Chemoselective Cleavage of p-Methoxybenzyl and 2-Naphthylmethyl Ethers Using a Catalytic Amount of HCl in Hexafluoro-2-propanol

Esterification and Etherification of Aliphatic Alcohols Enabled by Catalytic Strain-Release of Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropane

We herein disclose a highly efficient protocol for the esterification and etherification of alcohols, leveraging a Sc(OTf)3-catalyzed ring-strain release event in the meticulously designed, chromatographically stable mixed anhydrides or benzyl esters that incorporate an intramolecular donor-acceptor cyclopropane (DAC). This versatile method facilitates the straightforward functionalization of sugar, terpene, and steroid alcohols under mild acidic conditions, as showcased by the single-catalyst-driven, dual protection of sugar diol.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of highly sulfated mannuronate glycans as potential inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2

Algae-based marine carbohydrate drugs are typically decorated with negative ion groups such as carboxylate and sulfate groups. However, the precise synthesis of highly sulfated alginates is challenging, thus impeding their structure-activity relationship studies. Herein we achieve a microwave-assisted synthesis of a range of highly sulfated mannuronate glycans with up to 17 sulfation sites by overcoming the incomplete sulfation due to the electrostatic repulsion of crowded polyanionic groups. Although the partially sulfated tetrasaccharide had the highest affinity for the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant, the fully sulfated octasaccharide showed the most potent interference with the binding of the RBD to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and Vero E6 cells, indicating that the sulfated oligosaccharides might inhibit the RBD binding to ACE2 in a length-dependent manner.

Design, Synthesis and Biological Activity of Novel Methoxy- and Hydroxy-Substituted N-Benzimidazole-Derived Carboxamides

This work presents the design, synthesis and biological activity of novel N-substituted benzimidazole carboxamides bearing either a variable number of methoxy and/or hydroxy groups. The targeted carboxamides were designed to investigate the influence of the number of methoxy and/or hydroxy groups, the type of substituent placed on the N atom of the benzimidazole core and the type of substituent placed on the benzimidazole core on biological activity. The most promising derivatives with pronounced antiproliferative activity proved to be N-methyl-substituted derivatives with hydroxyl and methoxy groups at the phenyl ring and cyano groups on the benzimidazole nuclei with selective activity against the MCF-7 cell line (IC50 = 3.1 μM). In addition, the cyano-substituted derivatives 10 and 11 showed strong antiproliferative activity against the tested cells (IC50 = 1.2-5.3 μM). Several tested compounds showed significantly improved antioxidative activity in all three methods compared to standard BHT. In addition, the antioxidative activity of 9, 10, 32 and 36 in the cells generally confirmed their antioxidant ability demonstrated in vitro. However, their antiproliferative activity was not related to their ability to inhibit oxidative stress nor to their ability to induce it. Compound 8 with two hydroxy and one methoxy group on the phenyl ring showed the strongest antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive strain E. faecalis (MIC = 8 μM).

Mild Method for Deprotection of the N-Benzyloxycarbonyl (N-Cbz) Group by the Combination of AlCl3 and HFIP

Herein, we report our findings on the novel ability of aluminum chloride (AlCl3) in fluorinated solvent 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol [HFIP] to selectively deprotect the N-benzyloxycarbonyl group (N-Cbz). The salient features of this method are good functional group tolerance including other reducible groups, cost-effectiveness, easy-to-handle, safe protocol, amenable to scale-up, high yields, and ambient temperature reactions. The methodology would serve as an excellent alternative to the use of pyrophoric hydrogen gas and metal catalyst reagents that pose severe safety and environmental concerns. The most notable feature of this methodology is the orthogonal deprotection of the N-Cbz group in the presence of O- and N-Bn protecting groups, hence, expanding the scope for designing synthetic routes to target compounds requiring multiple functional group transformations.

Solid-Phase Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Peptides ADP-Ribosylated at Histidine

The transfer of an adenosine diphosphate (ADP) ribose moiety to a nucleophilic side chain by consumption of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is referred to as ADP-ribosylation, which allows for the spatiotemporal regulation of vital processes such as apoptosis and DNA repair. Recent mass-spectrometry based analyses of the "ADP-ribosylome" have identified histidine as ADP-ribose acceptor site. In order to study this modification, a fully synthetic strategy towards α-configured N(τ)- and N(π)-ADP-ribosylated histidine-containing peptides has been developed. Ribofuranosylated histidine building blocks were obtained via Mukaiyama-type glycosylation and the building blocks were integrated into an ADP-ribosylome derived peptide sequence using fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-based solid-phase peptide synthesis. On-resin installation of the ADP moiety was achieved using phosphoramidite chemistry, and global deprotection provided the desired ADP-ribosylated oligopeptides. The stability under various chemical conditions and resistance against (ADP-ribosyl) hydrolase-mediated degradation has been investigated to reveal that the constructs are stable under various chemical conditions and non-degradable by any of the known ADP-ribosylhydrolases.

Solid-Phase Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Peptides ADP-Ribosylated at Histidine

The transfer of an adenosine diphosphate (ADP) ribose moiety to a nucleophilic side chain by consumption of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is referred to as ADP-ribosylation, which allows for the spatiotemporal regulation of vital processes such as apoptosis and DNA repair. Recent mass-spectrometry based analyses of the "ADP-ribosylome" have identified histidine as ADP-ribose acceptor site. In order to study this modification, a fully synthetic strategy towards α-configured N(τ)- and N(π)-ADP-ribosylated histidine-containing peptides has been developed. Ribofuranosylated histidine building blocks were obtained via Mukaiyama-type glycosylation and the building blocks were integrated into an ADP-ribosylome derived peptide sequence using fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-based solid-phase peptide synthesis. On-resin installation of the ADP moiety was achieved using phosphoramidite chemistry, and global deprotection provided the desired ADP-ribosylated oligopeptides. The stability under various chemical conditions and resistance against (ADP-ribosyl) hydrolase-mediated degradation has been investigated to reveal that the constructs are stable under various chemical conditions and non-degradable by any of the known ADP-ribosylhydrolases.

Nucleophilic Deprotection of p-Methoxybenzyl Ethers Using Heterogeneous Oxovanadium Catalyst

Nucleophilic deprotection of p-methoxybenzyl (PMB) [p-methoxyphenylmethyl (MPM)] ethers was developed using a heterogeneous oxovanadium catalyst V-MPS4 and a thiol nucleophile. The deprotection method had a wide reaction scope, including PMB ethers of primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols bearing various functional groups. In addition, the PMB ether of an oxidation-labile natural product was successfully removed by V-MPS4 catalysis, while a common oxidative method of PMB deprotection afforded a complex mixture. The V-MPS4 catalyst was reusable up to six times without a significant loss in the product yield. The advantages of using the heterogeneous catalyst were further demonstrated by conducting the deprotection reaction in a continuous flow process, which resulted in a 2.7-fold higher catalyst turnover number and 60-fold higher turnover frequency compared to those of the corresponding batch reaction.

Synthetic Dual Cysteine-ADP Ribosylated Peptides from the Androgen Receptor are Recognized by the DTX3L/PARP9 Complex

Androgen signaling in prostate cancer cells involves multisite cysteine ADP-ribosylation of the androgen receptor (AR) by PARP7. The AR modification is read by ADP-ribosyl binding macrodomains in PARP9, but the reason that multiple cysteines are modified is unknown. Here, we use synthetic peptides to show that dual ADP-ribosylation of closely spaced cysteines mediates recognition by the DTX3L/PARP9 complex. Mono and dual ADP-ribosylated cysteine peptides were prepared using a novel solid-phase synthetic strategy utilizing a key, Boc-protected, ribofuranosylcysteine building block. This synthetic strategy allowed us to synthesize fluorescently labeled peptides containing a dual ADP-ribosylation motif. It was found that the DTX3L/PARP9 complex recognizes the dual ADP-ribosylated AR peptide (Kd = 80.5 nM) with significantly higher affinity than peptides with a single ADP-ribose. Moreover, oligomerization of the DTX3L/PARP9 complex proved crucial for ADP-ribosyl-peptide interaction since a deletion mutant of the complex that prevents its oligomer formation dramatically reduced peptide binding. Our data show that features of the substrate modification and the reader contribute to the efficiency of the interaction and imply that multivalent interactions are important for AR-DTX3L/PARP9 assembly.

Lewis Acid Promoted Deprotection of Benzylidene Acetals and p-Methoxybenzyl Ethers with Mercaptoacid Acid as Scavenger

We demonstrate a new and high-yielding method for removal of benzylidene acetals and para-methoxybenzyl ethers under catalytic conditions (BF₃:OEt₂ orFeCl₃, 10 mol%) with mercaptoacetic acid as a scavenger. The reaction coproducts are converted to water-soluble molecules, which can be removed by aqueous extraction, thereby bypassing the need for chromatographic purification. The reaction was demonstrated on both multimilligram and multigram scale.

Protecting group principles suited to late stage functionalization and global deprotection in oligosaccharide synthesis

Chemical synthesis is a powerful tool to access homogeneous complex glycans, which relies on protecting group (PG) chemistry. However, the overall efficiency of chemical glycan assembly is still low when compared to oligonucleotide or oligopeptide synthesis. There have been many contributions giving rise to collective improvement in carbohydrate synthesis that includes PG manipulation and stereoselective glycoside formation and some of this chemistry has been transferred to the solid phase or adapted for programmable one pot synthesis approaches. However, after all glycoside bond formation reactions are completed, the global deprotection (GD) required to give the desired target OS can be challenging. Difficulties observed in the removal of permanent PGs to release the desired glycans can be due to the number and diversity of PGs present in the protected OSs, nature and structural complexity of glycans, etc. Here, we have reviewed the difficulties associated with the removal of PGs from densely protected OSs to obtain their free glycans. In particularly, this review focuses on the challenges associated with hydrogenolysis of benzyl groups, saponification of esters and functional group interconversion such as oxidation/reduction that are commonly performed in GD stage. More generally, problems observed in the removal of permanent PGs is reviewed herein, including benzyl, acyl (levulinoyl, acetyl), N-trichloroacetyl, N-2,2,2-trichloroethoxycarbonyl, N-phthaloyl etc. from a number of fully protected OSs to release the free sugar, that have been previously reported in the literature.

HFIP in Organic Synthesis

1,1,1,3,3,3-Hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) is a polar, strongly hydrogen bond-donating solvent that has found numerous uses in organic synthesis due to its ability to stabilize ionic species, transfer protons, and engage in a range of other intermolecular interactions. The use of this solvent has exponentially increased in the past decade and has become a solvent of choice in some areas, such as C-H functionalization chemistry. In this review, following a brief history of HFIP in organic synthesis and an overview of its physical properties, literature examples of organic reactions using HFIP as a solvent or an additive are presented, emphasizing the effect of solvent of each reaction.

Mimetics of ADP-Ribosylated Histidine through Copper(I)-Catalyzed Click Chemistry

A convergent synthesis provided nearly perfect τ-ADP-ribosylated histidine isosteres (His*-τ-ADPr) via a copper(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition between an azido-ADP-ribosyl analogue and an oligopeptide carrying a propargyl glycine. Both α- and β-configured azido-ADP-ribosyl analogues have been synthesized. The former required participation of the C-2 ester functionality during glycosylation, while the latter was obtained in high stereoselectivity from an imidate donor with a nonparticipating para-methoxy benzyl ether. Four His*-τ-ADPr peptides were screened against a library of human ADP-ribosyl hydrolases.

Recent Advances in Stereocontrolled Mannosylation: Focus on Glycans Comprising Acidic and/or Amino Sugars

The main focus of this review is to describe accomplishments made in the stereoselective synthesis of β-linked mannosides functionalized with carboxyls or amines/amides. These ManNAc, ManA and ManNAcA residues found in many glycoconjugates, bacterial polysaccharides, and alginates have consistently captured interest of the glycoscience community both due to synthetic challenge and therapeutic potential.

Microwave-Assisted Automated Glycan Assembly

Automated synthesis of DNA, RNA, and peptides provides quickly and reliably important tools for biomedical research. Automated glycan assembly (AGA) is significantly more challenging, as highly branched carbohydrates require strict regio- and stereocontrol during synthesis. A new AGA synthesizer enables rapid temperature adjustment from −40 to +100 °C to control glycosylations at low temperature and accelerates capping, protecting group removal, and glycan modifications using elevated temperatures. Thereby, the temporary protecting group portfolio is extended from two to four orthogonal groups that give rise to oligosaccharides with up to four branches. In addition, sulfated glycans and unprotected glycans can be prepared. The new design reduces the typical coupling cycles from 100 to 60 min while expanding the range of accessible glycans. The instrument drastically shortens and generalizes the synthesis of carbohydrates for use in biomedical and material science.

Synthetic Phenolic Glycolipids for Application in Diagnostic Tests for Leprosy

Point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests for the rapid detection of individuals infected with Mycobacterium leprae, the causative pathogen of leprosy, represent efficient tools to guide therapeutic and prophylactic treatment strategies in leprosy control programs, thus positively contributing to clinical outcome and reducing transmission of this infectious disease. Levels of antibodies directed against the M. leprae-specific phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I) closely correlate with an individual's bacterial load and a higher risk of developing leprosy. We describe herein the assembly of a set of PGL glycans carrying the characteristic phenol aglycon and featuring different methylation patterns. The PGL trisaccharides were applied to construct neoglycoproteins that were used to detect anti-PGL IgM antibodies in leprosy patients. ELISAs and quantitative lateral-flow assays based on up-converting nanoparticles (UCP-LFAs) showed that the generated PGL-I and PGL-II trisaccharide neoglycoconjugates can be applied for the detection of anti M. leprae IgM antibodies in POC tests.

Synthesis and Antibody Binding Studies of Schistosome-Derived Oligo-α-(1-2)-l-Fucosides

Schistosomiasis is caused by blood-dwelling parasitic trematodes of the genus Schistosoma and is classified by the WHO as the second most socioeconomically devastating parasitic disease, second only to malaria. Schistosoma expresses a complex array of glycans as part of glycoproteins and glycolipids that can be targeted by both the adaptive and the innate part of the immune system. Some of these glycans can be used for diagnostic purposes. A subgroup of schistosome glycans is decorated with unique α-(1-2)-fucosides and it has been shown that these often multi-fucosylated fragments are prime targets for antibodies generated during infection. Since these α-(1-2)-fucosides cannot be obtained in sufficient purity from biological sources, we set out to develop an effective route of synthesis towards α-(1-2)-oligofucosides of varying length. Here we describe the exploration of two different approaches, starting from either end of the fucose chains. The oligosaccharides have been attached to gold nanoparticles and used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ELISA and a microarray format to probe antibody binding. We show that binding to the oligofucosides of antibodies in sera of infected people depends on the length of the oligofucose chains, with the largest glycans showing most binding.

A versatile approach to the synthesis of glycans containing mannuronic acid residues

Reported herein is a new method for a highly effective synthesis of β-glycosides from mannuronic acid donors equipped with the 3-O-picoloyl group. The stereocontrol of glycosylations was achieved by means of the H-bond-mediated aglycone delivery (HAD). The method was utilized for the synthesis of a tetrasaccharide linked viaβ-(1 → 3)-mannuronic linkages. We have also investigated 3,6-lactonized glycosyl donors that provided moderate to high β-manno stereoselectivity in glycosylations. A method to achieve complete α-manno stereoselectivity with mannuronic acid donors equipped with 3-O-benzoyl group is also reported.

Total Synthesis and Structure Revision of a Fungal Glycolipid Fusaroside

Herein, we report a strategy for the total synthesis of a structurally unique fungal glycolipid fusaroside. The first total synthesis of the proposed structure involved construction of the complex, branched lipid chain having a variety of alkenes with E stereochemistry and attachment of the masked α,β-unsaturated β-keto acid at the O-4 position of trehalose as key steps. We propose a revision in the structure of fusaroside, particularly the position of olefins in the lipid chain.

Synthesis of a Pentasaccharide Repeating Unit of Lipopolysaccharide Derived from Virulent E. coli O1 and Identification of a Glycotope Candidate of Avian Pathogenic E. coli O1

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a common bacterial pathogen infecting chickens, resulting in economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. In particular, APEC O1, one of the most common serotypes of APEC, is considered problematic due to its zoonotic potential. Therefore, many attempts have been made to develop an effective vaccine against APEC O1. In fact, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-antigen of APEC O1 has been shown to be a potent antigen for inducing specific protective immune responses. However, the detailed structure of the O-antigen of APEC O1 is not clear. The present study demonstrates the first synthesis of a pentasaccharide repeating unit of LPS derived from virulent E. coli O1 and its conjugate with BSA. ELISA tests using the semi-synthetic glycoconjugate and the APEC O1 immune chicken serum revealed that the pentasaccharide is a glycotope candidate of APEC O1, with great potential as an antigen for vaccine development.

Reactivity-Stereoselectivity Mapping for the Assembly of Mycobacterium marinum Lipooligosaccharides

The assembly of complex bacterial glycans presenting rare structural motifs and cis-glycosidic linkages is significantly obstructed by the lack of knowledge of the reactivity of the constituting building blocks and the stereoselectivity of the reactions in which they partake. We here report a strategy to map the reactivity of carbohydrate building blocks and apply it to understand the reactivity of the bacterial sugar, caryophyllose, a rare C12-monosaccharide, containing a characteristic tetrasubstituted stereocenter. We mapped reactivity-stereoselectivity relationships for caryophyllose donor and acceptor glycosides by a systematic series of glycosylations in combination with the detection and characterization of different reactive intermediates using experimental and computational techniques. The insights garnered from these studies enabled the rational design of building blocks with the required properties to assemble mycobacterial lipooligosaccharide fragments of M. marinum.

Reagent Controlled Glycosylations for the Assembly of Well-Defined Pel Oligosaccharides

A new additive, methyl(phenyl)formamide (MPF), is introduced for the glycosylation of 2-azido-2-deoxyglucose building blocks. A linear α-(1,4)-glucosamine tetrasaccharide was assembled to prove the utility of MPF. Next, a hexasaccharide fragment of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa exopolysaccharide Pel was assembled using a [2 + 2 + 2] strategy modulated by MPF. The used [galactosazide-α-(1,4)-glucosazide] disaccharide building blocks were synthesized using a 4,6-O-DTBS protected galactosyl azide donor.

Chemical Synthesis of Homogeneous Human E-Cadherin N-Linked Glycopeptides: Stereoselective Convergent Glycosylation and Chemoselective Solid-Phase Aspartylation

We report herein an efficient chemical synthesis of homogeneous human E-cadherin N-linked glycopeptides consisting of a heptapeptide sequence adjacent to the Asn-633 N-glycosylation site with representative N-glycan structures, including a conserved trisaccharide, a core-fucosylated tetrasaccharide, and a complex-type biantennary octasaccharide. The key steps are a chemoselective on-resin aspartylation using a pseudoproline-containing peptide and stereoselective glycosylation using glycosyl fluororide as a donor. This synthetic strategy demonstrates potential utility in accessing a wide range of homogeneous N-linked glycopeptides for the examination of their biological function.

Synthesis of monophosphoryl lipid A using 2-naphtylmethyl ethers as permanent protecting groups

Lipid A, which is a conserved component of lipopolysaccharides of gram-negative bacteria, has attracted considerable interest for the development of immuno-adjuvants. Most approaches for lipid A synthesis rely on the use of benzyl ethers as permanent protecting groups. Due to the amphiphilic character of lipid A, these compounds aggregate during the hydrogenation step to remove benzyl ethers, resulting in a sluggish reaction and by-product formation. To address this problem, we have developed a synthetic approach based on the use of 2-naphtylmethyl ether (Nap) ethers as permanent protecting group for hydroxyls. At the end of a synthetic sequence, multiple of these protecting groups can readily be removed by oxidation with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ). Di-allyl N,N-diisopropylphosphoramidite was employed to install the phosphate ester and the resulting allyl esters were cleaved using palladium tetrakistriphenylphosphine. The synthetic strategy allows late stage introduction of different fatty acids at the amines of the target compound, which is facilitated by Troc and Fmoc as orthogonal amino-protecting groups.

Reagent controlled stereoselective synthesis of teichoic acid α-(1,2)-glucans

The stereoselective construction of 1,2-cis-glycosidic linkages is key in the assembly of biologically relevant glycans, but remains a synthetic challenge. Reagent-controlled glycosylation methodologies, in which external nucleophiles are employed to modulate the reactivity of the glycosylation system, have become powerful means for the construction of 1,2-cis-glycosidic linkages. Here we establish that nucleophilic additives can support the construction of α-1,2-glucans, and apply our findings in the construction of a d-alanine kojibiose functionalized glycerol phosphate teichoic acid fragment. This latter molecule can be found in the cell wall of the opportunistic Gram-positive bacterium, Enterococcus faecalis and represents a structural element that can possibly be used in the development of therapeutic vaccines and diagnostic tools.

5-Aryltetrazoles from Direct C-H Arylation with Aryl Bromides

A mild, direct C-H arylation of 1-substituted tetrazoles to 5-aryltetrazoles is developed using a Pd/Cu cocatalytic system with readily available aryl bromides. The methodology avoids late-stage usage of azides and tolerates a wide range of functionalities.

C-Mannosyl Lysine for Solid Phase Assembly of Mannosylated Peptide Conjugate Cancer Vaccines

Dendritic cells (DCs) are armed with a multitude of Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) to recognize pathogens and initiate pathogen-tailored T cell responses. In these responses, the maturation of DCs is key, as well as the production of cytokines that help to accomplish T cell responses. DC-SIGN is a frequently exploited PRR that can effectively be targeted with mannosylated antigens to enhance the induction of antigen-specific T cells. The natural O-mannosidic linkage is susceptible to enzymatic degradation, and its chemical sensitivity complicates the synthesis of mannosylated antigens. For this reason, (oligo)mannosides are generally introduced in a late stage of the antigen synthesis, requiring orthogonal conjugation handles for their attachment. To increase the stability of the mannosides and streamline the synthesis of mannosylated peptide antigens, we here describe the development of an acid-stable C-mannosyl lysine, which allows for the inline introduction of mannosides during solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). The developed amino acid has been successfully used for the assembly of both small ligands and peptide antigen conjugates comprising an epitope of the gp100 melanoma-associated antigen and a TLR7 agonist for DC activation. The ligands showed similar internalization capacities and binding affinities as the O-mannosyl analogs. Moreover, the antigen conjugates were capable of inducing maturation, stimulating the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and providing enhanced gp100 presentation to CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells, similar to their O-mannosyl counterparts. Our results demonstrate that the C-mannose lysine is a valuable building block for the generation of anticancer peptide-conjugate vaccine modalities.

Synthesis and immunomodulatory activity of the sulfated tetrasaccharide motif of type B ulvanobiuronic acid 3-sulfate

Ulvan is a sulfated polysaccharide from green algae with potent antitumor, antiviral, and immunomodulatory activities. However, no chemical synthesis of ulvan saccharides has been reported to date. In this paper, we performed the first efficient synthesis of the unique sulfated tetrasaccharide motif of type B ulvanobiuronic acid 3-sulfate. Based on the gold(i)-catalyzed glycosylation with glycosyl ynenoates as donors, efficient construction of the challenging α-(1 → 4)-glycosidic bonds between iduronic acid and rhamnose building blocks was achieved to afford the tetrasaccharide skeleton in a stereospecific manner. The synthetic sulfated tetrasaccharide was found to significantly improve the phagocytic activity of macrophage RAW264.7 cells.

Total Synthesis of the Congested, Bisphosphorylated Morganella morganii Zwitterionic Trisaccharide Repeating Unit

Zwitterionic polysaccharides (ZPSs) activate T-cell-dependent immune responses by major histocompatibility complex class II presentation. Herein, we report the first synthesis of a Morganella morganii ZPS repeating unit as an enabling tool in the synthesis of novel ZPS materials. The repeating unit incorporates a 1,2-cis-α-glycosidic bond; the problematic 1,2-trans-galactosidic bond, Gal-β-(1 → 3)-GalNAc; and phosphoglycerol and phosphocholine residues which have not been previously observed together as functional groups on the same oligosaccharide. The successful third-generation approach leverages a first in class glycosylation of a phosphoglycerol-functionalized acceptor. To install the phosphocholine unit, a highly effective phosphocholine donor was synthesized.

Synthesis of O-1- O-6 Substituted Positional Isomers of d-Glucose-Thioether Ligands and Their Ruthenium Polypyridyl Conjugates

A library of positional isomers of d-glucose (O-1–O-6) as ligands and their 11 light-active ruthenium conjugates has been synthesized. A protecting group strategy without the necessity of using palladium on carbon for the modification for the 2-O and 4-O position allows for the incorporation of sulfur donor atoms as ligands for transition metal complexes.

Synthetic α- and β-Ser-ADP-ribosylated Peptides Reveal α-Ser-ADPr as the Native Epimer

A solid-phase methodology to synthesize oligopeptides, specifically incorporating serine residues linked to ADP-ribose (ADPr), is presented. Through the synthesis of both α- and β-anomers of the phosphoribosylated Fmoc-Ser building block and their usage in our modified solid-phase peptide synthesis protocol, both α- and β-ADPr peptides from a naturally Ser-ADPr containing H2B sequence were obtained. With these, and by digestion studies using the human glycohydrolase, ARH3 (hARH3), compelling evidence is obtained that the α-Ser-ADPr linkage comprises the naturally occurring configuration.

Reagent Controlled Stereoselective Synthesis of α-Glucans

The development of a general glycosylation method that allows for the stereoselective construction of glycosidic linkages is a tremendous challenge. Because of the differences in steric and electronic properties of the building blocks used, the outcome of a glycosylation reaction can vary greatly when switching form one glycosyl donor-acceptor pair to another. We here report a strategy to install cis-glucosidic linkages in a fully stereoselective fashion that is under direct control of the reagents used to activate a single type of donor building block. The activating reagents are tuned to the intrinsic reactivity of the acceptor alcohol to match the reactivity of the glycosylating agent with the reactivity of the incoming nucleophile. A protecting group strategy is introduced that is based on the sole use of benzyl-ether type protecting groups to circumvent changes in reactivity as a result of the protecting groups. For the stereoselective construction of the α-glucosyl linkages to a secondary alcohol, a per-benzylated glusosyl imidate donor is activated with a combination of trimethylsilyltriflate and DMF, while activation of the same imidate donor with trimethylsilyl iodide in the presence of triphenylphosphine oxide allows for the stereoselective cis-glucosylation of primary alcohols. The effectiveness of the strategy is illustrated in the modular synthesis of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis nonasaccharide, composed of an α-(1-4)-oligoglucose backbone bearing different α-glucosyl branches.

Hydrogenolytic cleavage of naphthylmethyl ethers in the presence of sulfides

With the aid of a series of model thioether or thioglycoside containing polyols protected with combinations of benzyl ethers and 2-naphthylmethyl ethers it is demonstrated that the latter are readily cleaved selectively under hydrogenolytic conditions in the presence of the frequently catalyst-poisoning sulfides. These results suggest the possibility of employing 2-naphthylmethyl ethers in place of benzyl ethers in synthetic schemes when hydrogenolytic deprotection is anticipated in the presence of thioether type functionality.

Synthesis of a Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Anchor Derived from Leishmania donovani That Can Be Functionalized by Cu-Catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloadditions

A flexible assembly strategy has been developed for the synthesis of Leishmania donovani GPI anchors that bear a clickable alkyne tag. This strategy is based on the use of the 2-naphthylmethyl (Nap) ethers and levulinoyl (Lev) ester for permanent protection of hydroxyls. Removal of seven Nap ethers by 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone made it possible to prepare GPIs having an alkyne functionality that could be modified by Cu(I)-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloadditions to install tags for imaging studies.

Mild Method for 2-Naphthylmethyl Ether Protecting Group Removal Using a Combination of 2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) and β-Pinene

The use of a combination of 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) and β-pinene permits the removal of 2-naphthylmethyl (Nap) ether protecting groups on highly sensitive substrates. The reaction tolerates both acid and base sensitive protecting groups, and products are afforded in 68-96% yield. The utility of the method is demonstrated by the removal of the Nap protecting groups on highly sensitive 2,6-dideoxy-sugar disaccharides.

Mapping the Reactivity and Selectivity of 2-Azidofucosyl Donors for the Assembly of N-Acetylfucosamine-Containing Bacterial Oligosaccharides

The synthesis of complex oligosaccharides is often hindered by a lack of knowledge on the reactivity and selectivity of their constituent building blocks. We investigated the reactivity and selectivity of 2-azidofucosyl (FucN₃) donors, valuable synthons in the synthesis of 2-acetamido-2-deoxyfucose (FucNAc) containing oligosaccharides. Six FucN₃ donors, bearing benzyl, benzoyl, or tert-butyldimethylsilyl protecting groups at the C3-O and C4-O positions, were synthesized, and their reactivity was assessed in a series of glycosylations using acceptors of varying nucleophilicity and size. It was found that more reactive nucleophiles and electron-withdrawing benzoyl groups on the donor favor the formation of β-glycosides, while poorly reactive nucleophiles and electron-donating protecting groups on the donor favor α-glycosidic bond formation. Low-temperature NMR activation studies of Bn- and Bz-protected donors revealed the formation of covalent FucN₃ triflates and oxosulfonium triflates. From these results, a mechanistic explanation is offered in which more reactive acceptors preferentially react via an S_N2-like pathway, while less reactive acceptors react via an S_N1-like pathway. The knowledge obtained in this reactivity study was then applied in the construction of α-FucN₃ linkages relevant to bacterial saccharides. Finally, a modular synthesis of the Staphylococcus aureus type 5 capsular polysaccharide repeating unit, a trisaccharide consisting of two FucNAc units, is described.

Synthesis of d-Galactosamine and d-Allosamine Derivatives via a Microwave-Assisted Preparation of 1,6-Anhydroglucosamine

We report a microwave-assisted intramolecular anomeric protection (iMAP) of glucosamine, which facilitates concise transformation of 1,6-anhydroglucosamine into 1,6-anhydrogalactosamine and 1,6-anhydroallosamine. The iMAP simultaneously obviates both the O1 and O6 protection, and the differentiation between O3 and O4 can be well-controlled by the N2 functionality because of the hydrogen bonding between N2 and O4. Epimerization of O4 afforded the galactosamine derivative and that of O3 yielded allosamine.

Synthesis and Macrodomain Binding of Mono-ADP-Ribosylated Peptides

Mono-ADP-ribosylation is a dynamic posttranslational modification (PTM) with important roles in signaling. Mammalian proteins that recognize or hydrolyze mono-ADP-ribosylated proteins have been described. We report the synthesis of ADP-ribosylated peptides from the proteins histone H2B, RhoA and, HNP-1. An innovative procedure was applied that makes use of pre-phosphorylated amino acid building blocks. Binding assays revealed that the macrodomains of human MacroD2 and TARG1 exhibit distinct specificities for the different ADP-ribosylated peptides, thus showing that the sequence surrounding ADP-ribosylated residues affects the substrate selectivity of macrodomains.

Synthesis of E. faecium wall teichoic acid fragments

The first synthesis of different Enterococcus faecium wall teichoic acid (WTA) fragments is presented. The structure of these major cell wall components was elucidated recently and it was shown that these glycerolphosphate (GroP) based polymers are built up from -6-(GalNAc-α(1-3)-GalNAc-β(1-2)-GroP)- repeating units. We assembled WTA fragments up to three repeating units in length, in two series that differ in the stereochemistry of the glycerolphosphate moiety. The key GalNAc-GalNAc-GroP synthons, required for the synthesis, were generated from galactosazide building blocks that were employed in highly stereoselective glycosylation reactions to furnish both the α- and β-configured linkages. By comparing the NMR spectra of the synthesized fragments with the isolated material it appears that the hereto undefined stereochemistry of the glycerol phosphate moiety is sn-glycerol-3-phosphate. The generated fragments will be valuable tools to study their immunological activity at the molecular level.

Orthogonal cleavage of the 2-naphthylmethyl group in the presence of the p-methoxy phenyl-protected anomeric position and its use in carbohydrate synthesis

Orthogonal removal of naphthylmethyl (NAP) and anomeric O-p-methoxyphenyl (PMP) ethers using 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone and cerium(iv) ammonium nitrate, respectively, is described.