Synthesis of Lipid A and Inner Core LPS ligands containing 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose units

Attachment of 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose to phosphates or sugar hydroxyl groups of lipopolysaccharide contributes to bacterial resistance against common antibiotics. For a detailed study of antigenic properties and binding interactions, Ara4N-containing inner core ligands related to Burkholderia and Proteus LPS have been synthesized in good yields. Glycosylation at position 8 of allyl glycosides of oct-2-ulosonic acids (Ko, Kdo) has been accomplished using an N-phenyltrifluoroacetimidate 4-azido-4-deoxy-l-arabinosyl glycosyl donor followed by azide reduction and global deprotection. The β-l-Ara4N-(1→8)-α-Kdo disaccharide was further extended into the branched β-l-Ara4N-(1→8)[α-Kdo-(2→4)]-α-Kdo trisaccharide via a regioselective glycosylation of a protected triol intermediate. Synthesis of Ara4N-modified lipid A - part structure occurring in the LPS of Burkholderia, Pseudomonas and Klebsiellla strains was accomplished using the H-phosphonate approach. The stereocontrolled assembly of the phosphodiester linkage connecting glycosidic centres of two aminosugars was elaborated employing an anomeric H-phosphonate of cyclic silyl-ether protected 4-azido-4-deoxy-β-l-arabinose which was coupled to the hemiacetal of the lipid A GlcN-disaccharide backbone. Conditions for global deprotection which warrant the integrity of "double anomeric" phosphodiester linkage were successfully developed. Introduction of thiol-terminated spacer at the synthetic ligands allows both coupling to BSA and immobilization on gold nanoparticles as well as generation of glycoarrays.