Patent ID: 7056504

Claim:
A method of specifically cleaving a heparin-like glycosaminoglycan, comprising contacting a heparin-like glycosaminoglycan with the heparinase of any one of: a substantially pure heparinase comprising a modified heparinase II, and a substantially pure heparinase comprising a modified heparinase I, wherein the modified heparinase II has the amino acid sequence of the mature peptide of SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein at least one amino acid residue is substituted and the substitution is selected from the group consisting of (a) a cysteine residue corresponding to position 348 substituted with a different amino acid than in native heparinase II; (b) a histidine residue corresponding to at least one of positions 238, 252, 347, 440, 451, and 579 substituted with alanine, serine, tyrosine, threonine, or lysine; and (c) a conservative substitution of a heparin-binding sequence residue corresponding to at least one of positions 446-451, and wherein the modified heparinase I has the amino acid sequence of the mature peptide of SEQ ID NO:4, wherein at least one amino acid residue is substituted and the substitution is a serine residue corresponding to position 377 substituted with alanine, serine, tyrosine, histidine, threonine, or lysine.