Chemical Synthesis of the Trisaccharide Epitope of Phenolic Glycolipid-1 Surface Antigen from Mycobacterium leprae.

PGL-1 epitope bearing a -aminoethylphenol group was efficiently synthesized by using linear synthetic routes. A method for efficient synthesis of oligosaccharides containing rhamnose rings was developed. The chemistry is flexible and could be used for the synthesis of other PGLs antigens. A biotinylated PGL-1 antigen was synthesized and could be used as a probe for early detection of leprosy.