Amsbio has introduced a range of products for investigating the protein-binding properties of heparin, heparin sulphate (HS) and other glycosaminoglycans (GAGs).
The heparin/GAG binding plate has a specially prepared plate surface that adsorbs GAGs without modification while maintaining their protein-binding characteristics.
The binding plate can be used in applications including elucidation of optimum GAG sequences and sulphation patterns for binding to proteins of interest, analyses of sulphotransferases and endosulphatases and detection of inhibitors or enhancers of protein-GAG recognition.
The plate can also be used for studying receptor binding to growth factors or chemokines bound to surface-immobilised GAGs.
The ELISA-type format of the heparin/GAG binding plate is said to be economical on the use of valuable protein reagents and is compatible with automated laboratory systems.
Amsbio has also introduced high-performance arrays designed for use with its heparin/GAG binding plate.
GAG arrays can be used to gain information on the importance of the heparin and dermatan backbone structure and the position and density of sulphate groups for protein binding.
The heparin oligosaccharide array can be used to determine the length of oligosaccharide required for optimum binding to a protein of interest.
The heparin/HS array was developed to find which of Amsbio's naturally occurring heparins and HS is most effective at binding proteins of interest.
The company's K5 polysaccharide arrays offer a set of GAGs that contain novel sulphation motifs on N-acetylated or N-sulphated backbones.
They offer interesting prospects for refining knowledge of the molecular basis of GAG-protein recognition and for discovering new activating or antatonistic sequences for growth factors, chemokines and many other proteins that are regulated by HS or heparin.
