Solid-phase oligosaccharide synthesis and combinatorial carbohydrate libraries

Synthesis and evaluation of 2-(2-fluoro-4-hydroxymethyl-5-methoxy-phenoxy)acetic acid as a linker in solid-phase synthesis monitored by gel-phase19F NMR spectroscopy

Gel-phase (19)F NMR spectroscopy is a useful monitoring technique for solid-phase organic chemistry due to the high information content it delivers and swift acquisition times, using standard NMR spectrometers. This paper describes the synthesis of the novel linker 2-(2-fluoro-4-hydroxymethyl-5-methoxy-phenoxy)acetic acid in 29% yield over seven steps, using nucleophilic aromatic substitutions on 2,4,5-trifluorobenzonitrile as key steps. Following standard solid-phase synthesis a peptide could be cleaved from the linker using 20% TFA in CH(2)Cl(2) in 30 minutes, in contrast to a previously described monoalkoxy linker that requires 90% TFA in water at elevated temperature. A resin-bound peptide could be successfully glycosylated using only two equivalents of a thioglycoside donor, activated with N-iodosuccinimide and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, and subsequent cleavage and deprotection gave the target glycopeptide. Direct glycosylation of the linker itself followed by mild acidic cleavage gave a fully protected hemiacetal for further chemical manipulation.

Exploration of oligosaccharide-protein interactions in glycoprotein quality control by synthetic approaches

High-mannose-type oligosaccharides, which are cotranslationally introduced to nascent polypeptides, play important roles in glycoprotein quality control. This process is highly complex, involving a number of lectins, chaperones, and glycan-processing enzymes. For example, calnexin and calreticulin (CRT) are molecular chaperones that recognize monoglucosylated forms of high-mannose-type glycans. UDP-glucose : glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (UGGT) only glucosylates high-mannose-type glycans attached to partially folded proteins. Fbs1 is a component of ubiquitin ligase that recognizes sugar chains. Although recent studies have clarified the properties of these proteins, most of them used oligosaccharides derived from natural sources, which contain structural heterogeneity. In order to gain a more precise understanding, we started our program to comprehensively synthesize high-mannose-type glycans associated with a protein quality control system. Additionally, investigation of artificial glycoproteins led us to the discovery of the first nonpeptidic substrate of UGGT. These synthetic oligosaccharide probes have allowed us to conduct quantitative evaluations of the activity and specificity of CRT, Fbs1, and UGGT.

Combinatorial synthesis of an oligosaccharide library by using beta-bromoglycoside-mediated iterative glycosylation of selenoglycosides: rapid expansion of molecular diversity with simple building blocks

A new method for constructing an oligosaccharide library composed of structurally defined oligosaccharides is presented based on an iterative glycosylation of selenoglycosides. Treatment of 2-acyl-protected selenoglycosides with bromine selectively generates beta-bromoglycosides, which serve as glycosyl cation equivalents in the oligosaccharide synthesis. Thus, the coupling of the bromoglycosides with another selenoglycoside affords the corresponding glycosylated selenoglycosides, which can be directly used to next glycosylation. The iteration of this sequence allows the synthesis of a variety of oligosaccharides including an elicitor active heptasaccharide. A characteristic feature of the iterative glycosylation is that glycosyl donors and acceptors with the same anomeric reactivity can be selectively coupled by activation of the glycosyl donor prior to coupling with the glycosyl acceptor. Therefore, same selenoglycosides can be used for both the glycosyl donors and the acceptors. This feature has been exemplified by a construction of an oligosaccharide library directed to elicitor-active oligosaccharides. The library composed of stereochemically defined oligoglucosides with considerable structural diversity can be constructed starting from simple selenoglycosides.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of stable isotope labeled UDP-N-[2H]-acetyl-glucosamine and [2H]-acetyl-chitooligosaccharides

Labeled UDP-GlcNAc and chitooligosaccharides should be powerful tools for studies of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase such as chitin synthases. We describe here a rapid, inexpensive and a common strategie for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of uridine 5'-diphospho-N-[(2)H]-acetyl-glucosamine and the chemical preparation of N-[(2)H]-acetyl chitooligosaccharides (from 2 to 5 mers). Deuterated UDP-GlcNAc analogue was tested as chitin synthase substrate and it exhibited an incorporation level in chitin as the natural substrate. Deuterium labeling of carbohydrates present different advantages: it is a stable isotope and allows glycosyltransferase mechanism studies by a mass spectrometry approach.

De Novo Synthesis of Aceric Acid and an Aceric Acid Building Block

The de novo synthesis of an aceric acid thioglycoside building block and the total synthesis of the plant carbohydrate aceric acid are described via a highly convergent strategy. Aldol reaction of acetaldehyde and a protected tartaric acid derivative provided the open chain carbohydrate. Subsequent acid treatment yielded the aceric acid thioglycoside in 35% total yield over five steps. Oxidative cleavage of the thioketal in the open chain carbohydrate and basic hydrolysis of the methyl ester furnished fully deprotected aceric acid in 31% yield over six steps.

Carbohydrate Microarrays: Survey of Fabrication Techniques

Carbohydrate microarrays are being developed in order to decipher the information content of the glycome. This postgenomic activity is necessary because of the complexity of protein biosynthesis and post-translational modifications that cannot currently be detected at the genome level. This review looks, in detail, at the experimental approaches that have been taken in the fabrication and preparation of carbohydrate microarrays, glycan arrays and glyco-chips. Tether structures, glycan solution preparation, detection methods and applications have been gathered together in a tabular format.

Mechanistic Studies and Methods To Prevent Aglycon Transfer of Thioglycosides

Thioglycosides have been employed extensively for the synthesis of complex oligosaccharides, carbohydrate libraries, and mimetics of O-glycosides. While very useful, aglycon transfer is a problematic side reaction with thioglycosides. In this paper, a series of mechanistic studies are described. The aglycon transfer process is shown to affect both armed and disarmed thioglycosides, cause anomerization of the carbon-sulfur bond of a thioglycoside, and destroy the product of a glycosylation reaction. The results indicate that the aglycon transfer process can be a major problem for a wide range of thioglycosides. This side reaction is especially important to consider when carrying out complex reactions such as solid-phase glycosylations, one-pot or orthogonal multicomponent glycosylations, and construction of carbohydrate libraries. To prevent transfer, a number of modified aglycons were examined. The 2,6-dimethylphenyl (DMP) aglycon was found to effectively block transfer in a variety of model studies and glycosylation reactions. The DMP group can be installed in one step from a commercially available thiol (2,6-dimethylthiophenol) and is useable as a glycosyl donor. On the basis of these features, the DMP group is proposed as a convenient and improved aglycon for thioglycosides.

Merging Organic and Polymer Chemistries to Create Glycomaterials for Glycomics Applications

[Image: see text] Oligosaccharides at cell surfaces are known to play a critical role in many biological processes such as biorecognition, interactions between cells and with artificial surfaces, immune response, infection and inflammation. In order to facilitate studies of the role of sugars, an increasing number of novel tools are becoming available. New synthetic strategies now provide much more efficient access to complex carbohydrates or glycoconjugates. Branched carbohydrates and hybrids of carbohydrates conjugated to polymers have been prepared using solution and/or solid-phase synthesis and advanced methods of polymerization. These materials are essential for the development of methodologies to study and map the molecular structure-function relationship at interfaces. This article highlights recent advances in the synthesis of carbohydrates and polymer hybrids mimicking the properties and functionalities of the natural oligosaccharides, as well as selected applications in biology, biotechnology and diagnostics.

Cap and Capture−Release Techniques Applied to Solid-Phase Synthesis of Oligosaccharides

This paper reports a new strategy for oligosaccharide synthesis by combining solid-phase methods with cap and capture-release separation techniques, using the p-(5-(ethoxycarbonyl)pentyloxy)benzyl group (CPB) as a tag for the capture of desired oligosaccharides. After a complex carbohydrate mixture was obtained by solid-phase synthesis, the desired oligosaccharide containing a free carboxyl group derived from CPB was attached to an amino resin. The loaded resin was readily separated from side products by filtration and finally treated with acid to release the pure oligosaccharide product.

First synthesis of 1,2,3-triazolo-linked (1,6)-alpha-D-oligomannoses (triazolomannoses) by iterative Cu(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition

The iterative copper(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition (rt or microwave) between an ethynyl alpha-C-mannoside and alkyl 6-azido-alpha-C-mannoside derivatives was suited to the (1,6)-ligation between alpha-D-mannose units through 1,4-disubstituted triazole bridges, thus resulting in the formation of linear oligomers (80-90% yield) with alternating triazole and mannose fragments up to a triazolo-pentamannose derivative.

Iterative one-pot syntheses of chitotetroses

Rapid syntheses of chitotetrose derivatives were achieved in good yields using the newly developed reactivity independent iterative one-pot strategy. The protective groups on donors and acceptors were independently evaluated allowing matching of the two partners in glycosylation. No anomeric reactivity adjustments or intermediate purification were necessary thus significantly improving the overall synthetic efficiency. Only near stoichiometric amounts of building blocks were required for the assembly of target molecules further highlighting the potential of the iterative one-pot method in complex oligosaccharide synthesis.

Facile Synthesis of Oligosaccharide Probes for the Analysis of Protein–Carbohydrate Interactions

A strategy for facile oligosaccharide synthesis is described. It obviates chromatographic separation of intermediates and enables the isolation of desired oligomers with capture-release purification and reverse-phase silica-gel cartridge separation. As an example, preparation of monoglucosylated mannotetraose (Glc alpha1-->3Man alpha1-->2Man1alpha-->2Man1alpha-->3Man beta) was conducted. After sequential glycosylation, capture-release purification with Cys-resin, global deprotection, and reverse-phase silica-gel cartridge separation, the target pentasaccharide was isolated, while isolation of shorter oligomers that lack nonreducing-end residues (Man alpha1-->2Man1alpha-->2Man1alpha-->3Man beta, Man1alpha-->2Man1alpha-->3Man beta, Man1alpha-->3Man beta) was also achieved. These products were connected to a thiol-containing linker and immobilized on Au-coated chips. Their affinity to recombinant calreticulin was evaluated by quartz-crystal microbalance.

Synthesis of cancer-associated glycoantigens: stage-specific embryonic antigen 3 (SSEA-3)

The synthesis of the tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens SSEA-3 and Gb3 in a semi-convergent fashion using building blocks bearing a S-thiazolinyl (STaz) moiety is reported. Complete stereoselective control of a difficult alpha-(1-->4)-galactosylation and high overall yields were achieved.

Fluorinated acyclo-C-nucleoside analogues from glycals in two steps

A convenient two-step strategy is reported for the synthesis of fluorinated optically pure acyclo-C-nucleoside analogues starting from simple glycals. In the first step, benzyl- or p-methoxybenzyl-protected glycals are treated with trifluoroacetic anhydride, bromodifluoroacetyl chloride, trichloroacetyl chloride, and perfluorooctanoyl chloride, respectively, in the presence of Et3N. This one-pot procedure yields 1,2-unsaturated sugars (1,5-anhydro-3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl (or p-methoxybenzyl) 2-deoxy-2-perhalogenoacyl-D-arabino / lyxo-hex-1-enitols 4-9) acylated at C-2. In the second step, a selective ring transformation is induced by treatment of the C-acylated glycals with bis-nucleophiles (hydrazine, phenylhydrazine, o-phenylenediamine, hydroxylamine). In particular, 1,5-anhydro-3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-2-trifluoroacetyl-D-arabino-hex-1-enitol (4) and 1,5-anhydro-2-deoxy-2-trifluoroacetyl-3,4,6-tri-O-(p-methoxybenzyl)-D-arabino-hex-1-enitol (8) were reacted with these nucleophiles generating the final C-nucleoside analogues of pyrazole (10, 11, and 12), diazepine (13), and isoxazole (15), respectively, containing a carbohydrate side chain linked to the heterocyclic ring.

Efficient installation of beta-mannosides using a dehydrative coupling strategy

[reaction: see text]. A new coupling procedure for the construction of the challenging beta-mannosidic bond is described. Dehydrative mannosylation using 4,6-O-benzylidene mannopyranoses allows for the formation of beta-mannosides in excellent yield. The stereoselectivity is generally good but influenced by the exact nature of the glycosylating agent and the nucleophile.

Cloning, purification and characterization of a functional anthracycline glycosyltransferase

We have cloned the gene that encodes a novel glucosyl transferase (AraGT) involved in rhamnosylation of the polyketide antibiotic Aranciamycin in Streptomyces echinatus. AraGT comprises two domains characteristic of bacterial glycosyltranferases. AraGT was synthesized in E. coli as a decahistidinyl-tagged polypeptide. Purified AraGT is dimeric, displays a T(mapp) of 30 degrees C and can glycosylate the aglycone of an Aranciamycin derivative as shown by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The availability of functional AraGT will allow the generation Aranciamycin-based combinatorial libraries.

NMR evidence for the participation of triflated ionic liquids in glycosylation reaction mechanisms

A systematic low-temperature NMR study of a glycosylation reaction was performed in the presence of different ionic liquids and acidic catalysts. The influence of the triflate anion derived from [emim][OTf] on the stereochemistry of the glycosylation products was evaluated.

Protein-resistant polymer coatings on silicon oxide by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization

The modification of silicon oxide with poly(ethylene glycol) to effectively eliminate protein adsorption has proven to be technically challenging. In this paper, we demonstrate that surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl methacrylate (OEGMA) successfully produces polymer coatings on silicon oxide that have excellent protein resistance in a biological milieu. The level of serum adsorption on these coatings is below the detection limit of ellipsometry. We also demonstrate a new soft lithography method via which SI-ATRP is integrated with microcontact printing to create micropatterns of poly(OEGMA) on glass that can spatially direct the adsorption of proteins on the bare regions of the substrate. This ensemble of methods will be useful in screening biological interactions where nonspecific binding must be suppressed to discern low probability binding events from a complex mixture and to pattern anchorage-dependent cells on glass and silicon oxide.

Syntheses of oligomannosides in solution and on a soluble polymer support: a comparison

The alpha-(1-->6)-linked and the alpha-(1-->2)-linked linear mannotetraose glycosides and, respectively, and the branched mannopentaoside [R=CH2(CH2)2CH2Cl] were synthesised by conventional methods in solution, using trichloroacetimidate donors, and the products were obtained in 39%, 42% and 40% overall yield, respectively. For comparative purposes, the same two linear tetrasaccharides were prepared by use of MPEG as a soluble polymer support, the yields being 34% and 14%, respectively. An attempted MPEG-supported synthesis of the branched pentasaccharide was unsuccessful. The merits and shortcomings of oligosaccharide syntheses on MPEG are discussed.

Solid-Phase Oligosaccharide Synthesis of a Small Library of N-Glycans

Solid-phase oligosaccharide synthesis is based on a hydroxymethylbenzyl benzoate spacer linker which is connected to the Merrifield resin (1 P). Glycosylation was performed with O-glycosyl trichloroacetimidates of glucosamine, mannose, and galactose permitting chain extension (2e, 5e), branching (4b, 7b, 8b), and chain termination (3t, 6t, 9t) with the use of O-benzyl, O-benzoyl, and N-dimethylmaleoyl as permanent and O-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) and O-phenoxyacetyl (PA) as temporary protecting groups. The steps required on solid phase are i) glycosylation under TMSOTf catalysis, ii) selective cleavage of the temporary protecting groups, Fmoc with NEt3 and PA with 0.5 equivalents of NaOMe in CH2Cl2/MeOH, and iii) product cleavage from the resin with 4.0 equivalents of NaOMe in CH2Cl2/MeOH and following O-acetylation for convenient product isolation. Thus a highly successful synthesis of a small library of seventeen N-glycan structures was made possible comprising the N-glycan pentasaccharide core structure 53 and two further chain extended hexa- and heptasaccharide N-glycans with a glucosamine or a lactosamine residue, respectively, which is attached to one of the mannose residues of the core structure (56 and 59).

Glycomimetics as decorating motifs for oligonucleotides: solid-phase synthesis, stability, and hybridization properties of carbopeptoid-oligonucleotide conjugates

The online solid-phase synthesis of oligonucleotides conjugated at the 3' end with [1-6]-linked oligosaccharide mimics having the O-glycosidic linkages replaced by amide bonds is here described. The assembly of the carbohydrate domain has been carried out by exploiting classical solid phase peptide synthetic protocols, starting from solid supports functionalized with 1-azido sugars, in association with suitably protected 1-azido uronic acids of glucose and lactose, chosen as model addition monomers. After the insertion of a flexible linker, elongation of the oligodeoxyribonucleotide (ODN) chain was performed by standard automated phosphoramidite protocols. 3'-Glycoconjugated 18-mers exhibited an increased enzymatic stability with respect to the same unmodified ODN sequence. UV thermal denaturation experiments showed that the presence of the oligosaccharide tail at the 3' end of the oligonucleotides did not negatively interfere with their duplex formation abilities.

Investigation of Nonspecific Effects of Different Dyes in the Screening of Labeled Carbohydrates against Immobilized Proteins

[structure: see text] Carbohydrates play an important role in life processes, and combinatorial chemistry can provide useful sources of thousands of synthetic carbohydrates as potential ligands for biological receptors. To accelerate the detection of positive hits arising from specific interactions between a carbohydrate and a protein, the use of fluorescent dyes can serve as a reliable detecting tool. A study of labeled carbohydrates to lectins conjugated to a solid-support shows that succinimidyl 6-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)hexanoate (NBD-X) dye provides by far the lowest level of nonspecific interaction with immobilized protein. This observation is in stark contrast with the commonly used labeling reagents constituted of charged and aromatic groups, for instance, FITC and TAMRA dyes.

Glycosyl Disulfides: Novel Glycosylating Reagents with Flexible Aglycon Alteration

[reaction: see text] Glycosyl disulfides have been shown for the first time to be effective glycosyl donors. Glucosylation and galactosylation of a panel of representative alcohol acceptors allowed the formation of 28 simple glycosides, disaccharides, and glycoamino acids in yields of up to 90%. As well as providing a novel class of effective glycosyl donors, the ability to easily alter the nature of the aglycon and the ability to differently activate donors that differ only in their aglycon simply through altering conditions lends glycosyl disulfide donors to their use in latent-active reactivity tuning strategies.

Glycosyl trichloroacetylcarbamate: a new glycosyl donor for O-glycosylation

Glycosyl trichloroacetylcarbamates, readily obtained by reacting 1-hydroxy sugars with trichloroacetylisocyanate, have been found as excellent glycosyl donors, and the corresponding O-glycosides are formed in good to excellent yields with a fairly good degree of selectivity.

One-pot α-glycosylation pathway via the generation in situ of α-glycopyranosyl imidates in N,N-dimethylformamide

Divergent pathways are disclosed in the activation of 2-O-benzyl-1-hydroxy sugars by a reagent combination of CBr4 and Ph3P, all of which afford one-pot alpha-glycosylation methods. When this reagent is used in CH2Cl2, the 1-hydroxy sugar is converted to the alpha-glycosyl bromide in a conventional way and leads to the one-pot alpha-glycosylation method based on a halide ion-catalytic mechanism. In either DMF or a mixture of DMF and CHCl3, however, alternative alpha-glycosyl species are generated. From the 1H and 13C NMR study of the products, as well as the reactions using Vilsmeier reagents [(CH3)2N+=CHX]X- (X=Br and Cl), these were identified as cationic alpha-glycopyranosyl imidates having either Br- or Cl- counter ion. The cationic alpha-glycosyl imidate (Br-), derived specifically in the presence of DMF, is more reactive than the alpha-glycosyl bromide and thus is responsible for the accelerated one-pot alpha-glycosylation. The one-pot alpha-glycosylation methodology performed in DMF was assessed also with different types of acceptor substrates including tertiary alcohols and an anomeric mixture of 1-OH sugars.

Structural approaches to the study of oligosaccharides in glycoprotein quality control

High-mannose-type oligosaccharides have been shown to play important roles in protein quality control. Several intracellular proteins, such as lectins, chaperones and glycan-processing enzymes, are involved in this process. These include calnexin/calreticulin, UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (UGGT), cargo receptors (such as VIP36 and ERGIC-53), mannosidase-like proteins (e.g. EDEM and Htm1p) and ubiquitin ligase (Fbs). They are thought to recognize high-mannose-type glycans with subtly different structures, although the precise specificities are yet to be clarified. In order to gain a clear understanding of these protein-carbohydrate interactions, comprehensive synthesis of high-mannose-type glycans was conducted. In addition, two approaches to the synthesis of artificial glycoproteins with homogeneous oligosaccharides were investigated. Furthermore, a novel substrate of UGGT was discovered.

Automated synthesis of oligosaccharides as a basis for drug discovery

Carbohydrates present both potential and problems - their biological relevance has been recognized, but problems in procuring sugars rendered them a difficult class of compounds to handle in drug discovery efforts. The development of the first automated solid-phase oligosaccharide synthesizer and other methods to assemble defined oligosaccharides rapidly has fundamentally altered this situation. This review describes how quick access to oligosaccharides has not only contributed to biological, biochemical and biophysical investigations, but also to drug discovery. Particular focus will be placed on the development of carbohydrate-based vaccines, defined heparin oligosaccharides and aminoglycosides that have recently begun to affect drug discovery.

A General Strategy for Stereoselective Glycosylations

The principal challenge that the synthesis of oligosaccharides of biological importance presents is the development of a general approach for the stereoselective introduction of a glycosidic linkage. It is shown here that a (1S)-phenyl-2-(phenylsulfanyl)ethyl moiety at C-2 of a glycosyl donor can perform neighboring group participation to give a quasi-stable anomeric sulfonium ion. Due to steric and electronic factors, the sulfonium ion is formed as a trans-decalin ring system. Displacement of the sulfonium ion by a hydroxyl leads to the stereoselective formation of alpha-glycosides. NMR experiments were employed to show convincingly the presence of the beta-linked sulfonium ion intermediate. The (1S)-phenyl-2-(phenylsulfanyl)ethyl moiety could be introduced by reaction of a sugar alcohol with acetic acid (1S)-phenyl-2-(phenylsulfanyl)ethyl ester in the presence of BF(3)-OEt(2). Furthermore, it could be removed by conversion into acetate by treatment with BF(3)-OEt(2) in acetic anhydride. The introduction as well as the cleavage reaction proceeds through the formation of an intermediate episulfonium ion. The use of the new methodology in combination with traditional neighboring group participation by esters to introduce beta-glycosides makes it possible, for the first time, to synthesize a wide variety of oligosaccharides by routine procedures. The latter was demonstrated by the synthesis of the Galili trisaccharide, which has been identified as an epitope that can trigger acute rejections in xeno-transplantations, by the one-pot two-step glycosylation sequence.

A topologically segregated one-bead-one-compound combinatorial glycopeptide library for identification of lectin ligands

A glycopeptide library containing more than 500,000 compounds has been constructed from a combination of Asn-linked carbohydrates using one-bead-one-compound combinatorial methodologies. The library was encoded with peptide markers that were topologically segregated on the interior of the solid support to negate interference with carbohydrate/protein recognition during lectin screening. Both the peptide backbone and carbohydrate components were randomized, but the glycosamine was limited to position 3 at the center of the pentapeptide to evaluate the influence of the peptide backbone in lectin recognition. Of the four lectins that were evaluated, remarkable selectivity was observed with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), which recognizes N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc). From more than 80,000 possible combinations, only six ligands were identified, all possessing GlcNAc. These compounds were independently synthesized, characterized, and evaluated in solution. All six of the glycopeptides showed higher affinity for WGA than GlcNAc, with one having a 4-fold increase. Modeling studies indicate that the peptide backbone is capable of interacting with amino acids in the active site of WGA, but these interactions are not strongly correlated with activity, suggesting that the primary role of the peptide is to properly orient the sugar in the recognition process.

Chemical Approaches to Define the Structure-Activity Relationship of Heparin-like Glycosaminoglycans

Heparin, the drug of choice for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic disorders, has been shown to interact with many proteins. Despite its widespread medical use, little is known about the precise sequences that interact with specific proteins. The minimum heparin binding sequence for FGF1 and FGF2 necessary to promote signaling was investigated. A characteristic pentasaccharide sequence, DEFGH, is required to accelerate the inhibition of thrombin and factor Xa in the blood-coagulation cascade. The first synthetic heparin pentasaccharide drug has been approved in Europe and the US and is sold under the trade name Arixtra. Other oligosaccharides with different composition are under clinical investigation. The enormous interest in the assembly of heparin oligosaccharides will stimulate the development of new synthetic approaches. Heparin-oligosaccharide-synthesis automation similar to that of DNA or peptide synthesis will play an important role.

Synthesis of heparin-like oligosaccharides on polymer supports

The biological functions of a variety of proteins are regulated by heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans. In order to facilitate the elucidation of the molecular basis of glycosaminoglycan-protein interactions we have developed syntheses of heparin-like oligosaccharides on polymer supports. A completely stereoselective strategy previously developed by us for the synthesis of these oligosaccharides in solution has been extended to the solid phase using an acceptor-bound approach. Both a soluble polymer support and a polyethylene glycol-grafted polystyrene resin have been used and different strategies for the attachment of the acceptor to the support have been explored. The attachment of fully protected disaccharide building blocks to a soluble support through the carboxylic group of the uronic acid unit by a succinic ester linkage, the use of trichloroacetimidates as glycosylating agents and of a functionalized Merryfield type resin for the capping process allowed for the construction of hexasaccharide and octasaccharide fragments containing the structural motif of the regular region of heparin. This strategy may facilitate the synthesis of glycosaminoglycan oligosaccharides by using the required building blocks in the glycosylation sequence.

Protein Glycosylation: New Challenges and Opportunities

Protein glycosylation is the most complex post-translational modification process. More than 50% of proteins in humans are glycosylated, while bacteria such as E. coli does not have this modification machinery. Many small-molecule natural products also require glycosylation in order to express their function. Development of effective synthetic tools for use in understanding the effect of glycosylation on the structure and function of biomolecules will lead to the development of new strategies to tackle major problems associated with carbohydrate-mediated biological recognitions.