Linear synthesis of the hexasaccharide related to the repeating unit of the O-antigen from Shigella flexneri serotype 1d (I: 7,8)

Recent and Future Advances in the Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Homogeneous Glycans for Bacterial Glycoconjugate Vaccine Development

Vaccines are important in preventing disease outbreaks and controlling the spread of disease in a population. A variety of vaccines exist, including subunit, recombinant, and conjugate vaccines. Glycoconjugate vaccines have been an important tool to fight against diseases caused by a number of bacteria. Glycoconjugate vaccines are often heterogeneous. Vaccines of the future are becoming more rationally designed to have a defined oligosaccharide chain length and position of conjugation. Homogenous vaccines could play an important role in assessing the relationship between vaccine structure and immune response. This review focuses on recent advances in the chemoenzymatic production of defined bacterial oligosaccharides for vaccine development with a focus on Neisseria meningitidis and selected WHO-prioritized antibacterial resistant-pathogens. We also provide some perspective on future advances in the chemoenzymatic synthesis of well-defined oligosaccharides.

Chemical synthesis of the pentasaccharide repeating unit of the O-specific polysaccharide from Ruminococcus gnavus

Microorganisms present in the guts are the causative agents for various diseases in humans. More and more studies are correlating such diseases and the responsible microorganism. The Gram-positive bacterium Ruminococcus gnavus (R. gnavus) has been identified to be responsible for symptoms of Crohn's disease. R. gnavas produces a glucorhamnan polysaccharide and it is postulated that this polysaccharide induces inflammatory response through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). The current manuscript describes the chemical synthesis of the pentasaccharide repeating unit of the O-polysachharide from R. gnavus. The major challenge associated with this particular synthesis is the presence of two consecutive 1,2-cis glucose units. The target oligosaccharide is achieved through a linear strategy from commercially available sugars through rational protecting group manipulation. 1,2-cis glycosylation of glucose through remote participation of acyl group at the 6-O position is used successfully with excellent yield. In both cases, sole 1,2-cis products are obtained at -20 °C through the activation of thioglycosides.

Chemical Synthesis of β-l-Rhamnose Containing the Pentasaccharide Repeating Unit of the O-Specific Polysaccharide from a Halophilic Bacterium Halomonas ventosae RU5S2EL in the Form of Its 2-Aminoethyl Glycoside

Total synthesis of the pentasaccharide repeating unit of the OPS from Halomonas ventosae RU5S2EL is accomplished through a [3+2] block strategy. Picoloyl-induced hydrogen-bond-assisted aglycon delivery (HAD) is used for two consecutive 1,2-cis-l-rhamnosylations, and remote participation is used for α-selective glucosylation. The choice of 2-aminoethyl glycoside at the reducing end is opted for, leaving the scope for further glycoconjugate formation without hampering the reducing-end stereochemistry.

Enzymatic Synthesis of Repeating Unit Oligosaccharides of Escherichia coli O104

Escherichia coli serotype O104:H4 (ECO104) is a potent intestinal pathogen that causes severe bloody diarrhea and hemolytic-uremic syndrome. The O antigenic polysaccharides of ECO104 consist of repeating units with the structure [4Galα1-4Neu5,7,9Ac3α2-3Galβ1-3GalNAcβ1-]_n. These repeating units are assembled sequentially by specific glycosyltransferases on a diphosphate-undecaprenol intermediate. Internal structures include mimics of the human T and sialyl-T antigen. This protocol describes the in vitro synthesis of the repeating unit by β1,3-Gal-transferase WbwC, α2,3-sialyltransferase WbwA, and α1,4-Gal-transferase WbwB. All of these enzymes require acceptor substrates based on GalNAc-diphosphate-lipid. These methods are applicable for the assembly of bacterial polysaccharides of gram-negative bacteria that require sugar-diphosphate intermediates and are a basis for vaccine synthesis.