Synthesis of the repeating unit of the lipoteichoic acid of Streptococcus pneumoniae

The lipoteichoic acid repeating unit of Streptococcus pneumoniae is a complex pseudopentasaccharide (3). It consists of one ribitol-phosphate, one 2-acetamino-4-amino-2,4,6-trideoxy-galactose, one glucose and two galactosamine residues each differently linked, but both carrying one phosphocholine substituent, at position 6. Suitable building blocks (6–10) for efficient and diastereocontrolled ligations were designed, thus providing, after complete deprotection, the target molecule in high purity. Biological tests revealed that repeating unit 3, lacking the lipid moiety, did not stimulate a pro-inflammatory response in human monocytes (hMNCs).