Investigating cellular metabolism of synthetic azidosugars with the Staudinger ligation
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Published on: November 4, 2011
Eliana Saxon1, Sarah J Luchansky, Howard C Hang
1Center for New Directions in Organic Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
Abstract:
The structure of sialic acid on living cells can be modulated by metabolism of unnatural biosynthetic precursors. Here we investigate the conversion of a panel of azide-functionalized mannosamine and glucosamine derivatives into cell-surface sialosides. A key tool in this study is the Staudinger ligation, a highly selective reaction between modified triarylphosphines and azides that produces an amide-linked product. A preliminary study of the mechanism of this reaction, and refined conditions for its in vivo execution, are reported. The reaction provided a means to label the glycoconjugate-bound azidosugars with biochemical probes. Finally, we demonstrate that the cell-surface Staudinger ligation is compatible with hydrazone formation from metabolically introduced ketones. These two strategies provide a means to selectively modify cell-surface glycans with exogenous probes.
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