Stereoselective Synthesis of a Tetrameric Fragment ofStreptococcus PneumoniaeType 1 Containing an α-Linked 2-Acetamido-4-amino-2,4,6-trideoxy-D-galactopyranose (SUGp) Unit

Scalable Synthesis of Versatile Rare Deoxyamino Sugar Building Blocks from d-Glucosamine

We report the syntheses of 1,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-2-amino-2,6-dideoxy-β-d-glucopyranose and allyl 2-amino-2,6-dideoxy-β-d-glucopyranoside from d-glucosamine hydrochloride. The potential of these two versatile scaffolds as key intermediates to a diversity of orthogonally protected rare deoxyamino hexopyranosides is exemplified in the context of fucosamine, quinovosamine, and bacillosamine. The critical C-6 deoxygenation step to 2,6-dideoxy aminosugars is performed at an early stage on a precursor featuring an imine moiety or a trifluoroacetamide moiety in place of the 2-amino group, respectively. Robustness and scalability are demonstrated for a combination of protecting groups and incremental chemical modifications that sheds light on the promise of the yet unreported allyl 2,6-dideoxy-2-N-trifluoroacetyl-β-d-glucopyranoside when addressing the feasibility of synthetic zwitterionic oligosaccharides. In particular, allyl 3-O-acetyl-4-azido-2,4,6-trideoxy-2-trifluoroacetamido-β-d-galactopyranoside, an advanced 2-acetamido-4-amino-2,4,6-trideoxy-d-galactopyranose building block, was achieved on the 30 g scale from 1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-d-glucosamine hydrochloride in 50% yield and nine steps, albeit only two chromatography purifications.

Phosphorylcholine-carbohydrate-protein conjugates efficiently induce hapten-specific antibodies which recognize both Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis: a potential multitarget vaccine against respiratory infections

Phosphorylcholine (ChoP) is commonly expressed at the surface of pathogens of the respiratory tract, including Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis. We designed a synthetic hapten comprising ChoP and part of its native carrier structure in S. pneumoniae, i.e. N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc). Protein conjugates of this hapten induced GalNAc-ChoP-specific antibodies which recognized ChoP on both S. pneumoniae and N. meningitidis. GalNAc-ChoP could therefore lead to the rational design of a novel multipurpose vaccine against respiratory infections.

Determination of the configuration of ribitol in the C-polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae using a synthetic approach

The C-polysaccharide is an antigen common to all known serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria and is a potential target for vaccine preparation. The final uncertainty in the structure of its repeating unit, a pentasaccharide phosphate containing two phosphorylcholine side chains, has been resolved by determining the configuration of ribitol. Assignment of configuration was performed by synthesis of the two trisaccharide phosphate fragments that have either D- or L-ribitol at their centers and comparison of their 1H and 13C NMR spectral data with that of the natural polysaccharide. The syntheses employed common synthons added in different orders to an asymmetrically substituted chiral ribitol derivative to obtain opposite chiralities in the ribitol segments. The data for the trisaccharide containing D-ribitol was almost identical to that of the natural material while that for the trisaccharide containing L-ribitol differed significantly. In particular, the chemical shift differences between the two protons of the primary carbons of ribitol units directly attached to the β-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-galactopyranosyl residue were 0.10, 0.12, and 0.33 ppm, in the natural polysaccharide, the D-ribitol-containing trisaccharide, and the L-ribitol-containing trisaccharide, respectively. The average difference between the 13C NMR chemical shifts of corresponding ribitol carbons from the natural polysaccharide and the D-ribitol-containing trisaccharide phosphate was 0.034 ppm. This evidence indicates that ribitol in the C-polysaccharide has the D-configuration and that a very similar mixture of conformations in the ribitol portions is present for the natural polysaccharide and the D-ribitol-containing trisaccharide phosphate.Key words: C-polysaccharide, Streptococcus pneumoniae, ribitol, dibutylstannylene acetal, determination of configuration.