A new study identified an unexpected structural feature of ovine heparin: a high abundance of 3-O-sulfated glucosamine residues, particularly within highly sulfated sequences that are not linked to anticoagulant activity. This characteristic may serve as a distinctive structural marker of ovine heparin and suggests that ovine-derived heparin could be a valuable model for studying the wide range of biological functions related to 3-O-sulfated glucosamine.
Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16071025