Protecting-Group-Free Synthesis of Glycomonomers and Glycopolymers from Free Saccharides

Abstract

Glycopolymers are synthetic polymers with pendant saccharides developed as glycocluster molecules incorporating multivalent forms of saccharides. Although many different glyco-monomers and -polymers have been described, most reported synthetic methods require multiple laborious steps such as the protection and deprotection of hydroxy groups on the saccharide, making these synthetic approaches difficult to apply to oligosaccharides with higher molecular weight. In contrast, there have been few reports of the synthesis of glyco-monomers and -polymers from free saccharides not requiring protection of the saccharide hydroxy groups. This review describes the protecting-group-free syntheses by our group and others of glyco-monomers and -polymers, and reviews the results of binding assays using our glycopolymers with lectins and influenza viruses.