The present invention is also directed to methods of synthesizing desired nucleotide sugars using natural and/or mutant Ep or other nucleotidyltransferases, preferably Ep or other nucleotidylyltransferases modified by the present methods. Additionally, the present invention is directed to nucleotide sugars sythesized by the present methods.

The present invention is further directed to new glycosyl phosphates, and methods for making them.

BACKGROUND Many bioactive metabolites possess unusual carbohydrates required for molecular recognition. (See for example, Liu, H.-w.; Thorson, J. S. Ann. Rev. Microbiol., 1994,48, 223-256; Weymouth-Wilson, A. C. Nat. Prod. Rep. 1997,14,99-110; In Macrolide Antibiotics, Chemistry, Biology and Practice; Omura, S. Ed., Academic Press: New York; 1984; Johnson, D. A.; Liu, H.-w. Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 1998,2,642-649; and Trefzer, A.; Salas, J. A.; Bechthold, A. Nat. Prod. Rep. 1999,16,283- 299.) In fact, roughly 70% of current lead compounds in modern drug discovery derive directly from natural products, many of which are glycosylated metabolites. (See Thorson, J. S. et al.

Nature's Carbohydrate Chemists: The Enzymatic Glycosylation of Bioactive Bacterial Metabolites. Curr. Org. Chem. manuscript in press, (2000); and references therein and Weymouth-Wilson, A. C. The Role of Carbohydrates in Biologically Active Natural Products. Nat. Prod. Rep. 14,99-110 (1997)). Examples of pharmaceutically important glycosylated metabolites include, for example, amphotericin, megalomicin/erythromycin, mithramycin, doxorubicin, vancomycin and calicheamicin, as shown in Figure 5. While it is known that the sugar moieties of these pharmaceutically important metabolites often define their corresponding biological activity, (see Weymouth-Wilson, A. C., The Role of Carbohydrates in Biologically Active Natural Products, Nat. Prod. Rep. 14,99-110 (1997)), efficient methods to systematically alter these essential carbohydrate ligands are still lacking.

In metabolite biosynthesis, glycosylation begins with the nucleotidylyltransferase-catalyzed activation of a sugar phosphate as a nucleotide diphosphosugar (NDP-sugar) donor.

After activation, a number of enzymatic processing reactions often occur (e. g., deoxygenation, transamination, oxidation/reduction, epimerization, alkylation, and decarboxylation) prior to the culminating glycosyltransferase- catalyzed attachment to the aglycon. (Liu, H.-w. & Thorson, J. S. Pathways and Mechanisms in the Biogenesis of Novel Deoxysugars by Bacteria. Ann. Rev. Microbiol. 48,223-256 (1994); Kirschning, A., Bechtold, A. F-W. & Rohr, J. Chemical and Biochemical Aspects of Deoxysugars and Deoxysugar Oligosaccharides. Top. Curr. Chem. 188,1-84 (1997); Johnson, D. A. & Liu, H.-w. Mechanisms and Pathways from Recent Deoxysugar Biosynthesis Research. Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 2, 642-649 (1998); Hallis, T. M. & Liu, H.-w. Learning Nature's Strategies for Making Deoxy Sugars: Pathways, Mechanisms, and Combinatorial Applications. Acc. Chem. Res. 32,579-588 (1999); Johnson, D. A. & Liu, H.-w. In Comprehensive Chemistry of Natural Product Chemistry (Barton, D.; Nakanishi; K.; Meth- Cohn, 0. eds), Elsevier Science, Oxford, 311, (1999); Trefzer, A., Salas, J. & Bechthold, A. Genes and Enzymes Involved in Deoxysugar Biosynthesis in Bacteria. Nat. Prod. Rep. 16,283- 299 (1999); and Bechthold, A. & Rohr, J. In New Aspects of Bioorganic Chemistry (Diederichsen, U. ; Lindhorst, T. K.; Wessjohann, L.; Westerman, B., eds.) Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 313, (1999)).

The glycosyltransferases that incorporate these essential ligands are thought to rely almost exclusively upon UDP-and TDP-nucleotide sugars; however some have demonstrated promiscuity towards the sugar donor, (e. g., Gal, D-galactose; Glc, D-glucose; Man, D-mannose; NTP, nucleotide triphosphate; pFPTC, pentafluorophenoxythiocarbonyl; TDP, thymidine diphosphate; TMP, thymidine monophosphate; TTP, thymidine triphosphate; UDP, uridine diphosphate.) Genetic experiments suggest that downstream glycosyltransferases in secondary metabolism are promiscuous with respect to their NDP-sugar donor, setting the stage for the expansion of"combinatorial biosynthesis"approaches to change metabolite glycosylation.

(See Madduri, K. et al., Production of the antitumor drug epirubicin (4'-epidoxorubicin) and its precursor by a genetically engineered strain of Streptomyces peucetius Nat.

Biotech. 16,69-74 (1998); and Hutchinson, C. R. Combinatorial Biosynthesis for New Drug Discovery. Curr. Opin. Microbiol. 1, 319-329 (1998).) This information has led to the exploitation of the carbohydrate biosynthetic machinery to manipulate metabolite glycosylation, (Madduri, K.; Kennedy, J.; Rivola, G.; Inventi-Solari, A.; Filppini, S.; Sanuso, G.; Colombo, A. L.; Gewain, K. M.; Occi, J. L.; MacNeil, D. J.; Hutchinson, C. R. Nature Biotech. 1998,16,69-74; and Zhao, L.; Ahlert, J.; Xue, Y. ; Thorson, J. S. ; Sherman, D. H. ; Liu, H.-w. J. Am.

Chem. Soc., 1999, 121,9881-9882 and references therein), revitalizing interest in methods to expand the repertoire of available UDP-and TDP-sugar nucleotides. (See Zhao, Y.; Thorson, J. S. J. Org. Chem. 1998,63,7568-7572; and Elhalabi, J. M.; Rice, K. G. Cur. Med. Chem. 1999, 6,93-116.) These in vivo methods are limited by both a particular host's biosynthetic machinery and the specific host's tolerance to each newly constructed metabolite. Further, in vitro progress in this area is limited by the availability of the required NDP-sugar substrates. (Solenberg, P. J. et al., Production of Hybrid Glycopeptide Antibiotics in vitro and in Streptomyces toyocaensis. Chem. & Biol. 4,195-202 (1997).) Thus, there is a need for a greater variety of available NDP-sugar substrates.

Salmonella enterica LT2 a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate thymidylyltransferase (Ep) is a member of the prevalent nucleotidylyltransferase family responsible for the reversible conversion of a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphate and NTP to the corresponding NDP-sugar nucleotide and pyrophosphate. Of the many nucleotidylyl-transferases studied, the NDP-sugar nucleotide-forming thymidylyltransferases have received the least attention in prior work. (See Lindquist, L.; Kaiser, R.; Reeves, P. R.; Lindberg, A. A. Eur. J. Biochem. 1993,211,763- 770, and Gallo, M. A.; Ward J.; Hutchinson, C. R. Microbiol.

1996,142,269-275.) Even in Ep, substrate specificity studies prior to the work of the present inventors were limited to only a few available hexopyranosyl phosphates. (See Lindquist, L.; Kaiser, R.; Reeves, P. R. ; Lindberg, A. A. Eur. J. Biochem.

1993,211,763-770.) SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to methods of engineering or mutating nucleotidylyltransferases, such as Ep, to vary their specificity in a directed manner. The invention is also directed to nucleotidylyl-transferases and mutated nucleotidyltransferases, preferably Ep or other nucleotidyltransferases modified by the present methods. The present invention is further directed to mutant Ep and other nucleotidyltransferases with altered substrate specificity, methods for their production, and methods of producing nucleotide sugars, which utilize these nucleotidyl- transferases.

The present invention is also directed to methods of synthesizing desired nucleotide sugars using natural and/or mutated Ep or other nucleotidylyltransferases, preferably Ep or other nucleotidylyltransferases mutated by the present methods. Additionally, the present invention is directed to nucleotide sugars sythesized by the present methods.

Examples of nucleotide sugars produced the present methods (that is, via the exploitation of the promiscuity of Ep) include, but are not limited to Thymidine 5'- (a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (58); Uridine 5'-(a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (59); Thymidine 5'- (2-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (60); Uridine 5'- (2-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (61); Thymidine 5'- (3-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (62); Uridine 5'- (3-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (63); Thymidine 5'- (4-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (64); Uridine 5'- (4-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (65); Thymidine 5'- (6-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (66); Uridine 5'-(6-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (67); Thymidine 5'- (a-D- mannopyranosyl diphosphate) (68); Uridine 5'- (a-D- mannopyranosyl diphosphate) (69); Thymidine 5'- (a-D- galactopyranosyl diphosphate) (70); Uridine 5'- (a-D- galactopyranosyl diphosphate) (71); Thymidine 5'- (a-D- allopyranosyl diphosphate) (72); Uridine 5'- (a-D-allopyranosyl diphosphate) (73); Thymidine 5'- (a-D-altropyranosyl diphosphate) (74); Uridine 5'- (a-D-altropyranosyl diphosphate) (75); Thymidine 5'-(a-D-gulopyranosyl diphosphate) (76); Uridine 5'- (a-D-gulopyranosyl diphosphate) (77); Thymidine 5'- (a-D-idopyranosyl diphosphate) (78); Uridine 5'- (a-D- idopyranosyl diphosphate) (79); Thymidine 5'- (a-D- talopyranosyl diphosphate) (80); Uridine 5'- (a-D-talopyranosyl diphosphate) (81); Thymidine 5'- (6-amino-6-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (109); Uridine 5'- (6-amino-6- deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (110); Thymidine 5'- (4- amino-4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (111); Uridine 5'- (4-amino-4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (112); Thymidine 5'- (3-amino-3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (113); Uridine 5'- (3-amino-3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (114); Thymidine 5'- (2-amino-2-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (115) ; Uridine 5'- (2-amino-2- deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (116); Thymidine 5'- (6- acetamido-6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (117); Uridine 5'- (6-acetamido-6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (118); Thymidine 5'- (4-acetamido-4-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (119); Uridine 5'- (4-acetamido-4- deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (120); Thymidine 5'- (3- acetamido-3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (121); Uridine 5'- (3-acetamido-3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (122); Thymidine 5'- (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (123); Uridine 5'- (2-acetamido-2- deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (124); Thymidine 5'- (4- amino-4,6-dideoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (125); and Uridine 5'- (4-amino-4, 6-dideoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (126). Nucleotide sugars such as these, and methods for making them, are provided by the present invention.

Examples of nucleotide sugars according to the present invention, which may be produced by designed mutants of Ep include, but are not limited to, Thymidine 5'- (6-acetamido-6- deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (117); Uridine 5'- (6- acetamido-6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (118); Thymidine 5'- (a-D-glucopyran-6-uronic acid diphosphate) (130); Uridine 5'- (a-D-glucopyran-6-uronic acid diphosphate) (131); Thymidine 5'- (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (123); Uridine 5'- (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (124); Thymidine 5'- (4-amino-4, 6- dideoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (125); Uridine 5'- (4- amino-4,6-dideoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (126); Thymidine 5'- (a-D-arabinopyranosyl diphosphate) (128); and Uridine 5'-(a-D-arabinopyranosyl diphosphate) (129). These nucleotide sugars, and methods for making them, are provided by the present invention.

The present invention is also directed to new glycosyl phosphates, and methods for making them. Examples of these new glycosyl phosphates and methods for synthesizing them are represented for example in Fig. l (b).

The present inventors have discovered that Ep is pliable in terms of its substrate specificity. The present inventors have also discovered the three dimensional structure of Ep and the molecular details of Ep substrate recognition.

In general, the present invention provides a very rapid method of converting sugar phosphates to nucleotide diphosphosugars.

The present invention will broadly impact efforts to understand and exploit the biosynthesis of glycosylated bioactive natural products, many of which are pharmacologically useful. (See Thorson, J. S.; Shen, B.; Whitwam, R. E.; Liu, W.; Li, Y.; Ahlert, J. Bioorg. Chem., 1999,27,172-188; Whitwam, R. E.; Ahlert, J.; Holman, T. R.; Ruppen, M.; Thorson, J. S. J.

Chem. Soc., 2000,122,1556-1557; Thorson, J. S.; Sievers, E. L.; Ahlert, J.; Shepard, E.; Whitwam, R. E.; Onwueme, K. C.; Ruppen, M. Cur. Pharm. Des., 2000, manuscript in press; and J. S. Thorson, T. J. Hosted Jr., J. Jiang, J. B. Biggins, J.

Ahlert, M. Ruppen, Curr. Org. Chem. 2000.) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1. Figure l (a) depicts a reaction according to the present invention, catalyzed by Ep. In this reaction, the enzyme catalyzes the reversible conversion of an a-D- hexopyranosyl phosphate (such as an a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate) (2) and NTP, such as TTP (1) to the corresponding NDP-sugar nucleotide (for example a TDP-sugar nucleotide, such as TDP-Glc) (3) and pyrophosphate (4). GlclP (2) depicted in the reaction of Figure 1 (a) is a commercially available a-D- hexopyranosyl phosphate (although other a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphates that may be used in accordance with the present invention may include those synthesized from free sugars.) Figure l (b) depicts the synthesis of a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphates.

Figure 2. Ep-Catalyzed Conversion of Substrates (a) Percent conversion = [AP/ (AP + AT)] x 100, where Ap is the NDP-sugar product peak integration and AT represents the NTP peak integration. HRMS for all observed products reported in the supporting information. (b) Standard retention times: TDP, 4.5 min; TTP, 7.2 min; UDP, 4.0 min; UTP, 6.1 min. (c) Commercially available. (d) Coelutes with commercially available standard. (e) Product hydrolysis observed (43,7.6% TDP and 10.2% UDP). (f) Adjusted for the 2: 1 a/i-28. (g) In contrast to previously published studies (See Lindquist, L; Kaiser, R.; Reeves, P. R.; Lindberg, A. A., Eur J. Biochem, 1993,211,763-770). (h) No products observed.

Figure 3. Figure 3 (a) sets forth a reaction according to the present invention, catalyzed by Ep. Figure 3 (b) shows an overview of the key steps in the described syntheses of Ep substrates analogs. The box highlights the point from which the aminodeoxy-a-D-glucose phosphate series and N-acetyl- aminodeoxy-a-D-glucose phosphate series diverge. The reaction conditions of the steps are as follows: (a) TMSSEt, ZnI2 (84.2% overall yield); (b) i) MeONa, ii) NaH, BnBr (77.3 % average overall yield, two steps) (c) i) SnCl2, PhSH, Et3N, ii) AC20, pyr (84.0% average overall yield, two steps); (d) i) Tf20, pyr, ii) NaN3 (87.7% average overall yield, two steps); (e) i) NaOMe, ii) CH3CH (OCH3) 2CH3, TSOH, iii) NaH, BnBr, iv) HCl/MeOH, v) BzCl, DMAP, Et3N (87.3% average overall yield, five steps) ; final steps (not shown) : i) phosphorylation, ii) reductive deprotection, iii) cation exchange to give the Na+ salt (44.4% average overall yield).

Figure 4. Percent conversion to product using substrates according to the present invention.

Figure 5. Examples of pharmacologically important glycosylated metabolites. The general nucleotidylyl- transferase-catalyzed formation of NDP-sugars is highlighted in the box while the carbohydrate ligands of each metabolite are accentuated in red. Note the difference between erythromycin from S. erythrea and megalomicin from M. megalomicea is the addition of a third sugar megosamine (highlighted by the arrow).

Figure 6. Representative region of the density-modified experimental electron density map showing the substrate binding pocket in the Ep. UDP-Glc structure configured at 1.2 o.

Figure 7 Quaternary structure of Ep bound to UDP-Glc or dTTP.

(a) Two 90 degree views of the Ep tetramer bound to four molecules of UDP-Glc. (b) The Ep tetramer bound to eight molecules of dTTP.

Figure 8. Structures of the Ep monomer and structural homologs SpsA and GlmU. The ß strands and a helices of the a/ open sheet Rossmann fold are shown in red and green respectively, while variable regions are shown in yellow. (a) Two 90 degree views of the Ep monomer (upper) and the corresponding structures of of SpsA (lower left) and GlmU (lower right). (b) The folding topology of Ep, SpsA, and GlmU.

Figure 9. Close up views of the Ep active site. Hydrogen bonds are depicted by green dashed lines. (a) Interactions between Ep and the dTTP substrate (left) and the UDP-Glc product (right). (b) Interactions between Ep and the glucose moiety in the sugar binding pocket. (c) Two different views of dTTP bound in the accessory'site at the monomer interface. The different chains of the tetramer are labeled either in blue (chain-A) or red (chain-B). The -phosphate of dTTP hydrogen bonds with both His117 of chain-A and Gly221 of chain-B.

Figure 10. (a) The proposed enzymatic mechanism based on the structures of substrate-and product-bound Ep. (b) The determination of Ep steady state kinetic parameters. The conditions for the Ep assay conditions and HPLC resolution of reactants and products were similar to those described in Jiang, J., Biggins, J. B. & Thorson, J. S. A General Enzymatic Method for the Synthesis of Natural and"Unnatural"UDP-and TDP-Nucleotide Sugars. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 122,6803-6804 (2000). The Lineweaver-Burke plots of from assays (done in triplicate) varying dTTP concentration as a function of a-D- glucose-l-phosphate concentration (mM): 0. 5 (z), 0. 3 nM (o), 0.2 (0), 0.1 (#) and 0.05 (#). (c) Secondary plot from Fig.

6b (dTTP Km = 0.7 0.2 ; Vmax = 0.03 0.01 mM min-1). (d) The Lineweaver-Burke plots of assays (done in triplicate) varying a-D-glucose-l-phosphate concentration as a function of dTTP concentration (mM): 0.25 (O), 0.15 nM (o), 0.1 (#) , 0.05 and 0.02 ($). (e) Secondary plot from Fig. 6d (a-D-glucose-1- phosphate Km = 0.3 0.1; Vmax = 0.03 0.02 mM min-) Figure 11. Percent conversion of sugar phosphates according to the present invention by wild-type and mutant enzymes. The alterations from native substrate (Glc-l-P, l) are highlighted in red. For the mutant pool, mutants Asp41Asn, Glu62Asp, Thr201A and Trp224His were pooled, concentrated and an aliquote constituting 60 ßg of each mutant (corresponding to 3.5U Ep) was utilized for the assay.

Percent conversion was determined as described in Jiang, J., Biggins, J. B. & Thorson, J. S. A General Enzymatic Method for the Synthesis of Natural and"Unnatural"UDP-and TDP- Nucleotide Sugars. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 122,6803-6804 (2000).

§ Represents less than 5% conversion to product.

Figure 12. Shows alignment of the Thymidylyltransferase sequence.

Figure 13. Shows alignment of the Ep sequence with Glc-l-P Uridylyltransferases.

Figure 14. Shows alignment of the Ep sequence with Glc-l-P Adenylyltransferases.

Figure 15. Shows alignment of the Ep sequence with Man-l-P Guanylyltransferases.

Figure 16. Shows alignment of the Ep sequence with NAcGlc-1-P Uridylyltransferases.

Figure 17. Shows alignment of the Ep sequence with Glc-l-P Cytidylyltransferases.

Figure 18. Shows general Nucleotidylyltransferase Alignment.

Figure 19. Figure 19 is a BLASR analysis for Ep seqences, showing sequences producing high-scoring segment pairs.

Figure 20. Figures 20 (a) and 20 (b) depict NDP-sugar nucleotides that may be prepared using nucleotydylyl- transferases as enzymes in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 21. Interaction between Ep and the glucose moiety in the sugar binding pocket.

Figure 22. Summary of sugar phosphate accepted by Ep and mutants Figure 23. One dimensional representation of Fig. 21 illustrating some of the important contacts and potential sites for engineering promiscuity of nucleotidyly- transferases.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present inventors discovered that the Salmonella enteric LT2 rmlA-encoded a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate thymidylyltransferase (Ep), (also referred to as dTDP-glucose synthase, dTDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, thymidine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase and thymidine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase), which catalyzes the conversion of a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (Glc-l-P) and dTTP to dTDP-a-D- glucose (TDP-Glc) and pyrophosphate (PPi), displays unexpected promiscuity toward both its nucleotide triphosphate (NTP) and its sugar phosphate substrates. Through a substrate specificity reevaluation of Salmonella enterica LT2 a-D- glucopyranosyl phosphate thymidylyltransferase (Ep), the present inventors made the surprising discovery that this enzyme can convert a wide variety of phosphates, including for example, a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphates, including, but not limited to, deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl, aminodeoxy-a-D- hexopyranosyl and acetamidodeoxy-a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphates to their corresponding dTDP-and UDP-nucleotide sugars.

This discovery led to the invention by the present inventors of general chemo-enzymatic methods of rapidly generating nucleotide diphosphosugar reagents. These methods allow for the provision of a substrate set for developing in vitro glycosylation systems, which are useful for, inter alia, in vitro production of known bioactive metabolites and of new bioactive metabolites. a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphates and methods of making the same An embodiment of the invention includes a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphates, methods including combining these phosphates with NTP in the presence of nucleotidylyl-transferase, which may be wild type or mutated, and nucleotide sugars produced by converting such hexopyranosyl phosphates using nucleotidylyl- transferases, such as Ep.

Ep is encoded by rmlA, which was previously known as rfbA (Reeves et al. Trends Microbiol. 1996,4,495-502). The rmlA- encoded Ep was overexpressed in E. coli to provide the desired Ep as >5% of the total soluble protein. The corresponding Ep was purified to near homogeniety with a specific activity of 110 U mg~l, a 2-fold improvement over the previously reported values. (See Lindquist, L.; Kaiser, R.; Reeves, P. R.; Lindberg, A. A. Eur. J. Biochem., 1993,211,763-770.) An (NH4) 2SO4 precipitate of E. coli-prfbA-C crude extracts was dialyzed against buffer B (20 mM Tris. HCl, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.5) The dialysate was resolved by anion exchange (DE52,3 x 15 cm, 50 mL buffer B wash followed by a linear gradient of 0-500 mM NaCl, 1.0 mL min-) and the Ep fractions combined, concentrated and further resolved by FPLC gel filtration (S-200,2 x 70 cm, 50 mM Tris. HCl, 200 mM NaCl, pH 7.5). The purified Ep was stored in aliquots (-80°C) until used.

Although a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (2) (Fig. 2), a-D- mannopyranosyl phosphate (compound 56) (Fig. 2) and a-D- galactopyranosyl phosphate (57) (Fig. 2) were commercially available for examination as potential substrates for Ep, most of the a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphates examined were synthesized from free sugars.

For synthetically derived a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphates, particularly glycosyl phosphates, a general phosphorylation strategy from the appropriately protected precursor relied upon i) anomeric activation via the ethy l-thio-ß-D- pyranoside [to form e. g., Ethyl 2,3,4-tri-O-benzoyl-6- deoxy-l-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (9), Ethyl 2,3,6-tri-O- benzoyl-4-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (17), Ethyl 2,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-3-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (25), Ethyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-l-thio-ß-D- gulopyranoside (30), Ethyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-l- thio-p-D-allopyranoside (35) and Ethyl 3,4,6-tri-O- benzoyl-2-deoxy-1-thio-ß -D-glucopyranoside (40) (The α/ß- 40 mixture (1: 1.5) was chromatographically resolved.) (Fig. l (b))], ii) deprotection/reprotection [to form e. g., Ethyl 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (10), Ethyl 2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-4-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D- glucopyranoside (18), Ethyl 2,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-3-deoxy-1- thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (26), Ethyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O- benzyl-l-thio-ß-D-gulopyranoside (31), and Ethyl 2,3,4,6- tetra-0-benzyl-l-thio-P-D-allopyranoside (36) (Fig. l (b))], iii) phosphorylation [to form e. g., Dibenzyl- (2, 3,4- tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl) phosphate (11), Dibenzyl- (2, 3,6-tri-O-benzyl-4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl) phosphate (19), Dibenzyl- (2, 4,6-tri-O-benzyl-3-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate (27), Dibenzyl- (2, 3,4,6-tetra- O-benzyl-a-D-gulopyranosyl) phosphate (32), Dibenzyl- (2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-a-D-allopyranosyl) phosphate (37), and Dibenzyl- (3, 4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-2-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate (41) (Fig. l (b))], and iv) complete deprotection [to form e. g., Disodium 6- deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (12), Disodium 4- deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (20), Disodium 3- deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (28), Disodium a-D- gulopyranosyl phosphate (33), Disodium a-D-allopyranosyl phosphate (38) and Disodium 2-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (43) (Fig. l (b))].

In Figure 1 (b): (a) Ph3P, CC14 ; (b) Ac2O, pyr; (c) (i) LiAlH4, (ii) AcOH/HCl, (iii) BzCl, pyr; (d) BzCl, pyr; (e) pFPTC-Cl, DMAP; (f) (n-Bu) 3SnH; (g) (i) NaH, imidazole; (ii) CS2 ; (iii) CH3I ; (h) AIBN, (n-Bu) 3SnH; (i) (i) CF3CO2H, (ii) BzCl, pyr; (j) EtS-TMS, ZnI2 ; (k) (i) NaOMe; (ii) NaH; (iii) BnBr; (1) (i) (BnO) 2P (O) OH, NIS; (m) H2, Pd/C; (n) (i) HBr; (ii) (BnO) 2P (O) OH, silver triflate, 2,4,6-collidine; (o) NaOH ; (p) AcOH/HCl. In each case, cation exchange provided the Na+ salt.

The overall yield of this four-step phosphorylation strategy ranged from 19%-28% including the final ion exchange.

Fig. l (b) shows these glycosyl phosphates and methods for synthesizing them. These glycosyl phosphates, and methods for making them, are provided by the present invention.

The present method includes anomerically activating an ethyl l-thio-ß-D-pyranoside to form a compound having the formula wherein R2 is OCH3, OBz, or OH, R3 is OH, OAc, or OBz, R4 is H, OH, or a halogen atom, and R5, R6, R7, R8, and R9 are each OBz, and three or more of R3, R5, R6, R', R8, and R9 are OBz substituents; deprotecting the OBz substituents to convert at least one such substituent to a OBn substituent; phosphorylating to form a compound of the formula wherein Ru ils OCH3, OBz, OAc or OH, R is OCH3, OBz, OAc or OH, R3 i s OH, OAc, or OBz, R is H, OH, OBz, OAc or a halogen atom, Rs, R6, R7, R8, and R9 are each OBz or OAc, and R10 is OH, or OBn, wherein at least four of R3,R4,R5,R6,R7,R8,R9, and R10 are independently OBn or OBz substituents; and deprotecting to convert any OBn substituents to OH substituents.

Preferably, the a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphate is a glycosyl phosphate. Also included are a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphates, preferably glycosyl phosphates synthesized by these methods.

Preferably these a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphates are selected from the group consisting of deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl, aminodeoxy-a-D-hexopyranosyl and acetamidodeoxy-a-D- hexopyranosyl phosphates.

The present invention also includes a method that includes providing isolated Ep having the formula wherein R1 is OCH3, OBz, OAc or OH, R is OCH3, OBz, OAc or OH, R3 is OH, OAc, or OBz, R4 is H, OH, OBz, OAc or a halogen atom, R5, R6,R7,R8, and R9 are each OBz or OAc, and R is OH, or OBn, wherein at least four of R3, R4,R5,R6,R7,R9,R9, and R10 are independently OH or OBz substituents.

Alternatively, phosphorylation of Dibenzyl- (2, 3,4,6- tetra-O-benzoyl-a-D-altropyranosyl) phosphate (45), Dibenzyl- (2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-a-D-idopyranosyl) phosphate (49) and Dibenzyl- (2, 3,4, 6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-D-talopyranosyl) phosphate (53) (Fig. l (b)) via the glycosyl halide followed by complete deprotection gave the glycosyl phosphates Disodium a-D- altropyranosyl phosphate (47), Disodium a-D-idopyranosyl phosphate (51) and Disodium a-D-talopyranosyl phosphate (55) as depicted in Fig. 1 (b) in an overall yield ranging from 37%- 47%. The 6-deoxy precursor 1, 2,3,4-tetra-O-benzoyl-6-deoxy- a, ß-D-glucopyranose (8) may be synthesized by LiAlH4 reduction and subsequent benzoylation of the halide Methyl 2,3,4-tri-O- acetyl-6-chloro-6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranoside (7). (See Anisuzzaman, A. K. M.; Whistler, R. L. Carbohydr. Res. 1978,61, 511-518.). For the 4-deoxy progenitor, deoxygenation at C-4 may be accomplished by selective benzoylation of methyl P-D- galactopyranoside Methyl ß-D-galactopyranoside (13) (as depicted in Fig. l (b)) to provide the desired tribenzolated Methyl 2,3, 6-tri-O-benzoyl-ß-D-galactopyranoisde (14) (54%) as well as the tetrabenzolated derivative (19%). Subsequent C-4 activation Methyl 2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-4-O- pentafluorophenoxythiocarbonyl-ß-D-galactopyranoside (15) and (n-Bu) 3SnH reductive 4-deoxygenation were accomplished as described in Kanie, O. ; Crawley, S. C.; Palcic, M. M.; Hindsgaul, 0. Carbohydr. Res. 1993,243,139-164 to give the desired 4-deoxy precursor Methyl 2, 3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-4-deoxy- ) 3-D-galactopyranoside (16). The 3-deoxy predecessor 1, 2,4,6- tetra-O-benzoyl-3-deoxy-a-D-glucofuranose (24) (Fig. l (b)) was synthesized from 1, 2: 5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-a-D-glucofuranose (21) by reduction of the previously reported furanose 1,2: 5,6- Di-O-isopropylidene-3-O-(methylthio) thiocarbonyl-a-D- glucofuranose (22) (See Zhiyuan, Z.; Magnusson, G. Carbohydr.

Res. 1994,262,79-101), while the 2-deoxy precursor (39) derived from a commercial source.

Thus, another embodiment of the present invention includes methods of making a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphates, which include, but are not limited to, phosphorylating a phosphate selected from the group consisting of Dibenzyl- (2, 3,4,6-tetra- O-benzyol-a-D-altropyranosyl) phosphate, Dibenzyl- (2, 3,4,6- tetra-O-benzyl-a-D-idopyranoxyl) phosphate, and Dibenzyl- (2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-a-D-talopyranosyl) phosphate via a glycosyl halide; and deprotecting to form a glycosyl phosphate selected from the group conssiting of Disodium a-D- altropyranosyl phosphate, Disodium a-Didopyranosyl phosphate and Disodium a-D-talopyranosyl phosphate. The present invention also includes a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphates prepared according to this method.

Nucleotide sugars and methods of synthesizing the same The present invention includes methods of making nucleotide sugars, which include combining a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphate and NTP in the presence of at least one mutated nucleotidylyltransferase. Other methods according to the present invention include combining a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphate and NTP other than TTP in the presence of at least one nucleotidylyltransferase, and combining NTP and a-D- hexopyranosyl phosphate other than GlclP in the presence of at least one nucleotidylyltransferase.

The present invention includes a method of synthesizing nucleotide sugars that includes combining a nucleotidylyl- transferase, a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate, Mg+2, NTP and inorganic pyrophosphatase, and incubating. Preferably, the incubating is at a temperature of from about 30°C to about 45°C, preferably about 33°C to about 42°C, even more preferably about 37°C for about 20 to about 40 minutes, preferably about 25 to about 35 minutes, and even more preferably about 30 minutes. The nucleotydylyltransferase according to these methods may include one or more natural and/or mutated nucleotidylyltransferases, such as natural and/or mutated Ep.

The present invention further includes nucleotide sugars made by the methods described herein.

Nucleotide sugars of the present invention may be selected from the group consisting of TDP-sugar, GDP-sugar, CDP-sugar, UDP-sugar, and ADP-sugar and combinations thereof.

In embodiments utilizing or including mutated nucleotidylyltransferases, a preferred mutated nucleotidylyltransferase is Ep mutated at one or more amino acids selected from the group consisting of V173, G147, w224, N112, G175, Dill, E162, T201, 1200, E199, R195, L89, L89T, L109, Y146 and Y177.

In embodiments utilizing or including mutated nucleotidylyl transferases, a preferred mutated nucleotidylyl transferases is Ep mutated at one or more amino acids in its active site, its divalent cation binding site, and/or its auxiliary site.

Likewise, other preferred mutated nucleotidylyl transferases include nucleotidylyl transferases mutated at one or more amino acids in their active sites, divalent cation binding sites, and/or their auxiliary sites.

To evaluate the synthetic utility of purified thymidylyltransferase, Ep, a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphate, Mg+2 and NTP were incubated at about 37°C for about 30 min and the extent of product formation determined by HPLC. The results of these assays are illustrated in Fig. 2. Confirmation of product formation was based upon HPLC co-elution with commercially available standards and/or HPLC isolation and high resolution mass spectroscopy of the product. (For select compounds, product peaks were lyopholized and submitted directly for HRMS (FAB) analysis.) As controls, little or no product formation was observed in the absence of Ep, glycosyl phosphate, Mg+2, or NTP. A reaction containing 5 mM NTP, 10 mM i sugar phosphate and 5.5 mM MgCl2 in a total volume of 50 uL 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.5 at 37°C was initiated by the addition of 3.52 U Ep (1 U = the amount of protein needed to produce 1 umol TDP-D-glucose min-1). The reaction was incubated with slow agitation for 30 min at 37°C, quenched with MeOH (50 pL), centrifuged (5 min, 14,000 x g) and the supernatant was stored at-20°C until analysis by HPLC. Samples (20pL) were resolved on a Sphereclone 5u SAX column (250 x 4.6 mm) fitted with a guard column (30 x 4.6 mm) using a linear gradient (20-60 mM potassium phosphate buffer, pH 5.0,1.5 mL min-', A275 nm).

The following nucleotide sugars are non-limiting examples of nucleotide sugars according to the present invention, which may preferably be produced in accordance with one or more of the methods described herein, and in particular the reactions of Figure 2: (58) Thymidine 5'- (a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) calc for C, GH25016N2P, 563.0705; found m/z 563.0679 (M + H)); (59) Uridine 5'-(α-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for Cl4H23Ol7N2P2 565.0507; found m/z 565. 0472 (M + H)); (60) Thymidine 5'- (2-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) calc for C16H25O15N2P2 547.0704; found m/z 547.0714 (M + H)) ; (61) Uridine 5'- (2- deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc Ci4H230igNzP2 549.0506; found m/z 549.0510 (M + H)) ; (62) Thymidine 5'- (3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) calc for Ci6H250isN2P2 547.0704 ; found m/z 547.0720 (M + H)) ; (63) Uridine 5'- (3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc C14H23O16N2P2 549.0506; found m/z 549.0485 (M + H)) ; (64) Thymidine 5'-(4-deoxy-α-D-glucopyrnaosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) calc for C16H25O15N2P2 547.0704; found m/z 547.0693 (M + H)) ; (65) Uridine 5'- (4-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) : calc C14H23O16N2P2 549.0506; found m/z 549.0500 (M + H)) ; (66) Thymidine 5'-(6- deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) calc for Ci6H250i5NsP2 547.0704; found m/z 547.0730 (M + H)) ; (67) Uridine 5'- (6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc C14H23016NzP2 549.0506; found m/z 549.0492 (M + H)) ; (68) Thymidine 5'-(α-D-mannopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563.0701 (M + H)); (69) Uridine 5'-(α-D- mannopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc 565.0507; found m/z 565.0503 (M + H)) ; (70) Thymidine 5'- (a-D-galactopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563.0710 (M + H)) ; (71) Uridine 5'-(α-D-galactopyranosyl diphosphate) ' (HRMS (FAB): calc 565.0507; found m/z 565.0508 (M + H)) ; (72) Thymidine 5'-(α-D-allopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563.0715 (M + H)) ; (73) Uridine 5'- (a-D- allopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc 565.0507; found m/z 565.0507 (M + H)) ; (74) Thymidine 5'-(a-D-altropyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563.0699 (M + H)) ; (75) Uridine 5'- (a-D-altropyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc 565.0507; found m/z 565.0511 (M + H)) ; (76) Thymidine 5'- (a-D-gulopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563.00712 (M + H)) ; (77) Uridine 5'- (a-D- gulopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc 565.0507; found m/z 565.0512 (M + H)) ; (78) Thymidine 5'- (a-D-idopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563.0708 (M + H)) ; (79) Uridine 5'- (a-D-idopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) : calc 565.0507; found m/z 565.0507 (M + H)) ; (80) Thymidine 5'- (a-D-talopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563.0710 (M + H)) ; and (81) Uridine 5'- (a-D-talopyranosyl diphosphate,) (HRMS (FAB): calc 565.0507; found m/z 565.0499 (M + H)) ; although data is not depicted for all products.

Other nucleotide sugars in accordance with the present invention include, but are not limited to, the following: (109) Thymidine 5'- (6-amino-6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C16H26O15N3P2 562.0839; found m/z 562.0837 (M + H)) ; (110) Uridine 5'-(6-amino-6-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C15H24016N3P, 564.0632; found m/z 564.0640 (M + H)) ; (111) Thymidine 5'- (4- amino-4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) : calc for Cl6H26OlsN3p2 562.0839; found m/z 562.0848 (M + H)) ; (112) Uridine 5'- (4-amino-4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C15H24O16N3P2 564.0632; found m/z 564.0638 (M + H)) ; (113) Thymidine 5'- (3-amino-3-deoxy-a- D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C16H2601sN3P2 562.0839; found m/z 562.0835 (M + H)) ; (114) Uridine 5'- (3- amino-3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) : calc for C15H24O16NH3P2 564.0632; found m/z 564.0622 (M + H)) ; (115) Thymidine 5'- (2-amino-2-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl < diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C16H2601IN3P2 562.0839; found m/z 562.0842 (M + H)) ; (116) Uridine 5'- (2-amino-2-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C15H24O16N3P2 564.0632; found m/z 564.0630 (M + H)) ; (117) Thymidine 5'- (6- acetamido-6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) : calc for Cl8H28016N3P2 604.0945; found m/z 604.0953 (M + H)) ; (118) Uridine 5'-(6-acetamido-6-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) : calc for C17H26O17N3P2 606.0737; found m/z 606.0732 (M + H)) ; (119) Thymidine 5'- (4-acetamido-4- deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for Ci8H2aOi6N3P2 604.0945; found m/z 604.0940 (M + H)) ; (120) Uridine 5'- (4-acetamido-4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for C17H26O17N3P2 606.0737; found m/z 606.0730 (M + H)) ; (121) Thymidine 5'- (3-acetamido-3- deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C18H28016N3P2 604.0945; found m/z 604.0947 (M + H)) ; (122) Uridine 5'- (3-acetamido-3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C17H26017N3P, 606.0737; found m/z 606.0735 (M + H)) ; (123) Thymidine 5'- (2-acetamido-2- deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C8H28O16N3P2 604.0945; found m/z 604.0951 (M + H)) ; (124) Uridine 5'- (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C17H26017N3P2 606.0737; found m/z 606.0738 (M + H)) ; (125) Thymidine 5'- (4-amino-4, 6-dideoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C16H26O14N3P2 546.0889; found m/z 546.0895 (M + H)) ; and (126) Uridine 5'- (4-amino-4, 6-dideoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C1sH2401sN3P2 548.0682; found m/z 548.0673 (M + H)).

Further nucleotide sugars in accordance with the present invention include, but are not limited to, the following: Fig. 2 illustrates the utiltity of Ep as a catalyst/reagent to simplify the synthesis of useful nucleotide sugars--of the twelve glycosyl phosphates tested (which include all possible a-D-hexoses and monodeoxy a-D- glucoses), all produce product with both TTP and UTP under the conditions described. These yields might be further improved by using pyrophosphatase to drive the equilibrium of the reaction. An examination of accepted a-D-hexopyranosyl phosphates with TTP suggests that Ep prefers pyranosyl phosphates, which are predicted to exist predominately as 4C conformers [e. g., (12), (20), (28), (43), a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (2)/a-D-mannopyranosyl phosphate (56), and a-D- galactopyranosyl phosphate (57) (Figs. 1 and 2)], while those predicted to not adopt the 4C1 conformation [e. g., Ethyl 2, 3, 4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-l-thio-p-D-gulopyranoside (31), a-D- allopyranosyl phosphate (38), a-D-altropyranosyl phosphate (47), a-D-idopyranosyl phosphate (51) and a-D-talopyranosyl phosphate (55) (Figs. 1 and 2)] show less activity.

Regarding specific interactions required for conversion, analysis of the corresponding deoxy series [ (12), (20), (28) and (43) (Figs. 1 and 2)] implicates only a single required hydroxyl (C-2), the removal of which impairs the yield by >70%. A similar trend is observed in the UTP series with two exceptions, glycosides (28) and a-D-mannopyranosyl phosphate (56) (Figs. 1 and 2). Cumulatively, these results suggest that, while the C-2 hydroxyl is important for turnover, alterations at C-3 in the context of UTP result in adverse cooperativity.

Aminodeoxy-a-D-hexapyranosyl phosphates and acetamidodeoxy-a-D-hexapyranosyl phosphates are each examples of a-D-hexapyranosyl phosphates that may be used in accordance with the present invention. A direct comparison of the aminodeoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate series to their corresponding acetamidodeoxy analogs provides insight pertaining to the ability of the Ep active site to accommodate additional steric bulk.

Of the aminodeoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphates examined, only two, 2-amino-2-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (107) (Fig. 4) and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (108) (Fig. 4), were commercially available. The syntheses of the remaining analogs diverged from the key intermediates Ethyl 6-azide-2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D- glucopyranoside (89), Ethyl 4-azide-2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-4- deoxy-l-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (94) and Ethyl 3-azide-2,4,6- tri-O-benzyl-3-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (100) (Fig. 3 (b)).

Thus, the present invention includes a method of making aminodeoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphates comprising converting an intermediate selected from the group consisting of ethyl 6- azide-2/3, 4-tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (89), ethyl 4-azide-2,3,6 tri-O-benzyl-4-deoxy-l-thio-P-D- glucopyranoside (94), and ethyl 3-azide-2,4, 6-tri-O-benzyl-3- deoxy-l-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (100) to a corresponding amide.

Ethyl l-thio-ß-D-pyranosides (89) and (100) derived from previously reported glycosides (Fig. 3 (b) (87)) (see V.

Maunier, P. Boullanger, D. Lafont, Y. Chevalier, Carbohydr.

Res. 1997,299,49-57) and Fig. 3 (b) (98) (W. A. Greenberg, E. S.

Priestley, P. S. Sears, P. B. Alper, C. Rosenbohm, M. Hendrix, S.-C. Hung, C.-H. Wong, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999,121,6527- 6541), respectively), while (94) was synthesized, from the previously reported compound (93) (Fig. 3 (b)) (P. J. Garegg, I.

Kvarnstrom, A. Niklasson, G. Niklasson, S. C. T. Svensson, J.

Carbohydr. Chem. 1993,12,933-953) in a manner similar to that of the deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate syntheses described herein. Specifically, this strategy invoked a protection scheme to selectively expose the position of substitution followed by activation (via TsCl or TfO) and SN2 displacement by sodium azide. From the divergent point (Fig.

3 (89), (94) and (100)), an efficient azide selective SnCl2 reduction followed by acetylation gave the desired ethyl 1- thio--D-pyranoside precursors (90), (95), and (101).

Finally, the subsequent phosphorylation of Fig. 3 (b) (89), (90), (94), (95), (100), and (101) was accomplished by reaction with dibenzyl phosphate as previously described where the culminating reductive deprotection also led to the conversion of the Fig. 3 (b) (89), (94), and (100) asides to the desired amines. As an aminodideoxy sugar representative, 4-amino-4,6-dideoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (Fig.

3 (b) (102)) was also synthesized from peracetylated D-fucose (Fig. 3 (b) (103)) as illustrated in Fig. 3 using a similar strategy.

To evaluate the synthetic utility of thymidylyl- transferase, purified Ep, a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate, Mg+2, NTP and inorganic pyrophosphatase were incubated at 37°C for 30 min and the extent of product formation determined by HPLC.

The inorganic pyrophosphatase was included to drive the reaction forward. A reaction containing 2.5 mM NTP, 5.0 mM sugar phosphate, 5.5 mM MgCl2 and 10 U inorganic pyrophosphatase in a total volume of 50 L 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.5 at 37°C was initiated by the addition of 3.52 U Ep (1 U = the amount, of protein needed to produce 1 mol TDP-D-glucose min-1). The reaction was incubated with slow agitation for 30 min at 3'7°C, quenched with MeOH (50 gel) centrifuged (5 min, 14, 000 x g) and the supernatant was stored at-20°C until analysis by HPLC. Samples (30 J. L) were resolved on a Sphereclone 5u SAX column (150 x 4.6 mm) fitted with a SecurityGuardTM cartridge (Phenomenex; Torrance, CA) using a linear gradient (50-200 mM potassium phosphate buffer, pH 5.0, 1.5 mL min-, A275 nm).

The results of these assays are illustrated in Fig. 4.

For each assay, confirmation of product formation was based upon high resolution mass spectroscopy of HPLC-isolated products and, also in some cases, HPLC co-elution with commercially available standards. (Allosteric activation is common for the nucleotidylyltransferase family (for examples see: M. X. Wu, J. Preiss, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 1998,358, 182-188; and D. A. Bulik, P. van Ophem, J. M. Manning, Z. Shen, D. S. Newburg, E. L. Jarroll, J. Biol. Chem. 2000,275,14722- 14728) although data is not yet available pertaining to the allosteric effectors of Ep.) As controls, no product formation was observed in the absence of Ep, glucopyranosyl phosphate, Mg, or NTP.

The nucleotide sugars (109)- (126) set forth above are examples of nucleotide sugars of the present invention, which may be produced in accordance with the methods described herein, and in particular the reactions diagramed in Figure 4.

A comparison of the aminodeoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate/dTTP assay results (Fig. 4 (85), (91), (96), and (107)) to the Ep native reaction (Fig. 4, (2)/dTTP) reveals that amino substitution has little or no effect on product formation, and, with the exception of compound (85) (Fig. 4), a similar phenomenon is observed in presence of UTP.

The divergence of compound (85) from this trend is consistent with UTP-dependent Ep"adverse cooperativity"in the presence of certain hexopyranosyl phosphates, as described herein. This phenomenon is perhaps attributable to allosteric activation by dTTP. Evaluation of the acetamidodeoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl phosphate/dTTP assays (Fig. 4 compounds (86), (92), (97) and (108)), in comparison to their non-acetylated counterparts (Fig. 4 (85), (91), (96) and (107)), reveal that a bulky N-acetyl group at C-2 or C-3 (Fig. 4 (97) and (108)) is well-tolerated while the identical C-4 or C-6 substitution (Fig. 4 (92)) and (86)) results in less activity. Given that these effects most likely derive from unfavored steric interactions, it follows that the Ep active site is able to accommodate additional C-2/C-3 bulk while sterics limit the allowed C-4/C-6 substitutions.

Surprisingly, product formation from Fig. 4 (86)/UTP was markedly increased (8-fold) in comparison to (86)/dTTP. This is the first example to contradict the typical adverse UTP- dependent effect upon yields observed, as illustrated by Fig.

4 compounds (85) and (97). Finally, a comparison of aminodideoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (Fig. 4 (102) (The product of this reaction, thymidine 51- (4-amino-4, 6-dideoxy-a- D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate), is an important critical intermediate in the formation of the calicheamicin aryltetrasaccharide to that of (Fig. 4 (96)) reveals C-6 deoxygenation does not effect dTTP-dependent Ep catalysis but greatly diminishes UTP-dependent conversion. However, given independent deoxygenation at C-6 or amino substitution at C-4 (Fig. 4 (91)) each has no effect on product yield, data from independent substitutions may not be reliable in predicting the effects of multiple substitutions on product yield.

Figure 4 illustrates the utiltity of Ep as a catalyst/reagent to simplify the synthesis of useful nucleotide sugar pools--of the nine substrate analogs tested, all provide product with dTTP and with dUTP under the conditions described. Further, seven with dTTP and four with UTP provide appreciable product (> 50% conversion) under the conditions described.

Nucleotide sugars produced via the exploitation of the promiscuity of Ep include, but are not limited to, compounds (58)- (81), (109)- (126) and those set forth in Figure 20 (a) and 20 (b).

Nucleotidylyltransferases Structure-Based Engineering of Ep The present inventors have determined the first three dimensional structures of this unique enzyme in complex with the product UDP-a-D-glucose (UDP-Glc) and with the substrate dTTP at 1. 9 A and 2.0 A resolution, respectively. A three dimensional structure of Ep is depicted in Figure 6. This discovery has facilitated the elucidation of the molecular details of Ep substrate recognition. The structures reveal the catalytic mechanism of thymidylyltransferases, which is further supported by new kinetic data. The present inventors have also used structure-based engineering or mutations of Ep to produce modified enzymes. These inventive enzymes are capable of utilizing"unnatural"sugars previously not accepted by wild-type Ep.

Structure determination The Ep-UDP-Glc structure was determined using seleno- methionine-labeled protein crystals and a data-set collected at a wavelength corresponding to the selenium absorption peak.

A representative portion of the experimental electron density is shown in Fig. 6. The Ep-dTTP structure was subsequently determined by molecular replacement using the Ep-UDP-Glc monomer structure as a search model.

Overview of the Ep structure The structure of the biologically active Ep tetramer is illustrated in Fig. 7. The present model is refined at 2.0 A resolution to an R factor of 18.3% with restrained temperature factors and good stereochemistry. Fig. 7a shows Ep in complex with UDP-Glc and Fig. 7b displays the Ep-dTTP complex. The two tetrameric structures are very similar with r. m. s. d. for equivalent Ca positions = 1. 0 A. The enzyme has overall dimensions of about 80 A x 80 A x 60 A and a compact tertiary structure generated by four monomers packing tightly against each other along two two-fold axes of symmetry drawn on the leftmost panel of Fig. 7. The overall surface area buried during tetramer formation is approximately 10,000 A, equivalent to the surface of one monomer. The monomer interactions are ^ dominated by helix-helix packing of the four large helices in the center of the Ep tetramer and surrounding extensive loop- loop interactions involving multiple van der Waals contacts, hydrogen bonds, and salt bridges. The active site pockets of the monomers are located close to, but not overlapping with, the monomer interface.

The Ep monomer (Fig. 8) is a two-domain molecule with overall size of approximately 50 A x 50 A x 50 A. The domain containing the active site is dominated by a large seven- stranded mixed central (3-sheet, with an unusual left-handed twist, packed against three a-helices on one side and another three a-helices on the other. Its extensive hydrophobic core contains no cavities and is dominated by aromatic side chains.

This domain has overall resemblance, including the location of the active site in a large pocket on the top of the (3-sheet, to other nucleotide binding proteins (see Vrielink, A., Ruger, W., Dreissen, H. P. C. & Freemont, P. S.

Crystal Structure of the DNA Modifying Enzyme i- Glucosyltransferase in the Presence and Absence of the Substrate Uridine Diphosphoglucose, EMBO J. 13,3413-3422 (1994); Charnock, S. J. & Davies, G. J. Structure of the Nucleotide-Diphospho-Sugar Transferase, SpsA from Bacillus subtilis, in Native and Nucleotide-Complexed Forms. Biochem.

38,6380-6385 (1999); Gastinel, L. N. Cambillau, C. & Bourne, Y. Crystal Structures of the Bovine 4Galatosyltransferase Catalytic Domain and Its Complex with Uridine Diphosphogalactose, EMBO J. 18,3546-3557 (1999); Ha, S., Walker, D., Shi, Y. & Walker, S. The 1.9 A Crystal Structure of Escherichia coli MurG, a Membrane-Associated Glycosyltransferase Involved in Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis.

Prot. Sci. 9,1045-1052 (2000); and Brown, K., Pompeo, F., Dixon, S., Mengin-Lecreulx, D., Cambillau, C. & Bourne, Y.

Crystal Structure of the Bifunctional N-Acetylglucosamine 1- phosphate uridylyltransferase from Escherichia coli : A Paradigm for the Related Pyrophosphorylase Superfamily. EMBO J. 18,4096-4107 (1999)), containing the a/ open-sheet Rossmann fold. (Rossmann, M. G., et al., Evolutionary and structural relationship among dehydrogenases, in The Enzymes, I. P. D. Boyyer, Editor. Academic Press: New York. p. 61-102 (1975); and Branden, C. & Tooze, J. Introduction to Protein Structure. New York: Garlan Publishing, Inc. (1991).) The second Ep domain (represented by yellow in (Fig. 8), packing tightly to the side of the active-site domain, contains four a-helices and a two-stranded a-sheet and is involved in the inter-monomer packing interactions forming the Ep tetramer.

Structural homology to glycosyltransferases and uridylyltransferases The present inventors'elucidation of the structure of Ep represents the first such elucidation of a structure of a thymidylyltransferase. Comparison of the structure with the contents of the FSSP database, (Holm, L. & Sander, C. Touring Protein Fold Space with Dali/FSSP. Nucleic Acids Res., 26,316- 319 (1998)) revealed that the overall Ep fold is different from other previously determined structures. The closest structural homologs of Ep are the SpsA glycosyltransferase from Bacillus subtilis and the functionally related E. coli enzyme GlmU.

GlmU is a bifunctional enzyme containing acetyltransferase and uridylyltransferase domains, respectively. Fig. 8 illustrates these three proteins, highlighting the structurally similar regions. As expected, the structural homology lies within the nucleotide-sugar binding domains. The active sites of the enzymes are located in pockets on top of the large (3-sheet, although the precise positioning differs between glycosyltransferases and nucleotidyltransferases and involves secondary structure elements, which are not structurally equivalent. The three-dimensional structures of two other sugar-phosphate transferring enzymes, a-D-galactopyranosyl phosphate (Gal-l-P) uridylyltransferase and kanamycin nucleotidyltransferase are known, but do not activate sugars and both differ structurally and functionally from Ep.

Active site interactions: substrate and product binding Fig. 8 shows two 90° views of the Ep active site pocket.

In both of the Ep-dTTP and Ep-UDP-Glc structures, the experimental electron density for the dTTP and UDP-Glc is excellent. Ep utilizes both dTTP and UTP, but not CTP, and Fig. 9a illustrates the structural basis for this substrate specificity. Specifically, the exocyclic N3 and 04 ring atoms of both dT and U are hydrogen bonded to Gln83. In addition, 04 hydrogen bonds to the main chain N of Gly88 while 02 is bound to the main chain N of Glyll. Finally, the 3'-hydroxyl group of the pentose forms a hydrogen bond with Gln27. The substrate dTTP also makes extensive van der Waals contacts with Leu9, Leu89 and Leu109, which form a hydrophobic bed for the nucleoside, and position 5 of the pyrimidine base is far enough from any protein atom to allow an easy fit for the methyl group of dT in the pocket. The phosphate groups of dTTP lie in an extended position firmly held in place by multiple interactions with the main chain nitrogen atoms of Serl3, Glyl4, and Thrl5, and with the catalytically important Mg+2 (see below). The y-phosphate also makes a hydrogen bond with Thrl5 and both the a-and y-phosphates bind Argl6. The nearby Argl45, Lysl63, and Argl95 create a favorable electrostatic environment, but do not interact directly with dTTP.

The Ep product, UDP-Glc, is bound along the diameter of the surface pocket. The nucleoside sits in the active site in virtually the same conformation as the substrate dTTP, with the addition of a hydrogen bond between the 2'-hydroxyl of the ribose and the main chain O of Glyll. In the glucose-binding pocket, as illustrated on (NAT) Fig. Sb, the hydroxyl groups 02,03 and 04 of the glucose moiety are directly hydrogen- bonded to protein residues, while 06 is bound to Ep via a water molecule. Glnl62 binds both 02 and 03, the main chain N of Glyl47 binds both 03 and 04, and the main chain O of Vall73 binds 04. The side chain of Thr201 is also close to both 02 and 03. In addition, four well-ordered water molecules, shown on Fig. 5b, bridge Ep and the glucose moiety. LeulO9, Leu89, and Ile200 make van der Waals contacts with the underside of the hexose ring and Trp224 and Tyrl46 close the glucose binding pocket which would prevent bulkier sugars, for example disaccharides, from binding. In the Ep-UDP-Glc structure, the phosphate groups are now twisted away from their straight conformation in dTTP so that they can connect the nucleoside with the hexose-see also Fig. 10. The phosphates are also much more solvent exposed and do not interact with any main chain atoms, but instead, with the side chains of the positively charged Argl6, Lysl63, and Argl95, as well as with water molecules.

Divalent cation binding site The activity of nucleotidyltransferases is strictly dependent on a divalent cation involved in catalysis via stabilizing the leaving PPi (See Kornfeld, S. & Glaser, L. J.

Biol. Chem. 236,1791-1794 (1961)). Crystallographic data generated by the present inventors allow for the identification of the location of this cofactor and, in this region, a Mg+2 electron density feature, larger than a water molecule and chemically ideal for a metal location, was modeled. Indeed the Mg+2 is 2.6 A away from the -phosphate oxygen and is also coordinated by the side chain of Gln26, main chain O of Glyll, main chain nitrogens of Serl3 and Glyl4, and a water molecule. This region (particularly GlylO to Glyl5) is mostly disordered in the Ep-UDP-Glc structure, indicating that the Mg+2, in addition to electrostatically stabilizing the leaving group, also plays a structural-role in folding the substrate-binding region of Ep around itself to fix the NTP at an optimal position for the catalytic event.

A secondary dTTP-binding site and possible allosteric control The structure of Ep-dTTP, disclosed herein (Fig. 7), indicates that the Ep tetramer binds eight molecules of dTTP- four in the active site pockets on top of the (3-sheet, and four in an auxiliary sites at the interface between the subunits. Fig. 9c shows a close-up of a dTTP molecule in the auxiliary site. There are fewer contacts between Ep and dTTP here than in the active site. As a result, CTP, which is not accepted by Ep, could easily fit in the auxiliary site. The dTTP base and the ribose in the secondary site interact with one Ep monomer, including hydrogen bonds to the main chain N of Glyll6 and Serl52, and van der Waals contacts with Leu46, Tyrll5 and Ile249. The dTTP phosphates, on the other hand, interact primarily with residues of an adjacent Ep monomer, including Arg220 and Gly221.

Several other nucleotidylyltransferases are under allosteric control by metabolites distinct from their products or substrates. The presence of an auxilary site strongly suggests that Ep is also under allosteric control. Indeed, binding of an effector in this hydrophobic pocket at the monomer interface could alter the relative orientation of the Ep monomers, thus altering the conformation or the access to the active site. Given the non-specific nature of the observed interactions, and the fact that nucleotidylyl- transferase effectors are generally not substrates, the putative Ep allosteric effector is most likely not dTTP.

The Ep catalytic mechanism Before the present experiments, two conflicting hypotheses for nucleotidylyltransferase catalysis were suggested. Lindquist and co-workers proposed a ping-pong bi- bi mechanism for Ep, the necessary prerequisite for which is the formation of an enzyme-substrate covalent intermediate.

(See Lindquist, L., Kaiser, R., Reeves, P. R. and Lindberg, A. A., Purification, Characterization and HPLC Assay of Salmonella Glucose-1-Phosphate Thymidylylphospherase from the cloned rfbA Gene, Eur. J. Biochem, 211,763-770 (1993).

Alternatively, in a related enzyme, Frey and co-workers had previously presented evidence for inverted geometry about the a-phosphate upon attack by Glc-1-P which led the authors to propose a single displacement mechanism for the entire nucleotidylytransferase family. (Sheu, K.-F. R., Richard, J.

P. & Frey, P. A. Stereochemical Courses of Nucleotidyl- transferase and Phosphotransferase Action. Uridine Diphosphate Glucose Pyrophosphorylase, Galactose-1-Phosphate Uridylyltransferase, Adenylate Kinase, and Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase Biochem. 18,5548-5556 (1979)).

In the present invention, a comparison of the topology of the Ep-bound substrate (dTTP) to the Ep-bound product (UDP-Glc) (Fig. 10a) suggests that the Glc-l-P oxygen nucleophile must directly attack the a-phosphate of dTTP. In this reaction, the formation of a phosphodiester bond on one side of the a- phosphate atom is simultaneous with the breaking of a phosphodiester bond on the opposing face (to give PPi as the leaving group). Consistent with an SN2 type mechanism, the bond undergoing formation in the structure disclosed herein is "in-line"or 180 degrees away from the leaving group and thus, the two oxygen atoms bonded to the phosphate invert their geometry upon bond formation. Although the a-phosphate here is not chiral, both the reactant (substrate) and product topologies, as well as the architecture of the active site, clearly suggest that an inversion has occurred.

The present inventors evaluated the Ep steady state kinetics in order to further probe the enzymatic mechanism.

The intersecting patterns observed in Fig. 10b and Fig. lOd are consistent with the structural data in support of a single displacement mechanism rather than the previously postulated ping-pong bi bi (double displacement) mechanism. Finally, the Ep-dTTP crystals were soaked in a solution containing 2 mM of either Glc-1-P or D-Glc, in addition to the 2 mM dTTP and Mg+2 already present. The glucose soaks did not significantly alter the electron density in the active site. On the other hand, Glc-1-P soaks quickly caused deterioration of the crystal diffraction quality. Data collected with crystals soaked for 30 min revealed electron density in the active site that was an average of the density in our Ep-dTTP and Ep-UDP- Glc crystals. Therefore, the phosphate of Glc-1-P is necessary for binding by Ep, and the lack of any observable Ep- UMP covalent intermediate in these experiments further supports the single displacement mechanism.

Active-site engineering Two sugar phosphates not utilized by wild-type Ep and two additional sugar phosphates poorly utilized by the enzyme were selected to test rational engineering of Ep substrate promiscuity. Specifically, 6-acetamido-6-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl phosphate (Fig. 11 (86)) is not well-accepted and a-D-glucopyranuronic acid 1- (dihydrogen phosphate) (Fig.

11 (127)) is not accepted by Ep, and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl phosphate (Fig. 11 (108)) and a-D-allopyranosyl phosphate (Fig. 11 (38)) lead to poor conversion. Because a representative"unnatural"sugar phosphate was believed to be utilized by the enzyme may be referred to herein as "unnatural"with respect to that enzyme.

Structure-based modeling reveals steric and/or electrostatic infringements may be the limiting factor in the conversion of"unnatural"sugar phosphates. In an attempt to relieve these constraints, three mutants were constructed. In particular, a Thr201Ala mutant and Glul62Asp were believed to decrease the steric interference at the sugar positions C-2 and/or C-3 for compounds (108) and (38), while a Trp224His substitution was designed to decrease steric constraints at C- 6 of the substrate (e. g. compound (86)). Furthermore, the glucuronic acid derivative (127) offers the unique challenge of engineering electrostatic balance and the Trp224His variant was predicted to provide a partial positive charge to assist in (127)-binding in addition to steric relief. Alternatively, Asp-111 (6 A from the substrate C-6-OH) was predicted to result in the electrostatic repulsion of substrates containing a negative charge at the C-6 of the sugar phosphate. Thus, an additional mutant (AsplllAsn) was constructed to eliminate this effect.

As a rapid means to assay the entire pool of the four newly constructed mutants, the mutants were combined and the mixture directly tested for ability to convert compounds (2), (108), (89), (102), (38), and (127). Figure 11 shows that the mutant pool was able to turn over all but one (5) of the sugar phosphates tested. Those substrates turned over include (86) and (127), the two sugar phosphates not accepted or poorly accepted by wild-type Ep.

The following nucleotide sugars were produced by the reactions of Fig. 11: (117) Thymidine 5'- (6-acetamido-6-deoxy- a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for CisH2sOi6N3P2 604.0945; found m/z 604.0953 (M + H)) ; (118) Uridine 5'-(6-acetamido-6-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) : calc for C17H26017N3P2 606.0737; found m/z 606.0732 (M + H)) ; (130) Thymidine 5'- (a-D-glucopyran-6- uronic acid diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C16H23O17N2P2 577.0472; found m/z 577. 0465 (M + H)) ; (131) Uridine 5'- (a-D- glucopyran-6-uronic acid diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C15H21O18N2P2 579.2774; found m/z 579.2775 (M + H)) ; (123) Thymidine 5'- (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for C18H28O16N3P2 604.0945; found m/z 604.0951 (M + H)), (124) Uridine 5'- (2-acetamido-2-deoxy- α-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB): calc for CmHz60mN3P2 606.0737; found m/z 606.0738 (M + H)) ; (125) Thymidine 5'- (4-amino-4, 6-dideoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate) (HRMS (FAB) : calc for C16H2601, N3P2 546.0889; found m/z 546.0895 (M + H)) ; (126) Uridine 5'- (4-amino-4, 6-dideoxy- a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB): calc for CisH240isN3P2 548.0682; found m/z 548.0673 (M + H)) although data is not depicted for all products.

A deconvolution of the mutant pool, by individual mutant analysis, revealed the Trp224His mutation as responsible for converting both (86) and (127). Thrl02Ala, on the other hand, was responsible for the 2-fold increase in the conversion of (108). The remaining two mutants (Asp41Asn and Glul62Asp, not shown in Fig. 11) failed to enhance conversion, over wild-type Ep, of any of the tested putative substrates.

Yet, cumulatively, this small set of directed mutants was able to successfully turn over three of four targeted"unnatural" substrates. Of particular interest is the Trp224His mutant, which displays enhanced promiscuity without affecting wild- type traits. This Ep variant will serve as an excellent foundation for second generation double mutants. Finally, the demonstrated ability to test mutant sets via pooling will rapidly expedite the development of this methodology.

In Ep, amino acids that make contacts or near contacts to the sugar in the active site include V173, G147, W224, N112, G175, D111, E162, T201, I200, E199, R195, L89, L89T, L109, Y146 and Y177. These amino acids may be mutated in order to alter the specificity of Ep, as demonstrated herein. Any mutation that alters the specificity may be made and tested, as taught herein, to determine its effect on the specificity of Ep for its substrate and the efficiency of conversion of substrate to product.

Thus, the present invention includes a nucleotidylyl- transferase mutated at one or more amino acids selected from the group consisting of V173, G147, W224, N112, G175, Dlll, E162, T201, I200, E199, R195, L89, L89T, L109, Y146 and Y177.

Preferably the nucleotidylyltransferase is Ep.

An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a nucleotidylyltransferase mutated such that it is capable of having a different substrate specificity than a non-mutated nucleotidylyltransferase. Examples include nucleotidylyl- transferases having a substrate specificity for GTP, ATP, CTP, TTP or UTP. Further provided are methods of altering nucleotidylyltransferase substrate specificity comprising mutating the nucleotidylyltransferase at one or more amino acids selected from the group consisting of V173, G147, W224, N112, G175, Dlll, E162, T201, I200, E199, R195, L89, L89T, L109, Y146 and Y177. Preferably the nucleotidylyl-transferase is Ep. Also provided are nucleotidylyl-transferases, so modified.

The present invention also includes purine or pyrimidine triphosphate type nucleotidylyltransferases set forth in Figure 19, and purine or pyrimidine triphosphate type nucleotidylyl-transferases mutated at one or more amino acids selected from the group consisting of V173, G147, W224, N112, G175, Dlll, E162, T201, I200, E199, R195, L89, L89T, L109, Y146 and Y177.

Further, sequence comparison reveals that many nucleotidyltransferases bear high degrees of sequence identity to Ep. The substrate specificity of such enzymes may be altered, using methods described herein for Ep, at amino acids that make contacts or near contacts to the sugar in the active site. These amino acids may be located via sequence comparison with Ep-the contact sites will often be those at the same relative position as V173, G147, W224, N112, G175, D111, E162, T201, I200, E199, R195, L89, L89T, L109, Y146 and Y177 in Ep. Fig 19 provides a list of nucleotidyltransferases that bear high degrees of sequence identity to Ep. Figs 12 to 18 show the alignment of the Ep sequence and those of other representative nucleotidyltransferases. Other nucleotidylyltransferases may also be mutated at one or more amino acids in their active sites, divalent cation binding sites and/or auxiliary sites.

Methods for mutating proteins are well-known in the art.

For the present invention, it is preferable to perform site- directed mutagenesis on the nucleotide encoding the enzyme of interest. In this manner, and using the guidance provided herein, one of skill in the art can make mutations to the codons encoding the amino acids at the sites of the enzyme desired to be changed. Likewise, the use of site directed mutagenesis allows the worker to ensure that each codon desired to be changed is changed to encode a different amino acid from the wild-type molecule. In contrast, the use of random mutagenesis might result in mutated codons encoding the same amino acids as the wild-type codons, due to the degeneracy of the genetic code. Methods for manipulation and mutation of nucleotides, as well as for the expression of recombinant peptides are well known in the art, as exemplified by Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1989 References for nucleotidyltransferases in these Figures, include: AAB31755-Glc-1-P Cytitdylyltransferase from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. See Thorson JS, Lo SF, Ploux O, He X & Liu HW J. Bacteriol. 176 : 5483-5493 (1994) [94350832] ; AAC39498-Man-1-P Guanylyltransferase from Hypocrea jecorina. Kruszewska, J. S., Saloheimo, M., Penttila, M. & Palamarczyk, G. Direct Submission; B72403-Glc-1 P, adenylyltransferase from Thermotoga maritima (strain MSB8).

Nelson KE, Clayton RA, Gill SR, Gwinn ML, Dodson RJ, Haft DH, Hickey EK, Peterson JD, Nelson WC, Ketchum KA, McDonald L, Utterback TR, Malek JA, Linher KD, Garrett MM, Stewart AM, Cotton MD, Pratt MS, Phillips CA, Richardson D, Heidelberg J, Sutton GG, Fleischmann RD, Eisen JA, Fraser CM & et al Nature 399 : 323-329 (1999) [99287316] ; BAA34807-Man-1-P Guanylyltransferase from Candida albicans. Ohta, A. & Sudoh, M. Direct Submission; CAA06172-Glc-1-P Uridiylyltransferase from Streptococcus pneumoniae. Mollerach M, Lopez R & Garcia E J. Exp. Med. _188 : _2047-2056 (1998) [99059828] ; D83000- Glc-1-P thymidylyltransferase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (strain PA01). ; Stover CK, Pham XQ, Erwin AL, Mizoguchi SD, Warrener P, Hickey MJ, Brinkman FS, Hufnagle WO, Kowalik DJ, Lagrou M, Garber RL, Goltry L, Tolentino E, Westbrock-Wadman S, Yuan Y, Brody LL, Coulter SN, Folger KR, Kas A, Larbig K, Lim R, Smith K, Spencer D, Wong GK, Wu Z & Paulsen IT Nature 406 : 959-964 (19100) [20437337] ; E72229-N- acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate (NacGlc-1-P) Uridylyl- transferase from Thermotoga maritima (strain MSB8). Nelson KE, Clayton RA, Gill SR, Gwinn ML, Dodson RJ, Haft DH, Hickey EK, Peterson JD, Nelson WC, Ketchum KA, McDonald L, Utterback TR, Malek JA, Li. nher KD, Garrett MM, Stewart AM, Cotton MD, Pratt MS, Phillips CA, Richardson D, Heidelberg J, Sutton GG, Fleischmann RD,, Eisen JA, Fraser CM & et al Nature 399 : 323- 329 (1999) [99287316] ; GalU MYCGE-Glc-l-P Uridylyltransferase from Mycoplasma genitalium. Fraser CM, Gocayne JD, White O, Adams MD, Clayton RA, Fleischmann RD, Bult CJ, Kerlavage AR, Sutton G, Kelley JM & et al Science _270 : 397-403 (1995) [96026346] ; GCADBACSU-NacGlc-l-P Uridylyltransferase from Bacillus subtilis. Nilsson D, Hove- Jensen B & Arnvig K Mol. Gen. Genet. 218 : 565-571 (1989) [90066361] ; GLGCBACSU-Glc-l-P Adenylyltransferase from Bacillus subtilis. Kiel JA, Boels JM, Beldman G & Venema G Mol. Microbiol. 11 : 203-218 (1994) [94195107] ; RFBSALTY -Glc-1-P Cytidylyltransferase from Salmonella serovar typhimurium (strain LT2). Jiang XM, Neal B, Santiago F, Lee SJ, Romana LK & Reeves PR Mol. Microbiol. 5 : 695-713 (1991) [91260454].

According to one embodiment of the present invention mutations at amino acid L89T were tested. Such mutations increased the yield of allo-, altro-, talo-, gulo-and ido- derivatives. Wild-type and/or this mutant also led to the production of the new nucleotide sugar compounds set forth in Figure 20 (a) and (b). Methods of production of such compounds and of the mutant nucleotidylyltransferase are as set forth herein with regard to other compounds and mutant nucleotidylyl-transferase. In particular, the compounds may be produced by synthesizing the corresponding sugar phosphate followed by Ep catalyzed conversion of the sugar phosphate to the new products.

The present invention includes the nucleotide sugars of Figures 20 (a) and 20 (b), their corresponding sugar phosphates and nucleotidylyltransferases mutated at L89T, which may convert such sugar phosphates to a nucleotide sugar.

Glycorandomization of natural product-based metabolites The wild-type glycosyltransferases in secondary metabolism show significant flexibility with respect to their NDP-sugar donors. Coupled with the presented Ep-catalyzed production of NDP-sugar donor libraries and the appropriate aglycon, a diverse library of"glycorandomized"structures based upon a particular natural product scaffold can be rapidly generated.

Accordingly, the present invention is also directed to nucleotide sugar libraries including two or more of the nucleotide sugars described herein. More preferably the nucleotide sugars are nucleotide sugars made by the methods described herein, preferably using a natural or mutated nucleotidylyltransferase as a catalyst. The present invention also includes in vitro glycorandomization using such sugar libraries.

Exploiting the promiscuity of wild type Ep and utilizing the ability conferred by the methods of the present invention to rationally engineer variants able to utilize sugar phosphates not previously usable, libraries of previously unavailable nucleotide sugars may be generated. The ability to generate a set of Ep variants provides the subsequent ability to generate, in a simple one pot reaction, diverse libraries of NDP-sugars. Both sugars that were unknown prior to the present invention and those that could not be synthesized in vitro prior to the present invention may be synthesized using the methods of the present invention.

Such libraries of NDP-sugars, in conjunction with downstream glycosyltransferases, form the basis for the in vitro manipulation of metabolite sugar ligands in a combinatorial fashion (or"glycorandomization").

For example, ça diverse library of"glycorandomized" structures based upon the known antitumor agent mithramycin (Fig. 5) may be constructed. Beginning with a small pool of sugar phosphates, e. g., 25 different sugar phosphates, the anticipated library size would be the result of combining 25 different sugars at 5 different positions on mithramycin to give 255, or > 9.7 million, distinct mithramycin-based variants. Furthermore, as alterations of the carbohydrate ligands of biologically active metabolites can lead to drastically different pharmacological and/or biological properties, this approach has significant potential for drug discovery. As an example of alterations of the carbohydrate ligands of biologically active metabolites producing dramatically different pharmacological properties, the structure of 4-epidoxorubicin differs from that of doxorubicin, which is more toxic, only in carbohydrate ligands. As an example of alterations of the carbohydrate ligands of biologically active metabolites producing dramatically different biological properties, the structure of erythromycin, an antibiotic, differs from that of megalomicin, a compound with antiviral and antiparasitic activity, only in carbohydrate ligands.

An embodiment of the invention includes incubating a glycotransferase with one or more of the sugars of a nucleotide sugar library according to the present invention, and a molecule capable of being glycosylated.

The present inventors have discovered that Ep is pliable in terms of its substrate specificity. The present inventors have also discovered the three dimensional structure of Ep and the molecular details of Ep substrate recognition. The present inventors have invented methods of engineering or modifying Ep to vary its specificity in a directed manner, conferring the ability to rationally engineer variants able to utilize sugar phosphates not previously usable. The present inventors have also invented a method for the synthesis of desired nucleotide sugars using both natural and engineered Ep. Thus, the present invention will likely broadly impact efforts to understand and exploit the biosynthesis of glycosylated bioactive natural products, many of which are pharmacologically useful. The ability conferred by the methods of the present invention to alter nucleotidylyltransferase specificity by design allows the creation of promiscuous in vitro systems, which could provide large and diverse libraries of potentially new bioactive metabolites.' The present invention will now be illustrated by the following examples, which show how certain specific representative embodiments of the compounds and methods of the present invention, the compounds, intermediates, process steps, and the like being understood as examples that are intended to be illustrative only. In particular, the invention is not intended to be limited to the conditions, order of the steps and the like specifically recited herein.

Rather, the Examples are intended to be illustrative only.

EXAMPLES General Methods.

Infrared spectra were recorded on a Perkin Elmer 1600 series FTIR spectrophotometer. 1H NMR spectra were obtained on a Bruker AMX 400 (400 MHz) and are reported in parts per million (5) relative to either tetramethylsilane (0.00 ppm) or CDC13 (7.25 ppm) for spectra run in CDC13 and D20 (4.82 ppm) or CD30D (3.35 ppm) for spectra run in DO. Coupling constants (J) are reported in hertz. 13C NMR are reported in 5 relative to CDC13 (77.00 ppm.) or CD30D (49.05 ppm) as an internal reference and 31P NMR spectra are reported in 5 relative to H3PO4 (0.00 ppm in D20). Routine mass spectra were recorded on a PE SCIEX API 100 LC/MS mass spectrometer and HRMS was accomplished by the University of California, Riverside Mass Spectrometry Facility. Optical rotations were recorded on a Jasco DIP-370 polarimeter using a 1.0 or 0.5 dm cell at the room temperature (25°C) and the reported concentrations.

Melting points were measured with Electrothermal 1A-9100 digital melting point instrument. Chemicals used were reagent grade and used as supplied except where noted. Analytical TLC was performed on either E. Merck silica gel 60 F254 plates (0.25 mm) or Whatman AL Sil G/UV silica gel 60 plates. Compounds were visualized by spraying I2/KI/HSO4 or by dipping the plates in a cerium sulfate-ammonium molybdate solution followed by heating. Liquid column chromatography was performed using forced flow of the indicated solvent on E. Merck silica gel 60 (40-63 pm) and high pressure liquid chromatography was performed on a RAININ Dynamax SD-200 controlled with Dynamax HPLC software.

Although the above methods of IR, NMR, Mass Spec, and HRMS were those used in the examples of the present invention, it would be known to those skilled in the art that other instruments, conditions, types of techniques, and the like may be used to visualize compounds, identify compounds and determine their concentrations and purity.

Methyl 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-6-chloro-6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranoside (7).

Compound 7 was prepared as previously described from methyl a-D-glucopyranoside (5), (7.26 g, 27.7 mmol) in 82% yeild (Anisuzzaman, A. K. M. ; Whistler, R. L. Carbohydr. Res. 1978, 61, 511-518). Rf = 0.34 (2: 1 hexane/EtOAc) ; [a] D = 147° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 5. 46 (t, 1H, J = 9.5 Hz), 4.98 (m, 2H), 4.02 (m, 1H), 3.82 (dd, 1H, J = 12.0,2.5 Hz), 3.73 (dd, 1H, J = 12. 0,6.5 Hz), 3. 43 (s, 3H), 2.06 (s, 3H), 2.04 (s, 3H), 1.99 (s, 3H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 170.45,170.42,169.96,96.98, 77.67,71. 08,70.46,70.32,69.13,55.85,43.81,21.07,21.05.

MS : calcd for C13H19O8ClNa 360.9, found m/z 360.9 (M + Na).

1, 2,3, 4-tetra-O-benzoy-6-deoxy-α, P-D-glucopyranose (8).

Compound 7 (2.9 g, 8.57 mmol) was dissolved in 100 mL dry THF and 1.0 g LiAlH4 slowly added. The corresponding mixture was refluxed for 10 hr under argon and the reaction quenched with 10 mL MeOH and concentrated. The concentrate was then dissolved in a mixture of 40 mL acetic acid and 10 mL IN HC1 and the reaction stirred at 95°C for 10 hrs. The reaction was neutralized with IN NaOH and the organics concentrated, dried over MgSO4 and purified by silica gel chromatography (4: 1 CHC13/MeOH). The resulting product was dissolved in 50 mL dry pyridine, 8.0 mL benzoyl chloride (68.9 mmol) was added and the reaction stirred overnight at room temperature. To the reaction mixture was added to 100 mL saturated NaHCO3 solution and the mixture extracted with CHC13 (3 x 100 mL). The combined organics were washed with H2O (50 mL), brine (50 mL), dried over Na2SO4, concentrated and purified by silica gel chromatography (2: 1 hexane/EtOAc) to give 2.8 g (56. 2 %) of the desired product 8 (a/ß = 3: 2). This mixture was utilized directly for the next step without further resolution. MS: calcd for C34H2aOgNa 630. 2, found m/z 630.2 (M + Na).

Methyl 2,3, 6-tri-O-benzoyl-ß-D-galactopyranoside (14).

Methyl (3-D-galactopyranoside (13), 3.7 g, 19 mmol) gave the desired product 14 (5.2 g, 54%) and 2.3 g (19%) of the corresponding tetra benzoylated derivative as described in Reist, E. J.; Spencer, R. R.; Calkins, D. F.; Baker, B. R.; Goodman, L.

J. org. Chem. 1965,2312-2317. [α]D = 7.3° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR , (CDC13) 8.18-7.92 (m, 6H), 7.52-7. 38 (m, 8H), 5. 77 (dd, 1H, J = 8.0,10.4 Hz), 5.37 (dd, 1H, J = 3.2,10.3 Hz, 1H), 4.72 (dd, lH, J = 6.6,11.4 Hz), 4. 62 (dd, 1H, J = 6.4,11.4 Hz), 4.66 (d, 1H, J = 7.9 Hz), 4.36 (m, 1H), 4.08 (t, 1H, J = 6.5 Hz), 3.55 (s, 3H), 2.50 (br, 1H, #OH) ; 13C NMR (CDCl3) : 166.9, 166.3,165.9,133.9,133.7,133.6,130.4,130.3,130.2,130.1, 130.0,129.9,129.4,129.0,128.9,128.8,128.7,102.6,74.6, 72.8,69.9,67.7,63.3,57.3; MS: calcd for C28H26OgNa 529.1, found m/z 529.0 (M + Na). ( Garegg, P. J.; Oscarson, S.

Carbohydr. Res. 1985,137,270-275.) Methyl 2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-4-O-pentafluorophenoxythiocarbonyl- P-D-galactopyranoside (15).

Methyl 2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-ß-D-galactopyranoside (14), (2.3 g, 4.5 mmol) gave 2.88 g (86%) purified product 15 as described in Kanie, O. ; Crawley, S. C.; Palcic, M. M.; Hindsgaul, O. Carbohydr. Res. 1993,243,139-164. [α]D = 9° (c -1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 8.04 (d, 2H, J = 7.7 Hz), 7.98 (d, 2H, J = 7.6 Hz), 7.93 (d, 2H, J = 7.7 Hz), 7.58-7.49 (m, 3H), 7.44-7.34 (m, 6H), 6.23 (d, 1H, J = 3.2 Hz), 5.78 (dd, 1H, J = 7.9 Hz), 5.70 (dd, 1H, J = 3.3,10.4 Hz), 4.75-4.71 (m, 2H), 4.44 (dd, 1H, J = 7.4,11.0 Hz), 4.37 (t, 1H, J = 7.0 Hz), 3.57 (s, 3H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 192.5,166.3,166.0,165.5,134.1, 133.9,133.7,130.3,130.2,130.1,129.6,129.5,128.9,128.8, 128.6,102.7,79.9,71.3,71.1,69.9,61.5,57.6; MS: calcd for CssHzsOaSFsNa 755.1, found m/z 755.1 (M + Na).

Methyl 2, 3, 6-tri-O-benzoyl-4-deoxy-ß-D-galactopyranoside (16).

Methyl 2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-4-O- pentafluorophenoxythiocarbonyl-ß-D-galactopyranoside (15), (2.65 g, 3.62 mmol) gave 1.53 g (86%) of the desired compound 16 as described in Kanie, O. ; Crawley, S. C.; Palcic, M. M.; Hindsgaul, O. Carbohydr. Res. 1993,243,139-164. [a] D = 57.4° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 8.07 (d, 2H, J = 7.3 Hz), 8.00 (d, 2H, J = 7.4 Hz), 7.95 (d, 2H, J = 7.3 Hz), 7.58 (t, 1H, J = 7.4 Hz), 7.53-7.40 (m, 4H), 7.39-7.34 (m, 4H), 5.41 (m, 2H), 4.60 (d, 1H, J = 7.5 Hz), 4.51 (dd, 1H, J = 5.8,11.6 Hz), 4.46 (dd, 1H, J = 4. 4,11.6 Hz), 4.06 (m, 1H), 2.47 (m, 1H), 1.88 (m, 1H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 166.7,166.3,165.9,133.7,133.6, 133.5,130.2,130.1,130.0,129.7,128.9,128.8,128.7,102.6, 72.9,71.9,70.0,66.2,57.4,33.4; MS: calcd for C26H26O8Na 513.1, found m/z 513.0 (M + Na). (Lin, T.-H.; Kovac, P.; Glaudemans, C. P. J. Carbohydr. Res. 1989,141,228-238.) 1,2: 5, 6-Di-0-isopropylidene-3-0- (methylthio) thiocarbonyl-a-D- glucofuranose (22).

Compound 22 was prepared as previously described in 93% yield (see Zhiyuan, Z.; Magnusson, G. Carbohydr. Res. 1994, 262, 79-101). [a] n =-34° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 5. 91 (m, 2H), 4.68 (d, 1H, J = 3.77 Hz), 4.31 (m, 1H), 4.10 (dd, 1H, J = 5.6,8.7 Hz), 4.05 (dd, 1H, J = 4.6,8.7 Hz), 2.59 (s, 3H), 1.57 (s, 3H), 1.41 (s, 3H), 1.32 (s, 3H), 1.31 (s, 3H) ; "C NMR (CDC13) 112.8,109.7,105.4,84.6,83.1,80.1,72.7, 67.3,27.2,27.0,26.6,25.6,19.7; MS: calcd for C14H22O6S2Na 373.0, found m/z 372.8 (M + Na).

3-Deoxy-1, 2: 5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-a-D-glucofuranose (23).

To a solution containing 22 (2.6 g, 7.4 mmol) and 120 mg of AIBN (0.73 mmol) in 50 mL dry toluene, 5 mL (n-Bu) 3SnH (18.6 mmol) was added and the mixture refluxed for 5 hrs under argon. The reaction was then concentrated and the residue was applied to a silica gel column (10: 1-8: 1 hexane/EtOAc) to give 1.58 g substantially pure product 23 (87%). [a] D =-9. 2° (c = 1, CHCl3) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 5.82 (d, 1H, J = 3.7 Hz), 4.76 (t, 1H, J = 4.2 Hz), 4.19-4.07 (m, 3H), 3.84 (m, 1H), 2.18 (dd, 1H, J = 3.9,13.2 Hz), 1.77 (m, 1H), 1.51 (s, 3H), 1.42 (s, 3H), 1.35 (s, 3H), 1.30 (s, 3H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 109.6,107.9,104.0, 79.4,77.0,75.7,65.6,33.7,25.7,24.9,24.5,23.6; MS: calcd for C12H2oOsNa 267.1, found m/z 266.8 (M + Na). (Barton, D. H. R.; McCombie, S. W. J. Chem. Soc. Perkin Trans. 1 1975, 1574.) 23 1, 2,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-3-deoxy-a-D-glucofuranose (24).

Compound 23 (0.59 g, 2.4 mmol) was treated with a mixture of 9 mL CF3CO, H and 1 mL of water for 2 hours at 25°C. The reaction was concentrated under reduced pressure, coevaporated with water (2 x 5 mL) and further dried under vacuum. This material was dissolved in 20 mL of anhydrous pyridine, to which 2.2 mL (19.3 mmol) of benzoyl chloride was added. The mixture was stirred for 10 hr, pyridine removed in vacuo and the remaining oil diluted with 200 mL EtOAc. The organics washed with saturated NaHCO3 (50 mL), water (40 mL), brine (40 mL), dried over Na2SO4, and purified with silica gel chromatography (3: 1 hexanes/EtOAc) to give 0.89 g product which was used directly without further characterization.

General Strategy for Formation of Protected Ethyl 1-thio-ß-D- hexopyranosides.

Protected ethyl 1-thio--D-hexopyranosides may be formed in accordance with the present invention by the following reaction. A mixture of protected monosaccharide, (ethylthio)- trimethylsilane, and zinc iodide are refluxed for 1 M to 2 1/2 hrs. The reaction is then cooled, diluted, washed, preferably with saturated NaHCO3 solution, water, and then brine. The organics are then dried, and preferably concentrated and resolved to give the desired product. Other conditions, reagents, method steps, solutions and the like of the present method, may be used in accordance with the present invention.

In a typical reaction, a mixture of 3 mmol protected monosaccharide, 1.5 mL (ethylthio) trimethylsilane (9.2 mmol) and 1.95 g zinc iodide (6.1 mmol) in 30 mL dry dichloromethane was refluxed for 2 hrs under argon atmosphere. The reaction was then cooled and diluted with 200 mL CH2Cl2, washed successively with saturated NaHC03 solution (2 x 30 mL), water (30 mL) and brine (30 mL). The organics were dried over Na2SO4, concentrated and resolved by silica gel chromatography (8: 1 hexanes/EtOAc) to give the desired product.

Ethyl 2, 3, 4-tri-O-benzoyl-6-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (9).

Compound 8 (1 g, 1.72 mmol) gave 731 mg (81.5 %) of the desired product. Rf = 0.56 (2: 1 hexane/EtOAc) ; [α]D = 7° (c = 1.0, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 8.00-7.94 (m, 4H), 7.82 (dd, 1 H, J = 1.4,7.1 Hz), 7.52 (m, 2H), 7.42-7.37 (m, 5H), 7.23 (m, 2H), 5.85 (t, 1H, J = 9.6 Hz), 5.54 (t, 1H, J = 9. 7 Hz), 5.35 (t, 1 H, J = 9.6 Hz), 4.80 (d, 1H, J = 9.9 Hz), 4.92 (m, 1H), 2.82 (m, 2H), 1.40 (d, 3 H, J = 6.2 Hz), 1.26 (t, 3H, J = 7.4 Hz); 3C NMR (CDC13) 164.8,164.4,164.2,132.3,132.2,132.1,128.8, 128.7,128.6,128.2,128.0,127.9,127.4,127.3,127.2,82.3, 73.9,73.1,72.7,69.8,22.9,16.8,13.7; MS: calcd for C29H28O7SNa 543.1, found m/z 542.9 (M + Na).

Ethyl 2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-4-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (17).

Compound 16 (1. 5 g, 3.06 mmol) gave 1.24 g desired product (77.8%). [C£] D = 56.9° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 8.08 (d, 2H, J = 8. 0 Hz), 8.00 (d, 2H, J = 8.2 Hz), 7.96 (d, 2H, J = 8.0 Hz), 7.60 (t, 1H, J = 6.9 Hz), 7.55-7.48 (m, 4H), 7.42-7.36 (m, 4H), 5. 50-5. 44 (m, 2H), 4.76 (d, 1H, J = 9.0 Hz), 4.51 (dd, 1H, J = 5.7,1.9 Hz), 4.46 (dd, 1H, J = 4.4, 11.9 Hz), 4.12 (m, 1H), 2.84-2.69 (m, 2H), 2. 53 (m, 1H), 1.91 (m, 1H), 1.27 (t, 3H, J = 7.6 Hz); 13C NMR (CDC13) 166.6,166.2, 165. 9,133.7,133.6,130.2,130.1,129.8,129.7,128.8.184.2, 74.0,73.0,71.5,66.3,33.6,24.7,15.4; MS: calcd for CzsHsgOySNa 543. 1, found m/z 543. 1 (M + Na).

Ethyl 2,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-3-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (25).

Compound 24 (0.89 g, 1. 5 mmol) gave 0.7 g substantially pure product (90%). 1H NMR (CDC13) 8.14-7.96 (m, 6H), 7.63-7.40 (m, 9H), 5. 32-5.21 (m, 2H), 4.79 (d, 1H, J = 9.7 Hz), 4.67 (dd, 1H, J = 2.9,12.0 Hz), 4.46 (dd, 1H, J = 6.0,12.0 Hz), 4.09 (m, 1H), 2.96 (m, 1H), 2.78 (m, 2H), 2.00 (m, 1H), 1.27 (t, 3H, J = 7.4 Hz); MS: calcd for C29H28O7SNa 543.1, found m/z 543.1 (M + Na).

Ethyl 3,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-2-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (40).

Compound 39 (1.72 g, 2.96 mmol) gave two products, 0.74 g the desired P isomer (48% yield) and 0.5 g the a isomer (32% yield). (3 isomer: [α]D = 120° (c = 1, CHC13) ; IR :_2962, 2871, 1723,1601,1450,1314,1270,1107,708,686 cm-1 ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 8.06-7.93 (m, 6H), 7.51-7.36 (m, 9H), 5.69-5.64 (m, 1H), 5.60-5.56 (m, 2H), 4.80 (m, 1H), 4.57 (dd, 1H, J = 2.7, 12.0 Hz), 4.52 (dd, 1H, J = 12.0,5.5 Hz), 2.72-2.54 (m, 3H), 2.41-2.35 (m, 1H), 1.30 (t, 3H, J = 7.4Hz); 13C NMR (CDCl3) : 165.2,164.6,164.5,132.3,132.1,132.0,128.8,128.7,128.6, 128.4,128.1,127.4,127.3,78.5,69.4,67.3,62.4,34.4, 23.8. MS: calcd for C29H28O7SNa 543.1, found m/z 543.1 (M + Na). a isomer: [a] D =-46° (c = 1, CHC13) IR: 2961,2923,1732, 1717,1269,1108,1099,708, 685 cm-1. 1H NMR (CDC13) 8.12-7.93 (m, 6H), 7.54-7.37 (m, 9H), 5.56 (t, 1H, J = 9.7 Hz), 5.46 (m, 1H), 4.87 (dd, 1H, J = 11.8,1.7 Hz), 4.60 (dd, 1H, J = 3.1, 12.0 Hz), 4.48 (dd, 1H, J = 5. 9,12.0 Hz), 4.06 (m, 1H), 2.83- 2.68 (m, 2H), 2.65-2.64 (m, 1H), 2.08 (m, 1H), 1.32 (t, 3H, J = 7.4 Hz) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 166.6,166.3,165.9,134.1,133.8, 133. 7, 133. 4,130.6,130.1,130.0,129.7,129.5,128.9,128.7, 80.3,77.1,73.0,70.5,64.3,37.1,25.5,15.5. MS: calcd for C29H2807SNa 543. 1, found : m/z 543.0 (M + Na).

Ethyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-l-thio-ß-D-gulopyranoside (30).

Compound 29 (0.75 g, 1.07 mmol) gave 0.65 g of the desired compound (945). 1H NMR (CDC13) 8.18-7.87 (m, 8H), 7.54-7.27 (m, 12H), 5.95 (t, J = 3.5 Hz, 1H), 5.67 (dd, J = 3.3,10.3 Hz, 1H), 5.61 (m, 1H),. 5.27 (d, J = 10.3 Hz, 1H), 4.64 (m, 2H), 4.50 (dd, J = 3. 8,9.5 Hz, 1H), 2.84 (m, 2H), 1.34 (t, J = 7.4 Hz, 3H); MS: calcd for C36H3zOgSNa 663.2, found m/z 663.1 (M + Na).

Ethyl 2,3,4, 6-tetra-O-benzoyl-1-thio-ß-D-allopyranoside (35).

Compound 34 (0.97 g, 1.38 mmol) gave 0.85 g desired product (95%). [α]D = 12. 7° (c = 1, CHC13),'H NMR (CDC13) 8.07-7.32 (m, 20H), 6.26 (t, J = 2.8Hz, 1H), 5.56 (dd, J = 2.8,10.1Hz, 1H), 5.51 (dd, J = 2.9,10.1Hz, 1H), 4.71 (dd, J = 2.5,12.0 Hz, 1H), 4.56 (m, 1H), 4.47 (dd, J = 5.3,12.0 Hz, 1H), 2.80 (m, 2H), 1.29 (t, J = 7.5 Hz, 3H) ; l3C NMR (CDC13) 171.6,166.6,165.7,165.2,134.0,133.9,133.8,133.6,130.5, 130.3,130.2,130.1,130.0,129.9,129.6,129.3,129.2,128.9, 128.8,81.3,73.7,69.7,68.9,68.0,63.9,24.3,15.5; MS: calcd for C36H32OgSNa 663.1, found m/z 663. 0 (M + Na).

General Strategy for O-Benzoyl to O-Benzyl Conversion.

O-Benzoyl may be converted to O-Benzyl according to the following method or other methods known to those skilled in the art. Protected ethyl l-thio-ß-D-hexopyranoside are dissolved in dry MeOH and toluene to which a sodium methoxide solution is added. The mixture is then stirred, preferably for about 1 M to 2 1/2 hrs at room temperature and optionally neutralized. The organics are preferably concentrated and the corresponding unprotected 1-ethylthio-P-D-glucopyranoside purified, and then dissolved. NaH is then added and the reaction is stirred for about 1 M to 2 1/2 hrs at room temperature followed by the addition of benzyl bromide and stirring, preferably overnight. The mixture may then be diluted, washed with H2O, brine, and organics, dried, concentrated, and purified to give the purified product.

Other conditions, reagents, solutions and the like of the present method, or other methods known to those skilled in the art may be used in accordance with the present invention.

In a typical reaction, 1.4 mmol of protected ethyl 1- thio--D-hexopyranoside was dissolved in 10 mL dry MeOH and 3 mL toluene to which 0.25 mL of a sodium methoxide solution (25% NaOMe in methanol) was added. The mixture was stirred for 2 hr at room temperature and neutralized with 1N acetic acid. The organics were concentrated and the corresponding unprotected 1-ethylthio-p-D-glucopyranoside purified by silica gel chromatography (10: 1 hexane/EtOAc) which was then dissolved in 10 mL dry DMF and 323 mg 65% NaH (8.0 mmol) was added. The reaction was stirred for 2 hr at room temperature followed by the addition of 1 mL benzyl bromide (8.3 mmol) and continued stirring overnight. The mixture was then diluted with 150 mL EtOAc, washed with H20 (30 mL), brine (30 mL) and the organics dried over Na2SO4, concentrated and purified by silica gel chromatography (10: 1 hexane/EtOAc) to give the purified product.

Ethyl 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (10).

Compound 9 (0.7 g, 1.35 mmol) gave 480 mg (75%) of purified product. Me = 5. 8° (c = 1.0, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.40-7.29 (m, 15H), 4.95-4.85 (m, 4H), 4.77 (d, 1H, J = 10.2 Hz), 4.65 (d, 1H, J = 10.5 Hz), 4. 48 (d, 1H, J = 9.8 Hz), 3.66 (t, 1H, J = 8.9 Hz), 3.46-3.38 (m, 2H), 3.23 (t, 1H, J = 9.2 Hz), 2.84-2. 70 (m, 2H), 1.35-1. 27 (m, 2H) ; 13C NMR (CDCl3) : 138.9,138.5,138.4,128.9,128.8,128.7,128.4, 128.3,128.2,128.1,86.8,85.2,83.8,82.5,76.2,75.9,75.8, 25.4,18.5,15.5. MS: calcd for C29H3404SNa 501.2, found m/z 501.1 (M + Na).

Ethyl 2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-4-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (18).

Compound 17 (0.85 g, 1.63 mmol) gave 675 mg (86%) purified product. [a] D = 40° (c = 1, CHC13), 1H NMR (CDCl3) 7.45-7.31 (m, 15H), 4.92 (d, 1H, J = 10.3 Hz), 4.86 (d, 1H, J = 10.3 Hz), 4.74 (d, 1H, J = 11.7 Hz), 4.69 (d, 1H, J = 11.7 Hz), 4.62 (d, 1H, J = 12.0 Hz), 4.58 (d, 1H, J = 12.0 Hz), 4.49 (d, 1H, Jazz 9.7 Hz), 3.69-3.62 (m, 3H), 3.50 (m, 1H), 3.36 (dd, 1H, J = 8.7,9.4 Hz), 2.82-2.75 (m, 2H), 2.23 (m, 1H), 1.54 (m, 1H), 1.35 (t, 3H, J = 7.5 Hz) ; 13C NMR (CDCl3): 138.8,138.7,138.5,128.8,128.7,128.6,128.2,128.1,128.0, 85.5,82.3,80.6,76.0,75.4,73.9,72.9,72.3,34.4,25.2, 15.6 MS: calcd for C29H34O4SNa 501.2, found m/z 501.0 (M + Na).

Ethyl 2,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-3-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D-glucopyranoside (26).

Compound 25 (608 mg, 1.17 mmol) gave 364 mg substantially pure product (65%). [α]D = -11.8° (c = 1, CHCl3) lH NMR (CDCl3) 7.44-7.14 (m, 15H), 4.74 (d, 1H, J = 11.6 Hz), 4.66- 4.56 (m, 4H), 4.50 (d, 1HY, J = 9.4 Hz), 4.45 (d, 1H, J = 11.4 Hz), 3.83 (d, 1H, J = 10.7 Hz), 3.69 (dd, 1H, J = 4.4,10.7 Hz), 3.49 (m, 2H), 3.35 (m, 1H), 2.79 (m, 2H), 2.69 (m, H), 1.54 (m, 1H), 1.35 (t, 3H, J = 7.3 Hz) ; 13C NMR (CDCl3) : 138.8, 138. 4,135.8,128.9,128.7,128.4,128.2,128.1,127.4,86.9, 81.3,75.6,73.8,73.3,72.5,71.6,69.8,45.3,36.7,25.1, 20.3,15.5 ; MS: calcd for C29H3404SNa 501.2, found m/z 501.0 (M + Na).

Ethyl 2, 3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-1-thio-ß-D-gulopyranoside (31).

Compound 30 (0.6 g, 0.94 mmol) gave 330 mg substantially pure product (60%). 1H NMR (CDCl3) 7.32-7.17 (m, 20H), 4.94 (d, J = 9.8 Hz, 1H), 4.55 (m, 2H), 4.40 (m, 4H), 4.22 (m, 2H), 4.00 (t, J = 6.4 Hz, 1H), 3.60-3.42 (m, 5H), 2.66 (m, 2H), 1.22 (t, J = 7.4 Hz, 3H) ; MS: calcd for C36H400oOSSNa 607.2, found m/z 607.0 (M + Na).

Ethyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-1-thio-ß-D-allopyranoside (36).

Compound 35 (0.85 g, 1.33 mmol) gave 496 mg substantially pure product (64%). 1H NMR (CDCl3) 7.4-7.22 (m, 20H), 5. 05 (d, J = 9.7 Hz, 1H), 4.86 (d, J = 11. 8 Hz, 1H), 4.80 (d, J = 11. 8 Hz, 1H), 4.69-4.40 (m, 6H), 4.13 (m, 1H), 4.03 (dd, J 3. 1, 9.7 Hz, 1H), 3.47 (dd, J = 2.3,9.8 Hz, 1H), 3.29 (dd, J = 2.3,9.8 Hz, 1H), 2.75 (m, 2H), 1.32 (t, J = 7.5 Hz, 3H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 139.4,138.9,138.3,138.2,128.9,128.8,128.7, 128.6,128.5,128.3,128.2,128.1,128.0,127.9,127.8,82.0, 79.2,76.1,75.4,74.7,73.9,73.8,72.8,71.9,69.9,25.1, 15.6 ; MS: calcd for C36H40O5SNa 607.2, found m/z 607.0 (M + Na).

General Phosphorylation Strategy (Method A: via ethyl 1-thio- P-D-hexopyranoside).

Phosphorylation may take place in accordance with the present invention by the following reaction, which involves ethyl l-thio-ß-D-hexopyranoside. The ethyl 1-thio-p-D- hexopyranoside may be ethyl 1-thio--D-hexopyranoside prepared according to the methods described herein or ethyl 1-thio-ß-D- hexopyranoside prepared by other methods.

According to this method, protected ethyl 1-thio-ß-D- hexopyranoside and dibenzyl phosphate are co-evaporated, preferably two times from dry toluene and further dried under high vacuum overnight to which N-iodosuccinamide and dry molecular sieves are preferably added. The mixture is then dissolved, preferably in dry CH2Cl2, cooled to about-40°C to about-20°C, preferably about-30°C and trifluoromethane- sulfonic acid is added. The reaction mixture is substantially maintained at the cooled temperature for about 20 to about 40 minutes, preferably about 30 min with stirring. Preferably, the mixture is then diluted, and washed with saturated Na2S203 and/or saturated NaHC03, H2O, and brine. The organics are then preferably dried, filtered, concentrated and purified to give the desired product.

Other conditions, steps, reagents, solutions and the like of the present method may be used in accordance with the present invention.

In a typical reaction, 0.84 mmol protected ethyl 1-thio- p-D-hexopyranoside. and 1.44 mmol dibenzyl phosphate were co- evaporated two times from dry toluene and further dried under high vacuum overnight to which 1.24 mmol of N-iodosuccinamide and 300 mg dry molecular sieves were added. The mixture was then dissolved in 10 mL dry CH2Cl2, cooled to-30°C and 25 pl trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (0.28 mmol) was added. The reaction mixture was maintained at-30°C for 30 min with stirring and then diluted with 100 mL EtOAc, washed with saturated Na2S203 (20 mL) and saturated NaHC03 (20 mL), H20 (20 mL), and brine (20 mL). The organics were dried over Na2SO4, filtered, concentrated and purified by chromatography on silica gel (3: 1 hexane/EtOAc) to give the desired product.

Dibenzyl- (2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl) phosphate (11).

Compound 10 (400 mg, 0.84 mmol) gave 0.44 mg (76%) of the desired product. IUID = 22.8° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.38-7.28 (m, 25H), 5.93 (dd, 1H, J = 3.2,6.6 Hz), 5.30 (m, 4H), 5.18 (m, 3H), 5.09 (m, 2H), 4.67 (m, 2H), 3.94 (m, 1H), 3.64 (m, 1H), 3.18 (m, 1H), 1.21 (d, 3H, J = 6.2 Hz) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 138.9,138.5,138.0,128.9,128.8,128.7,128.4,128.3, 95.8,95.7,94.0,76.0,75.7,73.6,69.7,17.3; 31p NMR (CDCl3) 2.58; MS: calcd for C41H430sPNa 717.2, found m/z 717.3 (M + Na).

Dibenzyl- (2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl) phosphate (19).

Compound 18 (512 mg, 1.07 mmol) gave 0.565 g (76%) substantially pure product. [α]D = 28.2° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDCl3) 7.29-7. 10 (m, 25H), 5.91 (dd, 1H, J = 3. 2,6.6 Hz), 4.72-4.57 (m, 4H), 4.41 (m, 2H), 4.02 (m, 1H), 3.81 (m, 1H), 3.48 (m, 1H), 3.34 (m, 2H), 2.04-2.00 (m, 1H), 1.60-1.48 (m, 1H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 138.6,138.4,138.2,137.8,137.7,128.3, 128.2,128.1,127.9,127.8,127.7,127.6,127.5,127.4,97.3, 91.9,83.6,80.2,78.1,74.9,73.3,73.0,72.2,72.0,71.9, 70.6,66.7,52.7,33.4 ; 31P NMR (CDC13) 1.25; MS: calcd for C41H4308PNa 717.2, found m/z 717.2 (M + Na).

Dibenzyl- (2, 4,6-tri-O-benzyl-3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl) phosphate (27).

Compound 26 (270 mg, 0.56 mmol) gave 0.31g substantially pure product (79%, a/ (3 = 2: 1). 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.32-7.21 (m, 25H), 5.96 (dd, 1H, J = 2. 8,6.6 Hz), 5.06 (m, 4H), 4.66 (d, 1H, J = 11.7 Hz), 4.56 (m, 3H), 4.42 (d, 1H, J = 12.0 Hz), 4.38 (d, 1H, J = 11.3 Hs), 3.82 (m, 1H), 3.66 (m, 3H), 3.49 (m, 1H), 2.54 (m, 0. 5H), 2.40 (m, 1H), 1.85 (m, 1H), 1.56 (m, 0. 5H) ; 31p NMR (CDC13) 0.54,0.17; MS: calcd for C41H4308PNa 717.2, found m/z 717.2 (M + Na).

Dibenzyl- (3, 4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-2-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl) phosphate (41).

Compound 40 (460 mg, 0.88 mmol) gave 0.49 g of substantially pure product (75 %) after silica gel chromatography (3: 1-2: 1 hexane/EtOAc. [a] D = 19° (c = 1, CHCl3) ; '-H NMR (CDC13) 8.05-7.94 (m, 6H), 7.53-7.51 (m, 3H), 7.41-7.34 (m, 16H), 5.96 (dd, 1H, J = 1.6,7.2 Hz), 5.68 (m, 2H), 5.16 (m, 4H), 4.51-4.43 (m, 2H), 4.35 (dd, 1H, J = 3.1,12.0 Hz), 2.56 (m, 1H), 2.04 (m, 1H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 166.0,165.6,165.3, 135.5,135.4,133.3,133.2,133.0,129.8,129.7,129.6,129.3, 128.9,128.6,128.4,128.3,128.1,127.9,95.9,70.1,69.5, 69.2,68.9,62.6 ; 31P NMR (CDC13) 0.32 ; MS: calcd for C4lH37OllPNa 759.1, found: m/z 759.1 (M + Na).

Dibenzyl- (2, 3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-a-D-gulopyranosyl) phosphate (32).

Compound 31 (120 mg, 0.21 mmol) gave 50 mg of the desired compound (30%) and 38 mg of the (3 isomer (23%). a isomer : 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.30-6.90 (m, 30H), 5.95 (dd, J = 3.7,7.5 Hz, 1H), 4.97 (m, 5H), 4.64 (m, 2H), 4.49-4.30 (m, 8H), 3.80 (m, 2H), 3.60 (d, J = 3.4 Hz, 1H), 3.44 (m, 2H) ; 31P NMR (CDC13) 0. 8 ; MS: calcd for C48H4909PNa 823.3, found m/z 823.3 (M + Na). isomer : 1H NMR (CDCl3) 7.25-7.15 (m, 30H), 5.61 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 1H), 5.05-4.99 (m, 4H), 4.60 (d, J = 12 Hz, 1H), 4.42-4.34 (m, 4H), 4.26 (d, J = 6.2 Hz, 1H), 4.17 (t, J = 6.3 Hz, 1H), 3.65 (m, 2H), 3.48 (m, 2H), 3.48 (m, 2H), 3.43 (dd, J = 1.3,13.5 Hz, 1H) ; 31p NMR (CDC13)-1. 1; MS: calcd for C48H4909PNa 823.3, found m/z 823.3 (M + Na).

Dibenzyl- (2, 3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-a-D-allopyranosyl) phosphate (37).

Compound 36 (169 mg, 0.29 mmol) gave 70 mg the desired compound (30%) and 64 mg of the (3 isomer (28%). a isomer : 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.34-7.13 (m, 30H), 6.04 (dd, J = 3.6,7.1 Hz, 1H), 5.11-4.92 (m, 4H), 4.89 (d, J = 12. 0 Hz, 1H), 4.84 (d, J = 12.0 Hz, 1H), 4.75 (d, J = 11. 8 Hz, 1H), 4.59-4.37 (m, 6H), 4.23 (m, 1H), 3.73 (dd, J = 3. 0,10.0 Hz, 1H), 3.66 (dd, J= 2.5,10.0 Hz, 1H), 3.54 (m, 2H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 139.4,138.4, 138.3,137.9,136.5,136.4,128.9,128.8,128.7,128.7,128.5, 128.4,128.3,128.2,128.1,128.0,127.6,95.1,76.2,74.4, 73.9,73.3,71.8,69.6,69.2,68.7,68.6; 31P NMR (CDC13) 0.27; MS: calcd for C48H4909PNa 823.3, found m/z 823.3 (M + Na). isomer : 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.37-7.07 (m, 30H), 5.63 (t, J = 7.7 Hz, 1H), 5.00 (m, 4H), 4.79 (d, J 11. 9 Hz, 1H), 4.72 (d, J = 11.9 Hz, 1H), 4.63 (d, J = 11.9 Hz, 1H), 4.51 (d, J = 11.9 Hz, 1H), 4.46 (d, J = 12.1Hz, 1H), 4.36 (m, 3H), 4.09 (dd, J = 1. 4,9.7 Hz, 1H), 4.02 (s, 1H), 3.64 (dd, J = 3.7,11.0 Hz, 1H), 3.58 (dd, J = 1.5,11.0 Hz, 1H), 3.51 (dd, J = 2.3,9.8 Hz, 1H), 3.32 (dd, J = 2.3,7.9 Hz, 1H ;. 3lP NMR (CDC13) 0.76; MS: calcd for C48H4909PNa 823.3, found m/z 823.3 (M + Na).

General Phosphorylation Strategy (Method B: via glycosyl halide).

According to another embodiment, phosphorylation may take place in accordance with the present invention by the following reaction, which involves glycosyl halide. The glycosyl halide may be glycosyl halide prepared according to the methods described herein or glycosyl halide prepared by other methods.

According to this method, protected D-hexose is dissolved in acetic acid to which HBr in acetic acid was added dropwise at about 0°C. The reaction is allowed to warm to room temperature and stirred for about 1 M to about 2 hrs. The mixture is then diluted with cold CHC13, washed successively with cold saturated NaHC03 solution, H20 and brine, and the organics were dried over anhydrous Na2SO4 and concentrated.

The crude protected-a-D-pyranosyl bromide may be used directly without further purification. A mixture of dibenzyl phosphate, silver triflate, 2,4,6-collidine and activated 4 A molecular sieves in. dry CH2Cl2 is stirred at room temperature in the absence of light for about 1 hr. The mixture was then cooled to about-30°C to about-50°C, preferably about-40°C, to which a solution of the crude protected-a-D-pyranosyl bromide in dry CH2Cl2 is added in dropwise fashion. The reaction mixture is kept at substantially the same cool temperature for about 1 M to about 2 1/2 hrs, allowed to warm to room temperature and stirred, preferably overnight. The corresponding filtrate is preferably diluted with CH2Cl2, washed with saturated CUSO4, H2O, and brine, and the organics aree dried over anhydrous Na2SO4 and concentrated.

Purification yields substantially pure product.

Other conditions, steps, reagents, solutions and the like of the present method may be used in accordance with the present invention.

Suitably protected D-hexose (0.64 mmol) was dissolved in 5 mL acetic acid to which 5 mL 33% HBr in acetic acid was added dropwise at 0°C. The reaction was allowed to warm to room temperature and stirred for 2 hr. The mixture was then diluted with 100 mL cold CHC13, washed successively with cold saturated NAHCO3 solution (3 x 30 mL), H2O (30 mL) and brine (20 mL), and the organics were dried over anhydrous Na2SO4 and concentrated. The crude protected-a-D-pyranosyl bromide was used directly without further purification. A mixture of dibenzyl phosphate (1.80 mmol), silver triflate (1.80 mmol), 2,4,6-collidine (3.0 mmol) and 0.5 g activated 4 A molecular sieves in 10 mL dry CH2Cl2 was stirred at room temperature under argon atmosphere in the absence of light for 1 hr. The mixture was then cooled to-40°C to which a solution of the crude protected-a-D-pyranosyl bromide in 10 mL dry CH2Cl2 was added in dropwise fashion. The reaction mixture was kept at- 40°C for 2 hr, allowed to warm to room temperature and stirred overnight. The corresponding filtrate was diluted with 100 mL CH2Cl2, washed with saturated CuS04 (2 x 20 mL), H2O (20 mL) and brine (20 mL), and the organics were dried over anhydrous Na2SO4 and concentrated. Purification by silica gel chromatography (1: 1 hexanes/EtOAc) gave substantially pure product.

Dibenzyl- (2, 3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-a-D-altropyranosyl) phosphate (45).

Perbenzoylated D-altrose (44), (0.675 g, 0.96 mmol) gave 0.58 g substantially pure product (70% overall). [a] D = 40° (c = 1, CHC13), ;, 1H NMR (CDCl3) 8.05 (m, 6H), 7.82 (dd, J = 1. 2, 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.53-7.22 (m, 22H), 5.87 (m, 3H), 5. 38 (d, J = 3.1 Hz, 1H), 5.04 (m, 4H), 4.90 (dt, J = 3. 0,10.0 Hz, 1H), 4.58 (dd, J = 2. 4,12.3 Hz, 1H), 4.38 (dd, J = 3.9,12.3 Hz, 1H) - 13C NMR (CDCl3) 166.4,165.4,165. 3,164.8,135.7,134.3, 133.9,133.5,130.5,130.4,130.3,130.1,129.6,129.3,129.1, 129.0,128.9,128.8,128.4,128.3,70.2,70.1,70.0,69.5, 69.4,67.1,66.9,65.5,63.0; 31p NMR (CDC13)-0. 02; MS: calcd for C48H41Ol3NaP 879.2, found m/z 879.2 (M + Na).

Dibenzyl- (2, 3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-a-D-idopyranosyl) phosphate (49) Perbenzoylated D-idose (48), (0.32 g, 0.46 mmol) gave 270 mg substantially pure product. (69% overall). [a] D=11. 4° (c = 1, CHCl3) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 8.11-7.88 (m, 8H), 7.40-7.19 (m, 22H), 6.0 (d, J = 6.5 Hz, 1H), 5.68 (m, 1H), 5.46 (m, 1H), 5.22 (m, 1H), 5.07-5.01 (m, 5H), 4.60 (dd, J = 7.0,11.5 Hz, 1H), 4.53 (dd, J = 5.8,11.5 Hz, 1H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 166.0,165.1,164.7, 164.3,135.2,133.6,133.5,133.1,130.1,130.0,129.9,129.7, 129.6,129.4,128.9,128.6,128.5,128.4,128.3,128.2,127.9, 127.8,94.9,69.7,69.5,65.9,65.7,62.6; 31p NMR (CDC13) 0.1 ; MS: calcd for C48H41O13NaP 879.2, found m/z 879.1 (M + Na).

Dibenzyl- (2, 3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-a-D-talopyranosyl) phosphate (53).

Peracylated D-talose (52), (0.248 g, 0.636 mmol) gave 0.436 g substantially pure product (52% overall). [a] D = 40° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDCl3) 7.37 (m, 10 H), 5. 6 8 (dd, Lut = 1.3, 6.5 Hz, 1H), 5.31 (m, 1H), 5.20 (t, J = 3.7 Hz, 1H), 5. 11 (m, 4H), 5.04 (d, J = 3.0 Hz, 1H), 4.30 (dt, J = 1.3,6.8 Hz, 1H), 4.11 (dd, J = 11.3,6.7 Hz, 1H), 3.99 (dd, J = 11.3,6.7 Hz, 1H), 2.12 (s, 3H), 2.11 (s, 3H), 1.99 (s, 3H), 1.92 (s, 3H); 13C NMR (CDC13) 170.7,170.4,169.9,169.8, 135.7,135.6,135.5, 129.2,129.1,129.0,128.5,128.4,96.3,70.3,68.9,67.0, 65.6,64.9,61.7,21.1,21.0,20.9; 31p NMR (CDC13)-0. 18; HRMS (FAB) : calcd for C28H34O13P 609.1737, found m/z 609.1747 (M + H).

General Strategy for Final Deprotection and Conversion to the Sodium Salt.

Final Deprotection and Conversion to sodium salt may take place in accordance with the present invention by the following reaction.

According to this method, protected a-D-pyranosyl phosphate is dissolved in MeOH, NaHCO3 solution and 10% Pd/C are added. The'mixture is stirred overnight at room temperature under hydrogen atmosphere after which the catalyst is removed, preferably by filtration and the filtrate concentrated. The aqueous layer is preferably extracted, and then partitioned and submitted to an anion exchange column eluted with water, 0. 1M NH4HCO3, 0. 2M NH4HCO3 and 0.3M NH4HCO3.

The product eluted with 0.2 M NH4HC03 and these fractions are pooled and co-evaporated with ethanol, preferably several times to remove excess NH4HC03. The obtained sugar phosphate ammonium salt is subsequently dissolved in water and applied to a cation-exchange column (Na+ type) eluted with mL water.

The product containing fractions are collected and lyophilized to give the desired product as the sodium salt.

Other conditions, steps, reagents, solutions and the like of the present method may be used in accordance with the present invention.

In a typical reaction, the protected a-D-pyranosyl phosphate (0.5 mmol) was dissolved in 15 mL MeOH, 1.5 mL 1N NaHCO3 solution and 150 mg 10% Pd/C were added. The mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature under hydrogen atmosphere after which the catalyst was removed by filtration and the filtrate concentrated to approximately a 10 mL volume.

The aqueous layer was extracted with 10 mL of EtOAc, and then partitioned and submitted to an anion exchange column (Dowex 1 x 8,1.2 x 12 cm) eluted with 100 mL water, 100 mL 0.1 M NH4HCO3, 100 mL 0.2 M NH4HCO3 and 100 mL 0.3 M NH4HCO3. The product eluted with 0.2M NH4HCO3 and these fractions were pooled and co-evaporated with ethanol several times to remove excess NH4HCO3. The obtained sugar phosphate ammonium salt was subsequently dissolved in 5 mL water and applied to an AG-X8 cation-exchange column (Na+ type) eluted with 100 mL water.

The product containing fractions were collected and lyophilized to give the desired product as the sodium salt.

Disodium 6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (12).

Compound 11 (350 mg, 0.5 mmol) gave 85 mg (58%) of the desired sodium salt. 1H NMR (D2O) 5.37 (dd, 1H, J = 3.4,7.2 Hz), 3.98 (m, 1H), 3.70 (t, 1H, J = 9.5 Hz), 3.45 (m, 1H), 3.09 (t, 1H, J = 9.5 Hz), 1.24 (d, 1H, J = 6.2 Hz); 13C NMR (D2O) 93.74,75.78,73.3,72.9,68.2,17.2 ; 31P NMR (D20) 3.02; HRMS (FAB): calcd for C6H12O8P 243.0269, found m/z 243.0277 (M + H).

Disodium 4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (20).

Compound 19 (342 mg, 0.5mmol) gave 78 mg of the title compound (55%). 1H NMR (D2O) 5.49 (dd, 1H, J = 3. 4,7.32 Hz), 4.16 (m, 1H), 3.99 (m, 1H), 3.65 (dd, 1H, J = 3. 2,12.0 Hz), 3.55 (dd, 1H, J = 6.0,12.0 Hz), 3.41 (m, 1H), 1.99-1.95 (m, 1H), 1.44 (m, 1H) ; 13C NMR (D20) 95.1,73.8,69.5,67.4,64.0, 34.3; 31P NMR (D2O) 1.52; HRMS (FAB) : calcd for C6H1208P 243.0269, found m/z 243.0260 (M + H).

Disodium 3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (28).

Compound 27 (270 mg, 0.39 mmol) gave 65 mg title compound (58%) as a 2: 1 a/ß mixture. 1H NMR (D2O) 5.33 (dd, 1H, J = 3.2, 7.3 Hz), 3.92-3.50 (m, 5H), 3.46 (m, 1H), 2.33 (m, 0.43H), 2.12 (m, 1H), 1.81 (m, 1H), 1.54 (m, 0.43H) ; 31P NMR (D20) 3.39, 3.12; HRMS (FAB): calcd for C6H12O8P 243.0269, found m/z 243.0267 (M + H).

Disodium 2-deoxy- (x-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate (43).

Debenzylation of 41 (329 mg, 0.447 mmol) was accomplished using the general strategy described above.

After the filtrate was concentrated to approximately a 10 mL volume, the solution was cooled to 0°C and 1.5 mL 1N NaOH solution was added in dropwise manner. The mixture was then stirred at room temperature for 4 hr and subsequently neutralized with 1.0 N acetic acid. The final work-up was accomplished as described in the general strategy to give 69 mg title compound (53%). 1H NMR (D20) 5.53 (m, 1H), 4.01 (m, 1H), 3.88-3.84 (m, 3H), 3.72 (dd, 1H, J = 6. 2,12.7 Hz), 3.31 (t, 1H, J = 9.4 Hz), 2.19 (dd, 1H, J = 5.0,12.9 Hz), 1.66 (m, H); 31p NMR (D2O) 2.68; HRMS (FAB) : calcd for C6H1208P 243.0269, found m/z 243.0268 (M + H).

Disodium a-D-gulopyranosyl phosphate (33).

Compound 32 (35 mg, 0.044 mmol) gave 7.1 mg of the title compound (55%). 1H NMR (D2O) 5. 15 (dd, J = 3. 0,7,7 Hz, 1H), 4.04 (m, 2H), 3.79 (m, 2H), 3.64 (m, 2H) ; 13C NMR (D2O) 96.1, 75.3,71.6,70.2,70.0,62.2; 31p NMR (D2O) 2.9; HRMS (FAB) : calcd for C6H12OgP 259.0218, found m/z 259.0231 (M + H).

Disodium a-D-allopyranosyl phosphate (38).

Compound 37 (63 mg, 0.079 mmol) gave 18 mg substantially pure product (77%). 1H NMR (D2O) 5.44 (dd, J = 3.5,7.5 Hz, 1H), 4.14 (m, 1H), 4.00 (m, 1H), 3.90 (dd, J = 1. 9,12.3 Hz, 1H), 3.76 (m, 2H), 3.65 (dd, J = 3. 0,10.4 Hz, 1H) ; 13C NMR (D20) 95.8,75.1,72.6,71.8,68.1,62.6.; 31p NMR (D2O) 2.39; HRMS (FAB) : calcd for C6H12O9P 259.0218, found m/z 259.0217 (M + H).

Disodium α-D-altropyranosyl phosphate (47).

Using the strategy described for 43, compound 45 (260 mg, 0.3 mmol) gave 62 mg of the desired sodium salt (67% overall).

H NMR (D2O) 5.29 (d, J = 8. 4 Hz, 1H), 4.14 (m, 1H), 3.98 (m, 1H), 3.94 (t, J = 3.5 Hz, 1H), 3.90 (dd, J = 2.4,12.3 Hz, 1H), 3.82 (dd, J = 3.5,12.4 Hz, 1H), 3.77 (dd, J = 6.5,12.3 Hz, 1H) ; 13C NMR (D2O) 94.9,70.6,70.5,70.0,64.8,61.4; 31P NMR (D2O) 2.05; HRMS (FAB) : calcd for C6H12OgP 259.0218, found m/z 259.0211 (M + H).

Disodium a-D-idopyranosyl phosphate (51).

Using the strategy described for 43, compound 49 (213 mg, 0.25 mmol) gave 61 mg of the title compound (62% overall). 1H NMR (D20) 5.14 (dd, J = 3.5,7.7 Hz, 1H), 4.24 (m, 1H), 3.85 (dd, J = 8.9,12.3 Hz, 1H), 3.75 (m, 2H), 3.60 (t, J = 5.0 Hz, 1H), 3.32 (m, 1H) ; 13C NMR (D2O) 99.1,75.8,75.5,74.1,63.9, 53.2; 31p NMR (CDC13) 2.98; HRMS (FAB) : calcd for for C6H120gP 259.0218, found m/z 259.0208 (M + H).

Disodium a-D-talopyranosyl phosphate (55).

Using the strategy described for 43, compound 53 (436 mg, 0.72 mmol) gave 157 mg of the title compound (72%). 1H NMR (D2O) 5.48 (d, J = 8.2 Hz, 1H), 4.11 (m, 1H), 3.98 (t, J = 3.2, 1H), 3.92 (m, 1H), 3.88 (m, 1H), 3. 82 (dd, J = 11.1,7.7 Hz, 1H), 3.75 (dd, J = 11.7,4.4 Hz, 1H), 3.19 (q, J = 7.3 Hz, 10 H), 1.28 (t, J = 7.4,15H) ; 13C NMR (D2O) : 94.1,70.2,68.8, 67.6,62.8,59.6 ; 31P NMR (D20) 0.52; HRMS (FAB) : calcd for 6H12O9P 259.0218, found m/z 259.0209 (M + H).

The following compounds were prepared, preferably according to the methods described herein.

(58) Thymidine 5'-(α-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) calc for C16H25O16N2P2 563.0705; found m/z 563.0679 (M +' H).

(59) Uridine 5'-(α-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB): calc for C14H23017N2P2 565.0507; found m/z 565. 0472 (M + H).

(60) Thymidine 5'- (2-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate).

HRMS (FAB) calc for C16H25Ol5N2P2 547. 0704; found m/z 547.0714 (M + H).

(61) Uridine 5'-(2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate).

HRMS (FAB) : calc C14H23O16N2P2 549.0506; found m/z 549.0510 (M + H).

(62) Thymidine 5'- (3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate).

HRMS (FAB) calc for C16H25O15N2P2 547.0704; found m/z 547.0720 (M + H).

(63) Uridine 5'- (3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate).

HRMS (FAB) : calc C14H23016N2P2 549.0506; found m/z 549.0485 (M + H).

(64) Thymidine 5'- (4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate).

HRMS (FAB) calc for C16H25O15N2P2 547. 0704; found m/z 547.0693 (M + H).

(65) Uridine 5'- (4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate).

HRMS (FAB): calc C14H23O16N2P2 549.0506; found m/z 549.0500 (M + H).

(66) Thymidine 5'- (6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate).

HRMS (FAB) calc for C16H25O15N2P2 547. 0704; found m/z 547.0730 (M + H).

(67) Uridine 5'- (6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate).

HRMS (FAB)-calc C14H23Ol6N2P2 549.0506; found m/z 549.0492 (M + H).

(68) Thymidine 5'- (a-D-mannopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563.0701 (M + H).

(69) Uridine 5'- (a-D-mannopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB): calc 565. 0507; found mlz 565.0503 (M + H).

(70) Thymidine 5'- (a-D-galactopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563.0710 (M + H).

(71) Uridine 5'- (a-D-galactopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB): calc 565.0507; found m/z 565.0508 (M + H).

(72) Thymidine 5- (a-D-allopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563.0715 (M + H).

(73) Uridine 5'-(α-D-allopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB): calc 565.0507; found m/z 565.0507 (M + H).

(74) Thymidine 5'- (a-D-altropyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563.0699 (M + H).

(75) Uridine 5'-(α-D-altropyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB): calc 565.0507; found m/z 565.0511 (M + H).

(76) Thymidine 5'-(α-D-gulopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563.00712 (M + H).

(77) Uridine 5'- (a-D-gulopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB): calc 565.0507; found m/z 565.0512 (M + H).

(78) Thymidine 51- (a-D-idopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563.0708 (M + H).

(79) Uridine 5'-(a-D-idopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc 565.0507; found m/z 565.0507 (M + H).

(80) Thymidine 5'- (a-D-talopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) calc 563.0705; found m/z 563. 0710 (M + H).

(81) Uridine 5'- (a-D-talopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc 565.0507; found m/z 565.0499 (M + H).

Enzyme Purification.

E. coli-prfbA-C (from Professor Hung-wen Liu (Dept. of Chem., Univ. of MN)) was grown in 2 L superbroth, 100 ig mL-1 ampicillin divided among two 4 L baffled flasks for 18 hours at 37°C. Cells were harvested by centrifugation (5000 x g, 20 min, 4°C), washed twice with buffer A (50 mM potassium phosphate buffer, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.5), resuspended in buffer A (4 x weight) and split into two equal volumes. Each was sonicated by three 40 second bursts at 0°C followed by centrifugation (4400 x g, 20 min, 4°C) to remove cellular debris and a further 1.3-fold dilution of the supernatant with buffer A. To the combined supernatant (167 mL) was added 31.5 mL 5% streptomycin sulfate in a dropwise fashion followed by gentle stirring (1 hr, 4°C) and centrifugation (14,000 x g, 30 min, 4°C) to remove precipitate. The supernatant was diluted (0.1-fold 1M potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.5) followed by the slow addition of ammonium sulfate crystals to 65% saturation, gentle stirring (7.5 hr, 4°C) and centrifugation (4200 x g, 30 min, 4°C). The precipitated protein was dissolved in a minimum amount of buffer A and dialyzed against buffer B (20 mM Tris'HCl, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.5). The dialysate was applied to a column of DE52 (3 cm x 15 cm) which was washed with 50 mL buffer B and then eluted with a linear gradient (buffer B, 0-500 mM NaCl, 1.0 mL min'1). The Ep fractions (which eluted in the range of 35-75 mM NaCl) were combined (24 mL) and concentrated to 1 mL. Aliquots (300 uL) were further resolved by FPLC (S-200,20 x 70 cm, 50 mM Tris HCl, 200 mM NaCl, pH 7.5). The Ep fractions were combined (7 mL), concentrated (64 mg mol--) and stored in aliquots (5, 20, and 200 uL) at-80°C until their use.

General Methods.

Infrared spectra were recorded on a Perkin Elmer 1600 series FTIR spectrophotometer. 1H NMR spectra were obtained on a Bruker AMX 400 (400 MHz) and are reported in parts per million (6) relative to either tetramethylsilane (0.00 ppm) or CDC13 (7.25 ppm) for spectra run in CDC13 or relative to D2O (4.82 ppm) or CD30D (3.35 ppm) for spectra run in D2O. Coupling constants (J) are reported in hertz. 13C NMR are reported in 5 relative to CDC13 (77.00 ppm) or CD30D (49.05 ppm) as an internal reference and 31p NMR spectra are reported in 5 relative to H3PO4 (0.00 ppm in D2O). Routine mass spectra were recorded on a PE SCIEX API 100 LC/MS mass spectrometer and HRMS was accomplished by the University of California, Riverside Mass Spectrometry Facility. Optical rotations were recorded on a Jasco DIP-370 polarimeter using a 1.0 dm cell at the room temperature (25°C) and the reported concentrations.

Melting points were measured with Electrothermal 1A-9100 digital melting bpoint instrument. Chemicals used were reagent grade and used as supplied except where noted.

Analytical TLC was performed on Whatman AL Sil G/W silica gel 60 plates. Compounds were visualized by spraying I2/KI/H2SO4 or by dipping the plates in a cerium sulfate-ammonium molybdate solution followed by heating. Liquid column chromatography was performed using forced flow of the indicated solvent on E.

Merck silica gel 60 (40-63 urn) and high pressure liquid chromatography was performed on a RAININ Dynamax SD-200 controlled with Dynamax HPLC software.

Although the above methods of IR, NMR, Mass Spec, and HRMS were those used in these examples of the present invention, as indicated above, it would be known. to those skilled in the art that other instruments, conditions, types of techniques, and the like may be used for visualization of compounds, to identify compounds and determine their concentrations and purity.

General Strategy for Azide Formation.

Azides in accordance with the present invention may be formed according to the following method. Protected glycoside is dissolved in CH2C12. The mixture is cooled to about 0°C and pyridine and (CF3SO2) 2O are added. The reaction was stirred for approximately 30 min at about 0°C and then diluted with CH2Cl2.

The organics were washed with water, dried over Na, S04 and concentrated. The resulting crude residue was dissolved, preferably in anhydrous DMF, to which was added NaN3. The reaction was subsequently stirred, preferably overnight, at room temperature and then diluted with EtOAc. The organics were washed with water, dried over Na2SO4 and concentrated.

Preferably, product purification was accomplished by flash chromatography.

Other conditions, reagents, solutions and the like of the present method, or other methods known to those skilled in the art may be used in accordance with the present invention.

In a typical reaction, the appropriately protected glycoside (2.1 mmol) was dissolved in 10 mL of CH2Cl3. The mixture was cooled to 0°C to which was added pyridine (6.3 mmol) and (CF3SO2) 20 (3. 2 mmol). The reaction was stirred 30 min at 0°C and then diluted with CH2Cl2 (150 mL). The organics were washed with water (30 mL), dried over Na, S04 and concentrated. The resulting crude residue was dissolved in 10 mL anhydrous DMF, to which was added NaN3 (407 mg, 6.3 mmol).

The reaction was subsequently stirred overnight at room temperature and then diluted with EtOAc (250 mL). The organics were washed with water (2 x 30 mL), dried over Na, S04 and concentrated. Product purification was accomplished by flash chromatography (4: 1 hexane/EtOAc).

Ethyl 4-azide-2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-4-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D- glucopyranoside (Fig. 3 (b) (94)).

Compound (AGCH) 93 (310 mg, 0.63 mmol) 8 gave 285 mg (88 %) desired product. [α]D = 62.3° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.40-7.31 (m, 15H), 4.94 (d, 1H, J = 9. 5 Hz), 4.92 (d, 1H, J = 10.3 Hz), 4.84 (d, 1H, J = 10.6 Hz), 4.73 (d, 1H, J = 10.3 Hz), 4.64 (d, 1H, J = 12.0 Hz), 4.56 (d, 1H, J = 12.0 Hz), 4.44 (d, 1H, J = 9.6 Hz), 3.77 (dd, 1H, J = 1.8,10.9 Hz), 3.71-3.62 (m, 2H), 3.54 (t, 1H, J = 9.4 Hz), 3.45 (t, 1H, J = 9.8 Hz), 3.3 (m, 1H), 2.84-2.69 (m, 2H), 1.33 (t, 3H, J = 7.4 Hz) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 137.8,137.6,128.3,128.2,128.1,128.0, 127.8,127.7,127.5,85.0,84.6,81.3,77.8,75.5,75.3,73.3, 69.1,61.9,24.8,15.0 ; MS: calcd for C29H33N304SNa 542.2, found m/z 542.0 (M + Na).

Ethyl 4-azide-3-O-benzoyl-2-O-benzyl-4, 6-dideoxy-1-thio-ß-D- glucopyranoside (Fig. 3 (b) (106)).

Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (105)) gave 0.78 g (87. 4 %) substantially pure product. [a] D= 38° (c = 1, CHC3) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 8.03 (d, 2H, J = 8.2 Hz), 7.60 (m, 1H), 7.47 (t, 2H, J = 7.5 Hz), 7.30 (s, 2H), 7.12 (m, 3H), 5.43 (t, 1H, J = 9.8 Hz), 4.80 (d, 1H, J = 10. 7 Hz), 4.34 (m, 2H), 3.54 (t, 1H, J = 9.5 Hz), 3.44 (m, 1H), 3.32 (t, 1H, J = 9. 9 Hz), 2.79 (m, 2H), 1.42 (d, 3H, J = 6.0 Hz), 1.34 (t, 3H, J = 7.4 Hz) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 165.9,137.5,133.8,130.2,129.8,128.9,128.7,128.6, 128.2,85.4,79.6,77.7,76.7,75.4,75.1,66.7,25.7,19.0, 15.4; MS: calcd for C22H25N3O4SNa 450.1, found m/z 450.0 (M + Na).

Ethyl 3-O-benzoyl-2-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D- galactopyranoside (Fig. 3 (b) (105)).

Ethyl 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-6-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D- galactopyranoside (Fig. 3 (b) (104)), 2.72 g, 8.14 mmol) was dissolved in 30 mL MeOH to which 1.2 mL 25% sodium methoxide was added. From this reaction, 1.58 g (93.3 %) ethyl 6-deoxy- 1-thio-ß-D-glactopyranoside was obtained after purification which was combined with TsOH (140 mg, 0.73 mmol) and 2,2- dimethoxypropane (1.9 mL, 15.4 mmol) in 15 mL anhydrous DMF.

The reaction was stirred overnight at room temperature, diluted with 200 mL EtOAc and washed successively with saturated NaHC03 solution (50 mL) and water (30 mL). The organics were dried over Na2 SO4 and purified via silica gel chromatography (3: 1 hexane/EtOAc) to afford 1.73 g (86 %) of purified ethyl 6-deoxy-3,4-O-isopropylidene-1-thio-a-D- galactopyranoside. [a] D = 11.9° (c = 1, CHCl3) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 4.19 (d, 1H, J =10. 2 Hz), 4.01 (m, 2H), 3.84 (dq, 1H, J = 1. 7, 13.1 Hz), 3.50 (dd, 1H, J = 6.2,10.2 Hz), 2.71 (m, 2H), 1.59 (s, 3H), 1.37 (d, 3H, J = 6. 6 Hz), 1.33 (s, 3H), 1.28 (t, 3H, J = 7. 5 Hz) ; 13C NMR (CDC1,) 110.2,85.5,79.5,76.8.73.2, 72.3,28.6,26.7,24.6,17.2,15.6; MS: calcd for C11H20O4SNa 271.1, found m/z 270.9 (M + Na).

The obtained ethyl 6-deoxy-3,4-O-isopropylidene-l-thio-a- D-galactopyranoside (1.50 g, 6.0 mmol) was combined with of 60% sodium hydride (0.36 g, 9 mmol) and benzyl bromide (1.44 mL, 12.1 mmol) in 20 mL dry DMF. The reaction was stirred overnight and 1.7 g (83 %) ethyl 2-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-3, 4-O- isopropylidene-1-thio-a-D-galactopyranoside was obtained after the typical work up and purification. [α]D = -2.8° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.35 (d, 2H, J = 7.1 Hz), 7.25 (t, 2H, J = 7. 1 Hz), 7.09 (m, 1H), 4.77 (d, 1H, J = 11.4 Hz), 4.69 (d, 1H, J = 11.4 Hz), 4.31 (d, 1H, J = 9.8 Hz), 4.11 (m, 1H), 3.96 (dd, 1H, J = 2.0,15.6 Hz), 3.73 (m, 1H), 3.36 (dd, 1H, J = 6.7,19.8 Hz), 2.64 (m, 2H), 1.42 (s, 3H), 1.29 (d, 3H, J = 6.6 Hz), 1.27 (s, 3H), 1.22 (t, 3H, J = 7.4 Hz) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 137.9,128.3,128.2,127.6,109.5,83.3 ; 79.7,78.0,76.5, 73.4,72.4,28.0,26.4,24.4,16.8,14.8; MS: calcd for Cl8H2604SNa 361. 1, found m/z 361. 0 (M + Na).

The obtained ethyl 2-0-benzyl-6-deoxy-3, 4-O- isopropylidene-l-thio- (3-D-galactopyranoside (1.82 g, 5.38 mmol) was dissolved in a mixture solution including 15 mL 0.5M HC1 and 45 mL MeOH and the mixture was subsequently refluxed for 30 min. The reaction was cooled to room temperature, neutralized with solid NaHCO3, and the resulting mixture concentrated. The concentrate was diluted with EtOAc (250 mL), washed with water (2 x 20 mL) and brine (20 mL), dried over Na2SO4 and purified by flash chromatography (1: 1 hexane/EtOAc) to give 1.51 g (94 %) substantially pure ethyl 2-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D-galactopyranoside. [α]D = 8.4° (c = 1, CHC13) ; lH NMR (CDC13) 7.42-7.29 (m, 5H), 4.97 (d, 1H, J = 11.0 Hz), 4.67 (d, 1H, J = 11.0 Hz), 4. 40 (d, 1H, J = 9.6 Hz), 3.75 (m, 1H), 3.61 (m, 2H), 3.45 (t, 1H, J = 9.3 Hz), 2.78 (m, 2H), 2.48 (d, 1H, J = 5.0 Hz), 2.14 (d, 1H, J = 5.0 Hz), 1.32 (m, 6H); 13C NMR (CDC13) 138.5,129.0,128.7,128.5, 85.1,79.3,77.6,75.7,75.6,74.8,72.2,25.4,16.9,15.4; MS: calcd for C15H22O4SNa 321.1, found m/z 321.0 (M + Na).

To a solution of ethyl 2-0-benzyl-6-deoxy-l-thio- (3-D- galactopyranoside (1.03 g, 3.45 mmol) and DMAP (126 mg, 1.0 mmol) in 10 mL of dry CH2Cl2 at-30°C was added Et3N (1.92 mL, 13.8 mmol). Benzoyl chloride (0.4 mL, 3.45 mmol) was added to this mixture in a dropwise fashion, and the stirred at-30°C for 3 hr. The reaction was then quenched by the addition of MeOH (2 mL) and the mixture was gradually warmed to room temperature after which the resulting mixture was diluted with EtOAc (250 mL). The solution was washed with saturated NaHCO3 solution (2 x 20 mL), water (30 mL), dried over Na2SO4, concentrated and purified by flash chromatography (3: 1 to 1: 1 hexane/EtOAc) to give 1.12 g (80%) of the title product. [a] D = 96.9° (c 1, CHC13) ;'H NMR (CDC13) 8.09-8.03 (m, 2H), 7.56 (t, 1H, J = 7. 4 Hz), 7.49 (m, 2H), 7.22 (m, 2H), 7.18 (m, 3H), 5.28 (dd, 1H, J = 3.0,9.6 Hz), 4.87 (d, 1H, J = 10.6 Hz), 4.67 (d, 1H, J = 10.6 Hz), 4.56 (d, 1H, J = 9.7 Hz), 4.12 (m, 1H), 3.85 (t, 1H, J = 9.8 Hz), 3.80 (m, 1H), 2.81 (m, 2H), 1.93 (d, 1H, J = 6.7 Hz), 1.36 (m, 6H); 13C NMR (CDCl3) 166. 2,138.0, 133.7,130.2,130.1,128.9,128.7,128.6,128.2,85.7,78.1, 77.6,76.5,76.0,74.7,70.9,25.6,16.9,15.4; MS: calcd for C22H26O5SNa 425.1, found m/z 425.2 (M + Na).

Strategy for Formation of Protected Ethyl 1-thio-ß-D- hexopyranosides.

Ethyl 1-thio--D-hexopyranosides may be generally formed as set forth above. The following method is another exemplary embodiment of such method used in accordance with the present invention. In a typical reaction, a mixture of 4.0 mmol protected monosaccharide, 1.5 mL (ethylthio) trimethylsilane (8.0 mmol) and 1.95 g zinc iodide (7.8 mmol) in 30 mL dry dichloromethane was refluxed for 30 min under argon atmosphere. The reaction was then cooled, 50 mL water was added after which the mixture was extracted with chloroform (3 x 50 mL). The combined organic extracts were washed successively with water (30 mL), saturated NaHC03 solution (30 . mL) and brine (30 mL). The organics were dried over Na, S04, concentrated and resolved by silica gel chromatography (2: 1 hexanes/EtOAc) to give the desired product.

Again, variations of this method may be made in accordance with the present invention, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art.

Ethyl 2,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-3-azide-3-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D- glucopyranoside (Fig. 3 (b) (99)).

Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (99)) (1.5 g, 4.0 mmol) gave 1.26 g (83.5 %) title compound. [a] D =-49. 4° (c = 0.5, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 4.95 (m, 2H), 4.43 (d, 1H, J = 9.9 Hz), 4.19 (dd, 1H, J = 4. 1,12.4 Hz), 4.09 (m, 1H), 3.65 (m, 2H), 2.68 (m, 2H), 2.12 (s, 3H), 2.10 (s, 3H), 1.24 (t, 3H, J = 7.5 Hz), 2.06 (s, 3H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 171.0,169.6,169.6,84.2,76.8,70.3, 68.7,66.1,62.6,24.4,21.2,21.1,21.0,15.1; MS: calcd for C14H2lN307SNa 398.1, found m/z 397.9 (M + Na).

Ethyl 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-6-azide-6-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D- glucopyranoside (Fig. 3 (b) (88)).

Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (87)) (680 mg, 1.8 mmol) 6 gave 590 mg (86 %) of the desired title compound. [α]D = -17.° (c = 1, CHCl3) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 5.23 (t, 1H, J = 9.4 Hz), 5.02 (m, 2H), 4.54 (d, 1H, J = 10.0 Hz), 3.62 (m, 1H), 3.37 (dd, 1H, J = 6.5,13.5 Hz), 3.30 (dd, 1H, J-= 2.8, 13 : 5 Hz), 2.73 (m, 2H), 2.07 (s, 3H), 2.04 (s, 3H), 2.02 (s, 3H), 1.28 (t, 3H, J = 7.4 Hz); 13C NMR (CDC13) 170.0,169.4,169.2,83.0,77.2,73.6, 69.7,69.3,51.0,23.6,20.6,20.5,14.6. MS: calcd for Ci4HziN307SNa 398.1, found m/z 397.5 (M + Na).

Ethyl 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-6-deoxy-1-thio- (3-D-galactopyranoside (Fig. 3 (b) (104)).

Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (103)) (6.1 mmol) gave 1.73 g (83 %) of the substantially pure product. [a] D=-17. 5° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 5.28 (d, 1H, J = 3.3 Hz), 5.22 (t, 1H, J = 9.9 Hz), 5.05 (dd, 1H, J = 3.4,9.9 Hz), 4.46 (d, 1H, J = 9.9 Hz), 3.82 (dd, 1H, J = 6.4,12.8 Hz), 2.74 (m, 2H), 2.17 (s, 3H), 2.06 (s, 3H), 1.98 (s, 3H), 1.28 (t, 3H, J = 7.4 Hz), 1.22 (d, 3H, J = 6.4 Hz); 13C NMR (CDC13) 171.0,170.6,170.1, 83.9,77.6,73.6,72.7,70.8,67.7,24.5,21.3,21.1,21.0, 16.8,15.1; MS: calcd for Cl4H2207SNa 357.1, found m/z 356.6 (M + Na).

General Strategy for O-Acetyl to O-Benzyl Conversion.

O-Acetyl may be converted to O-Benzyl according to the following method or other methods known to those skilled in the art. Protected ethyl 1-thio-ß-D-hexopyranoside was dissolved in dry MeOH and toluene to which a sodium methoxide solution is added. The mixture was stirred for about 2 M to about 3 hrs. at room temperature and neutralized. The organics are then concentrated and the corresponding crude unprotected 1-ethylthio-ß-D-glucopyranoside directly dissolved in dry DMF. To this mixture NaH and benzyl bromide is added.

The reaction is stirred at room temperature, preferably overnight. The mixture was then diluted with EtOAc, washed with H20, brine and organics, dried, concentrated, and purified to give the purified product.

Other conditions, reagents, solutions and the like of the present method, or other methods known to those skilled in the art may be used in accordance with the present invention.

In a typical reaction, 2.8 mmol of protected ethyl 1- thio-ß-D-hexopyranoside was dissolved in 20 mL dry MeOH and 5 mL toluene to which 0.5 mL of a sodium methoxide solution (25% NaOMe in methanol) was added. The mixture was stirred for 3 hr at room temperature and neutralized with DOWEX 50W X8-100 resin. The organics were concentrated and the corresponding crude unprotected 1-ethylthio-ß-D-glucopyranoside directly dissolved in 15 mL dry DMF. To this mixture 330 mg 60% NaH (8.25 mmol) and 1.6 mL benzyl bromide was added. The reaction was stirred at room temperature overnight. The mixture was then diluted with 200 mL EtOAc, washed with H2O (2 x 30 mL), brine (30 mL) and the organics dried over Na2SO4, concentrated and purified by silica gel chromatography (8: 1 hexane/EtOAc) to give the purified product.

Ethyl 3-azide-2,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-3-deoxy-1-thio-ß-D- glucopyranoside (Fig. 3 (b) (100)).

Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (99)) (1.05 g, 2.8 mmol) gave 1.03 g (71 %) of the desired title compound. [a] D=-13. 6° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.36-7.28 (m, 15H), 4.90 (d, 1H, J = 10. 1 Hz), 4.79 (d, 1H, J = 10.6 Hz), 4.74 (d, 1H, J = 10.1 Hz), 4.60 (d, 1H, J = 12. 1 Hz), 4.54-4.47 (m, 2H), 4.43 (d, 1H, J = 9.6 Hz), 3.70 (m, 1H), 3.57 (t, 1H, J = 9. 1 Hz), 3.45 (m, 2H), 3.26 (t, 1H, J = 9.5 Hz), 2.75 (m, 2H), 1.32 (t, 1H, J = 7.3 Hz) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 138.4,137.9,137.8,129.5,129.2,129.1, 128. 9,128.8,128.7,128.6,128.5,128.4,128.3,128.2,128.1, 128.0,127.7,85.7,80.4,79.7,76.7,75.8,75.3,73.9,72.5, 71.0,69.1,25.6,15.6; MS: calcd for C29H33N304SNa 542. 2, found m/z 542.0 (M + Na).

Ethyl 6-azide-2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-1-thio- (3-D- glucopyranoside (Fig. 3 (b) (89)).

Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (88)) (560 mg, 1.5 mmol) gave 645 mg (85 %) of the desired product. [a] D=7.9° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.32-7.16 (m, 15H), 4.87 (d, 1H, J = 10. 9 Hz), 4.86 (d, 1H, J = 10.2 Hz), 4.79 (d, 1H, J = 11.2 Hz), 4.76 (d, 1H, J = 11.0 Hz), 4.66 (d, 1H, J = 10.2 Hz), 4.50 (d, 1H, J = 11.0 Hz), 4.43 (d, 1H, J = 9.8 Hz), 3.62 (m, 1H), 3.43-3. 35 (m, 4H), 3.24 (dd, 1H, J = 6.0,13.1 Hz), 2.72 (m, 2H), 1.26 (t, 3H, J = 1.5 Hz) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 138.2,137.7,137.5,128.5, 128.4,128.3,128.2,128.0,127.8,127.7,86.3,84.6,81.5, 78.4,78.2,75.7,75.4,75.1,51.3,24.4,14.9; MS: calcd for C29H33N304SNa 542.2, found m/z 541.9 (M + Na).

General Strategy for Conversion of Azides to Acetamides.

Azides may be converted to Acetamides according to the following method or other methods known to those skilled in the art. Benzyl-protected ethyl 1-thio-ß-D-azidodeoxy- hexopyranoside and SnCl2 are combined in acetonitrile. To this mixture thiophenol and Et3N are added and the reaction is stirred for about M to about 1 M hr at room temperature. The mixture is then diluted with EtOAc and washed, preferably with 2N NaOH, water, and brine. The organics are dried, preferably over Na2SO4, concentrated to dryness and the crude residue dissolved in dry pyridine. To this mixture 2 mL acetic anhydride is added and the reaction stirred, preferably overnight, at room temperature. The reaction is concentrated and purified directly by silica gel chromatography (3: 2 to 1: 1 hexane/EtOAc) to give the purified product.

Other conditions, reagents, solutions and the like of the present method, or other methods known to those skilled in the art may be used in accordance with the present invention.

In a typical reaction, benzyl-protected ethyl 1-thio--D- azidodeoxyhexopyranoside (2.8 mmol) and SnCl2 (1.73 mmol) were combined in 10 mL of acetonitrile. To this mixture thiophenol (6.9 mmol) and Et3N (5.2 mmol) were added and the reaction was stirred for 1 hr at room temperature under argon atmosphere.

The mixture was then diluted with EtOAc (150 mL) and washed with 2N NaOH (2 x 2 mL), water (20 mL) and brine (30 mL). The organics were dried over Na2SO4, concentrated to dryness and the crude residue dissolved in 10 mL dry pyridine. To this mixture 2 mL acetic anhydride was added and the reaction stirred overnight at room temperature. The reaction was concentrated and purified directly by silica gel chromatography (3: 2 to 1: 1 hexane/EtOAc) to give the purified product.

Ethyl 3-acetamido-2, 4, 6-tri-O-benzyl-3-deoxy-l-thio-P-D- glucopyranoside (Fig. 3 (b) (101)).

Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (100)) (600 mg, 1.15 mmol) gave 523 mg (85 %) of the desired product. [a] D =-5. 4° (c = 1, CHC13) ; IH NMR (CDC13) 7.27-7.17 (m, 15H), 5.57 (d, 1H, J = 8.6 Hz), 4.73 (d, 1H, J = 11.2 Hz), 4.55-4.39 (m, 5H), 3.97 (dd, 1H, J = 8.3,16.5 Hz), 3.66 (m, 2H), 3.58 (dd, 1H, J = 4.1,10.8 Hz), 3.50 (m, 1H), 3.44 (t, 1H, J = 8.4 Hz), 2.71 (m, 2H), 1.60 (s, 3H), 1.24 (t, 3H, J = 7. 4 Hz) ; l3C NMR (CDC13) 170.0, 137.9,137.8,137.7,128.7,128.3,128.2,128.0,127.9,127.7, 127. 6,85.3,80.1,78.8,75.4,73.7,73.5,73.1,69.4,55.7, 25.2,23.4,15.0; MS: calcd for C3iH37NOsSNa 558. 2, found m/z 558.0 (M + Na).

Ethyl 4-acetamido-2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-4-deoxy-1-thio- (3-D- glucopyranoside (Fig. 3 (b) (95)).

Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (94)) (640 mg, 1.23 mmol) gave 530 mg desired product (80 %). [a] D =-36. 6° (c = 0.5, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.32-7.10 (m, 15H), 5.13 (br, 1H), 4.85 (d, 1H, J = 10.2 Hz), 4.75 (d, 1H, J = 11.7 Hz), 4.70 (d, 1H, J = 10.7 Hz), 4.64 (d, 1H, J = 10.2 Hz), 4.43 (m, 3H), 3.64-3.47 (m, 5H), 3.37 (m, 1H), 2.67 (m, 2H), 1.61 (s, 3H), 1.25 (t, 3H, J = 7.4 Hz); 13C NMR (CDCl3) 170.3,138.3,138.0,137.8,128.5, 128.3,128.2,128.1,127.8,127.7,127.6,84.9,82.1,81.7, 78.1,75.3,74.7,73.4,70.0,52.6,24.9,23.3,15.1 ; MS: calcd for C31H37NO5SNa 558.2, found m/z 557. 9 (M + Na).

Ethyl 6-acetamido-2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-1-thio- (3-D- glucopyranoside (Fig. 3 (b) (90)).

Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (89)) (502 mg, 0.97 mmol) gave 450 mg desired product (87 %). [a] D =-20. 4° (c = 1.0, CHCl3) ; 1H NMR (CDCl3) 7.51-7.23 (m, 15H), 5.87 (d, 1H, J = 4.6 Hz), 4.99- 4.78 (m, 4H), 4.73 (d, 1H, J = 10.2 Hz), 4.63 (d, 1H, J = 10.4 Hz), 4.45 (d, 1H, J = 9.8 Hz), 3.70-3.60 (m, 2H), 3.52 (m, 1H), 3.41-3.34 (m, 3H), 2.74 (m, 2H), 1.95 (s, 3H), 1.32 (t, 3H, J = 7.4 Hz) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 169.8,138.1,137.6,137.5, 128.4,128.3,128.2,128.1,127.9,127.8,127.6,86.2,85.1, 81.5,78.5,77.1,75.6,75.4,75.1,39.9,25.2,23.1,15.1; MS: calcd for C31H37NO5SNa 558.2, found m/z 558.2 (M + Na).

Phosphorylation Procedure.

As set forth in the methods above, phosphorylation according to the present invention may occur via a protected ethyl 1-thio--D-hexopyranoside. The following method is another exemplary embodiment of such method used in accordance with the present invention.

In a typical reaction, 1.13 mmol protected ethyl 1-thio- P-D-hexopyranoside and 1.7 mmol dibenzyl phosphate were co- evaporated two times from dry toluene and further dried under high vacuum for 4 hr to which 1.36 mmol of N-iodosuccinamide and 500 mg of dry molecular sieves were added. The mixture was then dissolved in 10 mL dry dichloromethane, cooled to-30°C and 30pL of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (0.34 mmol) was added. The reaction was maintained at-30°C for 30 min with stirring and then diluted with EtOAc (150 mL), washed with saturated Na2S203 (20 mL), saturated NaHCO3 (20 mL), H2O (20mL), and brine (30 mL). The organics were dried over Na2SO4, filtered, concentrated and purified by chromatography on silica gel (3: 1 hexane/EtOAc) to give the desired product.

Again, variations of this method may be made in accordance with the present invention, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art.

Dibenzyl- (3-azide-2, 4,6-tri-O-benzyl-3-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate (Fig. 3 (b) (lOOa)).

Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (100)) (590 mg, 1.55 mmol) gave 700 mg (84 %) of the title compound. [α]D = 57.8° (c = 1, CHC13) ; lH NMR (CDC13) 7.45-7.27 (m, 25H), 5.99 (dd, 1H, J = 3.2,6.8 Hz), 5.11-5.05 (m, 4H), 4.84 (d, 1H, J = 10.6 Hz), 4.82 (d, 1H, J = 11.4 Hz), 4.72 (d, 1H, J = 11.5 Hz), 4.60 (d, 1H, J = 12.0 Hz), 4.49 (d, 1H, J = 10.7 Hz), 4.46 (d, 1H, J = 12.1 Hz), 3.84 (m, 2H), 3.68 (dd, 1H, J = 3. 0,10.9 Hz), 3.57 (t, 1H, J = 9.8 Hz), 3.48 (m, 2H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 137.9,137.6, 137. 4, 136. 2,136.1,136.0,129.0,128.9,128.7,128.6,128.5, 128.4,128.3,128.1,128.0,94.9,77.4,76.1,75.7,75.3, 74.0,73.2,72.4,69.9,69.8,69.7,69.6,67.9,65.2; 31p NMR (CDC13) 0.82; MS: calcd for C4lH42N308PNa 758.2, found m/z 758.2 (M + Na).

Dibenzyl- (3-acetamido-2, 4,6-tri-O-benzyl-3-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate (Fig. 3 (b) (101A)).

Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (101)) (490 mg, 0.91 mmol) gave 480 mg (70 %) of the desired product. [a] D= 52° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.40-7.19 (m, 25H), 5.94 (dd, 1H, J = 3. 2,6.7 Hz), 5.07 (br, 1H), 4.97 (m, 4H), 4.63 (d, 1H, J = 11. 7 Hz), 4.56 (d, 1H, J = 12.0 Hz), 4.39 (m, 4H), 3.90 (m, 2H), 3.85 (m, 2H), 3.56 (dd, 1H, J = 3.3,11.0 Hz), 3.39 (dd, 1H, J = 1.6, 11.0 Hz), 1.76 (s, 3H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 170.7,137.8,137.5, 137.4,135.6,135.5,128.4,128.3,128.2,127.9,127.8,127.7, 127.6,127.5,94.9,77.2,75.1,74.0,73.3,72.8,72.3,69.3, 69.4,69.0,67.9,53.4,23.4; 31P NMR (CDCl3) 0.62; MS: calcd for C43H46NOgPNa 774.3, found m/z 774.3 (M + Na).

Dibenzyl- (4-azide-2, 3,6-tri-O-benzyl-4-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate. (Fig. 3 (b) (94a)) Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (94)) (280 mg, 054 mmol) gave 316 mg (80%) of the desired product. [a] D = 105.8° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 7.28-7.14 (m, 25H), 5.85 (dd, 1H, J = 3. 2,6.8 Hz), 5.12-4.96 (m, 5H), 4.82 (d, 1H, J = 10.6 Hz), 4.71-4.66 (m, 2H), 4.57 (d, 1H, J = 11.3 Hz), 4.50 (d, 1H, J = 12.1 Hz), 4.37 (d, 1H, J = 12.1 Hz), 3.68-3.47 (m, 5H), 3.37 (dd, 1H, J = 1.5,11.0 Hz); 13C NMR (CDC13) 137.7,137.6,137.5,135.7,135.6,128.5, 128.4,128.3,128.2,128.2,128.0,127.9,127.8,127.7,127.6, 127.5,95.4,78.9,78.8,75.6,75.5,73.4,72.9,71.5,69.3, 69.2,69.2,67.9,60.8; 31p NMR (CDC13) 0.82; MS: calcd for C4lH42N308PNa 758.2, found m/z 758.0 (M + Na).

Dibenzyl- (4-acetamido-2, 3,6-tri-O-benzyl-4-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate. (Fig. 3 (b) (95a)) Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (95)) (430 mg, 0.80 mmol) gave 389 mg (65 %) of the desired product. [a] D = 35° (c = 1, CHCl3) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.23-7.09 (m, 25H), 5.82 (dd, 1H, J = 3. 2,6.8 Hz), 5. 47 (d, 1H, J = 8.5 Hz), 5.01-4.93 (m, 4H), 4.69 (d, 1H, J = 11.7 Hz), 4.59 (d, 1H, J = 11.1 Hz), 4.54 (m, 2H), 4.35 (d, 1H, J = 11.9 Hz), 4.30 (d, 1H, J = 11.9 Hz), 3.92 (m, 1H), 3.86 (m, 1H), 3.77 (t, 1H, J = 9.7 Hz), 3.55 (m, 1H), 3.39 (m, 2H), 1.65 (s, 3H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 170.0,138.2,137.7, 137.3 135.7,135.6,135.5 128.3,128.2,128.1,128.0,127.9, 127.8,127.7,127.6,127.4,95.6,79.4,79.3,77.2,74.5.

73.3,72.8,72.2,69.2,50.8,23.2; zip NMR (CDCl3) 0.71; MS: calcd for C43H46NOgPNa 774.3, found m/z 774.3 (M + Na).

Dibenzyl- (6-azide-2, 3,4-tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate. (Fig. 3 (b) (89a)) Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (89)) (430 mg, 0.76 mmol) gave 285 mg (51%) of the desired product and 160 mg the (3 isomer. [a] D = 41.5° (c = 1, CHC13) ; 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.28-7.16 (m, 25H), 5.87 (dd, 1H, J = 3. 2,6.7 Hz), 5. 05-4.92 (m, 4H), 4.85 (d, 1H, J = 10.9 Hz), 4.81 (d, 1H, J = 11.0 Hz), 4.71 (d, 1H, J = 11.3 Hz), 4.70 (d, 1H, J = 10.9 Hz), 4.60 (d, 1H, J = 11.3 Hz), 4.50 (d, 1H, J = 11.0 Hz), 3.81 (m, 2H), 3.54 (dt, 1H, J = 9.5,3.1 Hz), 3.47 (t, 1H, J = 9.5 Hz), 3.18 (m, 2H) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 138.2,137.7,137.3,135.7,135.6,128.5,128.4,128.3, 128.0,127.9,127.8,127.7,127.6,95.1,80.7,79.3,79.2, 77.1,75.5,75.1,73.0,71.9,69.3,69.2,69.2,69.1,50.7 ; 31p NMR (CDClj) 0.75; MS: calcd for C4lH42N308PNa 758.2, found m/z 758.1 (M + Na).

Dibenzyl- (6-acetamido-2, 3,4-tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate. (Fig. 3 (b) (90a)) Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (90)) (430 mg, 0.80 mmol) gave 389 mg (65. 0 %) of the desired product. 1H NMR (CDC13) 7.27-7.19 (m, 25H), 6.00 (br, 1H), 5.68 (dd, 1H, J = 3. 4,5.5 Hz), 4.99- 4.93 (m, 4H), 4.85 (d, 1H, J = 11.9 Hz), 4.76 (d, 1H, J = 10.6 Hz), 4.72 (d, 1H, J = 10.5 Hz), 4.65 (d, 1H, J = 11.5 Hz), 4.60 (d, 1H, J = 11.5 Hz), 4.57 (d, 1H, J = 10.5 Hz), 3.81 (m, 2H), 3.49 (dt, 1H, J = 3.5,9.4 Hz), 3.44 (m, 2H), 3.24 (t, 1H, J = 9.5 Hz); 13C NMR (CDC13) 178.5,138.3,138.0,137.9, 136.2,136.1,129.0,128.9,128.8,128.5,128.4,128.3,128.1, 95.5,75.7,75.6,74.6,73.9,73.4,72.9,70.0,69.9,69.6, 69.5,68.5,54.0,29.9; 31p NMR (CDC13) 0.53; MS: calcd for C43H46NOgPNa 774.6, found m/z 774.3 (M + Na).

Dibenzyl- (4-azide-3-0-benzoyl-2-0-benzyl-4, 6-dideoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate. (Fig. 3 (b) (106a)) Compound (Fig. 3 (b) (106)) (323 mg, 0.76 mmol) gave 350 mg (72 %) substantially pure product. [a] D = 100.1° (C = 1, CHC13) ;'H NMR (CDC13) 8.16 (m, 2H), 7.62 (m, 1H), 7.49 (t, 2H, J = 7.9 Hz), 7.34-714 (m, 11H), 5.98 (dd, 1H, J =3. 2,7.1 Hz), 5.68 (t, 1H, J = 9.8 Hz), 5.13-5.05 (m, 4H), 4.68 (d, 1H, J = 12.1 Hz), 4.50 (d, 1H, J = 12.1 Hz), 3.81 (m, 1H), 3.68 (dt, 1H, J = 3.0,9.8 Hz), 3.28 (t, 1H, J = 10.0 Hz), 1.24 (d, 3H, J = 6.2 Hz) ; 13C NMR (CDC13) 185.8,137.2,136.1,136.0,133.8, 130.3,129.9,129.0,128.9,128.8,128.6,128.4,128.1,95.1, 77.7,76.5,72.7,72.1,70.1,70.1,69.7,69.7,68.7,66.3, 18.6; 31p NMR (CDC13) 0.52; MS: calcd for C34H34N30ePNa 666.2 found m/z 666.2 (M + Na).

Strategy for Final Deprotection and Conversion to the Sodium Salt.

Set forth above is a general strategy for final deprotection and conversion to the sodium salt according to the present invention. The following method is another exemplary embodiment of such method used in accordance with the present invention.

In a typical reaction, the protected a-D-pyranosyl phosphate (0.5 mmol) was dissolved in 15 mL MeOH, 1.5 mL 1N NaHCO3 solution and 150 mg 10% Pd/C were added. The mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature under hydrogen atmosphere after which the catalyst was removed by filtration and the filtrate concentrated and redissolved 10 mL water. The aqueous layer was extracted with EtOAc (10 mL), and then submitted to an anion exchange column (Dowex 1 x 8, 1.2 x 12 cm) eluted with 100 mL water, 100 mL 0.1 M NH4HCO3, 100 mL 0.2 M NH4HCO3 and 100 mL 0.3 M NH4HCO3. The product eluted with 0.2M NH4HCO3 and these fractions were pooled and co-evaporated with ethanol several times to remove excess NH4HCO3. The obtained sugar phosphate ammonium salt was subsequently dissolved in 5 mL water and applied to an AG-X8 cation-exchange column (Na+ type) eluted with 100 mL water. The product containing fractions were collected and lyophilized to give the desired product as the sodium salt.

Again, variations of this method may be made in accordance with the present invention, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art.

Disodium (3-amino-3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl) phosphate (Fig.

3 (b) (96)).

Dibenzyl- (3-azide-2, 4,6-tri-O-benzyl-3-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate (250 mg, 0.34 mmol) gave 68 mg (66 %) of the title compound. [a] D = 68.1° (c = 1, H2O) ; 1H NMR (D2O) 5.46 (dd, 1H, J = 3. 0,7.0 Hz), 3.93 (m, 1H), 3.85 (m, 1H), 3.74 (dd, 1H, J = 4. 5,12.5 Hz), 3.69 (m, 1H), 3.58 (m, 1H), 3.45 (t, 1H, J = 10.2 Hz) ; 13C NMR (D20) 91.9,71.2,68.4, 65.3,59.3,54.8; 31P NMR (D2O) 2.85; HRMS: calcd for C6Hl3NO8P 258.0379, found m/z 258.0372 (M +H).

Disodium- (3-acetamido-3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl) phosphate (Fig. 3 (b) (97)).

Dibenzyl- (3-acetamido-2, 4,6-tri-O-benzyl-3-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate (280 mg, 0.37 mmol) gave 59 mg (53%) of the desired product. [a] D = 93.6° (c = 1, H2O) ; 1H NMR (D2O) 5.43 (dd, 1H, J = 2.9,6.5 Hz), 4.07 (t, 1H, J =10. 3 Hz), 3.88 (dd, 1H, J =2. 5,9.7 Hz), 3.80 (m, 1H), 3.71 (dd, 1H, J = 4. 7, 12.3 Hz), 3.57 (m, lH), 3.40 (t, 1H, 10.1 Hz), 2.01 (s, 3H); 13C NMR (D2O) 174.4,92.8,71.6,69.5,67.1,59.8,53.3,21.5 ; 31P NMR (D2O) 2.07; HRMS: calcd for C8H15NO9P 300. 0484, found m/z 300.0478 (M +H).

Disodium- (4-amino-4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl) phosphate (Fig.

3 (b) (91)).

Dibenzyl- (4-azide-2, 3,6-tri-O-benzyl-4-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate (350 mg, 0.476 mmol) gave 77 mg (54%) the desired product. 1H NMR (D2O) 5.46 (dd, 1H, J = 3.2, 7.1 Hz), 4.11 (m, lH), 3.90-3.75 (m, 3H), 3.59 (m, 1H), 3.13 (t, 1H, J = 10.2 Hz) ; 13C NMR (D2O) 92.9,71.3,68.8,68.2, 59.8,51.7; 31p NMR (D2O) 2.80; HRMS: calcd for C6H13NO8P 258.0379, found m/z 258.0372 (M +H).

Disodium- (4-acetamido-4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl) phosphate (Fig. 3 (b) (92)).

Dibenzyl- (4-acetamido-2, 3,6-tri-O-benzyl-4-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate (370 mg, 0.50 mmol) gave 120 mg (71%) of the desired product. [α]D = 109.2° (c = 1, H20) ; 1H NMR (D2O) 5.44 (dd, 1H, J = 3. 3,7.2 Hz), 3.89 (m, 1H), 3.76 (m, 2H), 3.64 (dd, 1H, J = 2. 4,1.2 Hz), 3.53 (m, 2H), 1.99 (s, 3H) ; 13C NMR (D2O) 173.8,93.2,71.4,70.4,69.8,60.0, 50.6,21.3; 31p NMR (DO) 1.93; HRMS: calcd for C8HlsNo9p 300.0484, found m/z 300.0499 (M +H).

Disodium- (6-amino-6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl) phosphate (Fig.

3 (b) (85)): Dibenzyl- (6-azide-2, 3,4-tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate (360 mg, 0.49 mmol) gave 85 mg (57 %) of the title compound. 1H NMR (D2O) 5.47 (dd, 1H, J = 3.5, 6.8 Hz), 4.14 (dt, 1H, J = 2.5,12.6 Hz), 3.78 (t, 1H, J = 9.5 Hz), 3.55 (m, 2H), 3.33 (t, 1H, J = 9.3 Hz), 3.07 (dd, 1H, J = 10.3,12.9 Hz); 13C NMR (D2O) 94.1,73.4,72.5,72.4,72.3, 68.6,41.0; 31p NMR (D2O) 2.80; HRMS: calcd for C6Hl3NO8P 258.0379, found m/z 258.0388 (M +H).

Disodium- (6-acetamido-6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl) phosphate (Fig. 3 (b) (86)).

Dibenzyl- (6-acetamido-2, 3,4-tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate (340 mg, 0.45 mmol) gave 124 mg (79.4 %) of the desired product. [a] D= 60. 5° (c = 1, H, O) ; 3-H NMR (D2O) 5.39 (dd, 1H, J = 3. 2,6.5 Hz), 3.95 (t, 1H, J = 7. 1 Hz), 3.73 (t, 1H, J = 9.4 Hz), 3.54 (m, 1H), 3.45 (m, 1H), 3.34 (dd, 1H, J = 6.7,14.1 Hz), 3.25 (t, 1H, J = 9.5 Hz), 1.99 (s, 3H) ; 13C NMR (D20) 178.4,97.4,76.7,75.9,74.8,73.8, 43.9,25.6; 31p NMR (D2O) 2.98; HRMS: calcd for CeHlsNO9P 300.0484, found m/z 300.0482 (M +H).

Disodium- (4-amino-4, 6-dideoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl) phosphate (Fig. 3 (b) (102)).

Dibenzyl- (4-azide-3-O-benzoyl-2-O-benzyl-4, 6-dideoxy-a-D- glucopyranosyl) phosphate (300mg, 0.466 mmol) was dissolved in a mixture of 10 mL of MeOH and 2 mL of toluene. To this solution was added 1.4 mL IN NaOH and 100 mg of 10% Pd/C and the reaction stirred overnight under hydrogen atmosphere. The catalyst was removed by filtration, the filtrate concentrated to a volume of 4 mL, cooled to 0°C, and 0.7 mL IN NaOH solution was added in a dropwise fashion. The mixture was stirred for 3 hr at 0°C, neutralized with IN HOAc and the product purified via anion exchange as described in the general procedure above to give 86 mg (67 %) of the substantially pure product. 1H NMR (D2Oj 5.44 (dd, 1H, J = 3.2,6.7 Hz), 4.24 (m, 1H), 3.88 (t, 1H, J = 9.7 Hz), 3.56 (dd, 1H, J = 1.3,9.4 Hz), 2.94 (t, 1H, J = 10.3 Hz), 1.32 (d, 3H, J = 6. 2 Hz) ; 13C NMR (D20) 92.9, 71.5,68.3,64.2,56.6,16.2 ; 31P NMR (D2O) 2.16. HRMS: calcd for C6Hl3NO7P 242.0429, found m/z 242. 0441 (M +H).

Ep-Catalyzed Conversion.

A reaction containing 2.5 mM NTP, 5.0 mM sugar phosphate, 5.5 mM MgCl2 and 10 U inorganic pyrophosphatase in a total volume of 50 uL 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.5 at 37°C was initiated by the addition of 3.52 U Ep (1 U = the amount of protein needed to produce 1 umol TDP-a-D-glucose min- '-). The reaction was incubated with slow agitation for 30 min at 37°C, quenched with MeOH (50 µL), centrifuged (5 min, 14,000 x g) and the supernatant was stored at-20°C until analysis by HPLC. Samples (30 uL) were resolved on a Sphereclone 5u SAX column (250 x 4.6 mm) fitted with a guard column (30 x 4.6 mm) using a linear gradient (50-200 mM potassium phosphate buffer, pH 5.0,1.5 mL min-l, A275 nm).

The following compounds were prepared, preferably according to the methods described herein: (109) Thymidine 5'-(6-amino-6-deoxy-c<-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for C16H26O15N3P2 562. 0839; found m/z 562.0837 (M + H).

(110) Uridine 5'- (6-amino-6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for Cl5H24016N3P2 564.0632; found m/z 564.0640 (M + H).

(111) Thymidine 5'- (4-amino-4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for C16H26O1sN3Pz 562.0839; found m/z 562.0848 (M + H).

(112) Uridine 5'- (4-amino-4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for C15H24016N3P2 564.0632; found m/z 564.0638 (M + H).

(113) Thymidine 5'- (3-amino-3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for D16H26O15N3P2 562.0839; found m/z 562. 0835 (M + H).

(114) Uridine 5'- (3-amino-3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for C15H24016N3P2 564.0632; found m/z 564.0622 (M + H).

(115) Thymidine 5'-(2-amino-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for C16H26O15N3P2 562.0839; found m/z 562.0842 (M + H).

(116) Uridine 5'-(2-amino-2-deox-α-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for C15H24O16N3P2 564.0632; found m/z 564.0630 (M + H).

(117) Thymidine 5'- (6-acetamido-6-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for C18H28O16N3P2 604.0945; found m/z 604.0953 (M + H).

(118) Uridine 5'-(6-acetamido-6-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for C17H26O17N3P2 606.0737; found m/z 606.0732 (M + H).

(119) Thymidine 5'- (4-acetamido-4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for C18H28O16N3P2 604.0945; found m/z 604.0940 (M + H).

(120) Uridine 51- (4-acetamido-4-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for C17H26017N3P2 606.0737; found m/z 606.0730 (M + H).

(121) Thymidine 5'- (3-acetamido-3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB): calc for C18H28O16N3P2 604.0945; found m/z 604.0947 (M + H).

(122) Uridine 5'- (3-acetamido-3-deoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for C17H26O17N3P2 606.0737; found m/z 606.0735 (M + H).

(123) Thymidine 5'(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB): calc for Cl8H28ol6N3P2 604.0945; found m/z 604.0951 (M + H).

(124) Uridine 5'-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB): calc for C17H26O17N3P2 606.0737; found m/z 606.0738 (M + H).

(125) Thymidine 5'- (4-amino-4, 6-dideoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB): calc for Cl6H26ol4N3P2 546.0889; found m/z 546. 0895 (M + H).

(126) Uridine 5'- (4-amino-4, 6-dideoxy-a-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate). HRMS (FAB) : calc for C15H24O15N3P2 548.0682; found m/z 548. 0673 (M + H).

Structure-Based Engineering of Ep Expression, purification and mutagenesis of Ep.

Ep may be modified in accordance with the present invention according to the following method: Ep and Ep mutants are expressed and purified by methods known in the art. For seleno-methionine-labeled protein, the expresion vector was transformed into the methionine auxotroph E. coli B834 and grown, preferably overnight at a temperature of about 25°C to about 35°C, preferably about 30°C in the presence of seleno- methionine. Seleno-methionine-labeled Ep is purified using the standard protocol but in the presence of DTT. All Ep mutant gene cassettes are generated by a two-step PCR approach.

Mutant genes are subsequently characterized by dsDNA sequencing of both strands.

According to a preferred method, expression and purification and Ep and Ep mutants were accomplished as described in Jiang, J., Biggins, J. B. & Thorson, J. S. A General Enzymatic Method for the Synthesis of Natural and "Unnatural"UDP-and TDP-Nucleotide Sugars. J. Am. Chem. Soc.

122,6803-6804 (2000). For seleno-methionine-labeled protein, the expresion vector was transformed into the methionine auxotroph E. coli B834 and grown overnight at 30°C in the presence of 50 mg L-1 seleno-methionine. Seleno-methionine- labeled Ep was purified using the standard protocol but in the presence of 5 mM DTT. No additional proteolysis or modifications during this process were observed by mass spectrometry. All Ep mutant gene cassettes were generated by a two-step PCR approach. Mutant genes were subsequently characterized by dsDNA sequencing of both strands.

Crystallization. A general crystallization technique that may be used in accordance with the present invention, is as follows: Purified Ep is concentrated in a buffer, and crystallized in a hanging drop by vapor diffusion at approximately room temperature (20°C). Ep-dTTP crystals are obtained against reservoir containing TTP, 2.0 M ammonium phosphate, 0.1 M Tris'HCl, pH 8.5, and 20 mM MgCl2. Crystals grow with two monomers (half of the Ep tetramer) in the asymmetric unit. The Ep-UDP-Glc crystals were obtained against a reservoir containing 2 mM UDP-Glc, 1.9 M ammonium sulfate, isopropanol.

According to an exemplary method, the purified Ep was concentrated to 20 mg mL-1 in a buffer containing 10 mM KC1, 2 mM MgCl2 and 10 mM HEPES, pH 7.2, and crystallized in a hanging drop by vapor diffusion at room temperature (20°C). The Ep- . dTTP crystals were obtained against reservoir containing 2 mM TTP, 2.0 M ammonium phosphate, 0.1 M Tris'HCl, pH 8.5, and 20 mM MgCl2. Crystals grow in the tetragonal space group P43212 (a = b = 120 A, c = 94 A) with two monomers (half of the Ep tetramer) in the asymmetric unit. The Ep-UDP-Glc crystals were obtained against a reservoir containing 2 mM UDP-Glc, 1.9 M ammonium sulfate, and 7.5% isopropanol. These crystals grow in the orthorhombic space group P2, 212, (a = 93 A, b = 112 A, c = 132 with four monomers (one tetramer) in the asymmetric unit.

Data collection and structure determination.

Data may be collected and structure determination made according to methods that would be known to those skilled in the art, including, for example, x-ray crystallography.

According to an exemplary embodiment, crystals were harvested and flash frozen in the cold stream of an X-Stream cooling system (Rigaku) in the mother liquor with added 20-25% glycerol as a cryoprotectant. Data was collected either in house using a Rigaku RAXIS-IV imaging plate area detector, or at the NSLS Brookhaven beamline X9B. Oscillation photographs were integrated, scaled and merged using DENZO and SCALEPACK.

(Otwinowski, Z. & Minor, W. Data Collection and Processing., Sawyer, L., Isaacs, N. & Bailey, S. Ed. SERC Daresbury Laboratory: Warrington, UK. 556-562 (1993).) Subsequent calculations were performed with the CCP4 program suite.

(CCP4, The CCP4 suite: programs for X-ray crystallography. Acta Crystallogr. D, 50,760-763 (1994).) The Ep-UDP-Glc structure was determined using the single wavelength anomalous diffraction phasing method. (Hendrickson, W. A., Determination of Macromolecular Structures from Anomalous Diffraction of Synchrotron Radiation. Science, 254,51-58 (1991).) Only the dataset collected at the wavelength of the selenium absorption peak was processed. Peak wavelength anomalous data were input to the program SnB to identify the location of the Se atoms.

Twenty peaks from the best solution were refined using MLPHARE (CCP4) employing only the peak wavelength anomalous differences in the resolution range 35 to 2A. Additional Se sites were located using anomalous-difference fourier maps. The final round of MLPHARE consisted of 47 Se sites. Seven of these sites correspond to Se-methionines with dual sidechain conformation. The phases calculated from MLPHARE had a figure of merit of 0.34 which was improved to 0.72 by density modification with the program DM (CCP4). The resulting electron density map was clearly interpretable, indicating also the correct handedness of the Se substructure. The map was further improved using free atom refinement and the automatic chain tracing procedure of the wARP program. Out of the 1156 residues, the main chain of 1003 were automatically traced and very clear density could be seen for the rest of the structure.

The unambiguous tracing and sequence assignment of the Ep tetramer was completed using the O program. (Jones, T. A., et al., Improved Methods for Building Protein Models in Electron Density Maps and the Location of Errors in these Models. Acta Crystallogr., A47,110-119 (1991).) Refinement of the model by conventional least-squares algorithm was done with XPLOR.

(Brunger, A. T., X-PLOR v. 3.1 Manual. New Haven: Yale University (1993).) The final refined Ep tetramer model at 2.0 A resolution had a free R-value (Brunger, A. T., Free R Value: A Novel Statistical Quantity for Assessing the Accuracy of Crystal Structures. Nature, 355,472-475 (1992)) of 22.3% and included 9938 non-hydrogen atoms in 1156 well-ordered residues (1-289 in each monomer) and 762 water molecules. In our determination, electron density was lacking for only the 3 C- terminal residues of each monomer. Restrained refinement of temperature factors was monitored throughout by the free R- factor criterion as set forth in Liu, H.-w. & Thorson, J. S.

Pathways and Mechanisms in the Biogenesis of Novel Deoxysugars by Bacteria. Ann. Rev. Microbiol. 48,223-256 (1994) and Johnson, D. A. & Liu, H.-w. Mechanisms and Pathways from Recent Deoxysugar Biosynthesis Research. Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 2, 642-649 (1998)). Stereochemical analysis of the refined model using PROCHECK (CCP4 suite) revealed main-chain and side-chain parameters better than, or within, the typical range of values for protein structures determined at 2.0 A resolution (overall G-factor, 2.2). None of the Ep residues fell in the disallowed region of the Ramachandran plot. (Ramachandran, G. N., Ramakrishnan, C. & Sasisekharan, V. Stereochemistry of Polypeptide Chain Configuration. J. Molec. Biol., 7,95-99 (1963).) The Ep-dTTP structure was determined using the Molecular Replacement (MR) method, with our Ep-UDP-Glc structure as a search model and the program XPLOR. The final refined model (half of the Ep tetramer) at 2.1 A resolution had a free R value35 of 23.5% and included 5017 non-hydrogen atoms in 578 well defined in the electron density map amino acids (1- 289 for each monomer), and 387 water molecules. The PROCHECK overall G-factor is 2.5, and none of the Ep residues fell in the disallowed region of the Ramachandran plot.

Enzyme assays and determination of steady state kinetic parameters.

Assays for product formation and steady state kinetics were accomplished using conditions similar to those described. in Jiang, J., Biggins, J. B. & Thorson, J. S. A General Enzymatic Method for the Synthesis of Natural and"Unnatural" UDP-and'TDP-Nucleotide Sugars. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 122,6803- 6804 (2000). For the mutant pool assays, an aliquot which contained an eqimolar ratio of each mutant (60 ug) was utilized.

While the present invention is described with respect to particular examples and preferred embodiments, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to these examples and embodiments. The present invention as claimed therefore, includes variations from the particular examples and preferred embodiments described herein, as will be apparent to one of skill in the art.