Recent Advances in Stereocontrolled Mannosylation: Focus on Glycans Comprising Acidic and/or Amino Sugars

The main focus of this review is to describe accomplishments made in the stereoselective synthesis of β-linked mannosides functionalized with carboxyls or amines/amides. These ManNAc, ManA and ManNAcA residues found in many glycoconjugates, bacterial polysaccharides, and alginates have consistently captured interest of the glycoscience community both due to synthetic challenge and therapeutic potential.

Glucuronic acid-based ulosyl donors for introducing α-d-GlcA and β-d-ManA units

Practical protocols are described for a five-step conversion of D-glucuronolactone into alpha-D-arabino-2-ketoglucuronyl bromides, which due to their alpha-selective or beta-specific glycosidation, and gluco- or manno-specific carbonyl reductions of the glucurono-2-ulosides formed, are expedient indirect donor substrates for the efficient introduction of alpha-D-GlcA or beta-D-ManA residues.

Alpha-N-acetylmannosamine (ManNAc) synthesis via rhodium(II)-catalyzed oxidative cyclization of glucal 3-carbamates

[reaction: see text] Glucal 3-carbamates 1 and 7 underwent oxidative cyclization with iodobenzene diacetate or iodosobenzene in the presence of Rh2(OAc)4, providing mannosamine 2-N,3-O-oxazolidinones. With iodosobenzene, incorporation of 4-penten-1-ol provided a readily separable anomeric mixture of n-pentenyl glycosides, with the anomers exhibiting pronounced differences in reactivity as glycosyl donors. N-acylation of the sugar oxazolidinones led to alpha-selective glycosyl donors for the elaboration of various 2-mannosamine frameworks. Alternatively, the anomeric n-pentenyl glycosides of N-Cbz 2-mannosamine oxazolidinones were converted separately to oxazolidinone-opened derivatives 28alpha and 28beta. These served as stereoconvergent glycosyl donors, and the alpha-linked products were readily advanced to a variety of N-acetylmannosamine (ManNAc) frameworks, using an intramolecular O-->N acetyl transfer as the final step.

An efficient approach to N-acetyl-d-glucosaminuronic acid-based sialylmimetics as potential sialidase inhibitors

A novel approach to the synthesis of beta-glycosides of N-acetyl-D-glucosaminuronic acid, in six steps and good overall yield from N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, has been developed. The key synthetic step was the Lewis acid mediated O-glycosidation of methyl 1,3,4-tri-O-pivaloyl-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminuronate (11). Elaboration of glucosaminuronides 15 and 18 provided novel sialylmimetics 21 and 22, which showed inhibition of Vibrio cholerae sialidase.

4,6-di-O-benzoyl-3-O-benzyl-alpha-D-arabino-hexo-pyranos-2-ulosyl bromide: a conveniently accessible glycosyl donor for the expedient construction of diantennary beta-D-mannosides branched at O-3 and O-6

A concise practical, large scale-adaptable six-step sequence has been developed for the transformation of diacetone-glucose into 4,6-di-O-benzoyl-3-O-benzyl-alpha-D-arabino-hexopyranos-2-ulosy l bromide (7), a most useful indirect beta-D-mannosyl donor as its blocking group pattern allows the construction of biologically relevant beta-D-mannosides branched at O-3 and O-6. The broad utility of this new ulosyl bromide 7 resides in its high anomeric reactivity, and in the ease and uniformity with which beta-stereocontrol can be achieved over both, glycosidations and carbonyl reduction of the beta-ulosides formed: Koenigs-Knorr conditions exclusively provide beta-glycosiduloses, hydride reduction of their carbonyl functions proceeds with high stereoselectivities (> 20:1) in favor of the beta-D-mannosides. These preparatively auspicious properties are materialized in an efficient, straightforward synthesis of alpha-D-Manp-(1-->6)-[alpha-D-Manp-(1-->3)]-beta-D-Manp++ +-(1-->O)-Octyl, the 3,6-O-branched core-mannotrioside carrying an octyl spacer instead of the chitobiosyl unit.