Advances in Selective Chemical Syntheses of Complex Oligosaccharides

Abstract A wide variety of complex oligosaccharides has now been made accessible as a result of methodological improvements in the sphere of chemical synthesis, which can be used for the study of conformations and interactions with protein‐receptor molecules. Such work is of particular importance because the oligosaccharide chains of glycoproteins and glycolipids anchored to the plasma membrane are important in cell‐cell interactions and are receptors for enzymes, hormones, proteins, and viruses; furthermore, they determine the antigen properties of cells. The methods of synthesis available for the production of selective linkages in oligosaccharides are dealt with, particular attention being paid to conversion of saccharides into oligosaccharides, which are important from the biological point of view.