Toward the chemoenzymatic synthesis of heparan sulfate oligosaccharides: oxidative cleavage of p-nitrophenyl group with ceric ammonium salts

We have developed an efficient chemoenzymatic synthesis of heparan sulfate oligosaccharides employing the para-nitrophenyl (p-NP) β-glucuronide as an acceptor compatible with enzymatic elongation and one that significantly simplifies oligosaccharide purification on C-18 resin. Employing ceric ammonium nitrate as oxidative reagent to remove the p-NP group unexpectedly also removed the glucuronic acid residue at the reducing-end, affording a smaller oligosaccharide. The application of ceric ammonium sulfate allowed the removal of the p-NP without concomitant loss of the adjacent glucuronic acid offering a route to longer heparin sulfate oligosaccharide products.