Synthetic Studies on Sialoglycoconjugates 59: Total Synthesis of Tumor-Associated Ganglioside, Sialyl Le

The first total synthesis of tumor-associated glycolipid antigen, sialyl Lea, is described. Methylsulfenyl bromide-silver triflate-promoted coupling of 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl O-(2-acetamido-6-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-(1→3)-O-(2,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-β-d-galactopyranosyl)-(1→4)-2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (2) with methyl O-(methyl 5-acetamido-4,7,8,9-tetra-O-acetyl-3,5-dideoxy-d-glycero-α-d-galacto-2-nonulopyranosylonate)-(2→3)-2,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-1-thio-β-d-galactopyranoside (3) afforded the pentasaccharide 4a and 5a in good yields. Glycosylation of 4a with methyl 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-1-thio-β-l-fucopyranoside (6) by use of N-iodosuccinimide (NIS) — trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TfOH) as a promoter, gave the desired hexasaccharide 7. Compound 7 was converted into the α-trichloroacetimidate 10, via reductive removal of benzyl groups, O-acetylation, removal of the 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl group, and treatment with trichloroacetonitrile, which, on coupling with (2S, 3R,4E)-2-azido-3-O-benzoyl-4-octadecene-1, 3-diol (11), gave the β-glycoside 12. Finally, 12 was transformed, via selective reduction of the azide group, coupling with octadecanoic acid, O-deacylation, and hydrolysis of the methyl ester group, into the title ganglioside 15 in good yield.