Thermal decomposition of β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-hexopyranoses under neutral conditions

β-d-Galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucose (LNB) and β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-galactose (GNB) decompose rapidly upon heating into d-galactose and mono-dehydrated derivatives of the corresponding 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-hexoses, including 2-acetamido-2,3-dideoxy-hex-2-enofuranoses and bicyclic 2-acetamido-3,6-anhydro-2-deoxy-hexofuranoses. The decomposition is conducted under neutral conditions where glycosyl linkages are generally believed to be stable. The half-lives of LNB and GNB were 8.1 min and 20 min, respectively, at 90 °C and pH 7.5. The pH dependency of decomposition rates suggests that the instabilities are an extension of the conditions for the peeling reaction, often observed with glycans of O-linked glycoproteins under alkaline conditions. Such decomposition under the neutral conditions is commonly observed with 3-O-linked reducing aldoses.

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