Raman and Raman optical activity of glycosaminoglycans.

The first Raman optical activity spectra of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are reported and exhibited characteristic features specific to the major chemical differences in GAGs (N-, O-sulfation and N-acetylation). Furthermore, the lack of major features between 1050-1150 cm(-1) for heparin and N-acetyl heparin suggests that these molecules do not adopt strongly helical conformations in solution and indicate subtly different solution conformations.