Chemical approaches to bacterial vaccines. synthesis of mycobacterial oligosaccharide-protein conjugates for use as serodiagnostics and immunogens

Di- to penta-saccharide fragments (2–5) of Polysaccharide II (PS-II) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were synthesized in spacer-linked form in a stepwise fashion using a new glycosyl donor featuring a trans-fused isopropylidene diol-protecting group. Covalent attachment of the oligosaccharides to proteins provides semi-synthetic antigens and immunogens which are being used to probe the role of PS-II as a possible mycobacterial antigen.