Synthesis of an Undecasaccharide Featuring an Oligomannosidic Heptasaccharide and a Bacterial Kdo-lipid A Backbone for Eliciting Neutralizing Antibodies to Mammalian Oligomannose on the HIV-1 Envelope Spike

J Am Chem Soc. 2019 May 15;141(19):7946-7954. doi: 10.1021/jacs.9b02872. Epub 2019 Apr 30.

Abstract

Lipooligosaccharides (LOS) from the bacterium Rhizobium radiobacter Rv3 are structurally related to antigenic mammalian oligomannoses on the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein spike that are targets for broadly neutralizing antibodies. Here, we prepared a hybrid structure of viral and bacterial epitopes as part of a vaccine design strategy to elicit oligomannose-specific HIV-neutralizing antibodies using glycoconjugates based on the Rv3 LOS structure. Starting from a Kdo2GlcNAc2 tetrasaccharide precursor, a central orthogonally protected mannose trichloroacetimidate donor was coupled to OH-5 of the innermost Kdo residue. To assemble larger glycans, the N-acetylamino groups of the glucosamine units were converted to imides to prevent formation of unwanted imidate byproducts. Blockwise coupling of the pentasaccharide acceptor with an α-(1→2)-linked mannotriosyl trichloroacetimidate donor introduced the D1-arm fragment. Glycosylation of O-6 of the central branching mannose with an α-(1→2)-α-(1→6)-linked mannotriosyl trichloroacetimidate donor unit then furnished the undecasaccharide harboring a D3-arm extension. Global deprotection yielded the 3-aminopropyl ligand, which was activated as an isothiocyanate or adipic acid succinimidoyl ester and conjugated to CRM197. However, representative oligomannose-specific HIV-neutralizing antibodies bound the undecasaccharide conjugates poorly. Possible reasons for this outcome are discussed herein along with paths for improvement.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Agrobacterium tumefaciens / chemistry*
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology*
  • Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic
  • Glycoconjugates / chemical synthesis*
  • Glycoconjugates / chemistry
  • HIV-1*
  • Lipid A / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Oligosaccharides / chemistry*
  • Protein Conformation
  • env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Glycoconjugates
  • Lipid A
  • Oligosaccharides
  • env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  • oligomannoside