A convenient synthesis of the C-1-phosphonate analogue of UDP-GlcNAc and its evaluation as an inhibitor of O-linked GlcNAc transferase (OGT) Original Research Article

The C-1-phosphonate analogue of UDP-GlcNAc has been synthesized using an α-configured C-1-aldehyde as a key intermediate. Addition of the anion of diethyl phosphate to the aldehyde produced the hydroxyphosphonate. The configuration of this key intermediate was determined by X-ray crystallography. Deoxygenation, coupling of the resulting phosphonic acid with UMP and deprotection gave the target molecule as a di-sodium salt. This analogue had no detectable activity as an inhibitor of (OGT).