Synthesis and biological evaluation of 1,2,3-triazole linked sialic acid derivatives as neuraminidase inhibitors

Abstract

α-Sialic acid azide 1 has been used as a substrate for the efficient preparation of 1,2,3-triazole derivatives of sialic acid using the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne Huisgen cycloaddition ("click chemistry"). Our approach is to generate non-natural N-glycosides of sialic acid that are resistant to neuraminidase catalyzed hydrolysis as opposed to the natural O-glycosides. These N-glycosides would act as neuraminidase inhibitors to prevent the release of new virions. As a preliminary study, a small library of 1,2,3-triazole-linked sialic acid derivatives has been synthesized in 71-89% yield. A disaccharide mimic of sialic acid has also been prepared using the α-sialic acid azide 1 and a C-8 propargyl sialic acid acceptor in 68% yield. A model sialic acid coated dendrimer was also synthesized from a per-propargylated pentaerythritol acceptor. These novel sialic acid derivatives were then evaluated as potential neuraminidase inhibitors using a 96-well plate fluorescence assay; micromolar IC50 values were observed, comparable to the known sialidase inhibitor Neu5Ac2en.