Keratan sulfate (KS) was N-deacetylated with anhydrous hydrazine and then degraded with nitrous acid, and the products were reduced with NaBT4. Radiolabelled disaccharides constituted at least 76% of the total oligosaccharide fraction. Three major disaccharides were isolated and identified. Of the total disaccharide isolated from bovine intervertebral-disc and human costal-cartilage, 91 and 79%, respectively, was identified as a disulfated disaccharide, O-(beta-D-galactopyranosyl 6-sulfate)-(1 leads to 4)-2,5-anhydro-D-[1-3H]mannitol 6-sulfate (Gal6S-anM6S). The disaccharide fraction isolated from bovine-cornea KS contained only 14% of Gal6S-anM6S. The yield of monosulfated disaccharide, identified as O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1 leads to 4)-2,5-anhydro-D-[1-3H]mannitol 6-sulfate, was 9, 17, and 84% of the total KS-disaccharide fraction isolated from intervertebral disc, costal cartilage, and cornea, respectively. For each of the KS type studied, the yield of unsulfated disaccharide was less than 4% of the total disaccharide-fraction. The tetrasaccharides were fractionated, on the basis of their sulfate content, into at least four species by paper electrophoresis, and some tentative structures are proposed. Disaccharide and tetrasaccharide species were evaluated as substrates for beta-D-galactosidase and 6-O-sulfogalactose sulfatase.