Synthesis and evaluation of 5-thio-L-fucose-containing oligosaccharide

5-Thio-L-fucose-containing trisaccharide H-type II was synthesized. The 3',4'-O-isopropylidene-2-azido-2-deoxylactoside derivative, which was prepared from lactose by azidonitration of lactal, was used as a starting material. By regio- and stereoselective 5-thio-L-fucosylation of the 6,6'-dibenzoate 5 with 5-thiofucosyl trichloroacetimidate 6 and subsequent deprotection gave the 5-thio-L-fucose-containing H-type II 1. Conformational analysis of the 5-thio-L-fucose-containing H-type II and the native H-type II was carried out through NOESY experiments. The observed NOE values between N-acetylglucosamine and galactose, and galactose and fucose were same for these two trisaccharides. However, NOE values between fucose and N-acetylglucosamine were significantly different. Binding of the 5-thio-L-fucose-containing H-type II to lectins and antibodies were in some case stronger and in some case weaker than those of the native trisaccharide.