Solid-phase extraction on C18 silica as a purification strategy in the solution synthesis of a 1-thio-beta-D-galactopyranoside library

Combining Click Reactions for the One-Pot Synthesis of Modular Biomolecule Mimetics

Here, we report on the first combined one-pot use of the two so-called "click reactions": the thiol-ene coupling and the copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition. These reactions were employed in an alternating and one-pot fashion to combine appropriately functionalized monomeric carbohydrate building blocks to create mimics of trisaccharides and tetrasaccharides as single anomers, with only minimal purification necessary. The deprotected oligosaccharide mimics were found to bind both plant lectins and human galectin-3.

Tri-isopropylsilyl thioglycosides as masked glycosyl thiol nucleophiles for the synthesis of S-linked glycosides and glyco-conjugates

Tri-isopropylsilyl thio-glycosides (TIPS S-glycosides), readily synthesized from glycosyl halides, glycosyl acetates, or p-methoxyphenyl glycosides, were in one-pot de-silylated and S-alkylated, -acylated, or -glycosylated in high yields and short time.

Tag-assisted liquid-phase peptide synthesis using hydrophobic benzyl alcohols as supports

A soluble tag-assisted liquid-phase peptide synthesis was successfully established based on simple hydrophobic benzyl alcohols, which can be easily prepared from naturally abundant materials. Excellent precipitation yields can be obtained at each step, combining the best properties of solid-phase and liquid-phase techniques. This approach can also be applied efficiently to fragment couplings, allowing chemical synthesis of several bioactive peptides.

Soluble-support-assisted electrochemical reactions: application to anodic disulfide bond formation

A soluble-support-assisted technique was successfully applied to electrochemical reactions, leading to anodic disulfide bond formation. The support-bound peptide was soluble in electrolyte solution, allowing electron transfer at the surface of the electrodes. After completion of the reaction, the support-bound product was recovered as a precipitate by simple dilution of the reaction mixture with poor solvent.

Probing the acceptor substrate binding site of Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase with systematically modified substrates and glycoside libraries

Systematically modified octyl galactosides and octyl N-acetyllactosamines were assessed as inhibitors of, and substrates for, T. cruzi trans-sialidase (TcTS) in the context of exploring its acceptor substrate binding site. These studies show that TcTS, which catalyses the α-(2→3)-sialylation of non-reducing terminal β-galactose residues, is largely intolerant of substitution of the galactose 2 and 4 positions whereas substitution of the galactose 6 position is well tolerated. Further studies show that even the addition of a bulky sugar residue (glucose, galactose) does not impact negatively on TcTS binding and turnover, which highlights the potential of 'internal' 6-substituted galactose residues to serve as TcTS acceptor substrates. Results from screening a 93-membered thiogalactoside library highlight a number of structural features (notably imidazoles and indoles) that are worthy of further investigation in the context of TcTS inhibitor development.

Fluorous-Assisted One-Pot Oligosaccharide Synthesis

A new method for oligosaccharide assembly that combines the advantages of one-pot synthesis and fluorous separation is described. After one-pot glycosylations are completed, a fluorous tag is introduced into the reaction mixture to selectively "catch" the desired oligosaccharide, which is rapidly separated from non-fluorous impurities by fluorous solid-phase extraction (F-SPE). Subsequent "release" of the fluo rous tag and F-SPE achieved the purification of the desired oligosaccharide without the use of time- and solvent-consuming silica gel chromatography. Linear and branched oligosaccharides have been synthesized with this approach in just a few hours (for the overall oligosaccharide assembly and purification process).

Analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: An update covering the period 1999-2000

This review describes the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry for the analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates and continues coverage of the field from the previous review published in 1999 (D. J. Harvey, Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry of carbohydrates, 1999, Mass Spectrom Rev, 18:349-451) for the period 1999-2000. As MALDI mass spectrometry is acquiring the status of a mature technique in this field, there has been a greater emphasis on applications rather than to method development as opposed to the previous review. The present review covers applications to plant-derived carbohydrates, N- and O-linked glycans from glycoproteins, glycated proteins, mucins, glycosaminoglycans, bacterial glycolipids, glycosphingolipids, glycoglycerolipids and related compounds, and glycosides. Applications of MALDI mass spectrometry to the study of enzymes acting on carbohydrates (glycosyltransferases and glycosidases) and to the synthesis of carbohydrates, are also covered.

Glycosidase inhibition by 1-glycosyl-4-phenyl triazoles

1-Glycosyl-4-phenyl triazoles have been prepared via a copper-mediated [3+2] cycloaddition of glycosyl azides with phenylacetylene. These triazoles have been evaluated for their ability to inhibit the enzymatic activity of glycosidases.

Synthesis of a phenyl thio-β-d-galactopyranoside library from 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene: discovery of efficient and selective monosaccharide inhibitors of galectin-7

The galectins are a family of [small beta]-galactoside-binding proteins that have been implicated in cancer and inflammation processes. Herein, we report the synthesis of a library of 28 compounds that was tested for binding to galectins-1, -3, -7, -8N and -9N. An aromatic nucleophilic substitution reaction between 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and a galacto thiol gave 5-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-1-thio-beta-D-galactopyranoside. This versatile intermediate was then modified in a two dimensional manner: either by further substitution of the second fluoride by amines or thiols, or by reduction of the nitro groups and acylation of the resulting amines, or both. Deacetylation then gave a library of aromatic beta-galactosides that showed variable inhibitory activity against the different galectins, as shown by screening with a fluorescence-polarisation assay. Particularly efficient inhibitors were found against galectin-7, while less impressive enhancements of inhibitor affinity over methyl beta-D-galactopyranoside were found for galectin-1, -3, -8N and -9N. The best inhibitors against galectin-7 showed significantly higher affinity (K(d) as low as 140 microM) than both beta-methyl galactoside (K(d) 4.8 mM) and the unsubstituted beta-phenyl thiogalactoside (non-inhibitory). The best inhibitors against galectin-7 were poor against the other galectins and thus have potential as structurally simple and selective tools for dissecting biological functions of galectin-7.

Glycosylation with in situ separation: carbohydrate chemistry on a TLC plate

Iodine vapour promotes thioglycoside-based glycosylation chemistry on TLC plates, which in turn permits in situ separation by conventional elution with solvent.

Synthesis of a glucuronic acid and glucose conjugate library and evaluation of effects on endothelial cell growth

Compounds that alter endothelial cell growth are of interest in the development of angiogenesis modulators. A structurally diverse series of saccharide derivatives (glycosylamide conjugates) have been synthesized and evaluated for their effects on bovine aortic endothelial cell (BAEC) growth. Heparin-albumin (HA) reduced BAEC growth by 32% at 10 microg/mL and a number of the novel saccharide conjugates from the library were found to mimic the effect of HA as they also inhibit endothelial cell survival under identical conditions. Two thiophene conjugates, thioglucamide (24% inhibition at 35 microM) and a related glucuronide (26% inhibition at 33 microM) were the most potent inhibitors of BAEC growth, as determined using a methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The effects of thioglucamide and HA on absolute cell number were also studied using cell counting experiments; thioglucamide (47% after 24 h) was more potent than indicated by the MTT assay and initially reduced the BAEC number to a greater extent than HA (30% after 24 h); however, its actions were over more rapidly than were HA's as cell growth had returned to levels of the control after 72 h where HA still caused 25% inhibition. The binding of the monosaccharide conjugates to fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) in competition with heparin-albumin by ELISA was investigated to establish the possible mechanism by which glycoconjugates could alter growth but there was no general correlation between reduction in viable cell population and binding to FGF-2. No glycoconjugate reduced the proliferation of mouse mammary epithelial cells, nor did any alter gross cell morphology, supporting a proposal that the reduction in BAEC survival by monosaccharide conjugates such as thioglucamide is a result of the inhibition of cell proliferation rather than being an induction of cytotoxicity. These studies indicate that cell biological studies to determine the mechanism of action of the simple monosaccharide conjugates may be worthwhile.

Quantitative studies of the binding of the class II PapG adhesin from uropathogenic Escherichia coli to oligosaccharides

Binding of the class II PapG adhesin, found at the tip of filamentous pili on Escherichia coli, to the carbohydrate moiety of globoseries glycolipids in the human kidney is a key step in development of pyelonephritis, a severe form of urinary tract infection. An assay based on surface plasmon resonance for quantification of the binding of the class II PapG adhesin to oligosaccharides has been developed. Using this assay dissociation constants ranging from 80 to 540 microM were determined for binding of the PapG adhesin to di-pentasaccharide fragments from the globoseries of glycolipids. A series of galabiose derivatives, modified at the anomeric position, O-2' or O-3', was also investigated. The anomeric position appeared to be the most promising for development of improved inhibitors of PapG-mediated adhesion of E. coli. p-Methoxyphenyl galabioside was found to be most potent (K(d)=140 microM), and binds to PapG almost as well as the Forssman pentasaccharide.

Low micromolar inhibitors of galectin-3 based on 3'-derivatization of N-acetyllactosamine

A strategy for generating potential galectin inhibitors was devised based on derivatization at the C-3' atom in 3'-amino-N-acetyllactosamine by using structural knowledge of the galectin carbohydrate recognition site. A collection of 12 compounds was prepared by N-acylations or N-sulfonylations. Hydrophobic tagging of the O-3 atom in the N-acetylglucosamine residue with a stearic ester allowed rapid and simple product purification. The compounds were screened in a galectin-3 binding assay and three compounds with significantly higher inhibitory activities compared to the parent N-acetyllactosaminide were found. These three best inhibitors all carried an aromatic amide at the C-3' position of the galactose moiety, which indicates that favorable interactions were formed between the aromatic group and galectin-3. The best inhibitor had an IC50 value (4.4 microM) about 50 times better than the parent N-acetyllactosaminide, which implies that it has potential as a valuable tool for studying galectin-3 biological functions and also as a lead compound for the development of galectin-3-blocking pharmaceuticals.

Work-up strategies for high-throughput solution synthesis

The key bottleneck in parallel synthesis has, in truth, always been the isolation and purification of the reaction products, rather than carrying out the reactions themselves. Solution-phase chemistry for parallel synthesis has recently been re-emphasized and has stimulated the development of a wide-range of practical tools for efficient high-throughput work-up, which are gaining increasing acceptance in medicinal chemistry groups.

Combinatorial library of five-membered iminocyclitol and the inhibitory activities against glyco-enzymes

BACKGROUND

Oligosaccharide processing enzymes are important classes of catalysts involved in synthesizing specific oligosaccharide structures on proteins and sphingolipids. Development of specific inhibitors of such enzymes is of current interest as these inhibitors may be used to control cellular functions. Five-membered iminocyclitols have been shown to be potent inhibitors of such enzymes. Since a rational design and synthesis of inhibitors is often extremely difficult due to the limited information regarding the structure of the active site, we carried out a combinatorial library approach.

RESULTS

To create diversity, we decided to use an aldehyde group of a protected iminocyclitol for reductive amination and the Strecker reaction. After transformation of the nitrile group introduced by the Strecker reaction into an amine and amide and complete deprotection, a small library of five-membered iminocyclitols consisting of 27 compounds was synthesized. A series of compounds obtained by reductive amination was first screened as potential inhibitors of glycosidases and glycosyltransferases. Among them, compounds carrying a C(10)-alkyl group showed marked enhancement of inhibitory activity against alpha-mannosidase at 10 microM concentration when compared with its parent compound and deoxymannojirimycin. Furthermore, compounds having the phenylethyl group showed an extremely strong inhibitory effect against alpha-galactosaminidase at a K(i) value of 29.4 nM. Compounds with an aminomethyl and amide group at the C-1' position of these two molecules showed a decrease in inhibitory activities.

CONCLUSIONS

A combinatorial approach based on five-membered iminocyclitols with a galacto-configuration was exploited. The potential usefulness of the library as a source of inhibitors of glycoenzymes is clearly shown in this study.

High-throughput purification of compound libraries

Synthesis of combinatorial libraries by parallel synthesis, followed by high- throughput biological screening, is the new paradigm for drug discovery. Purity of these libraries is an important consideration to obtain high-quality assay data. Liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase capture reagents are useful in special cases for small numbers of compounds. However, for libraries of a few thousand compounds, HPLC is a viable alternative. Beyond these numbers, factors such as solvent requirements, the number of fractions and tracking become prohibitive. Supercritical fluid chromatography has been successfully employed in automated purification instrumentation and is expected to be capable of purifying libraries of tens-of-thousands of compounds.

Combinatorial chemistry toward understanding the function(s) of carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates

Combinatorial chemistry has contributed significantly to understanding the structure-function relationships of biologically important molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. However, carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates, which have been identified as key modulators of several biological functions have not enjoyed the same measure of success. The complexity and synthetic challenges of carbohydrate conjugates have resulted in a number of conceptual approaches to rapidly access sufficient quantities of these biomolecules. This article summarizes these combinatorial approaches and also highlights fully automated library synthesis of artificial glycopeptides with the goals of understanding their biological roles.

Solid-phase extraction for combinatorial libraries

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) has during the last three years emerged as a convenient method for the purification of compound libraries prepared by solution synthesis. The widespread use of SPE in combinatorial chemistry can be explained by straightforward SPE method development facilitated by the availability of numerous commercial SPE resins. High-speed automated SPE is readily accomplished by taking advantage of commercial laboratory robot systems. The present review summarizes and discusses advancements made in the use of different SPE resins and molecule tagging techniques for optimization of ion-exchange, reversed-phase, normal-phase and fluorous-phase SPE in combinatorial chemistry.

Polymer-assisted solution-phase (PASP) library synthesis of alpha-ketoamides

A parallel solution-phase library synthesis of alpha-ketoamides is described. The two-step library synthesis is accomplished using polymer-assisted solution-phase (PASP) synthesis techniques. This high-yielding, multi-step sequence utilizes sequestering resins for the removal of reactants, reactant by-products, and tagged reagents. The first step of the library synthesis utilizes PASP resins to mediate the amide coupling of an alpha-hydroxy acid with an amine. The second step uses PASP resins for the periodinane oxidation of the alpha-hydroxy acid to an alpha-ketoamide leaving highly pure products after simple filtration and evaporation.