FIG 1.

Chemical structures of fucosylated chondroitin sulfate and its modified forms. (A) Native FucCS. (B) Defucosylated chondroitin sulfate. (C) Carboxyl-reduced chondroitin sulfate. FucCS contains a central core with a chondroitin sulfate-like structure and branches of 2,4-disulfated fucose branches. These branches are easily removed by mild acid hydrolysis, yielding the defucosylated form. The glucuronic acid units found in the central core may be reduced and form glucose units in the carboxyl-reduced form of FucCS.