Synthesis of Glycopeptides, Partial Structures of Biological Recognition Components New Synthetic Methods (67)

Abstract Glycopeptides are partial structures of the connecting regions of glycoproteins and, like these, always contain glycosidic bonds between the carbohydrate and peptide parts. Glycoproteins are not only widely distributed but are also decisive factors in post‐translational biological selectivity, especially in biological recognition. Targeted syntheses of glycopeptides require stereoselective formation of the glycosidic bonds between the carbohydrate and the peptide parts and protective group methods that enable selective deblocking of only one functional group in these polyfunctional molecules. These heavy demands have been met by the well‐established use of benzylic protective groups, which can be removed by hydrogenolysis, combined with the use of base‐labile 2‐phosphonioethoxycarbonyl (Peoc) or 9‐fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) protective groups or of bromoethyl esters, which can be removed under neutral conditions. The acidolysis of tert ‐butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) groups and of tert ‐butyl esters has also been successfully used, although, under acidic conditions, anomerization or rupture of the glycosidic bonds may occur, especially when nucleophiles are present. The stable, two‐stage 2‐(pyridyl)ethoxycarbonyl (Pyoc) protective groups allow a more reliable synthesis of complex glycopeptides since they can be removed, after modifications, under mild conditions. Particularly suitable for the synthesis of sensitive glycopeptides are the stable allyl protective groups. They can be removed from the complex glycopeptides in a highly selective and effective manner by means of noble‐metal catalysts under practically neutral conditions. These methods have been employed to synthesize glycopeptides corresponding to partial structures of interesting glycoproteins. Deprotected glyopeptides representing tumor‐associated antigen structures can be coupled to bovine serum albumin, which serves as a biological carrier molecule, without the necessity of using an artificial coupling component (spacer).