Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are heterogeneous acidic polysaccharides involved in a range of biological functions. They have a significant influence on the regulation of cellular processes and the development of various diseases and infections. To fully understand the functional roles that GAGs play in mammalian systems, including disease processes, it is essential to understand their structural features. Despite having a linear structure and a repetitive disaccharide backbone, their structural analysis is challenging and requires elaborate preparative and analytical techniques. In particular, the extent to which GAGs are sulfated, as well as variation in sulfate position across the entire oligosaccharide or on individual monosaccharides, represents a major obstacle. Here, we summarize the current state-of-the-art methodologies used for GAG sample preparation and analysis, discussing in detail liquid chromatograpy and mass spectrometry-based approaches, including advanced ion activation methods, ion mobility separations and infrared action spectroscopy of mass-selected species.

中文翻译：

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最先进的糖胺聚糖表征

糖胺聚糖 (GAG) 是参与一系列生物学功能的异质酸性多糖。它们对细胞过程的调节以及各种疾病和感染的发展具有重大影响。要充分了解 GAG 在哺乳动物系统（包括疾病过程）中发挥的功能作用，必须了解其结构特征。尽管具有线性结构和重复的二糖主链，但它们的结构分析具有挑战性，需要精细的制备和分析技术。特别是，GAG 被硫酸化的程度，以及整个寡糖或单个单糖上硫酸盐位置的变化，是一个主要障碍。这里，