Novel fucose-rich glycosaminoglycans from squid ink bearing repeating unit of trisaccharide structure (-6GalNAc alpha 1-3GlcA beta 1-3Fuc alpha 1-)n.

Three fucose-rich glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), illexin A, illexin B and illexin C, were isolated from squid ink of Illex argentinus. The GAGs were obtained by the method of Actinase E digestion, DEAE Sephadex A-50 ion-exchange chromatography and Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration. They gave a single band on the electrophoresis using cellulose acetate membrane and contained equimolar ratios of Fuc, GlcA and GalNAc. Molecular weights of illexin A, illexin B, and illexin C were determined by Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration to be 50,000, 50,000-80,000, and 80,000, respectively. These GAGs were not digested with any glycosaminoglycanases. On the basis of one and two dimensional NMR spectra, glycosidase treatment and periodate oxidation of the pyridylaminated trisaccharide obtained by acid hydrolysis of illexin C, the unique repeating structure of the GAGs was determined to be (-6GalNAc alpha 1-3GlcA beta 1-3Fuc alpha 1-)n.