Chemoenzymatic Design of Heparan Sulfate Oligosaccharides

Heparan sulfate is a sulfated glycan that exhibits essential physiological functions. Interrogation of the specificity of heparan sulfate-mediated activities demands a library of structurally defined oligosaccharides. Chemical synthesis of large heparan sulfate oligosaccharides remains challenging. We report the synthesis of oligosaccharides with different sulfation patterns and sizes from a disaccharide building block using glycosyl-transferases, heparan sulfate C-5-epimerase, and sulfotransferases. This method offers a generic approach to prepare heparan sulfate oligosaccharides possessing predictable structures.