Synthesis of sialyllactosamine clusters using carbosilane as core scaffolds by means of chemical and enzymatic approaches.

An efficient synthesis of sialyllactosamine (SiaLacNAc) clusters using carbosilanes as core scaffolds has been accomplished by means of chemical and enzymatic approaches. N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) clusters having O-glycosidic linkage or S-glycosidic linkage were chemically synthesized from known intermediates in high yields. The GlcNAc clusters were first used as substrates for beta1,4 galactosyl transferase using UDP-galactose (UDP-Gal) as a sugar source to provide corresponding N-acetyllactosamine clusters.

Spatiotemporal vector pulse shaping of femtosecond laser pulses with a multi-pass two-dimensional spatial light modulator.

A novel non-interferometric vector pulse-shaping scheme is developed for femtosecond laser pulses using a two-dimensional spatial light modulator (2D-SLM). By utilizing spatiotemporal pulse shaping obtainable by the 2D-SLM, we demonstrate spatiotemporal vector pulse shaping for the first time.

Systematic syntheses of influenza neuraminidase inhibitors: a series of carbosilane dendrimers uniformly functionalized with thioglycoside-type sialic acid moieties.

In order to develop novel influenza sialidase inhibitors, we constructed a library of glycoclusters composed of twelve types of sialylated dendrimers with thioglycosidic linkage that are resistant to hydrolysis by the sialidases. These sialodendrimers were synthesized by condensation reaction between a thiosialoside modified on the aglycon terminal end by a thioacetyl group and twelve types of carbosilane dendrimers having brominated terminal ends under deacetylation conditions, and temporal re-protection was performed for purification. Removal of all protection of the glycodendrimers was accomplished by transesterification and subsequent saponification to provide corresponding water-soluble glycodendrimers in good yields.

Syntheses and biological evaluations of carbosilane dendrimers uniformly functionalized with sialyl alpha(2-->3) lactose moieties as inhibitors for human influenza viruses.

A series of carbosilane dendrimers uniformly functionalized with sialyl lactose moieties (Neu5Ac alpha2-->3Gal beta1-->4Glc) was systematically synthesized, and biological evaluations for anti-influenza virus activity using the glycodendrimers were performed. The results suggested that the glycodendrimers had unique biological activities depending on the form of their core frame, and Dumbbell(1)6-amide type glycodendrimer 7 showed particularly strong inhibitory activities against human influenza viruses [A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) and A/Aichi/2/68 (H3N2)]. The results suggested that the structure-activity relationship (SAR) on the glycolibrary against various influenza viruses was observed, and dumbbell-shaped dendrimers as supporting carbohydrate moieties were found to be the most suitable core scaffolds in this study.

Synthesis and characterization of photo-responsive carbosilane dendrimers.

Preparation of photo-responsive carbosilane dendrimers bearing 4-phenylazo-benzonitrile units on their molecular surface has been accomplished, and their both photo and thermal behaviors have also been characterized. These functional dendrimers suggest that the apparent molecular sizes of the cis-isomers are smaller than those of the corresponding trans-isomers, since the molecular diameter of these dendrimers would be shorter on the basis of trans-->cis photo-isomerization of azobenzene.