Regioselective Mannosylation Routes to the Antigenic myo-Inositol Component of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A differentially protected derivative of myo-inositol with free hydroxyl groups at C6 and C2 is regioselectively mannosylated at C2, and subsequently at C6 with the same or a different donor to give the dimannosylated inositol antigenic core of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Deacetylation now frees C1 for phosphorylation.