Diastereoselective synthesis of novel iminosugar-containing UDP-Galf mimics: potential inhibitors of UDP-Gal mutase and UDP-Galf transferases

Tetra-O-benzyl-D-glucofuranose was converted into uridine diphosphono-beta-Galf mimics based on an iminosugar skeleton linked to UMP by a 2-hydroxypropyl tether. The synthesis is based on the highly regio- and stereoselective cycloaddition of an original uridin-5'-yl allylphosphonate with a 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-iminogalactitol-derived cyclic nitrone, followed by the reductive elaboration of the cycloaddition product. The resulting iminogalactose-UMP conjugates are novel sugar nucleotide mimics which could be useful as inhibitors of UDP-Gal mutase and UDP-Galf transferases.