Activation of CD1d-restricted invariant NKT (iNKT) cells with the glycolipid α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) confers protection against disease in murine models, however, clinical trials in humans have had limited impact. We synthesized a novel thioglycoside analogue of α-GalCer, denoted α-S-GalCer, and tested its efficacy for stimulating human iNKT cells in vitro. α-S-GalCer stimulated cytokin...

Reactions of fac-[PtMe3(4,4'-R2bpy)(Me2CO)][BF4] (R = H, 1a; tBu, 1b) and fac-[PtMe3(OAc-kappa2O,O')(Me2CO)] (2), respectively, with thioglycosides containing thioethyl (ch-SEt) and thioimidate (ch-STaz, Taz = thiazoline-2-yl) anomeric groups led to the formation of the carbohydrate platinum(IV) complexes fac-[PtMe3(4,4-R2bpy)(ch*)][BF4] (ch* = ch-SEt, 8-14; ch-STaz, 15-23) and fac-[PtMe3(OAc-k...

Three small families of hydrolytically stable thioaryl glycosides were prepared as inhibitors of the LecA (PA-IL) virulence factor corresponding to the carbohydrate binding lectin from the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The monosaccharidic arylthio β-d-galactopyranosides served as a common template for the major series that was also substituted at the O-3 position. Arylthio disaccha...

The air- and water-stable iodonium salt phenyl(trifluoroethyl)iodonium triflimide is shown to activate thioglycosides for glycosylation at room temperature. Both armed and disarmed thioglycosides rapidly undergo glycosylation in 68-97% yield. The reaction conditions are mild and do not require strict exclusion of air and moisture. The operational simplicity of the method should allow experiment...

The glycosylation of 1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiones has been performed with peracetylated β-pyranosyl bromide in the presence of potassium carbonate. Deprotection of acetylated thioglycosides was necessary for increasing their antibacterial effects. The structures of nucleosides were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS. The anomeric protons of nucleosides c1-4 were assigned to the doublet, confir...

Conformational analysis of enzyme-catalyzed mannoside hydrolysis has revealed two predominant conformational itineraries through B2,5 or 3H4 transition-state (TS) conformations. A prominent unassigned catalytic itinerary is that of exo-1,6-α-mannosidases belonging to CAZy family 125. A published complex of Clostridium perfringens GH125 enzyme with a nonhydrolyzable 1,6-α-thiomannoside substrate...

Sulfoxides are frequently used in organic synthesis as chiral auxiliaries and reagents to mediate a wide variety of chemical transformations. For example, diphenyl sulfoxide and triflic anhydride can be used to activate a wide range of glycosyl donors including hemiacetals, glycals and thioglycosides. In this way, an alcohol, enol or sulfide is converted into a good leaving group for subsequent...

As part of an ongoing project aimed at developing vaccine candidates against Cryptococcus neoformans the preparation of tri- and tetrasaccharide thioglycoside building blocks, to be used in construction of structurally defined part structures of C. neoformans GXM capsular polysaccharide, was investigated. Using a naphthalenylmethyl (NAP) ether as a temporary protecting group and trichloroacetim...

Neighbouring group participation is frequently used to control the stereoselectivity of chemical reactions. Herein, we investigate the use of neighbouring group participation for the synthesis of disaccharides incorporating the mycobacterial sugar methylthioxylose. A bicyclic thioglycoside was activated by methylation to generate a methylsulfonium group that would act both as the anomeric leavi...