Enzymatic synthesis of chondroitin and its derivatives catalyzed by hyaluronidase

The enzymatic polymerization to provide synthetic chondroitin and its derivatives is reported here, the first example of such in vitro synthesis to date. N-Acetylchondrosine (GlcAbeta(1-->3)GalNAc) oxazoline (1a) and its derivatives (1b-1f) were designed and synthesized as novel transition state analogue substrate monomers for catalysis by hyaluronidase. Hyaluronidase is a hydrolysis enzyme of chondroitin that also catalyzes the formation of repeated glycosidic bonds in in vitro synthesis, rather than in the catabolic direction. Monomers of 2-methyl (1a), 2-ethyl (1b), and 2-vinyl (1f) oxazoline derivatives were polymerized using this enzyme, via ring-opening polyaddition with total control of regioselectivity and stereochemistry. These reactions provided the corresponding synthetic chondroitin (natural type; N-acetyl, 2a) and the derivatives (unnatural type) with N-propionyl (2b) and N-acryloyl (2f) functional groups at the C2 position of all the galactosamine units, in good yields. Monomers of 2-n-propyl (1c) and 2-isopropyl (1d) oxazoline derivatives were polymerized to produce 2c and 2d in low yield. The 2-phenyl oxazoline derivative (1e) did not afford any enzyme-catalyzed products. M(n) values of 2a and 2b reached 4800 and 4000, respectively. The M(n) value of 2a corresponds to that of the naturally occurring chondroitin. Thus, hyaluronidase catalysis allows the in vitro production of not only natural type but also the formation of unnatural type chondroitins.