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.