glycosaminoglycan

English

Chondroitin sulphate, a type of sulphated glycosaminoglycan

Etymology

From glycosamino- (“combining form of glycosamine”) +‎ glycan (“polysaccharide”); compare aminoglycan.

Noun

glycosaminoglycan (plural glycosaminoglycans)

1. (biochemistry) Any polysaccharide that is a polymer of amino sugars; they are the carbohydrate units of proteoglycans.
   • 1982, Stanislav Reinis, Jerome Goldman, The Chemistry of Behavior: A Molecular Approach to Neuronal Plasticity, page 229:

     Subcellular fractionation techniques have indicated that the greatest percentage of these glycosaminoglycans that is not extracted with water is contained within the microsomal fraction (36-60%).

   • 1998, Christopher C. Rider, 9: Analysis of Glycosaminoglycans and Proteoglycans, Elizabeth F. Hounsell (editor), Glycoanalysis Protocols, 2nd Edition, page 131,

     The biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and proteoglycans appears to be a ubiquitous function in mammalian cells.

   • 2008, Reuben Matalon, Kimberlee Michals Matalon, Gita Bhatia, “Chapter 22: The Mucopolysaccharidoses and the Mucolipidoses”, in Roger N. Rosenberg, editor, The Molecular and Genetic Basis of Neurologic and Psychiatric Disease, 4th edition, page 245:

     The mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs) are a group of inherited disorders caused by specific enzyme deficiencies in the degradation of the glycosaminoglycans (mucopolysaccharides).

Synonyms

• (polysaccharide polymer of amino sugars): GAG, mucopolysaccharide

Translations

polysaccharide that is a polymer of amino sugars

• Italian: glicosaminoglicano m, glicosamminoglicano (it) m
• Spanish: glucosaminaglicano m

Anagrams

• glycoaminoglycans