On-bead synthesis and binding assay of chemoselectively template-assembled multivalent neoglycopeptides

The investigation of recognition events between carbohydrates and proteins, especially the control of how spatial factors and binding avidity are correlated in, remains a great interest for glycomics. Therefore, the development of efficient methods for the rapid evaluation of new ligands such as multivalent glycoconjugates is essential for diverse diagnostic or therapeutic applications. In this paper we describe the synthesis of chemoselectively-assembled multivalent neoglycopeptides and the subsequent recognition assay on a solid support. Aminooxylated carbohydrates (betaLac-ONH(2) 4, alphaGalNAc-ONH(2) 9 and alphaMan-ONH(2) 13) have been prepared as carbohydrate-based recognition elements and assembled as clusters onto a cyclopeptidic scaffold by an oxime-based strategy in solid phase. Further binding tests between lectins and beads of resin derivatized with neoglycopeptides displaying clustered lactoses, N-acetylgalactoses and mannoses (18-20) have shown specific recognition and enhanced affinity through multivalent interactions, suggesting that the local density of carbohydrate-based ligands at the bead surface is crucial to improve the interaction of proteins of weak binding affinity. This solid phase strategy involving both molecular assembly and biological screening provides a rapid and efficient tool for various applications in glycomics.