The enol ether 7 was prepared by cleavage of the NÀO bond of the known isoxazolidine 3, followed by Nalkylation to 4, silylation and oxidation to the N-oxide 6, and Cope elimination. Cu-Catalysed cyclopropanation of 7 led to the diastereoisomeric cyclopropanes 8 and 9, which were subjected to a Curtius degradation. The resulting carbamates 12 and 16 were deprotected to the ammonium salts 14 and 18, respectively. Both salts adopt a B 1,4 conformation, similarly as the ester 8, while the isomeric ester 9 exists in a ca. 6 : 4 equilibrium of the 4 C 1 and B 1,4 conformers. The b-mannoside mimic 14 does not inhibit snail b-mannosidase at 10 mm, but the amannoside mimic 18 inhibits Jack bean a-mannosidase (IC 50 80 mm). These results are in keeping with the postulate that glycoside cleavage of b-d-glycopyranosides requires a conformational change in agreement with the principle of stereoelectronic control.Introduction. ± Cleavage of glycopyranosides by retaining b-glycosidases requires a conformational change of the tetrahydropyran ring to satisfy the principle of stereoelectronic control that postulates an antiperiplanar orientation of the scissile C,O bond and the double occupied nonbonding orbital of the endocyclic oxygen [1 ± 3]. Crystal structures of three endo-glycosidases in complex with their substrate [4] [5] or a substrate analogue [6] are in keeping with this hypothesis. Glycoside mimics possessing a skew-boat or boat-like conformation, and interacting with the catalytic acid and/or the catalytic nucleophile could, therefore, be closer to the transition state of an enzymic b-glycoside cleavage than mimics of a solvated oxycarbenium cation 1 ). In keeping with this assumption are the observations that a tetrazole, mimicking the shape of an oxycarbenium cation, is only a partial transition-state analogue [7], that aminocyclopentitols possessing a pseudo-axial amino group are strong and selective inhibitors of b-glucosidases and b-galactosidases [8] [9], and that the (racemic) mannoconfigured isoquinuclidine 1 mimicking the 1,4 B conformation of a b-mannoside is a selective inhibitor (K i 0.17 mm) of snail b-mannosidase [10]. The inhibition by 1 is due to the free amine, as it is expected if the interaction of the amino group with the catalytic acid of the mannosidase contributes to binding. However, the inhibition could also be due to the interaction of the amino group of 1 with a carboxy group that does not correspond to the catalytic acid. There are three carboxy groups in the active site of a b-mannosidase from Pyrococcus horikoshi [11]. Two correspond to the catalytic acid and nucleophile, respectively. The third one appears to be close enough to the C(2)ÀOH group to interact with it, possibly facilitating a conformational change where the axial C(2)ÀOH group moves towards an equatorial position. This carboxy group,