keratan sulfate

A type of sulfated mucopolysaccharide containing d-galactose in place of the uronic acid of hyaluronic acid or chondroitin; also containing unsulfated and 6-sulfated N-acetyl-d-glucosamine; found in cartilage, bone, connective tissue, the cornea, aorta, and in the intervertebral disks; accumulates in Morquio syndrome; k. I is abundant in cornea and is attached to a protein via an asparaginyl residue; k. II is found in loose connective tissue and bone and is linked to a seryl or threonyl residue. SYN: keratosulfate.

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ker·a·tan sulfate 'ker-ə-.tan- n any of several sulfated glycosaminoglycans that have been found esp. in the cornea, cartilage, and bone called also keratosulfate

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ker·a·tan sul·fate (kerґə-tan) a glycosaminoglycan found in the cornea, in cartilage, and in the nucleus pulposus and also as the accumulation product in Morquio syndrome. It consists of repeating disaccharide units in specific linkage, each composed of a sulfated N-acetylglucosamine residue linked to one of galactose, which is usually sulfated. There are two forms, keratan sulfate I and keratan sulfate II, which differ in carbohydrate content and localization; the former occurs in the cornea and the latter in skeletal tissues. Called also keratosulfate.