Is there a difference in the degree of how many sulfate groups are expected per disaccharide monomers between the two? Is there a distinct difference in size?
Both heparin and heparan sulfate are polydisperse with respect to molecular weight. Commercial heparin has a weight average molecular weight of 15,000 daltons and chains can range from 5,000 to 30,000. Commercial heparan sulfate is less well characterized and the size depends on the source. Sigma sells some from Bovine kidney which may likely have longer average chain length than the commercial unfractionated heparin. However, Sigma also sells a fast moving fraction from porcine intestinal mucosa that may have higher sulfation and/or be of shorter chain length than the full population of heparan sulfate obtained. Regarding sulfate groups per disaccharide, heparin has a significantly higher concentration of sulfate groups than heparan sulfate. In particular, heparan sulfate tends to have a significant proportion of the glucosamine units in which the amino group is acetylated as opposed to sulfonated. In heparin, the vast majority of amino groups are sulfonated with very rare occurences of acetylated aminos.
http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/life-science/stem-cell-biology/3d-stem-cell-culture/learning-center/what-is-heparin.html
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