SYNTHESIS OF NON-GLUCOSAMINO GLUCAN OLIGOSACCHARIDES RELATED TO HEPARIN AND HEPARAN-SULFATE

A series of three oligosaccharides, alpha-D-Glc-(1 --> 4)-beta-D-GlcA- 1 --> OMe, beta-D-GlcA-(1 --> 4)-alpha-D-Glc-(1 --> 4)-beta-D-GlcA-1 - -> OMe and alpha-D-Glc-(1 --> 4)-beta-D-GlcA-(1 --> 4)-alpha-D-Glc-(1 --> 4)-beta-D-GlcA-1 --> OMe was prepared by a short synthetic route, using maltose and glucuronic acid derivatives as starting materials. T he oligosaccharides contain glucose residues instead of glucosamines, and have a less complicated structure than the corresponding unsulphat ed structures found in native heparin and heparan sulphate. This simpl ification in structure has diminished the number of synthetic steps an d raised the total yield compared to the preparation of the correspond ing heparin/heparan sulphate structures which have been found to bind acidic and basic FGF.