Synthesis of the sodium salts of methyl 2-O-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl-alpha-L-fucopyranoside 3- and 4-sulfate

A fucoidan fraction from Ascophyllum nodosum

A fucoidan fraction was purified from the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum. The polysaccharide contained L-fucose and sulfate as the only constituents. Combination of methylation analysis, Smith degradation, FTIR and NMR spectroscopy on the native and the de-sulfated polymers demonstrated that the fucoidan consisted of a highly branched core region with primarily alpha-(1-->3)-linked fucosyl residues and a few alpha-(1-->4) linkages. Branch points were at position 2 of the -->3-linked internal residues. The side chains consisted of single and multi-unit fucosyl residues. The combined analytical data suggested also a complex sulfation pattern with substitution principally at position 2 and/or position 4. Such diversity in the structural features of this fucoidan may be of importance for its various biological properties.

Regioselective desulfation of sulfated L-fucopyranoside by a new sulfoesterase from the marine mollusk Pecten maximus: application to the structural study of algal fucoidan (Ascophyllum nodosum)

The study of the structural bases of the biological properties of algal fucoidan (Ascophyllum nodosum) led us to look for enzymes able to modify this sulfated polysaccharide. In this context, we found a sulfoesterase activity in the digestive glands of the common marine mollusk Pecten maximus, which is active on fucoidan. This sulfoesterase activity was shown by capillary electrophoresis and 13C-1H NMR (500 MHz) analysis of the enzymatic hydrolysis of the fucoidan, of fucoidan oligosaccharides and of sulfated fucose isomers. We report the exhaustive list of all proton and carbon chemical shifts for each of the three isomers of sulfated-l-fucose (including of their alpha/beta anomers), i.e. the 2-O-, 3-O- and 4-O-sulfated fucose, which have been useful reference values for the assignments of NMR spectra of fucoidan oligosaccharides upon enzymatic desulfation. Our results demonstrated a high regioselectivity for this sulfoesterase, which hydrolyzes only the sulfate group at the 2-O position of the fucopyranoside. Therefore, this sulfoesterase is a helpful tool in the structure-activity study of the fucoidan, as the literature data suggest that the 2-O-sulfation level play a central role in the biological properties of the polysaccharide.

Further data on the structure of brown seaweed fucans: relationships with anticoagulant activity

The composition, molecular weight (MW), anticoagulant activity and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of various low-molecular-weight fucans (LMWFs) obtained by partial hydrolysis or radical depolymerization of a crude fucoidan extracted from the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum are compared. Fucose units were found mainly sulfated at O-2, to a lesser extent at O-3, and only slightly at O-4, contrary to previously published results for fucoidans from other brown seaweeds, and fucose 2, 3-O-disulfate residues were observed for the first time. As the sulfation pattern excluded an alpha-(1-->2)-linked fucose backbone and a high proportion of alpha-(1-->4) linkages was found, it would appear that the concept of fucoidan structure needs to be revised. Anticoagulant activity is apparently related not only to MW and sulfation content, as previously determined, but also (and more precisely) to 2-O-sulfation and 2,3-O-disulfation levels.

A sulfated alpha-L-fucan from sea cucumber

A purified sulfated alpha-L-fucan from the sea cucumber body wall was studied, before and after almost complete desulfation, using methylation analysis and NMR spectroscopy. NMR analysis indicates that 2,4-di-O-sulfo-L-fucopyranose and unsubstituted fucopyranose are present in equal proportions, and that 2-O-sulfo-L-fucopyranose is present in twice that proportion. There is some NMR evidence that a regular repeating sequence of four residues comprises most or all of the polysaccharide chain.

Synthesis of p-trifluoroacetamidophenyl 6-deoxy-2-O-(3-O-[2-O-methyl-3-O- (2-O-methyl-alpha-D-rhamnopyranosyl)-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl]-alpha-L- rhamnopyranosyl)-alpha-L-talopyranoside: a spacer armed tetrasaccharide glycopeptidolipid antigen of Mycobacterium avium serovar 20

The synthesis of the title tetrasaccharide glycoside 38 is reported. p-Nitrophenyl endo-3,4-O-benzylidene-6-deoxy-alpha-L-talopyranoside (4), 3-O-acetyl-2,4-di-O-benzyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (7), methyl 3-O-acetyl-4-O-benzyl-2-O-methyl-1-thio-beta-L-fucopyranoside (15), 3-O-acetyl-4-O-benzyl-2-O-methyl-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl bromide (16), and ethyl 3-O-acetyl-4-O-benzyl-2-O-methyl-1-thio-alpha-D-rhamnopyranoside (33) were prepared as intermediates. Compound 4 was glycosylated with imidate 7 as well as with methyl 3-O-acetyl-2,4-di-O-benzyl-1-thio-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (9), affording the same disaccharide derivative 8. Deacetylation of 8 gave crystalline 17. Condensation of 17 with both fucosyl donors 15 and 16 yielded the same trisaccharide derivative 18 stereoselectively. Compound 18 was also prepared by the coupling of 4 with disaccharide glycosyl donor 20. After deacetylation of 18 (-->34), methyl triflate-promoted glycosylation with compound 33 resulted in tetrasaccharide 35. Conversion of the p-nitrophenyl group of 35 into the p-trifluoroacetamidophenyl group (-->36) and removal of the protecting groups gave the title tetrasaccharide glycoside 38.

A facile synthesis of nitrophenyl oligosaccharides containing the O-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl-(1----3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyrano syl unit at their nonreducing end

A facile approach towards the synthesis of 4-nitrophenyl O-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl-(1----3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyra nos ide, 2-nitrophenyl O-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl-(1----3)-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucop yra nosyl)- (1----6)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranoside, 4-nitrophenyl O-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl-(1----3)-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucop yra nosyl)- (1----6)-alpha-D-mannopyranoside, and 4-nitrophenyl O-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl-(1----3)-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucop yra nosyl)-(1----6)-beta-D-galactopyranoside has been accomplished through the development and use of methyl 3,4-O-isopropylidene-2-O-(4-methoxybenzyl)-1-thio-beta-L-fucopyranoside as the glycosyl donor.