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.     

Synthetic approaches to 6-substituted 9-(3-azido-3,4-dideoxy-β-d,l-erythro-pentopyranosyl)purines

Methyl 3-azido-2-O-benzoyl-3,4-dideoxy-β-dl-erythro-pentopyranoside (6) was synthesized through two routes in five steps from methyl 2,3-anhydro-4-deoxy-β-dl-erythro-pentopyranoside (1). The first route proceeded via selective azide displacement of the 3-tosyloxy group of methyl 4-deoxy-2,3-di-O-tosyl-α-dl-threo-pentopyranoside, followed by detosylation and benzoylation. The second route consisted, with a better overall yield, in the azide displacement of the mesyloxy group of methyl O-benzoyl-4-deoxy-3-O-methylsulfonyl-α-dl-threo-pentopyranoside (10), obtained by benzylate opening of 1, followed by benzoylation, debenzylation, and mesylation. Compound 6 was transformed into its glycosyl chloride, further treated by 6-chloropurine to give the nucleoside 9-(3-azido-2-O-benzoyl-3,4-dideoxy-β-dl-erythro-pentopyranosyl)-6-chloropurine (13). When treated with propanolic ammonia, 13 yielded 9-(3-azido-3,4-dideoxy-β-dl-erythro-pentopyranosyl)adenine.     

The synthesis ofP1-[2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-O-(β-D-glucopyranosyluronic acid)-α-D-glucopyranosyl] P2-dolichyl diphosphate (N-acetylhyalobiosyluronic dolichyl diphosphate)

Starting from 2-acetamido-4,6-di-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-3-O-(methyl 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-β-D-glucopyranosyluronate)-α-D-glucopyranose (20), a crystalline intermediate prepared by a conventional sequence of reactions, the total synthesis of N-acetyl-hyalobiosyluronic dolichyl diphosphate was achieved. One of the key steps involved the transformation of the disaccharide 20 into the methyloxazoline 26, which was then converted into the stable, crystalline disaccharide phosphate derivative in ～30% yield. The methyloxazoline 26 was directly prepared from the corresponding methyl α-glycoside by acetolysis. Similarly, the allyl α-glycoside was transformed into 26.     

A convenient method for the synthesis of methyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-d-galactopyranosyl)-α-d-glucopyranoside

In the seeds of Tropaeolum and Tamarindus, which have been found to have the highest content of amyloids, these polysaccharides are associated with sucrose and O-d-galactosylsucroses of the raffinose-stachyose series. Balsamine seeds have a low content of amyloid and do not contain the aforementioned galactosides, which are otherwise widely distributed in plant seeds. They contain sucrose and a mono-O-D-galactosylsucrose that has been crystallized and identified as planteose. Planteose has previously been isolated from some Sympetalous plants. As far as we know, this is the first report of its occurrence in an Archichlamydeaeous plant seed.     

Synthesis of 2-O-benzyl- and 2,3- and 2,6-di-O-benzyl-D-galactose

The following ethers, of potential value for the synthesis of α-D-galactopyranosides, were prepared: 2-O-benzyl-D-galactose, 2,6-di-O-benzyl-D-galactose, and 2,3-di-O-benzyl-D-galactose. Isopropylidenation of methyl α-D-galactopyranoside in the presence of phosphorus pentaoxide gave its 3,4-, and 4,6-O-isopropylidene derivatives. Treatment of the 3,4-acetal with trityl chloride in pyridine produced the 6-trityl ether, which was benzylated with benzyl chloride and sodium hydride in N,N-dimethylformamide to yield the 2-benzyl ether. Acid hydrolysis of this product gave 2-O-benzyl-D-galactose. Benzylation of methyl 3,4-O-isopropylidene-α-D-galactopyranoside, followed by hydrolysis, gave 2,6-di-O-benzyl-D-galactose. Similarly, 2,3-di-O-benzyl-D-galactose was obtained by acid hydrolysis of methyl 2,3-di-O-benzyl-4,6-O-isopropylidene-α-D-galactopyranoside and of methyl 2,3-di-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-β-D-galactopyranoside.     

Synthesis and structure of 1,5-dideoxy-1,5-dihalogeno- and 1,2:4,5-dianhydro-xylitol derivatives

Eleven terminally disubstituted dihalogeno and diepoxy derivatives of xylitol have been prepared. Their structures were determined by ¹H-n.m.r. spectroscopy and, in one case, by X-ray diffraction.     

Stepwise synthesis of methyl 4-O-[3-O-(β-d-xylopyranosyl)-β-d-xylopyranosyl]-β-d-xylopyranoside

The general properties and specificity of a dextran α-(1→2)-debranching enzyme from Flavobacterium have been examined in order to apply this enzyme to the structural analysis of highly branched dextrans. The optimum pH range and temperature were pH 5.5–6.5, and 45°, respectively. The enzyme was stable up to 40° on heating for 10 min, and over a pH range of 6.5–9.0 on incubation at 4° for 24 h. The effects of various metal ions and chemical reagents have also been examined. The debranching enzyme has a strict specificity for the (1→2)-α-d-glucosidic linkage at branch points of dextrans and related branched oligosaccharides, and produces d-glucose as the only reducing sugar. The degree of hydrolysis of the dextrans by this enzyme and the K_m value (mg/mL) were as follows: B-1298 soluble, 25.2%, 0.21; B-1299 soluble, 31.5%, 0.27; and B-1397, 11.8%, 0.91. The debranching enzyme thus has a novel type of specificity as a dextranhydrolase. We have termed this enzyme as dextran α-(1→2)-debranching enzyme, and its systematic name is also discussed.     

Synthesis of methyl 6-(ammonium 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate)-alpha-D-mannopyranoside and use of this compound for the determination of N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase

Methyl 6-(ammonium 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate)-alpha-D-mannopyranoside was synthesized and identified by 1H-n.m.r. and 13C-n.m.r. data, acid hydrolysis, and elemental analysis. It was utilized for the determination of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase in an assay procedure that employed methyl alpha-D-mannopyranoside as an acceptor. The assay product was identified and characterized by thin-layer chromatography with the title reference compound. The present technique does not require [32P]UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, but effectively uses commercially available UDP-[14C]GlcNAc.     

Crystal structure of methyl 2,6-dichloro-2,6-dideoxy-3,4-O-isopropylidene-α-D-altropyranoside. A pyranoside system close to a skew-boat conformation

The crystal structure of methyl 2,6-dichloro-2,6-dideoxy-3,4-O-isopropylidene-α-D-altropyranoside (1) has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group P2₁2₁2₁, with unit-cell dimensions a  7.932, b  8.133, and c  20.447 Å. The structure was solved by the heavy-atom method and refined by the least-squares technique to an R value of 0.047 by using 736 intensities measured on a diffractometer. The pyranoside ring is close to a skew-boat conformation, with C-2 and C-5 being maximally displaced from the least-squares plane through the remaining four atoms. The H-1H-2 dihedral angle of  158° is in agreement with the J_1,2 value of 4.5 Hz. Thus the solid-state conformation appears to correspond with the conformation in solution. The dioxolane ring is in a twist form, with O-4 and, C-8 puckered on opposite sides of the plane of the other ring atoms. The pyranose-ring substituents are in equatorial and pseudoequatorial orientations. The hydrogen atoms at C-3 and C-4 are in a cis arrangement. The orientations of both the methoxyl group and the chloromethyl group with respect to the ring are gauche—trans. The exocyclic anomeric C-1O-1 bond-distance (1.39 Å) is the shortest CO bond in the structure. The intracyclic CO bonds are significantly different, C-1O-5 being less than C-5O-5.     

The structure of 2-methoxy-5-(2',3',4'-trimethoxyphenyl)tropone, an effective analog of colchicine

-Methoxy-5-(2',3',4'-trimethoxyphenyl) tropone is an active analog of colchicine, a mitotic spindle inhibitor, which is missing the middle "B" ring. This compound crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P1, with Z = 2; a = 10.135(2), b = 10.166 (4), and c = 7.863(2) A; alpha = 82.15(3), beta = 103.49(3), and gamma = 107.16(2); degrees and V = 750.7(4) A. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined by full-matrix least-squares to a final R = 0.063, using 2503 observed reflections and 271 parameters. Despite the absence of the middle ring, the conformation of the molecule is similar to that of colchicine, isocolchicine , and their derivatives. The troponoid ring is dissimilar to the phenyl ring in that it is not aromatic and does have alternating short and long bond lengths. The dihedral angle between the least-squares planes of the two rings is -57.4 degrees. Van der Waals surface representations of the analog and colchicine are presented to demonstrate the similarity and differences of these two molecules . The structural information of the analog is consistent with the interpretation of thermodynamic parameters which govern the interactions between brain tubulin and the analog.