Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of the Forssman Antigen Pentasaccharide and Derivatives by a One‐Pot Glycosylation Procedure

The synthesis and biological evaluation of the Forssman antigen pentasaccharide and derivatives thereof by using a one‐pot glycosylation and polymer‐assisted deprotection is described. The Forssman antigen pentasaccharide, composed of GalNAcα(1,3)GalNAcβ(1,3)Galα(1,4)Galβ(1,4)Glc, was recently identified as a ligand of the lectin SLL‐2 isolated from an octocoral Sinularia lochmodes. The chemo‐ and α‐selective glycosylation of a thiogalactoside with a hemiacetal donor by using a mixture of Tf₂O, TTBP and Ph₂SO, followed by activation of the remaining thioglycoside, provided the trisaccharide at the reducing end in a one‐pot procedure. The pentasaccharide was prepared by the α‐selective glycosylation of the N‐Troc‐protected (Troc=2,2,2‐trichloroethoxycarbonyl) thioglycoside with a 2‐azide‐1‐hydroxyl glycosyl donor, followed by glycosidation of the resulting disaccharide at the C3 hydroxyl group of the trisaccharide acceptor in a one‐pot process. We next applied the one‐pot glycosylation method to the synthesis of pentasaccharides in which the galactosamine units were partially and fully replaced by galactose units. Among the three possible pentasaccharides, Galα(1,3)GalNAc and Galα(1,3)Gal derivatives were successfully prepared by the established method. An assay of the binding of the synthetic oligosaccharides to a fluorescent‐labeled SLL‐2 revealed that the NHAc substituents and the length of the oligosaccharide chain were both important for the binding of the oligosaccharide to SLL‐2. The inhibition effect of the oligosaccharide relative to the morphological changes of Symbiodinium by SLL‐2, was comparable to their binding affinity to SLL‐2. In addition, we fortuitously found that the synthetic Forssman antigen pentasaccharide directly promotes a morphological change in Symbiodinium. These results strongly indicate that the Forssman antigen also functions as a chemical mediator of Symbiodinium.     

Synthesis of an N-Acetylated Heparin Pentasaccharide and its anticoagulant activity in comparison with the heparin pentasaccharide with high anti-factor-Xa activity

The synthesis of tri-N-acetylated heparin pentasaccharide 2 is described. It was assembled from five suitably blocked monosaccharide units ( 3 – 7 ). Glucuronic-acid building block 4 was prepared from glucose by direct Jones oxidation of the 6-O-trityl derivative 18 . The resulting acid 16 was esterified to 17 in large mounts using methyl chloroformate/base. Trimethylsilyl bromide proved to be an excellent reagent for the hydrolysis of a prop-1-enyl glycoside ( 19 →21 ). The pentasaccharide 29 was obtained by a [2 + 2] + 1 synthesis, the glycosylation reactions furnished good to very good yields. The identity of protected oligosaccharides was confirmed by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. Sequential deblocking of the pentasaccharide, O-sulfation, and N-acetylation gave 2 which was shown to exhibit ca. 600 times lower anticoagulant activity than pentasaccharide 1 .     

Total Synthesis of the Escherichia coli O111 O‐Specific Polysaccharide Repeating Unit

The first total synthesis of the O‐antigen pentasaccharide repeating unit from Gram‐negative bacteria Escherichia coli O111 was achieved starting from four monosaccharide building blocks. Key to the synthetic approach was a bis‐glycosylation reaction to combine trisaccharide 10 and colitose 5 . The colitose building block ( 5 ) was obtained de novo from non‐carbohydrate precursors. The pentasaccharide was equipped at the reducing end with an amino spacer to provide a handle for subsequent conjugation to a carrier protein in anticipation of immunological studies.     

Two pentasaccharide resin glycosides from Argyreia acuta

Two new compounds of acutacosides 1 and 2, pentasaccharide resin glycosides were isolated from the aerial parts of Argyreia acuta. The core of the two compounds was operculinic acid A, and they were esterfied at the same position, just one substituent group was linked at C-2 of Rha. The absolute configuration of the aglycone in the two compounds was established by Mosher's method, which was (11S)-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid (jalapinolic acid). Their structures were established by a combination of spectroscopic and chemical methods.     

Synthesis of a Pentasaccharide Repeating Unit of the Extracellular Polysaccharide Produced by Lactobacillus Delbrueckii Subsp. Bulgaricus 291

A pentasaccharide methyl glycoside has been synthesized efficiently using a modified glycosylation strategy. This pentasaccharide is a repeating unit of the exopolysaccharides produced by Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus 291.     

Presence of 5-hydroxyguaiacyl units as native lignin constituents in plants as seen by Py-GC/MS

The presence of 5-hydroxyguaiacyl moieties in the lignin from several plants has been assessed by Py-GC/MS. Different woody (eucalypt) and nonwoody (flax, hemp, kenaf, jute, sisal and abaca) angiosperms were selected for this study. The pyrolysis of whole fibers released lignin-derived products with p-hydroxyphenyl, guaiacyl and syringyl structures. Indeed, a series of compounds having a 5-hydroxyguaiacyl nuclei, including 3-methoxycatechol, 5-vinyl-3-methoxycatechol and 5-propenyl-3-methoxycatechol, were detected and identified in all samples, although in lower amounts than the normal guaiacyl or syringyl compounds. The analysis of the lignins isolated from the same plants also showed the same 3-methoxycatechol derivatives found after whole fiber pyrolysis. These compounds are supposed to arise from the pyrolysis of 5-hydroxyguaiacyl moieties, which are supposed to be native constituents of lignin in plants forming benzodioxane substructures.     

Stereoselective Synthesis of the O-antigen of A. baumannii ATCC 17961 Using Long-Range Levulinoyl Group Participation

Herein, we described the first synthesis of the pentasaccharide and decasaccharide of the A. baumannii ATCC 17961 O-antigen for developing a synthetic carbohydrate-based vaccine against A. baumannii infection. The efficient synthesis of the rare sugar 2,3-diacetamido-glucuronate was achieved using our recently introduced organocatalytic glycosylation method. We found, for the first time, that long-range levulinoyl group participation via a hydrogen bond can result in a significantly improved β-selectivity in glycosylations. This solves the stereoselectivity problem of highly branched galactose acceptors. The proposed mechanism was supported by control experiments and DFT computations. Benefiting from the long-range levulinoyl group participation strategy, the pentasaccharide donor and acceptor were obtained via an efficient [2+1+2] one-pot glycosylation method and were used for the target decasaccharide synthesis.     

Lewisx五糖的有效合成: 发展DC-靶向疫苗的有效分子

将选择性保护的乳糖二醇与Lewis^x三糖在N-碘代丁二酰亚胺(NIS)/TfOH催化下高立体、高区域选择性糖苷化得Lewis^x五糖, 后者脱保护后获得目标五糖, 总收率67.7%. 化合物结构经NMR, MS和元素分析确证.     

Constituents with a Novel Skeleton Isolated from Amentotaxus formosana

A novel compound consisting of two diterpenoid substructures, amentotaxin BA ( 1 ), and two novel terpenoids with a new skeleton, amentotaxins WA ( 2 ) and WB ( 3 ), were isolated from the barks and heart woods of Amentotaxus formosana, respectively. Their structures, including the relative configuration, were elucidated from spectroscopic data and a computer‐generated plot for the 3D structure.     

Convergent synthesis of a common pentasaccharide-repeating unit corresponding to the O-specific polysaccharide of Escherichia coli O4:K3, O4:K6, and O4:K12

A convergent chemical synthesis of a pentasaccharide found in the O-specific polysaccharide of Escherichia coli O4:K3, O4:K6, and O4:K12 has been achieved in excellent yield. A [3+2] block synthetic strategy has been adopted to couple a disaccharide donor 11 with a trisaccharide acceptor 10 for the construction of the pentasaccharide derivative 12 which on deprotection furnished target pentasaccharide 1 as its 4-methoxyphenyl glycoside. Disaccharide thioglycoside donor 11 and trisaccharide acceptor 10 were prepared from suitably protected monosaccharide intermediates. Yields were excellent in all steps.     

NMR study of a novel pentasaccharide isolated from Penicillium citrium

Penicillium citrium produces several fructose oligomers, namely kestose, neokestose, nystose, 1‐furanosylnystose and a novel pentasaccharide. The pentasaccharide consists of four fructoses and one glucose but its structure is different from that of 1‐furanosylnystose. Its complete structure was determined based on various two‐dimensional NMR experiments. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Affinity capillary electrophoresis for the determination of binding affinities for low molecular weight heparins and antithrombin‐III

The anticoagulant properties of heparin stem in part from high‐affinity binding to antithrombin‐III (AT‐III) inducing a 300‐fold increase in its inhibitory activity against the coagulation protease factor Xa. The minimal structural requirements for AT‐III binding are contained in the rare heparin pentasaccharide sequence containing a 3,6‐O‐sulfated N‐sulfoglucosamine residue. ACE is used in this work to measure the relative AT‐III binding affinities of the low molecular weight heparins (LWMHs) dalteparin, enoxaparin, and tinzaparin and the synthetic pentasaccharide drug fondaparinux (Arixtra). Determination of the AT‐III binding affinities of the LWMHs is complicated by their inherent structural heterogeneity and polydispersity. The fractional composition of 3‐O‐sulfo‐N‐sulfoglucosamine residues was determined for each drug substance using 2D NMR and used in the interpretation of the ACE results.     

The First Experimentally Confirmed Isolated Pentagon Rule (IPR) Isomers of Higher Fullerene C98 Captured as Chlorides,C98(248)Cl22 and C98(116)Cl20

High‐temperature chlorination of pristine C₉₈ fullerene isomers separated by HPLC from the fullerene soot afforded crystals of C₉₈Cl₂₂ and C₉₈Cl₂₀. An X‐ray structure elucidation revealed, respectively, the presence of carbon cages of the most stable C₂‐C₉₈(248) and rather unstable C₁‐C₉₈(116), which represent the first isolated pentagon rule (IPR) isomers of fullerene C₉₈ confirmed experimentally. The chlorination patterns of the chlorides are discussed in terms of the formation of isolated C=C bonds and aromatic substructures on the fullerene cages.     

Chemical Synthesis and Immunological Evaluation of a Pentasaccharide Bearing Multiple Rare Sugars as a Potential Anti-pertussis Vaccine

With the infection rate of Bordetella pertussis at a 60-year high, there is an urgent need for new anti-pertussis vaccines. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of B. pertussis is an attractive antigen for vaccine development. With the presence of multiple rare sugars and unusual glycosyl linkages, the B. pertussis LPS is a highly challenging synthetic target. In this work, aided by molecular dynamics simulation and modeling, a pertussis-LPS-like pentasaccharide was chemically synthesized for the first time. The pentasaccharide was conjugated with a powerful carrier, bacteriophage Qβ, as a vaccine candidate. Immunization of mice with the conjugate induced robust anti-glycan IgG responses with IgG titers reaching several million enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) units. The antibodies generated were long lasting and boostable and could recognize multiple clinical strains of B. pertussis, highlighting the potential of Qβ-glycan as a new anti-pertussis vaccine.     

Structural Studies on the Lipopolysaccharide Core of Bacteria of the Genus Citrobacter: Two Different Core Structures in Citrobacter O14 Serogroup

Core oligosaccharides were released by mild acid hydrolysis of the lipopolysaccharides of 25 strains of bacteria Citrobacter representing 19 O-serogroups. Screening by sugar analysis and high-resolution ESI MS revealed structural heterogeneity of the core within each strain and core structure variations between strains. The core oligosaccharides from Citrobacter werkmanii O14 strains PCM 1548 and 1549 were further purified by anion-exchange chromatography and their full structures were elucidated by methylation analysis and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy; similar inner core regions and significantly different outer core pentasaccharide regions were established. D-Galacturonic acid 3-(2-aminoethyl)phosphate was found to be a characteristic component of the Citrobacter core.     

Determination of the contents and distribution characteristics of REE in natural plants by NAA

The concentration of 8 REEs (La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb and Lu) in 17 species of plants and their host soil, which were collected from a rare earth ore area located in the south of China, have been determined by INAA. The chondritic normalized REE patterns for different parts of plants (e.g., leaf stem and root) and their host soils were studied. The results showed that the concentration levels of REE for most plants in the sampling area were elevated. Particularly, the leaves of the fern (Dicranopteris dichotoma) contain extremely high concentration of the total REE (675–3358 g/g) Generally, these REE distribution patterns in every part of plants were very similar and reflected the characteristics of their host soils. However, the chondritic normalized REE patterns in some plants relative to the host soil revealed obvious fractionation, such as the depletion of the heavy REE (for fernCitrus reticulata andBrassia campestris), the heavy REE enrichment (forCamellia sinensis, Camellia oleifera andZiziphus) and the Ce positive anomaly (forGardenia jasminoides).     

Linear Synthesis of the Methyl Glycosides of Tetra- and Pentasaccharide Fragments Specific for the Shigella flexneri Serotype 2a O-Antigen

ABSTRACT

Starting from the known methyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-2-O-benzoyl-α-L-rhamnopyranoside, the stepwise linear syntheses of methyl α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→ 3)-[α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→ 4)]-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (AB(E)C, 4), and methyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→ 2)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→ 3)-[α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)]-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (DAB(E)C, 5) are described; these constitute the methyl glycosides of a branched tetra- and pentasaccharide fragments of the O-specific polysaccharide of Shigella flexneri serotype 2a, respectively. The chemoselective O-deacetylation at position 2_B and/or 2_A of key tri- and tetrasaccharide intermediates bearing a protecting group at position 2_C was a limiting factor. As such a step occurred once in the synthesis of 4 and twice in the synthesis of 5, the regioselective introduction of residue A on a B(E)C diol precursor (12) and that of residue D on an AB(E)C diol precursor (19) was also attempted. In all cases, a trichloroacetimidate donor was involved. The latter pathway was found satisfactory for the construction of the target 4 using the appropriate tri-O-benzoyl rhamnosyl donor. However, attempted chain elongation of 12 using 2-O-acetyl-3,4-di-O-benzyl-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (8) resulted in an inseparable mixture which needed to be benzoylated to allow the isolation of the target tetrasaccharide. Besides, condensation of the corresponding tetrasaccharide acceptor and the N-acetylglucosaminyl donor was sluggish. As the target pentasaccharide was isolated in a poor yield, this route was abandoned.     

4-Thiocellooligosaccharides : Their Synthesis and use as Inhibitors of Cellulases

Abstract

Methyl 4,4′-dithio-α-cellotrioside 1, its terra- and pentasaccharide homologues 8 and 14 were conveniently synthesized by treatment of methyl 2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-4-O-triflyl-α-D-galactoside 6 with the respective peracetylated 1,4-dithio-, l, 4, 4′-trithio- and l, 4, 4′, 4″-tetrathiocellooligomers, in the presence of cysteamine and dimiocrythritol in N′, N″, N″-hexamethylphosphoramide. These methyl thiocellooligosaccharides were found to be excellent inhibitors of cellulases EGI and CBHII from Humicola insolens. The affinity increased strongly with an increasing number of glycosyl units in the thiooligosaccharides.     

Lignins from annual grassy plants

Lignins isolated from the annual grassy plants oats Avena sativa, rye Secale sp., wheat Triticum sp., and barley Hordeum sp. were characterized chemically. It was found that the grassy lignins belonged to a class of compositionally heterogeneous GSH-type biopolymers and consisted of monomeric units of the guaiacyl, syringyl, and p-coumaryl types.     

Alkaloids from Anisocyclea grandidieri H. Bn. (Menispermaceae)

Four alkaloids were isolated from Anisocyclea grandidieri (Fam. Menispermaceae). Trilobine and stebisimine have already been found in other menispermaceous plants, whereas (?)-epistephanine and 12′-O-desmethyltrilobine have not been isolated before.