Synthesis of phenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4-O-α-l-fucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranoside and p-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-6-O-α-l-fucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranoside

Maize and potato amylopectin (57 and 64%, respectively) were recovered as non-cyclic products from 4-h digests of the starches with cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase {(1→4)-α-d-glucan:[(1→4)-α-d-glucopyranosyl]transferase (cyclising), EC 2.4.1.19} from Klebsiella pneumoniae M 5 al. Besides smaller saccharides, highly branched fragments of different sizes (average d.p. 40–140) were obtained by fractionation. The extents of beta-amylolysis varied between 24 and 37%, indicating that the clusters were not equally susceptible to attack by cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase. The fragments of potato amylopectin still contained larger amounts of material of high molecular weight. Accordingly, part of the longer B-chains of the basic structure were protected from the enzymic attack, presumably because of interchain branches. By debranching with pullulanase, it was evident that the beta-limit dextrins of the fragments of potato amylopectin were composed of longer B-chains (average chainlength 17.8) than those of maize amylopectin (average chain-length 14.1). The A/B-chain ratios, which were calculated from h.p.l.c. data for the debranched beta-limit dextrins, were 1.22 (maize) and 1.06 (potato). Some structural differences between potato and maize amylopectin are discussed.     

Total synthesis of 3-O-[2-acetamido-6-O-(N-acetyl-alpha-D-neuraminyl-2-deoxy- alpha-D-galactosyl]-L-serine and a stereoisomer

O-(5-Acetamido-3,5-dideoxy-D-glycero-alpha-D-galacto-2- nonulopyranoxylonic acid)-(2----6)-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl)-(1----3) -L-serine, a structural unit occurring in various submaxillary mucins, was synthesized for the first time by using O-[methyl (5-acetamido-4,7,8,9-tetra-O-acetyl-3,5-dideoxy-D-glycero-alpha-D- galacto-2-nonulopyranosyl)onate]-(2----6)-3,4-di-O-acetyl-2- azido-2-deoxy-D- galactopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (13) and N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-L-serine benzyl ester as the key intermediates. The trichloroacetimidate 13 was prepared by starting from two monosaccharide synthons, namely, allyl 2-azido-2-deoxy-beta-D-galactopyranoside and methyl (5-acetamido-4,7,8,9-tetra-O-acetyl-3,5-dideoxy-D-glycero-beta-D- galacto-2-nonulopyranosyl chloride)onate, which were coupled in the presence of silver triflate in tetrahydrofuran to give the desired alpha-(2----6)-linked disaccharide in moderate selectivity.     

The synthesis of P1-2-acetamido-4-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl P2-dolichyl pyrophosphate, (P1-di-N-acetyl-α-chitobiosyl P2-dolichyl pyrophosphate)

2-Acetamido-4-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl phosphate, pure according to thin-layer and gas—liquid chromatography, optical rotation, and treatment with alkaline phosphatase and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-glucosidase, was prepared by treatment of 2-methyl-[4-O-(2-acetamido-3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-3,6-di-O-acetyl-1,2-dideoxy-α-d-glucopyrano]-[2,1-d]-2-oxazoline with dibenzyl phosphate, followed by the removal of the benzyl groups by catalytic hydrogenolysis, and O-deacetylation. In contrast, a sample prepared by the phosphoric acid procedure was shown to consist mainly of the β anomer. 2-Acetamido-4-O-(2-acetamido-3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-3,6-di-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl phosphate was treated wit P¹-diphenyl P²-dolichyl pyrophosphate to give a fully acetylated pyrophosphoric diester, which was O-deacetylated to give P¹-2-acetamido-4-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl P²-dolichyl pyrophosphate. This compound could be separated from the β anomer by t.l.c., and its behavior under dilute acid and alkaline conditions was investigated.     

Reaction of unsaturated uronic acid residues with mercuric salts. Cleavage of the hyaluronic acid disaccharide 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-O-(beta-D-gluco-4-enepyranosyluronic acid)-D-glucose.

Degradation of connective-tissue polysaccharides with bacterial or fungal eliminases and subsequent characterization of the reaction products are now part of standard methodology for the analysis of these compounds. However, the scope of preparative and analytical work based on the use of eliminases has been limited by the lack of procedures for specific removal of the unsaturated uronic acid residues generated in the eliminase reactions. In the present investigation, we have shown that these residues are cleaved by mercuric salts under mild conditions that are not likely to affect other structures in an oligo- or poly-saccharide molecule. Thus the disaccharide generated from hyaluronic acid by digestion with chondroitinase AC or ABC was cleaved into a keto acid and free N-acetylglucosamine within 10 min at room temperature upon exposure to 14 mM-mercuric acetate at pH 5. The reaction of the disaccharide with mercuric salts was used for ready determination of the distribution of radioactivity between the glucuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine moieties in radioactive hyaluronic acid that had been synthesized by IMR-90 fibroblasts from 3H-labelled monosaccharides. When the precursor was [3H]galactose, over 95% of the incorporated radioactivity was found in the glucuronic acid moiety. In contrast, cells grown in the presence of [3H]glucosamine synthesized a polysaccharide in which almost all of the label was located in the N-acetylglucosamine units. It is apparent from these experiments that the reaction of unsaturated uronic acid residues with mercuric salts provides a new tool with potential for many applications in the study of the structure and metabolism of connective-tissue polysaccharides.     

Synthesis of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4-O-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl-alpha-D-glucopyranose]

Condensation of 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl bromide with benzyl 2-acetamido-3,6-di-O-benzyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside in dichloromethane-N,N-dimethylformamide, in the presence of tetraethylammonium bromide, diisopropylethylamine, and molecular sieve (halide ion-catalyzed reaction), gave benzyl 2-acetamido-3,6-di-O-benzyl-2 deoxy-4-O-(2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside in crystalline form in 82% yield. Hydrogenolysis of the benzyl groups gave the title disaccharide, in crystalline form in 90% yield, which was characterized by a crystalline peracetylated alpha-D derivative.     

A concise synthesis of 4-nitrophenyl 2-azido-2-deoxy- and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-mannopyranosides

4-nitrophenyl 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-azido-2-deoxy-alpha- and beta-D-mannopyranosides were prepared from methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-alpha-D-glucopyranoside and 1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranose, respectively. Chemoselective reduction of both azides with hydrogen sulfide readily afforded 4-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-4,6-di-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-alpha-D- and -beta-D-mannopyranosides in higher yields than reduction with triphenylphosphine or a polymer-supported triarylphosphine. Subsequent de-O-acetylation yielded 4-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-mannopyranoside and 4-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-mannopyranoside in 20% and 44% overall yields, respectively.     

Synthetic mucin fragments: methyl 3-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-beta-D- 3-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl- beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-beta-D-galactoyranoside. pyranosyl)-beta-D-galactopyranoside

Methyl 2,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside (5) was obtained crystalline by way of its 3-O-allyl derivative, which was in turn obtained by ring-opening of a presumed 3,4-O-stannylene derivative of methyl beta-D-galactopyranoside, followed by benzylation. Condensation of 5 with 2-methyl-(2-acetamido-3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-1,2-dideoxy-beta-D-glucopyra no)-[2,1-d]-2-oxazoline in 1,2-dichloroethane in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid afforded the disaccharide derivative methyl 3-O-(2-acetamido-3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-2, 4,6-tri-O-benzyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside (6) Deacetylation of 6 in methanolic sodium methoxide afforded the disaccharide derivative 7, which was acetalated with alpha, alpha-dimethoxytoluene to afford the 4',6'-O-benzylidene acetal (10). Catalytic hydrogenolysis of the benzyl groups of 7 afforded the title disaccharide 8. Glycosylation of 10 with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl bromide in 1:1 benzene-nitromethane in the presence of mercuric cyanide gave the fully protected trisaccharide derivative 12. Systematic removal of the protecting groups of 12 then furnished the title trisaccharide 14. The structures of 5, 8, and 14 were all confirmed by 13C-n.m.r. spectroscopy. The 13C-n.m.r. chemical shifts for methyl alpha- and beta-D-galactopyranoside, and also those of their 3-O-allyl derivatives, are recorded, for the sake of comparison, in conjunction with those of compound 5.     

Synthesis of p-nitrophenyl 6-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-α-d-mannopyranoside

The reaction of p-nitrophenyl 2,3-O-isopropylidene-α-d-mannopyranoside and 2-methyl-(3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-1,2-dideoxy-α-d-glucopyrano)-[2,1-d]-2-oxazoline gave a crystalline, 6-O-substituted disaccharide derivative which, on de-isopropylidenation followed by saponification, produced the disaccharide p-nitrophenyl 6-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-α-d-mannopyranoside. Synthesis of methyl 6-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-α-d-mannopyranoside was also accomplished by a similar reaction-sequence. The structures of these disaccharides have been established by ¹³C-n.m.r. spectroscopy.