondroitin Sulphate by a Small, Soluble Competitive Inhibitor

Version 1 : Received: 24 May 2021 / Approved: 25 May 2021 / Online: 25 May 2021 (10:17:59 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Maciej-Hulme, M.L.; Dubaissi, E.; Shao, C.; Zaia, J.; Amaya, E.; Flitsch, S.L.; Merry, C.L.R. Selective Inhibition of Heparan Sulphate and Not Chondroitin Sulphate Biosynthesis by a Small, Soluble Competitive Inhibitor. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 6988. Maciej-Hulme, M.L.; Dubaissi, E.; Shao, C.; Zaia, J.; Amaya, E.; Flitsch, S.L.; Merry, C.L.R. Selective Inhibition of Heparan Sulphate and Not Chondroitin Sulphate Biosynthesis by a Small, Soluble Competitive Inhibitor. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 6988.

Abstract

The glycosaminoglycan, heparan sulphate (HS), orchestrates many developmental processes. Yet its biological role has not yet fully been elucidated. Small molecule chemical inhibitors can be used to perturb HS function and these compounds pro-vide cheap alternatives to genetic manipulation methods. However, existing chemical inhibition methods for HS also interfere with chondroitin sulphate (CS), complicating data interpretation of HS function. Herein, a simple method for the selective inhibition of HS biosynthesis is described. Using endogenous metabolic sugar pathways, Ac4GalNAz produces UDP-GlcNAz, which can target HS synthesis. Cell treatment with Ac4GalNAz resulted in defective chain elongation of the polymer and decreased HS expression. Conversely, no adverse effect on CS production was observed. The inhibition was transient and dose-dependent, affording rescue of HS expression after removal of the unnatural azido sugar. The utility of inhibition is demonstrated in cell culture and in whole or-ganisms, demonstrating that this small molecule can be used as a tool for HS inhibition in biological systems.

Keywords

heparan sulfate; glycosaminoglycan; carbohydrate biosynthesis; azido sugar; small molecule inhibitor

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0
Metrics 0


×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.