Synthesis of TDP-3-amino-3,4,6-trideoxy-α- -xylo-hexopyranose—The immediate precursor of TDP-α- -desosamine

A synthetic pathway producing the title compound starting from methyl α- -glucose is described. This compound was shown to be a substrate for DesVI, an AdoMet-dependent methyltransferase which catalyzes N,N-dimethylation of the title compound to give a biological significant unusual sugar, desosamine.