Syntheses of linear tetra-, hexa-, and octa-saccharide fragments of the i-blood group active poly-(N-acetyl-lactosamine) series. Blockwise methods for the synthesis of repetitive oligosaccharide sequences.

N-Phthaloylation of lactosamine gave various glycosyl donors (beta-chloride, beta-trichloroacetimidate) and glycosyl acceptors (3',4'-diol). Coupling of the chloride with a methyl beta-D-glycoside led to the tetrasaccharide fragment, beta-D-Galp-(1----4)-beta-D-GlcpNac-(1----3)-beta-D-Galp-(1----4)- beta-D-GlcpNAcOMe. Acetolysis of the protected tetrasaccharide, followed by treatment with hydrogen chloride, gave a tetrasaccharide chloride which was coupled with the methyl beta-glycoside of lactosamine. A hexasaccharide fragment, [beta-D-Galp-(1----4)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1----3)]2-beta-D-Galp-(1----4)-bet a- D-GlcpNAcOMe, was thus obtained by this ("n + 1") method. A more efficient ("n + n") method was applied for the synthesis of an octasaccharide fragment, [beta-D-Galp-(1----4)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1----3)]3-beta-D-Galp- (1----4)-beta-D-GlcpNAcOMe (38), where di- and tetra-saccharide intermediates having a 3,4-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-galactopyranosyl nonreducing terminal group and a benzyl beta-D-glycoside group were precursors, either as glycosyl donors (beta-trichloroacetimidates) or glycosyl acceptors (3,4-diols as nonreducing terminal groups). Thus, doubling the length of the repetitive oligosaccharide sequence could be efficiently accomplished at each glycosylation step.