Synthesis of a sialyl Lewis x mimic with fixed carboxylic acid group: Chemical approach toward the elucidation of the bioactive conformation of sialyl Lewis x

The relation of the solution and bioactive conformation of sialyl Lewis x (sLe(x)) has been addressed by chemical means. To mimic the preferred solution conformation of sLe(x) 1, the more rigid analog 2 has been designed and synthesized. The sialic acid residue of 1 was replaced by a carboxylic acid function which is fixed in the equatorial position of a six membered ring acetal fused to galactose. Due to entropic considerations, an increased biological activity could be expected if the preferred solution conformation and bound form of sLe(x) were similar. Since mimic 2 was found to be inactive in an E-selectin binding assay, the bound form of sLe(x) most probably differs from the prevailing solution conformation.