Dermatan Sulfate Epimerase 1-Deficient Mice have Reduced Content and Changed Distribution of Iduronic acids in Dermatan Sulfate and an Altered Collagen Structure in Skin.
Dermatan sulfate epimerase 1 (DS-epi1) and 2 convert glucuronic acid to iduronic acid in chondroitin/dermatan sulfate biosynthesis. Here we report on the generation of DS-epi1-null mice and the resulting alterations in the chondroitin/dermatan polysaccharide chains. The numbers of long blocks of adjacent iduronic acids are greatly decreased in skin decorin and biglycan chondroitin/dermatan sulfate
