Issue 3, 2013

On the reactivity and selectivity of donor glycosides in glycochemistry and glycobiology: trapped covalent intermediates

Abstract

The reactivity of sugar donors and the stability of covalent intermediates formed in both chemical and biological systems is an active subject of study in both glycochemistry and glycobiology. Knowledge of the structure of these intermediates is vital for understanding reactivity and stereoselectivity in glycosidic bond formation, and in glycosidic bond destruction in the case of enzymatic hydrolysis. For chemical reactions, tuning of the electron-withdrawing power of the carbohydrate side chains allows for stabilization of covalent anomeric triflates thereby enabling chemo-, regio- and stereoselective glycosylations. Retaining glycosidase-mediated hydrolysis reactions in turn often involve a covalent intermediate. The existence of such covalent intermediates was convincingly demonstrated at the beginning of this century by making use of modified glycosyl substrates tuned such that stable adducts are formed efficiently but the ensuing hydrolysis is slowed down. Recently this concept has also been used in the design of glycosidase activity-based probes. This review describes recent investigations on different carbohydrate decoration patterns to influence both chemical and biological reactivity and selectivity.

Graphical abstract: On the reactivity and selectivity of donor glycosides in glycochemistry and glycobiology: trapped covalent intermediates

Article information

Article type
Perspective
Submitted
27 sep 2012
Accepted
05 nov 2012
First published
06 nov 2012

Chem. Sci., 2013,4, 897-906

On the reactivity and selectivity of donor glycosides in glycochemistry and glycobiology: trapped covalent intermediates

M. T. C. Walvoort, G. A. van der Marel, H. S. Overkleeft and J. D. C. Codée, Chem. Sci., 2013, 4, 897 DOI: 10.1039/C2SC21610H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements