Convenient stereocontrolled amidoglycosylation of alcohols with acetylated glycals and trichloroethoxysulfonamide.

A regio- and stereo-controlled, rhodium(II)-catalyzed amidoglycosylation of alcohols has been developed using O-acetylated glycals, trichloroethoxysulfonamide, and iodosobenzene. This one-pot amidoglycosylation was applied to a variety of primary and secondary alcohols to afford the ß-O-glycosides with acceptable yields up to 84%. The reaction would proceed via stereoselective intermolecular aziridination of the glycal from the α-face followed by SN2 reaction with alcohol at C-1 from the ß-face to give 1,2:2,3-di-trans-substituted isomer only.

Synthesis of all four stereoisomers of 5-formyl-4-hydroxymethyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones from D-glucosamine.

All four stereoisomers of 5-formyl-4-hydroxymethyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones (FHOs) were conveniently prepared from D-glucosamine by base-catalyzed epimerizations. 2-N,3-O-Carbonyl-D-glucosamine (7) was successively treated with NaBH4 and NaIO4 to give (4S,5R)-FHO 18, which was epimerized with DBU in DMF to give (4S,5S)-FHO 20. The glucosamine derivative 7 was epimerized to 2-N,3-O-carbonyl-D-mannosamine 23, from which (4R,5R)- and (4R,5S)-FHO derivatives (27 and 31) were prepared. The NMR measurements revealed that the 4,5-cis-4(or 5)-formyl-5(or 4)-hydroxymethyl-oxazolidinone derivatives form five-membered lactol ring, whereas the 4,5-trans-disubstituted derivatives form the hydrate or methanol adduct of the open-chain aldehyde, or the symmetrical dimer.

Design of biomolecular interface for detecting carbohydrate and lectin weak interactions.

A hybrid functional biomolecular interface designed at a molecular size level is very effective at capturing an analyte with high sensitivity even if the interaction is very weak, as when detecting proteins with carbohydrate. We designed and processed a protein (lectin) recognition molecular interface taking the following points into consideration: (1) the height (molecular length) difference between the capturing and spacer molecules; (2) the ratio of capturing molecules in the recognition interface. When the height difference between the maltoside part (Concanavalin A (Con A) recognition group) and the OH group terminated spacer molecules exceeded (>(CH(2))(6)), the association rate constant (k(a)) became larger (k(a)(1/Ms): ∼2.6 times) and the dissociation constant (K(D)) became much smaller (K(D)(M): 1.0 × 10(-6): ∼0.17 times) compared with the similar heights (lengths) of both molecular interfaces. With regard to maltoside density, a 100% maltoside monolayer was unsuitable for detecting Con A. We constructed a nanostructured recognition site with a maltoside part of 10%, which was the most suitable ratio for Con A detection. The binding interaction between Con A and the maltoside group was changed from monovalent binding to bivalent binding when the maltoside part was diluted in the recognition interface. From electrochemical measurements, even though there was a small amount of maltoside component on the suitable recognition monolayer, quality similar to that of 100% maltoside was observed.

Synthesis and galectin-binding activities of mercaptododecyl glycosides containing a terminal ß-galactosyl group.

Mercaptododecyl glycosides containing a terminal ß-galactosyl group were prepared from D-galactose or from D-lactose via hexa-O-acetyl-lactal (10) as a key intermediate. Interactions of these glycolipids (5 kinds) and galectins (ß-galactoside binding lectins, 6 species) were evaluated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) method. High binding responses were observed for the lactoside, 2-deoxy-lactoside, and lactosaminide with some galectins (Gal-3, -4, -8), whereas the galactoside and 2,3-dideoxy-lactoside showed low binding activities.

Suppression of non-specific adsorption using densified tri(ethylene glycol) alkanethiols: monolayer characteristics evaluated by electrochemical measurements.

Tri(ethylene glycol) terminated short alkylchain thiols (TEGCnSHs) offer good potential for constructing ultra-thin protein-resistant monolayers because they have an alkylchain for forming a densely packed monolayer and a flexible-hydrophilic oligo ethylene glycol arm for avoiding non-specific adsorption. Hybrid monolayers consisting of TEGCnSH and a maltoside ligand (MalC12SH, for capturing lectin) were effective in detecting concanavalin A (Con A). This hybrid monolayer was more suitable for Con A detection than that modified with 100% ligands in terms of the detection limit and time. The anti-fouling properties, packing densities, interaction and homogeneity of TEGCnSH monolayers were confirmed in detail by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurements and electrochemical methods. SPR measurements revealed their excellent repellency to proteins and peptides of various sizes (M(W) 400-104000). The electrochemical results indicated that the lower defects in the TEGCnSH monolayers suppressed the permeation of small peptides. The stability, homogeneity and packing density of the TEGCnSH monolayers were gradually improved as their alkylchain length increased.

One-step detection of galectins on hybrid monolayer surface with protruding lactoside.

Galectins, or beta-galactoside binding lectins, are detected deep in tumor tissue and are recognized as diagnostic and prognostic markers of cancer and other serious diseases. There is a need to develop a faster, easier, and simpler method for detecting galectins. We have succeeded in forming a mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) interface consisting of beta-galactoside terminated alkanethiol (lactoside protuberant dodecanethiol) and tri(ethylene glycol) (TEG) terminated short alkanethiol, which proved to be a superior protein resistant material, to enable us to develop a label-free, one-step, and highly sensitive system for detecting the expected biomarker, galectin. We successfully detected nanomolar level (~ 1 nM) galectin-4 and -8 on a 4% lactoside protrusive surface, even though the affinity between the galectins and lactoside was very weak (KD = 1 x 10(-3)~1 x 10(-6)). The combination of the suppression of background noise by filling with TEG terminated short alkanethiol and control of the ligand ratio in the interface contributed to the highly sensitive detection of galectin. We also detected galectin-4 at subten nanomolar levels even in a solution containing much higher concentrations of serum proteins (1800 times larger than the galectin concentration) without using molecule labeling or an immunological method.

Recognition of lectin with a high signal to noise ratio: carbohydrate-tri(ethylene glycol)-alkanethiol co-adsorbed monolayer.

Densely packed co-adsorbed ultrathin mono molecular layers of short tri(ethylene glycol)-alkanethiolate (for repelling proteins) and maltoside terminated alkanethiolate (for capturing lectin) provided an extremely high signal to noise ratio surface: the repelling molecules, which had two different functions (highly flexible-hydrophilic arm and rigid packing tail group), worked as "nano barriers" in the recognition monolayer.

Stereoselective glycosylations using benzoylated glucosyl halides with inexpensive promoters.

Reactions of O-benzoylated glucopyranosyl halide (I, Br), isolated or generated in situ from per-benzoylated glucose (8a) and trimethylsilyl halide, with various alcohols were efficiently promoted by zinc halide (Cl, Br) or N-bromosuccinimide with a catalytic ZnI(2) to give the corresponding 1,2-trans-beta-glucosides in good to high yields. When the anomeric halogenation of 8a was carried out in the presence of reactive alcohols, 1,2-cis-alpha-glucosides were selectively formed.

12-Mercaptododecyl beta-maltoside-modified gold nanoparticles: specific ligands for concanavalin A having long flexible hydrocarbon chains.

A simple and highly specific protein detection system using glycoconjugated gold nanoparticles was investigated. This system was based on the aggregation of gold nanoparticles coated with carbohydrate alkanethiols in the presence of corresponding proteins (lectins) that had specific recognition for certain carbohydrates. In order to construct an efficient specific recognition system, maltoside alkanethiol was adopted as an effective sensing modifier having a disaccharide group and a flexible long alkyl chain. The surface modification of gold nanoparticles with maltoside alkanethiol resulted in a shift and broadening (from 520 to 610 nm) of the absorption peak. Monodispersed maltoside-adsorbed gold nanoparticles aggregated with the specific lectin, concanavalin A (Con A). This phenomenon was used to detect the presence of Con A and to estimate concentrations of Con A in sample solutions. The precipitate of the maltoside-gold nanoparticle-Con A mixture was redispersed by addition of methyl alpha-D-mannopyranoside whose adsorption coefficient is larger than that of maltoside with Con A.

Efficient synthesis of omega-mercaptoalkyl 1,2-trans-glycosides from sugar peracetates.

Lewis acid-promoted reactions of peracetylated sugars (glucose, galactose, maltose, lactose) with omega-bromo-1-alkanols (C(8), C(12)) were investigated. ZnCl(2) was found to promote the 1,2-trans-glycosylation of the alcohols in toluene at about 60 degrees C in a stereocontrolled manner with better yields than commonly employed promoters such as SnCl(4). The omega-bromoalkyl acetylated glycosides were readily converted to omega-mercaptoalkyl glycosides, which are useful for the preparation of glycoclusters.

Synthesis and biological properties of novel sphingosine derivatives.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S-1P) derivatives such as threo-(2S,3S)-analogues, which are C-3 stereoisomers of natural erythro-(2S,3R)-S-1P, have been synthesized starting from l-serine or (1S,2S)-2-amino-1-aryl-1,3-propanediols (6). threo-(1S,2R)-2-Amino-1-aryl-3-bromopropanols (HBr salt) have also been prepared from 6. The threo-S-1Ps and the threo-amino-bromide derivatives have shown potent inhibitory activity against Ca(2+) ion mobilization in HL60 cells induced by erythro-S-1P, suggesting that these compounds would compete with cell surface EDG/S1P receptors.