From 1,4-Disaccharide to 1,3-Glycosyl Carbasugar:Synthesis of a Bespoke Inhibitor of Family GH99 Endo-α-mannosidase

Understanding the enzyme reaction mechanism can lead to the design of enzyme inhibitors. A Claisen rearrangement was used to allow conversion of an α-1,4-disaccharide into an α-1,3-linked glycosyl carbasugar to target the endo-α-mannosidase from the GH99 glycosidase family, which, unusually, is believed to act through a 1,2-anhydrosugar "epoxide" intermediate. Using NMR and X-ray crystallography, it is shown that glucosyl carbasugar α-aziridines can act as reasonably potent endo-α-mannosidase inhibitors, likely by virtue of their shape mimicry and the interactions of the aziridine nitrogen with the conserved catalytic acid/base of the enzyme active site.