Preparation of synthetic oligosaccharide-conjugates of poly-β-(1→6)-N-acetyl glucosamine

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are prominent bacterial pathogens of nosocomial infections. Both microorganisms colonize medical devices by forming adherent biofilms. Poly-β-D-(1→6)-N-acetyl-glucosamine (PNAG) is a surface polysaccharide antigen which was found on both S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Animal studies have proved that PNAG can elicit antibodies which protect against staphylococcal infections. We have presented the synthesis of di-, tetra- and hexasaccharide fragments of PNAG with formyl-heptyl aglycone and their attachment to bovine serum albumin (BSA) by reductive amination.

Keywords: Carbohydrate chemical synthesis; Glycoconjugate; Poly-β-(1→6)-N-acetyl glucosamine; Reductive amination.