Linked Life Data

8089131

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/8089131

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
38
pubmed:dateCreated
1994-10-20
pubmed:abstractText
Polysialic acid (PSA) is an unusual homopolymer of sialic acid (Sia) found on a limited number of animal glycoproteins and in the capsules of certain pathogenic bacteria. The biological properties of PSA are known to vary markedly with the length of the polymer. We confirm here that while the primary linkage unit of PSA (Sia alpha 2-8Sia) is more stable than commoner Sia linkages, PSA with > 3 Sia units is substantially more labile. A "limit digest" of PSA yields fragments of degree of polymerization (DP) = 2 and 3 and little monomeric Sia. In keeping with this, the fragmentation of PSA of DP 4 is non-random, with the internal glycosidic bond being more labile than those at the two ends. The accelerated breakdown of PSA involves an intramolecular mechanism that is not explained by lactone formation, cation effects, or specific secondary structural features. However, it is dependent upon the intactness of internal carboxyl groups, which have an anomalously high pKa. Thus, the instability of PSA appears to result from intramolecular self-cleavage of the glycosidic bonds of internal Sia units, in which the adjacent carboxyl group with a high pKa acts as a proton donor for general acid catalysis. This lability of PSA is seen under mildly acidic conditions that can be encountered in various physiological and pathological situations and thus has potential implications for neuronal adhesion, embryogenesis, and bacterial pathogenicity.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Sep
pubmed:issn
0021-9258
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
23
pubmed:volume
269
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
23617-24
pubmed:dateRevised
2008-11-21
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1994
pubmed:articleTitle
Intramolecular self-cleavage of polysialic acid.
pubmed:affiliation
Glycobiology Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.