Phosphorylated Glycans Produced from Nonreducing Mono- and Oligosaccharides by the Action of P2O5 in Dimethyl Sulfoxide,and Their Interactions with Concanavalin A

The action of P₂O₅ in DMSO on methyl α-d-glucopyranoside, sucrose and trehalose afforded nondializable, phosphorylated glycans in 6~34% yields. Polysucrose has a molecular weight of ~9,500. The synthetic glycans consist of carbohydrate (46~59%) and P (11.4~13.1%) and show reducing sugar values (5.0~30.8%). The alkaline hydrolysis of polysucrose was accompanied with a depolymerization and afforded sugar phosphates and oligosaccharides. The periodate oxidation gave formic acid (0.15~0.34 mole) and formaldehyde (0.07~0.17 mole/monosaccharide residue). The methylation study indicated their variously branched structures. 2,3,4,6-Tetra-O-methyl-d-glucose was found in only 0.7 ~3.2% yields, and this is in agreement with their weak precipitation reactions with Con A. It is considered that the glycans are produced from nonreducing mono- and oligosaccharides by dehydration, transglycosidation and esterification with phosphate.