Pyranose N-glycosyl amines: emerging targets with diverse biological potential.

Interest in the chemistry and biological properties of non-nucleoside N-glycosidic compounds has gathered pace over the past several years; the occurrence of the N-glycoside moiety in glycoproteins and a range of active natural products has prompted the synthesis of a diverse spectrum of related materials with promising potential in medicinal chemistry. Particularly prominent has been the synthesis of novel N-glycosyl amides, 1,2,3-triazoles, and progress in the construction and diversification of natural products such as the mannopeptimycins and indolocarbazoles, each of which are discussed in this article.