Protein glycosylation is one of the most important and complex post-translational modifications. However, since this process is not strictly regulated the result is often inseparable mixtures of heterogeneous glycoforms of the desired glycoprotein. This inability to isolate homogeneous glycoforms is a major obstacle towards the development of therapeutics. Chemical synthesis obviates this concern, as it offers precise control of molecular structure. We are interested in the use of chemical synthesis as a means to access homogenous forms of complex glycoproteins. Here we will present our progress towards Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), the primary role of which is the regulation of progesterone and testosterone, with the pendant glycans playing key roles in proper function of the protein. The synthesis we will describe is a convergent approach to hCG that will allow us to easily install an array of desired glycans and investigate their effects on the function of hCG.

Progress toward the chemical synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin β-subunit

244th National Meeting (2012)

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