Alexey G. Gerbst

Synthesis of Multivalent Carbohydrate-Centered Glycoclusters as Nanomolar Ligands of the Bacterial Lectin LecA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A family of fifteen glycoclusters based on a cyclic oligo-(1→6)-β-D-glucosamine core has been designed as potential inhibitors of the bacterial lectin LecA with various valencies (from 2 to 4) and linkers. Evaluation of their binding properties towards LecA has been performed by a combination of hemagglutination inhibition assays (HIA), enzyme-linked lectin assays (ELLA), and isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC). Divalent ligands displayed dissociation constants in the sub-micromolar range and tetravalent ligands displayed low nanomolar affinities for this lectin. The influence of the linker could also be demonstrated; aromatic moieties are the best scaffolds for binding to the lectin. The affinities observed in vitro were then correlated with molecular models to rationalize the possible binding modes of these glycoclusters with the bacterial lectin.

SYNTHESIS, NMR, AND CONFORMATIONAL STUDIES OF FUCOIDAN FRAGMENTS. III.[1] EFFECT OF BENZOYL GROUP AT O-3 ON STEREOSELECTIVITY OF GLYCOSYLATION BY 3-O- AND 3,4-DI-O-BENZOYLATED 2-O-BENZYLFUCOSYL BROMIDES

The effect of a benzoyl group at O-3 on stereoselectivity of glycosylation by 3-O- and 3,4-di-O-benzoylated 2-O-benzyl-L-fucopyranosyl bromides was studied by direct chemical experiments and computational chemistry. The influence of a benzoyl group at O-3 of the fucosyl donors was shown to have a larger effect on the efficiency of α-fucosylation than a benzoyl group at O-4. It is hypothesized that this is a result of the ability of a benzoyl group at O-3 to participate in glycosyl cation stabilization.

SYNTHESIS, NMR, AND CONFORMATIONAL STUDIES OF FUCOIDAN FRAGMENTS 4[1]: 4-MONO- AND 4,4′-DISULFATED (1→3)-α-l-FUCOBIOSIDE AND 4-SULFATED FUCOSIDE FRAGMENTS

Propyl 4-O-sulfonato- and 4,4′-di-O-sulfonato-3-O-α-l-fucopyranosyl-α-l-fucopyranosides, which are related to fragments of brown algal fucoidans, have been synthesized. Their spectral (1H and 13C NMR, NOE) and conformational properties have been studied in combination with molecular modeling and compared with the respective non-sulfated propyl fucobioside. Correlations between chemical shifts and conformational properties of these compounds were investigated.

Pyranoside‐into‐Furanoside Rearrangement: New Reaction in Carbohydrate Chemistry and Its Application in Oligosaccharide Synthesis

Great interest in natural furanoside-containing compounds has challenged the development of preparative methods for their synthesis. Herein a novel reaction in carbohydrate chemistry, namely a pyranoside-into-furanoside (PIF) rearrangement permitting the transformation of selectively O-substituted pyranosides into the corresponding furanosides is reported. The discovered process includes acid-promoted sulfation accompanied by rearrangement of the pyranoside ring into a furanoside ring followed by solvolytic O-desulfation. This process, which has no analogy in organic chemistry, was shown to be a very useful tool for the synthesis of furanoside-containing complex oligosaccharides, which was demonstrated by synthesizing disaccharide derivatives α-D-Galp-(1→3)-β-D-Galf-OPr, 3-O-s-lactyl-β-D-Galf-(1→3)-β-D-Glcp-OPr, and α-L-Fucf-(1→4)-β-D-GlcpA-OPr related to polysaccharides from the bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterococcus faecalis and the brown seaweed Chordaria flagelliformis.

Synthesis, NMR and Conformational Studies of Fucoidan Fragments. V.[1] Linear 4,4′,4″‐Tri‐O‐Sulfated and Parent Non‐sulfated (1→3)‐Fucotrioside Fragments

Propyl 4,4′,4″‐tri‐O‐sulfated and non‐sulfated (1→3)‐α‐l‐fucotriosides which are related to fragments of natural fucoidans have been synthesized. Their spectral and conformational properties have been investigated by 1H and 13C NMR, NOE and molecular modeling. Molecular mechanics calculations of the tri‐O‐sulfated compound as a trianion did not give agreement with the experimental NOE values, while the model with the non‐dissociated sulfo group on the non‐reducing end worked successfully. (1→3)‐Fucobioside fragments in both trisaccharides investigated were shown to have the same range of conformations as in previously described propyl (1→3)‐α‐l‐fucobiosides, but with the increase of the relative population of the conformer with the spatial proximity of H‐1′ and H‐4 in the case of non‐sulfated fucotrioside.

Anticoagulant and antithrombotic activities of modified xylofucan sulfate from the brown alga Punctaria plantaginea.

Selectively and totally sulfated (1 → 3)-linked linear homofucans bearing ∼ 20 monosaccharide residues on average have been prepared from the branched xylofucan sulfate isolated from the brown alga Punctaria plantaginea. Anticoagulant and antithrombotic properties of the parent biopolymer and its derivatives were assessed in vitro. Highly sulfated linear fucan derivatives were shown to inhibit clot formation in APTT assay and ristocetin induced platelets aggregation, while the partially sulfated analogs were inactive. In the experiments with purified proteins, fucan derivatives with degree of sulfation of ∼ 2.0 were found to enhance thrombin and factor Xa inhibition by antithrombin III. The effect of sulfated fucans on thrombin inhibition, which was similar to those of heparinoid Clexane(®) (enoxaparin) and of a fucoidan from the brown alga Saccharina latissima studied previously, can be explained by the multicenter interaction and formation of a ternary complex thrombin-antithrombin III-polysaccharide. The possibility of such complexation was confirmed by computer docking study.

Synthesis of the Oligosaccharides Related to Branching Sites of Fucosylated Chondroitin Sulfates from Sea Cucumbers

Natural anionic polysaccharides fucosylated chondroitin sulfates (FCS) from sea cucumbers attract great attention nowadays due to their ability to influence various biological processes, such as blood coagulation, thrombosis, angiogenesis, inflammation, bacterial and viral adhesion. To determine pharmacophore fragments in FCS we have started systematic synthesis of oligosaccharides with well-defined structure related to various fragments of these polysaccharides. In this communication, the synthesis of non-sulfated and selectively O-sulfated di- and trisaccharides structurally related to branching sites of FCS is described. The target compounds are built up of propyl β-d-glucuronic acid residue bearing at O-3 α-l-fucosyl or α-l-fucosyl-(1→3)-α-l-fucosyl substituents. O-Sulfation pattern in the fucose units of the synthetic targets was selected according to the known to date holothurian FCS structures. Stereospecific α-glycoside bond formation was achieved using 2-O-benzyl-3,4-di-O-chloroacetyl-α-l-fucosyl trichloroacetimidate as a donor. Stereochemical outcome of the glycosylation was explained by the remote participation of the chloroacetyl groups with the formation of the stabilized glycosyl cations, which could be attacked by the glycosyl acceptor only from the α-side. The experimental results were in good agreement with the SCF/MP2 calculated energies of such participation. The synthesized oligosaccharides are regarded as model compounds for the determination of a structure-activity relationship in FCS.

Definitive Structural Assessment of Enterococcal Diheteroglycan

Enterococcus faecalis is one of most important nosocomial and often multi-antibiotic resistant pathogens responsible for infections that are difficult to treat. Previously, a cell-wall polysaccharide termed diheteroglycan (DHG) was isolated and characterized as a promising vaccine candidate. However, the configuration of its lactic acid (LA) residue attached to the galactofuranoside unit was not assessed, although it influences conformation of DHG chain in terms of biological recognition and immune evasion. This study proves the R configuration of the LA residue by means of chemical analysis, investigation of intramolecular NMR nuclear Overhauser effects and molecular dynamics simulations of native DHG and corresponding R and S models, which were obtained by using pyranoside-into-furanoside rearrangement. As alternative treatment and prevention strategies for E. faecalis are desperately needed, this discovery may offer the prospect of a synthetic vaccine to actively immunize patients at risk.

Synthesis, NMR, and Conformational Studies of Fucoidan Fragments. VII.1 Influence of Length and 2,3‐Branching on the Conformational Behavior of Linear (1→3)‐Linked Oligofucoside Chains

The conformational behavior of linear (1→3)‐linked propyl di‐, tri‐, tetrafucosides and 2,3‐branched tetrafucosides with linear (1→3)‐linked trisaccharide backbone related to fragments of natural fucoidans were studied by theoretical molecular modeling and experimental determination of transglycosidic vicinal coupling constants 3JC,H. The application of NOE NMR‐spectroscopy, which is traditionally used in conformational analysis of oligosaccharides, was accompanied by experimental difficulties in the case of tetrafucosides, due to the overlap of cross‐peaks and their trend to be close to zero. It was shown that conformations of difucoside units in the studied compounds depend on their position within the oligosaccharide backbone, on the chain length, and on the presence or absence of 2,3‐branch point. The comparison of experimental and calculated values of transglycosidic constants 3JC,H showed good coincidence for the middle disaccharide units of tetrafucosides, indicating that these units are more rigid than terminal ones.

NMR and conformational studies of linear and cyclic oligo-(1→6)-β-D-glucosamines.

The conformational behavior of a series of linear and cyclic oligo-(1→6)-β-D-glucosamines and their N-acetylated derivatives, which are related to fragments of natural poly-N-acetylglucosamine, was studied by theoretical molecular modeling and experimental determination of transglycosidic vicinal coupling constants (3)J(C,H) and (3)J(H,H). Molecular dynamics simulations were performed under several types of conditions varying in the consideration of ionization of amino groups, solvent effect, and temperature. Neural network clustering and asphericity calculations were performed on the basis of molecular dynamics data. It was shown that disaccharide fragments in the studied linear oligosaccharides were not rigid, and tended to have several conformers, thus determining the overall twisted shape with helical elements. In addition, it was found that the behavior of C5-C6 bond depended significantly upon the simulation conditions. The cyclic di-, tri-, and tetrasaccharides mostly had symmetrical ring-shaped conformations. The larger cycles tended to adopt more complicated shapes, and the conformational behavior of their disaccharide fragments was close to that in the linear oligosaccharides.