Glycosphingolipids in human parasites

Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are comprised of glycans (oligosaccharides) linked to a lipid containing a sphingosine moiety. They are major membrane components in cells of most animals, and importantly, they also occur in parasitic protozoans and worms that infect people. While the endogenous functions of the GSLs in most parasites are elusive, many of these GSLs are recognized by antibodies in infected human and animal hosts, and thus, their structures, biosynthesis, and functions are of great interest. Such knowledge of GSLs could lead to new drugs and diagnostics for treating infections, as well as novel vaccine strategies. The diversity of GSLs recently identified in such infectious organisms and aspects of their immune recognition are major topics of this review. It is not intended to be exhaustive but to highlight aspects of GSL glycans in human parasites.

Synthesis of the Carbohydrate Moiety of Glycoproteins from the Parasite Echinococcus granulosus and Their Antigenicity against Human Sera

Stereocontrolled syntheses of biotin-labeled oligosaccharide portions containing the carbohydrate moiety of glycoprotein from Echinococcus granulosus have been accomplished. Trisaccharide Galβ1-3Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-R (A), tetrasaccharide Galα1-4Galβ1-3Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-R (B), and pentasaccharide Galα1-4Galβ1-3Galβ1-3Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-R (C), (R = biotinylated probe) were synthesized by stepwise condensation and/or block synthesis by the use of 5-(methoxycarbonyl)pentyl 2-azido-4,6-O-benzylidene-2-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranoside as a common glycosyl acceptor. The synthesis of the tetrasaccharide and the pentasaccharide was improved from the viewpoint of reducing the number of synthetic steps and increasing the total yield by changing from stepwise condensation to block synthesis. Moreover, hexasaccharide E, which contains the oligosaccharide sequence which occurs in E. granulosus, was synthesized from trisaccharide D. We examined the antigenicity of these five oligosaccharides by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Although compounds of C-E did not exhibit antigenicity against cystic echinococcosis (CE) patient sera, compounds B, D, and E showed good serodiagnostic potential for alveolar echinococcosis (AE).

Synthetic studies on glycosphingolipids from protostomia phyla: synthesis of glycosphingolipids and related carbohydrate moieties from the parasite Schistosoma mansoni

Stereocontrolled syntheses of three neutral glycosphingolipids and six oligosaccharide derivatives found from the parasite Schistosoma mansoni have been accomplished. A pentasaccharide glycosphingolipid β-D-Galp-(1→4)-[α-L-Fucp-(1→3)]-β-D-GlcpNAc-(1→3)-β-D-GalpNAc-(1→4)-β-D-Glcp-(1↔1)-Cer (1), two hexasaccharide glycosphingolipids α-L-Fucp-(1→3)-β-D-Galp-(1→4)-[α-L-Fucp-(1→3)]-β-D-GlcpNAc-(1→3)-β-D-GalpNAc-(1→4)-β-D-Glcp-(1↔1)-Cer (2) and β-D-Galp-(1→4)-[α-L-Fucp-(1→3)]-β-D-GlcpNAc-(1→3)-β-D-GlcpNAc-(1→3)-β-D-GalpNAc-(1→4)-β-D-Glcp-(1↔1)-Cer (3), together with their non-reducing end tri- and tetrasaccharides, β-D-Galp-(1→4)-[α-L-Fucp-(1→3)]-β-D-GlcpNAcOR (4) and α-L-Fucp-(1→3)-β-D-Galp-(1→4)-[α-L-Fucp-(1→3)]-β-D-GlcpNAcOR (5), were synthesized by block synthesis. Moreover, non-reducing end oligosaccharides of schistosomal glycosphingolipids, β-D-GalpNAc-(1→4)-[α-L-Fucp-(1→3)]-β-D-GlcpNAcOR (6), α-L-Fucp-(1→3)-β-D-GalpNAc-(1→4)-[α-L-Fucp-(1→3)]-β-D-GlcpNAcOR (7), α-L-Fucp-(1→3)-β-D-GalpNAc-(1→4)-[α-L-Fucp-(1→2)-α-L-Fucp-(1→3)]-β-D-GlcpNAcOR (8) and α-L-Fucp-(1→3)-β-D-GalpNAc-(1→4)-[α-L-Fucp-(1→2)-α-L-Fucp-(1→2)-α-L-Fucp-(1→3)]-β-D-GlcpNAcOR (9) [R=2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl], were synthesized as probes to explore their diagnostic potential to detect schistosomiasis from patients' sera.

Synthesis, antigenicity against human sera and structure-activity relationships of carbohydrate moieties from Toxocara larvae and their analogues

Stereocontrolled syntheses of biotin-labeled oligosaccharide portions containing the Galβ1-3GalNAc core of the TES-glycoprotein antigen obtained from larvae of the parasite Toxocara and their analogues have been accomplished. Trisaccharides Fuc2Meα1-2Gal4Meβ1-3GalNAcα1-OR (A), Fucα1-2Gal4Meβ1-3GalNAcα1-OR (B), Fuc2Meα1-2Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-OR (C), Fucα1-2Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-OR (D) and a disaccharide Fuc2Meα1-2Gal4Meβ1-OR (E) (R = biotinylated probe) were synthesized by block synthesis using 5-(methoxycarbonyl)pentyl-2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-azide-4-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-α-D-galactopyranoside as a common glycosyl acceptor. We examined the antigenicity of these five oligosaccharides by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our results demonstrate that the O-methyl groups in these oligosaccharides are important for their antigenicity and the biotinylated oligosaccharides A, B, C and E have high serodiagnostic potential to detect infections caused by Toxocara larvae.

Synthesis, inhibitory effects on nitric oxide and structure-activity relationships of a glycosphingolipid from the marine sponge Aplysinella rhax and its analogues

The novel glycosphingolipid, β-D-GalNAcp(1→4)[α-D-Fucp(1→3)]-β-D-GlcNAcp(1→)Cer (A), isolated from the marine sponge Aplysinella rhax has a unique structure, with D-fucose and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine moieties attached to a reducing-end N-acetyl-D-glucosamine through an α1→3 and β1→4 linkage, respectively. We synthesized glycolipid 1 and some non-natural di- and trisaccharide analogues 2-6 containing a D-fucose residue. Among these compounds, the natural type showed the most potent nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitory activity against LPS-induced J774.1 cells. Our results indicate that both the presence of a D-Fucα1-3GlcNAc-linkage and the ceramide aglycon portion are crucial for optimal NO inhibition.

Synthesis of the pentasaccharide repeating unit of Escherichia coli O128 antigen

A pentasaccharide, 4-methoxyphenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-α-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→6)-[α-l-fucopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-d-galactopyranoside (1), representing the repeating unit of Escherichia coli O128 antigen, was successfully prepared in 23% overall yield via a convergent '2+3' glycosylation strategy.