Synthesis of 3,6-di-O-methylglucosyl disaccharides with methyl 3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)propionate as a linker arm and their use in the serodiagnosis of leprosy

The disaccharide, 2,3-di-O-methyl-4-O-(3,6-di-O-methyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-l-rhamno-pyranose, the distal segment of phenolic glycolipid I, that is a specific antigen from Mycobacterium leprae, and some related disaccharides were synthesised as the glycosides of methyl 3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)propionate. The methyl 3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)propionate was coupled with 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-l-rhamnosyl bromide, deacetylated, acetonated, coupled with 2,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-3-O-methyl-d-glucosyl bromide, and converted into a variety of p-(2-methoxycarbonylethyl)phenyl 4-O-(3,6-di-O-methyl-d-glucopyranosyl)-containing disaccharides that are amenable to ready conjugation with protein carriers, thereby providing neo-glycoconjugates for the specific serodiagnosis of leprosy.