Studies of alkaline mediated phosphate migration in synthetic phosphoethanolamine l-glycero-d-manno-heptoside derivatives

Synthetic 2-, 3-, 4- and 6-monophosphate derivatives of methyl α-d-mannopyranosides, the 4-, 6- and 7-monophosphate derivatives of methyl l-glycero-α-d-manno-heptopyranosides and the corresponding phosphoethanolamine derivatives and a 6,7-cyclic phosphate analogue of methyl l-glycero-α-d-manno-heptopyranoside were used to study phosphate migration and hydrolysis when subjected to strong alkaline conditions (4 M KOH, 120 °C, 18 h). The resulting products were analyzed by 1H NMR spectroscopy and electrospray mass spectrometry. It was found that phosphate substituents were stable under these conditions and neither migration nor hydrolysis was observed except for the heptose 7-phosphate, which gave a substantial amount of phosphate hydrolysis. In phosphoethanolamine-substituted compounds migration to adjacent positions with concomitant loss of ethanolamine was found together with hydrolysis.