Structure And Biological Activities Of Glycosaminoglycan Analogs From Marine Invertebrates: New Therapeutic Agents?

Although the oceans are habited by about 230,000 different animal species, only 1% of these organisms have been studied so far. Thus, the sea constitutes an immense reservoir of unique natural molecules with potential biological interest. Among the countless described compounds of marine origin, the sulfated glycosaminoglycans are a particularly interesting group of molecules. These polymers are widely distributed among different marine phyla, occurring in elevated quantities. Normally, the glycosaminoglycans from marine sources contain a high negative charge density due to the presence of sulfate groups in different positions. In addition, unique structural motifs, such as glucose and sulfated fucose branches, rarely described in glycosaminoglycans from terrestrial organisms, are also found. Various pharmacological properties ranging from anticoagulant and antithrombotic to antimetastatic and anti-inflammatory have been attributed to these molecules. The interaction and modulation of plasma coagulation proteases and inhibitors, adhesion molecules, and growth factors, among others, are the basis for their pharmacological effects. In this chapter, we review the phylogenetic distribution, the structure, and the biological effects of the marine glycosaminoglycans, as well as the molecular mechanisms involved in some of their biological activities. We also briefly discuss the possibility of using these glycans as therapeutic agents.