ABSTRACT
Heparinases,a kind of polysaccharide lyases,can degrade heparin and heparin sulfate to low molecular weight polysaccharides.It has been noted that many bacteria have heparinases although only few of them have been purified and characterized.Heparinases I,II and III from Flavobacterium heparinum have been extensively studied for many years and been commercialized recently.Heparinases have some important applications in the industry and clinic as well as in the determination of heparin structure,which is a very important anticoagulant drug used world-widely.The recent progresses in isolation of heparinase-producing bacteria,genome mapping of heparinase homologs in sequenced bacteria and archaea genomes,purification of heparinases and the study of their biochemistry and regulation were reviewed.The recombinant expression of these enzymes as well as important applications of heparinases and their potential applications in the future will also be highlighted.