The glycosaminoglycan (GAG) class of carbohydrates is characterized by unparalleled sequence diversity. Located on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix, specific structural features are required for a variety of functions including coagulation, cell-signaling and wound healing among others. One limitation to elucidating detailed structure-function relationships between GAGs and their binding partners is the absence of significant quantities of chemically pure GAG oligosaccharides.
The aims of this project are to: ? Provide an initial library oftetra-, hexa- and octasaccharide GAG sequences ? Develop a flexible synthetic strategy for producing multiple oligosaccharides from a single intermediate (Intermediate is defined as a chemical entity produced en route to a final product. In this case, the contractor plans to produce GAG building blocks, which shall"""""""" be modified in such a way as to generate more advanced chemical entities (intermediates), each of which can be used to produce multiple final products in the target library). ? Produce large quantities of GAG building blocks for use in the current proposal and in future libraries
