Synthesis of the tetrasaccharide cap domain of the antigenic lipophosphoglycan of Leishmania donovani parasite

In this paper we report a new synthesis of the immunologically important tetrasaccharide terminal cap domain [Galp(1--4)-beta[Manp-( 1-2)-alpha-Manp-(1-2)-alpha]-Manp] of lipophosphoglycan (LPG); the major cell surface GPI molecule and key virulence factor of the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani. The synthetic approach provided a short convergent route for the LPG cap motif from lactose and mannose starting materials. The synthesis was then applied for the preparation of a radiolabelled cap epitope for macrophage receptor binding and immunological studies. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.