Synthesis 2018; 50(14): 2631-2654
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1609735
review
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Synthesis of Lipid-Linked Oligosaccharides (LLOs) and Their Phosphonate Analogues as Probes To Study Protein Glycosylation Enzymes

Jérémy M. Boilevin
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry,University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, 3012 Bern, Switzerland   Email: jean-louis.reymond@dcb.unibe.ch
,
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry,University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, 3012 Bern, Switzerland   Email: jean-louis.reymond@dcb.unibe.ch
› Author Affiliations
This work was financially supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Synergia grant no. CRSII3_147632).
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 23 February 2018

Accepted after revision: 04 April 2018

Publication Date:
26 June 2018 (online)


Abstract

Here we review chemical and chemoenzymatic methods for the synthesis of lipid-linked oligosaccharides (LLOs) and their phosphonate analogues, which serve as substrates and inhibitors to investigate the structure and mechanism of protein N-glycosylation enzymes. We emphasize how to overcome the challenges pertaining to the instability and difficult physicochemical properties of this class of compounds.

1 Introduction

2 LLO Syntheses

2.1 Glycosyl Phosphate Syntheses

2.2 Glycosyl Phosphonates

2.3 Lipid Elongation

2.4 Lipid Phosphates

2.5 Coupling Reaction Strategies

3 Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Elongated LLOs

4 Biological Properties of Synthetic LLOs

5 Conclusion