FULL PAPER
DOI: 10.1002/chem.201204519
Synthesis of a Targeted Library of Heparan Sulfate Hexa- to
Dodecasaccharides as Inhibitors of b-Secretase: Potential Therapeutics
for Alzheimerꢀs Disease
Ralf Schwçrer,[a] Olga V. Zubkova,[a] Jeremy E. Turnbull,*[b] and Peter C. Tyler*[a]
Abstract: Heparan sulfates (HS) are a
class of sulfated polysaccharides that
function as dynamic biological regula-
tors of the functions of diverse pro-
teins. The structural basis of these in-
teractions, however, remains elusive,
and chemical synthesis of defined
structures represents a challenging but
powerful approach for unravelling the
structure–activity relationships of their
complex sulfation patterns. HS has
been shown to function as an inhibitor
of the b-site cleaving enzyme b-secre-
tase (BACE1), a protease responsible
for generating the toxic Ab peptides
that accumulate in Alzheimerꢀs disease
(AD), with 6-O-sulfation identified as
a key requirement. Here, we demon-
strate a novel generic synthetic ap-
proach to HS oligosaccharides applied
to production of a library of 16 hexa-
to dodecasaccharides targeted at
BACE1 inhibition. Screening of this li-
brary provided new insights into struc-
ture–activity relationships for optimal
BACE1 inhibition, and yielded
a
number of potent non-anticoagulant
BACE1 inhibitors with potential for
development as leads for treatment of
AD through lowering of Ab peptide
levels.
Keywords: Alzheimerꢀs · carbohy-
drates · glycosylation · heparan sul-
fate · synthesis
Introduction
focus of a number of programs searching for therapeutics to
alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimerꢀs disease (AD).[7] This
neurodegenerative disease was first described by Alois Alz-
heimer in 1906. A key characteristic is the deposition of in-
soluble accumulations of the amyloid b-peptide in the brain.
The amyloid b-peptide is itself derived from step-wise ex-
tracellular enzymatic cleavage of the amyloid precursor pro-
tein by BACE1, and then intramembrane cleavage by g-sec-
retase. The accumulation of amyloid b-peptide is a critical
driving force for Alzheimerꢀs disease pathology according to
the amyloid cascade hypothesis.[8] There is also evidence
that amyloid b-peptide is involved in hyperphosphorylation
of the tau protein and subsequent formation of neurofibril-
lary tangles.[9]
Although the inhibition of BACE1 by HS and heparin is
interesting, heparin, which is a highly sulfated variant of HS
and a widely used anticoagulant drug, would have serious
blood-thinning side effects that would likely preclude its use
for the treatment of AD. However, the selective chemical
modification of heparin has given rise to some homogeneous
HS polymers with potent BACE1 inhibitory activity and no
significant anticoagulant properties,[6,10] whereas dermatan
sulfate had no effect.[6] In addition some discrete synthetic
HS tetrasaccharides have shown surprising (though still
moderate) potency as BACE1 inhibitors.[11] This suggests
that larger synthetic oligosaccharides might have applica-
tions as high potency BACE1 inhibitors with potential as
novel therapeutics for AD.
Heparan sulfate (HS) is a linear polysaccharide with highly
diverse functionality. Through attachment to core proteins it
is present as a glycoprotein (“proteoglycan”) on mammalian
cell surfaces and in the extracellular matrix. HS has a disac-
charide repeating unit of d-glucosamine (Glc) and d-glucur-
onic acid (GlcA) or l-iduronic acid (IdoA), which may be
variously O- or N-sulfated or N-acetylated, generating poly-
anionic structural diversity. HS regulates many important bi-
ological processes;[1] significant examples include growth
factors and their receptors,[2] cytokines,[3] stem cells,[4] Wnt
and bone morphogenetic proteins.[5] The diversity of cell sig-
nalling events influenced by HS is presumed to be a func-
tion of the microheterogeneity of its structure with specific
sequences and/or sulfation patterns required for particular
protein binding and biological activities.[1b]
In addition HS was identified as the first natural regulator
of the cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein by b-secre-
tase.[6] This cleavage is a critical step in the formation of
amyloid plaques present in the brains of Alzheimerꢀs pa-
tients and the enzyme b-secretase (BACE1) has been the
[a] Dr. R. Schwçrer, Dr. O. V. Zubkova, Dr. P. C. Tyler
Carbohydrate Chemistry, Industrial Research, Ltd.
P.O. Box 31310, Lower Hutt (New Zealand)
[b] Prof. J. E. Turnbull
Institute of Integrative Biology
University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX (UK)
The ability to synthesise discrete HS oligomers of octasac-
charide size and larger would offer potential therapeutics
for Alzheimerꢀs as well as other diseases in which HS–pro-
tein interactions play a significant role. Importantly the syn-
Supporting information for this article is available on the WWW
Chem. Eur. J. 2013, 19, 6817 – 6823
ꢁ 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
6817