Synthetic studies on glycosphingolipids from the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis

Novel neutral glycosphingolipids isolated from the metacestodes of Echinococcus multilocularis by Persat, may be expected to be involved in host-parasite interactions. We have synthesized these glycosphingolipid analogues containing 2-branched fatty alkyl residues in place of ceramide. The glycosylation of galactosyl donors 4 and 5 with each of the acceptors 2 and 11 in the presence of N-iodosuccinimide (NIS)/TfOH, and the glycosylation of fucosyl donor 13 with acceptors 12 and 20 in the presence of dimethyl(methylthio)sulfonium triflate (DMTST) gave the desired oligosaccharide derivatives at good yield. The fully per-O-acylated 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl glycosides 6, 15, 21, and 26 were converted to glycosylimidates 7, 16, 22, and 27, which were condensed with 2-(tetradecyl)hexadecanol and subsequently deacylated give four target glycosphingolipid analogues.