The direct synthesis of 6-amino-6-deoxyaldonic acids as monomers for the preparation of polyhydroxylated nylon 6

Embracing Sustainability: The World of Bio-Based Polymers in a Mini Review

The proliferation of polymer science and technology in recent decades has been remarkable, with synthetic polymers derived predominantly from petroleum-based sources dominating the market. However, concerns about their environmental impacts and the finite nature of fossil resources have sparked interest in sustainable alternatives. Bio-based polymers, derived from renewable sources such as plants and microbes, offer promise in addressing these challenges. This review provides an overview of bio-based polymers, discussing their production methods, properties, and potential applications. Specifically, it explores prominent examples including polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), and polyhydroxy polyamides (PHPAs). Despite their current limited market share, the growing awareness of environmental issues and advancements in technology are driving increased demand for bio-based polymers, positioning them as essential components in the transition towards a more sustainable future.

Importance of topology for glycocluster binding to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia ambifaria bacterial lectins

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and Burkholderia ambifaria (BA) are two opportunistic Gram negative bacteria and major infectious agents involved in lung infection of cystic fibrosis patients. Both bacteria can develop resistance to conventional antibiotherapies. An alternative strategy consists of targeting virulence factors in particular lectins with high affinity ligands such as multivalent glycoclusters. LecA (PA-IL) and LecB (PA-IIL) are two tetravalent lectins from PA that recognise galactose and fucose respectively. BambL lectin from BA is trimeric with 2 binding sites per monomer and is also specific for fucose. These three lectins are potential therapeutic targets in an anti-adhesive anti-bacterial approach. Herein, we report the synthesis of 18 oligonucleotide pentofuranose-centered or mannitol-centered glycoclusters leading to tri-, penta- or decavalent clusters with different topologies. The linker arm length between the core and the carbohydrate epitope was also varied leading to 9 galactoclusters targeting LecA and 9 fucoclusters targeting both LecB and BambL. Their dissociation constants (Kd) were determined using a DNA-based carbohydrate microarray technology. The trivalent xylo-centered galactocluster and the ribo-centered fucocluster exhibited the best affinity for LecA and LecB respectively while the mannitol-centered decafucocluster displayed the best affinity to BambL. These data demonstrated that the topology and nature of linkers were the predominant factors for achieving high affinity rather than valency.

Design and synthesis of hydrolytically stable multivalent ligands bearing thiodigalactoside analogues for peanut lectin and human galectin-3 binding

Herein, we describe the design and synthesis of a novel family of hydrolytically stable glycoclusters bearing thiodigalactoside (TDG) analogues as recognition elements of β-galactoside binding lectins. The TDG analogue was synthesized by thioglycosylation of a 6-S-acetyl-α-D-glucosyl bromide with the isothiouronium salt of 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-galactose. Further propargylation of the TDG analogue allowed the coupling to azido-functionalized oligosaccharide scaffolds through copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) under microwave activation. The final mono-, di-, and tetravalent ligands were resistant to enzymatic hydrolisis by Escherichia coli β-galactosidase. Binding affinities to peanut agglutinin and human galectin-3 were measured by isothermal titration calorimetry which showed K(a) constants in the micromolar range as well as a multivalent effect. Monovalent ligand exhibited a binding affinity higher than that of thiodigalactoside. Docking studies performed with a model ligand on both β-galactoside binding lectins showed additional interactions between the triazole ring and lectin amino acid residues, suggesting a positive effect of this aromatic residue on the biological activity.