Artificial Golgi apparatus: globular protein-like dendrimer facilitates fully automated enzymatic glycan synthesis

J Am Chem Soc. 2010 Nov 24;132(46):16651-6. doi: 10.1021/ja106955j. Epub 2010 Oct 29.

Abstract

Despite the growing importance of synthetic glycans as tools for biological studies and drug discovery, a lack of common methods for the routine synthesis remains a major obstacle. We have developed a new method for automated glycan synthesis that employs the enzymatic approach and a dendrimer as an ideal support within the chemical process. Recovery tests using a hollow fiber ultrafiltration module have revealed that monodisperse G6 (MW = 58 kDa) and G7 (MW = 116 kDa) poly(amidoamine) dendrimers exhibit a similar profile to BSA (MW = 66 kDa). Characteristics of the globular protein-like G7 dendrimer with high solubility and low viscosity in water greatly enhanced throughput and efficiency in automated synthesis while random polyacrylamide-based supports entail significant loss during the repetitive reaction/separation step. The present protocol allowed for the fully automated enzymatic synthesis of sialyl Lewis X tetrasaccharide derivatives over a period of 4 days in 16% overall yield from a simple N-acetyl-d-glucosamine linked to an aminooxy-functionalized G7 dendrimer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Dendrimers / chemistry*
  • Golgi Apparatus*
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Polyamines / chemistry
  • Polysaccharides / chemical synthesis*
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Solubility
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Dendrimers
  • Poly(amidoamine)
  • Polyamines
  • Polysaccharides
  • Proteins
  • Water