Electrostatic interactions in cations and their importance in biology and chemistry

A propos of glycosyl cations and the mechanism of chemical glycosylation; the current state of the art

An overview of recent advances in glycosylation with particular emphasis on mechanism is presented. The mounting evidence for both the existence of glycosyl oxocarbenium ions as fleeting intermediates in some reactions, and the crucial role of the associated counterion in others is discussed. The extremes of the SN1 and SN2 manifolds for the glycosylation reaction are bridged by a continuum of mechanisms in which it appears likely that most examples are located.

The isothiocyanato moiety: an ideal protecting group for the stereoselective synthesis of sialic acid glycosides and subsequent diversification

The preparation of a crystalline, peracetyl adamantanyl thiosialoside donor protected by an isothiocyanate group is described. On activation at -78 °C in the presence of typical carbohydrate acceptors, this donor gives high yields of the corresponding sialosides with exquisite α-selectivity. The high selectivity extends to the 4-O-benzyl-protected 3-OH acceptors, which are typically less reactive and selective than galactose 3,4-diols. Treatment of the α-sialosides with tris(trimethylsilyl)silane or allyltris(trimethylsilyl)silane results in replacement of the C5-N5 bond by a C-H or a C-C bond. The reaction of the isothiocyanate-protected sialosides with thioacids generates amides, while reaction with an amine gives a thiourea, which can be converted into a guanidine. The very high α-selectivities observed with the new donor and the rich chemistry of the isothiocyante function considerably extend the scope for optimization at the sialoside 5-position.

Probing the influence of protecting groups on the anomeric equilibrium in sialic acid glycosides with the persistent radical effect

A method for the investigation of the influence of protecting groups on the anomeric equilibrium in the sialic acid glycosides has been developed on the basis of the equilibration of O-sialyl hydroxylamines by reversible homolytic scission of the glycosidic bond following the dictates of the Fischer-Ingold persistent radical effect. It is found that a trans-fused 4O,5N-oxazolidinone group stabilizes the equatorial glycoside, i.e., reduces the anomeric effect, when compared to the 4O,5N-diacetyl protected systems. This effect is discussed in terms of the powerful electron-withdrawing nature of the oxazolidinone system, which in turn is a function of its strong dipole moment in the mean plane of the pyranose ring system. The new equilibration method displays a small solvent effect and is most pronounced in less polar media consistent with the anomeric effect in general. The unusual (for anomeric radicals) poor kinetic selectivity of anomeric sialyl radicals is discussed in terms of the planar π-type structure of these radicals and of competing 1,3-diaxial interactions in the diastereomeric transition states for trapping on the α- and β-faces of the radical.

Probing the catalytic mechanism of bovine CD38/NAD+ glycohydrolase by site directed mutagenesis of key active site residues

Bovine CD38/NAD(+) glycohydrolase catalyzes the hydrolysis of NAD(+) to nicotinamide and ADP-ribose and the formation of cyclic ADP-ribose via a stepwise reaction mechanism. Our recent crystallographic study of its Michaelis complex and covalently-trapped intermediates provided insights into the modalities of substrate binding and the molecular mechanism of bCD38. The aim of the present work was to determine the precise role of key conserved active site residues (Trp118, Glu138, Asp147, Trp181 and Glu218) by focusing mainly on the cleavage of the nicotinamide-ribosyl bond. We analyzed the kinetic parameters of mutants of these residues which reside within the bCD38 subdomain in the vicinity of the scissile bond of bound NAD(+). To address the reaction mechanism we also performed chemical rescue experiments with neutral (methanol) and ionic (azide, formate) nucleophiles. The crucial role of Glu218, which orients the substrate for cleavage by interacting with the N-ribosyl 2'-OH group of NAD(+), was highlighted. This contribution to catalysis accounts for almost half of the reaction energy barrier. Other contributions can be ascribed notably to Glu138 and Asp147 via ground-state destabilization and desolvation in the vicinity of the scissile bond. Key interactions with Trp118 and Trp181 were also proven to stabilize the ribooxocarbenium ion-like transition state. Altogether we propose that, as an alternative to a covalent acylal reaction intermediate with Glu218, catalysis by bCD38 proceeds through the formation of a discrete and transient ribooxocarbenium intermediate which is stabilized within the active site mostly by electrostatic interactions.

β-Selective mannosylation with a 4,6-silylene-tethered thiomannosyl donor

Mannosylations using the new conformationally restricted donor phenyl 2,3-di-O-benzyl-4,6-O-(di-tert-butylsilylene)-1-thio-α-D-mannopyranoside (6) have been found to be β-selective with a variety of activation conditions. The simplest activation conditions were NIS/TfOH, in which case it is proposed that the β-mannoside is formed from β-selective glycosylation of the oxocarbenium ion 25 in a B(2,5) conformation.

Influence of side chain conformation and configuration on glycosyl donor reactivity and selectivity as illustrated by sialic acid donors epimeric at the 7-position

Two N-acetyl 4O,5N-oxazolidinone-protected sialyl thioglycosides epimeric at the 7-position have been synthesized and their reactivity and stereoselectivity in glycosylation reactions have been compared. It is demonstrated that the natural 7S-donor is both more reactive and more α-selective than the unnatural 7R-isomer. The difference in reactivity is attributed to the side chain conformation and specifically to the proximity of O7 to the anomeric center. In the natural 7S-isomer, O7 is closer to the anomeric center than in its unnatural 7R-epimer and, therefore, better able to support incipient positive charge at the locus of reaction. The difference in selectivity is also attributed to the side conformation, which in the unnatural 7R-series is placed perpendicularly above the α-face of the donor and so shields it to a greater extent than in the 7S-series. These observations are consistent with earlier conclusions on the influence of the side chain conformation on reactivity and selectivity derived from conformationally locked models in the glucose and galactose series and corroborate the suggestion that those effects are predominantly stereoelectronic rather than torsional. The possible relevance of side chain conformation as a factor in the influence of glycosylation stereoselectivity by remote protecting groups and as a control element in enzymic processes for glycosidic bond formation and hydrolysis are discussed. Methods for assignment of the anomeric configuration in the sialic acid glycosides are critically surveyed.

Probing the influence of a 4,6-O-acetal on the reactivity of galactopyranosyl donors: verification of the disarming influence of the trans-gauche conformation of C5-C6 bonds

The effect of a 4,6-O-alkylidene acetal on the rate of acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of methyl galactopyranosides and of spontaneous hydrolysis of 2,4-dinitrophenyl galactopyranosides has been studied through the synthesis and hydrolysis of analogs in which O6 is replaced by a methoxymethylene unit in which the methoxy group adopts either an equatorial or an axial position according to the configuration. Consistent with earlier studies under both acid-catalyzed and spontaneous hydrolysis conditions, the alkylidene acetal, or its 7-carba analog, retards hydrolysis with respect to comparable systems lacking the cyclic protecting group. The configuration at C6 in the 7-carba analogs does not influence the rate of acid-catalyzed hydrolysis but has a minor influence on the rate of spontaneous hydrolysis of the 2,4-dinitrophenyl galactosides, confirming earlier studies on the role played by the hydroxymethyl group conformation on glycoside reactivity. The benzylidene acetal is found to stabilize the α-anomer of galactopyranose derivatives relative to monocyclic analogs. Reasons for the α-selectivity of 4,6-O-benzylidene-protected galactopyranosyl donors bearing neighboring group-active protecting groups at O2 are discussed.

Design of chemical glycosyl donors: does changing ring conformation influence selectivity/reactivity?

This tutorial review focuses on the design of glycosyl donors, especially on attempts to control selectivity/reactivity by employing bulky substituents, cyclic protecting groups, or bridged structures. These structural modifications are performed to change the conformational distributions of pyranoside/furanoside rings. We also briefly discuss this issue with regard to studies on furanosides and enzymatic glycosylation reactions. Readers will find that some of the designed glycosyl donors have been used to achieve total syntheses of natural products.

Stereoselective C-glycoside formation with 2-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene protected 3-deoxy gluco- and mannopyranoside donors: comparison with O-glycoside formation

Unlike alcohols, the reaction of C-nucleophiles with 2-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-protected 3-deoxy-gluco- and mannopyranosyl thioglycosides is highly stereoselective providing the α-C-glycosides in the gluco-series and the β-C-glycosides in the manno-series. Conformational analysis of nucleophilic attack of putative intermediate glycosyl oxocarbenium ions suggests that the observed selectivities for C-glycoside formation can be explained by preferential attack on the opposite face of the oxocarbenium to the C2-H2 bond and that eclipsing interactions with this bond are the main stereodetermining factor. It is argued that the steric interactions in the attack of alcohols (sp(3)-hybridized O) and of typical carbon-based nucleophiles (sp(2) C) on oxocarbenium ions are very different, with the former being less severe, and thus that there is no a priori reason to expect O- and C-glycosylation to exhibit parallel stereoselectivities for attack on a given oxocarbenium ion.

Dissecting the mechanisms of a class of chemical glycosylation using primary ¹³C kinetic isotope effects

Although arguably the most important reaction in glycoscience, chemical glycosylations are among the least well understood of organic chemical reactions, resulting in an unnecessarily high degree of empiricism and a brake on rational development in this critical area. To address this problem, primary (13)C kinetic isotope effects have now been determined for the formation of β- and α-manno- and glucopyranosides using a natural abundance NMR method. In contrast to the common current assumption, for three of the four cases studied the experimental and computed values are indicative of associative displacement of the intermediate covalent glycosyl trifluoromethanesulfonates. For the formation of the α-mannopyranosides, the experimentally determined KIE differs significantly from that computed for an associative displacement, which is strongly suggestive of a dissociative mechanism that approaches the intermediacy of a glycosyl oxocarbenium ion. The application of analogous experiments to other glycosylation systems should shed further light on their mechanisms and thus assist in the design of better reactions conditions with improved stereoselectivity.

Fluorine-directed β-galactosylation: chemical glycosylation development by molecular editing

Validation of the 2-fluoro substituent as an inert steering group to control chemical glycosylation is presented. A molecular editing study has revealed that the exceptional levels of diastereocontrol in glycosylation processes by using 2-fluoro-3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (TCA) scaffolds are a consequence of the 2R,3S,4S stereotriad. This study has also revealed that epimerization at C4, results in a substantial enhancement in β-selectivity (up to β/α 300:1).

Methodology development and physical organic chemistry: a powerful combination for the advancement of glycochemistry

This Perspective outlines work in the Crich group on the diastereoselective synthesis of the so-called difficult classes of glycosidic bond: the 2-deoxy-β-glycopyranosides, the β-mannopyranosides, the α-sialosides, the α-glucopyranosides, and the β-arabinofuranosides with an emphasis on the critical interplay between mechanism and methodology development.

Spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic evidence for electrostatic effects in 4-substituted cyclohexanone-derived hydrazones, imines, and corresponding salts

The axial conformer of several 4-substituted cyclohexanone hydrazone salts was found to predominate in solution. Changes in the charge of the molecule and the polarity of the solvent led to changes in the conformational preference of each molecule that were consistent with electrostatic stabilization of the axial conformer. (1)H NMR spectroscopic analysis was utilized to determine the structure of cyclohexanone-derived substrates by comparison to conformationally restricted trans-decalone derivatives and computational models. X-ray crystallography demonstrated that the axial configuration of a pendant benzyloxy group is the preferred conformation of an iminium ion in the solid state. The structure of a neutral hydrazone was also determined to favor the axial configuration for a pendant benzyloxy group in the solid state.

Fluorine conformational effects in organocatalysis: an emerging strategy for molecular design

Molecular design strategies that profit from the intrinsic stereoelectronic and electrostatic effects of fluorinated organic molecules have mainly been restricted to bio-organic chemistry. Indeed, many fluorine conformational effects remain academic curiosities with no immediate application. However, the renaissance of organocatalysis offers the possibility to exploit many of these well-described phenomena for molecular preorganization. In this minireview, we highlight examples of catalyst refinement by introduction of an aliphatic C-F bond which functions as a chemically inert steering group for conformational control.

Mannopyranosyl uronic acid donor reactivity

The reactivity of a variety of mannopyranosyl uronic acid donors was assessed in a set of competition experiments, in which two (S)-tolyl mannosyl donors were made to compete for a limited amount of promoter (NIS/TfOH). These experiments revealed that the reactivity of mannuronic acid donors is significantly higher than expected based on the electron-withdrawing capacity of the C-5 carboxylic acid ester function. A 4-O-acetyl-β-(S)-tolyl mannuronic acid donor was found to have similar reactivity as per-O-benzyl-α-(S)-tolyl mannose.

Quantifying electronic effects of common carbohydrate protecting groups in a piperidine model system

A study of the substituent effects of protecting groups in hydroxypiperidines was carried out and compared with the electronic effects in glycosylation chemistry. 1-Deoxynojirimycin, the aza-sugar analogue of 1-deoxy-D-glucose, was used as a carbohydrate model, and protected with the most common carbohydrate protecting groups. The different stabilization of positive charge on the ring heteroatom was determined by pK(a) measurements. The protecting groups could be ranked in the following way after their destabilization of the piperidinium ion: benzoyl ≥ acetyl ≫ 4,6-O-benzylidine >benzyl ≈ methyl > H > 3,6-anhydro > tert-butyldimethylsilyl. The observed effects of having protecting groups with different electronic characteristics were found to be in agreement with the "armed-disarmed" concept. Comparison of the pK(a) of benzylated and benzoylated epimers of 3-hydroxy-6-hydroxymethyl piperidines showed increased stabilization of the piperidinium ion in the axial epimer. The difference between axial and equatorial epimers was larger in the benzylated than in the benzoylated piperidines.

Influence of the O3 protecting group on stereoselectivity in the preparation of C-mannopyranosides with 4,6-O-benzylidene protected donors

α-C-Glucopyranosides and mannopyranosides are obtained in 65-85% yields from 4,6-O-benzylidene-protected glucosyl and mannosyl thioglycosides bearing ester functionality at the 3-O-position by a coupling reaction with C-nucleophiles on activation with diphenyl sulfoxide, 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylpyrimidine, and trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride.

Synthesis and biological properties of the cytotoxic 14-membered macrolides aspergillide A and B

Total, stereoselective syntheses of the naturally occurring, cytotoxic macrolides aspergillide A and B are described. Olefin metatheses and asymmetric allylations were key steps in the synthetic sequences. Cytotoxicity assays against several tumor cell lines have been performed for the two aspergillides and some of the intermediates or side products of the synthetic sequence. One of these intermediates has been found markedly active against the human leukemia cancer cell line HL-60, with an IC(50) value comparable with that of the clinical drug fludarabine.