Synthesis of a key Mycobacterium tuberculosis biosynthetic phosphoinositide intermediate

Regioselective mannosylations of a myoinositol acceptor diol are readily achieved by Lewis acid mediated iodinolysis of n-pentenyl ortho-esters. The procedure affords a psuedotrisaccharide to which the phosphoglyceryl and other lipid residues are added leading to the key biosynthetic intermediate of Mycobacterium species.