Stereocontrolled Synthesis of α-Xylofuranosides Using a Conformationally Restricted Donor

ZnI2-Mediated cis-Glycosylations of Various Constrained Glycosyl Donors: Recent Advances in cis-Selective Glycosylations

An efficient and versatile glycosylation methodology is crucial for the systematic synthesis of oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. A direct intermolecular and an indirect intramolecular methodology have been developed, and the former can be applied to the synthesis of medium-to-long-chain glycans like that of nucleotides and peptides. The development of a generally applicable approach for the stereoselective construction of glycosidic bonds remains a major challenge, especially for the synthesis of 1,2-cis glycosides such as β-mannosides, β-L-rhamnosides, and β-D-arabinofuranosides with equatorial glycosidic bonds as well as α-D-glucosides with axial ones. This review introduces the direct formation of cis-glycosides using ZnI2-mediated cis-glycosylations of various constrained glycosyl donors, as well as the recent advances in the development of stereoselective cis-glycosylations.

B(C6F5)3-Catalyzed Stereoselective 1,2-cis Arabinofuranosylation with a Conformationally Constrained Donor

Compared with stereoselective glycosylation methods mainly addressed on the preparation of pyranose glycosides, the furanosylation has been more limited, especially for the 1,2-cis arabinofuranosylation. Herein, we report a novel stereoselective 1,2-cis-arabinofuranosylation strategy using a conformationally restricted 3,5-O-xylylene-protected arabinofuranosyl donor on activation with B(C6F5)3 for desired targets in moderate to excellent yields and β-stereoselectivity. The effectiveness of the 1,2-cis-arabinofuranosylation strategy was demonstrated successfully with various acceptors, including carbohydrate alcohols.

Stereocontrolled synthesis of α-d-allulofuranosides using α-selective d-fructofuranosidation reaction

Stereocontrolled synthesis of rare sugar derivatives, namely α-d-allulofuranosides, was achieved using d-fructose, one of the most abundant carbohydrates in nature. The following are the key steps of the α-d-allulofuranosides' synthesis. (1) An α-selective glycosidation reaction of 1,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoylated d-fructofuranosyl donor to obtain α-d-fructofuranosides with 98 %-75 % isolated yields. (2) A regioselective 1,4,6-tri-O-pivaloylation reaction of the tetraol of α-d-fructofuranosides with the C3-hydroxy group remaining intact. (3) The oxidation of the C3-hydroxy group followed by the stereoselective reduction of the C3-carbonyl group. Primary and secondary alcohols and sugars can be used as glycosyl acceptors and aglycones for the following pivaloylation and stereoinversion reactions to obtain α-d-allulofuranosides.

β-Glycosylations with 2-Deoxy-2-(2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl)-amino-glucosyl/galactosyl Selenoglycosides: Assembly of Partially N-Acetylated β-(1 → 6)-Oligoglucosaminosides

An efficient protocol has been established for β-glycosylations with 2-deoxy-2-(2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl)amino (2dDNsNH)-glucopyranosyl/galactopyranosyl selenoglycosides using PhSeCl/AgOTf as an activating system. The reaction features highly β-selective glycosylation with a wide range of alcohol acceptors that are either sterically hindered or poorly nucleophilic. Thioglycoside- and selenoglycoside-based alcohols prove to be viable nucleophiles, opening up new opportunities for one-pot construction of oligosaccharides. The power of this approach is highlighted by the efficient assembly of tri-, hexa-, and nonasaccharides composed of β-(1 → 6)-glucosaminosyl residues based on one-pot preparation of a triglucosaminosyl thioglycoside with DNs, phthaloyl, and 2,2,2-trichloroethoxycarbonyl as the protecting groups of amino groups. These glycans are potential antigens for developing glycoconjugate vaccines against microbial infections.

An SN2-Type Strategy toward 1,2-cis-Furanosides

The stereoselective construction of 1,2-cis furanosidic linkage is synthetically challenging. A strategy that applies to all furanose types remains elusive. In this work, a solution is developed based on gold catalysis and the deployment of the directing-group-on-leaving-group strategy, where a basic oxazole group in the gold-activated leaving group facilitates the stereoinvertive attack by glycosyl acceptors. In addition to exhibiting good to excellent 1,2-cis selectivities, these furanosylation reactions are high-yielding and mostly complete in 30 min to 2 h. A broad range of 1,2-cis-furanosides is prepared. Although some are uncommon, the ease of access enabled by this approach presents new opportunities to study their applications in medicine and materials research.

Stereoselective 1,2-cis Furanosylations Catalyzed by Phenanthroline

Stereoselective formation of the 1,2-cis furanosidic linkage, a motif of many biologically relevant oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, remains an important synthetic challenge. We herein report a new stereoselective 1,2-cis furanosylation method promoted by phenanthroline catalysts under mild and operationally simple conditions. NMR experiments and density functional theory calculations support an associative mechanism in which the rate-determining step occurs from an inverted displacement of the faster-reacting phenanthrolinium ion intermediate with an alcohol nucleophile. The phenanthroline catalysis system is applicable to a number of furanosyl bromide donors to provide the challenging 1,2-cis substitution products in good yield with high anomeric selectivities. While arabinofuranosyl bromide provides β-1,2-cis products, xylo- and ribofuranosyl bromides favor α-1,2-cis products.

4-(tert-Butyldiphenylsilyloxy)-2,2-dimethylbutanoyl: An Easily Removable Pivaloyl-Type Protecting Group with High Orthogonality

Protecting groups play multiple and vital roles during the synthesis of carbohydrates and other natural products. We herein report the installation and orthogonal cleavage, under mild conditions, of a 4-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyloxy)-2,2-dimethylbutanoyl (BDMB) group as a sterically hindered pivaloyl-type hydroxy protecting group. The compatibility of this substituent with the removal of other protecting groups is also investigated. Due to its advantageous properties, BDMB is anticipated to function as a valuable agent for masking hydroxy groups.

Lipoarabinomannan as a Point-of-Care Assay for Diagnosis of Tuberculosis: How Far Are We to Use It?

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a severe public health problem; the current diagnostic tests have limitations that delay treatment onset. Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) is a glycolipid that is a component of the cell wall of the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiologic agent of TB. This glycolipid is excreted as a soluble form in urine. The World Health Organization has established that the design of new TB diagnostic methods is one of the priorities within the EndTB Strategy. LAM has been suggested as a biomarker to develop diagnostic tests based on its identification in urine, and it is one of the most prominent candidates to develop point-of-care diagnostic test because urine samples can be easily collected. Moreover, LAM can regulate the immune response in the host and can be found in the serum of TB patients, where it probably affects a wide variety of host cell populations, consequently influencing the quality of both innate and adaptive immune responses during TB infection. Here, we revised the evidence that supports that LAM could be used as a tool for the development of new point-of-care tests for TB diagnosis, and we discussed the mechanisms that could contribute to the low sensitivity of diagnostic testing.

4,6-Di-O-Benzylidenyl group-directed preparation of 2-deoxy-2-azido-α-d-galactopyranosides promoted by 3-O-TBDPS

In this study, we designed a method to prepare 2-deoxy-2-azido-α-d-galactopyranosidic bonds using 4,6-di-O-benzylidenyl-3-O-t-butyldiphenylsilyl protected 2-deoxy-2-azido-1-thio-d-galactopyranoside 5 as donors. The donor 5 gives a good to excellent α-selectivity in the glycosylation with secondary alcohols, which was found to be associated with the benzylidenyl on 4,6-di-O and TBDPS on 3-O of the donor 5. Compared with results of the donor 6 and 7, the 3-O-TBDPS could increase the activity of the thioglycoside, and the lone pairs on 4,6-di-O-benzylidenyl group enhanced the gg-cofnormation, which plays a role in improving the stereoselectivity. Finally, this method was demonstrated through the synthesis of a α-galactosamine -containing pentasaccharide 26.

Total Synthesis of a Partial Structure from Arabinogalactan and Its Application for Allergy Prevention

Arabinogalactan, a microheterogeneous polysaccharide occurring in plants, is known for its allergy-protective activity, which could potentially be used for preventive allergy treatment. New treatment options are highly desirable, especially in a preventive manner, due to the constant rise of atopic diseases worldwide. The structural origin of the allergy-protective activity of arabinogalactan is, however, still unclear and isolation of the polysaccharide is not feasible for pharmaceutical applications due to a variation of the activity of the natural product and contaminations with endotoxins. Therefore, a pentasaccharide partial structure was selected for total synthesis and subsequently coupled to a carrier protein to form a neoglycoconjugate. The allergy-protective activity of arabinogalactan could be reproduced with the partial structure in subsequent in vivo experiments. This is the first example of a successful simplification of arabinogalactan with a single partial structure while retaining its allergy-preventive potential.

A Siloxane-Bridged Glycosyl Donor Enables Highly Stereoselective β-Xylulofuranosylation

We report a siloxane-protected donor (7) for the highly stereoselective formation of β-(2,3-cis)-xylulofuranosyl bonds. Glycosylation reactions with 7 gave >80% yields, and only β-xylulofuranosides were isolated in all cases. The utility of 7 for the synthesis of complex glycans was shown by its successful application to the preparation of the repeating unit from the lipopolysaccharide O-antigen of Yersinia enterocolitica serovars O:5/O:5,27. This structure is a pentasaccharide with two β-xylulofuranose residues; using 7, both were introduced simultaneously with excellent stereocontrol.

Stereoselective Synthesis of Diglycosyl Diacylglycerols with Glycosyl Donors Bearing a β-Stereodirecting 2,3-Naphthalenedimethyl Protecting Group

Diglycosyl diacylglycerols (DGDGs) are major components of Gram-positive bacterial plasma membranes and are involved in the immune response systems. The chemical synthesis of DGDGs has been highly demanded, as it will allow the elucidation of their biological functions at the molecular level. In this study, we have developed a novel β-stereodirecting 2,3-naphthalenedimethyl (NapDM) protecting group that is orthogonal to protecting groups commonly used in oligosaccharide synthesis. The NapDM group can be easily cleaved under TFA-mediated acidic conditions. Futhermore, we demonstrated the application of this protecting group to an acyl protecting-group-free strategy by utilizing the NapDM group for the synthesis of DGDGs. This strategy features the use of the β-stereodirecting NapDM group as an acid-cleavable permanent protecting group and late-stage glycosylation of monoglycosyl diacylglycerol acceptors, enabling the stereoselective synthesis of three different bacterial DGDGs with unsaturated fatty acid chain(s).

β-Mannosylation via O-Alkylation of Anomeric Cesium Alkoxides: Mechanistic Studies and Synthesis of the Hexasaccharide Core of Complex Fucosylated N-Linked Glycans

A number of structurally diverse D-mannose-derived lactols, including various deoxy-D-mannoses and conformationally restricted bicyclic D-mannoses, have been synthesized and investigated in mechanistic studies of β-mannosylation via Cs2CO3-mediated anomeric O-alkylation. It was found that deoxy mannoses or conformationally restricted bicyclic D-mannoses are not as reactive as their corresponding parent mannose. This type of β-mannosylation proceeds efficiently when the C2-OH is left free, and protection of that leads to inferior results. NMR studies of D-mannose-derived anomeric cesium alkoxides indicated the predominance of the equatorial β-anomer after deprotonation. Reaction progress kinetic analysis suggested that monomeric cesium alkoxides be the key reactive species for alkylation with electrophiles. DFT calculations supported that oxygen atoms at C2, C3, and C6 of mannose promote the deprotonation of the anomeric hydroxyl group by Cs2CO3 and chelating interactions between Cs and these oxygen atoms favour the formation of equatorial anomeric alkoxides, leading to the highly β-selective anomeric O-alkylation. Based on experimental data and computational results, a revised mechanism for this β-mannosylation is proposed. The utilization of this β-mannosylation was demonstrated by an efficient synthesis of the hexasaccharide core of complex fucosylated N-linked glycans.

β-Selective xylulofuranosylation via a conformationally-restricted glycosyl donor

Reported is the first stereoselective method for β-xylulofuranosylation, which employs 3,4-O-xylylene-protected thioglycoside donors. For most acceptors, the best results were observed with a donor (8) that possesses both the xylylene group and a benzoate ester at O-1. To demonstrate its utility, the methodology was applied to the first synthesis of the pentasaccharide repeating unit from the lipopolysaccharide O-antigen of Yersinia enterocolitica serovars O:5/O:5,27, a structure containing two β-xylulofuranose residues.

Stereospecific Furanosylations Catalyzed by Bis-thiourea Hydrogen-Bond Donors

We report a new method for stereoselective O-furanosylation reactions promoted by a precisely tailored bis-thiourea hydrogen-bond-donor catalyst. Furanosyl donors outfitted with an anomeric dialkylphosphate leaving group undergo substitution with high anomeric selectivity, providing access to the challenging 1,2-cis substitution pattern with a range of alcohol acceptors. A variety of stereochemically distinct, benzyl-protected glycosyl donors were engaged successfully as substrates. Mechanistic studies support a stereospecific mechanism in which rate-determining substitution occurs from a catalyst-donor resting-state complex.

Furanosyl Oxocarbenium Ion Conformational Energy Landscape Maps as a Tool to Study the Glycosylation Stereoselectivity of 2-Azidofuranoses, 2-Fluorofuranoses and Methyl Furanosyl Uronates

The 3D shape of glycosyl oxocarbenium ions determines their stability and reactivity and the stereochemical course of SN 1 reactions taking place on these reactive intermediates is dictated by the conformation of these species. The nature and configuration of functional groups on the carbohydrate ring affect the stability of glycosyl oxocarbenium ions and control the overall shape of the cations. We herein map the stereoelectronic substituent effects of the C2-azide, C2-fluoride and C4-carboxylic acid ester on the stability and reactivity of the complete suite of diastereoisomeric furanoses by using a combined computational and experimental approach. Surprisingly, all furanosyl donors studied react in a highly stereoselective manner to provide the 1,2-cis products, except for the reactions in the xylose series. The 1,2-cis selectivity for the ribo-, arabino- and lyxo-configured furanosides can be traced back to the lowest-energy 3 E or E3 conformers of the intermediate oxocarbenium ions. The lack of selectivity for the xylosyl donors is related to the occurrence of oxocarbenium ions adopting other conformations.