Reduction of galacturonic acid residues in permethylated tragacanthic acid, followed by transformation of the resulting galactose residues to those of 6-deoxy-6-iodogalactose, affords a modified polysaccharide which undergoes depolymerization by the Bernet-Vasella reaction on treatment with zinc dust. The two main products of depolymerization have been characterized, after reduction and acetylation, as 3,6-di-O-acetyl-l,2-dideoxy-5-O-methy1-4-0-(2,3,4-tri-0-methyl-~-~-xylopyranosyl)-L-lyxo-hex-I-enitol (1) and 0-(2,3,4-tri-0-methyl-a-L-fucopyranosyl)-(1 + 2)-0-(3,4-di-0-methyl-P-D-xylopyranosyl)-(I + 4)-3,6-di-0-acetyl-1 ,2-dideoxy-5-0-methyl-L-lyxo-hex-I-enitol (2). The fragmentation provides the first example of a chemical degradation of an a-D-galacturonan to furnish oligosaccharides in which side-chain units remain attached to modified galacturonic acid residues. Under the conditions used for the introduction of iodo substituents no evidence could be obtained for loss of 3-0-glycosyl substituents through side reactions involving solvolysis of 6-sulfonates.GERALD OLIVER ASPINALL et VELUPILLAI PUVANESARAJAH. Can. J. Chem. 62, 2736Chem. 62, (1984. La rkduction de rCsidus d'acide galacturonique dans de I'acide tragacanthique, suivie par une transformation des residus de galactose qui en rCsultent en dCsoxy-6 iodo-6 galactose, fournit un polysaccharide modifiC qui subit une dCpolymCrisation, sous l'influence de la poudre de zinc, par une rkaction de Bernet-Vasella. Apres la reduction et une acktylation, on a caractCrisC les deux produits principaux de la rkaction de dCpolymCrisation comme Ctant le di-0-acCtyl-3,6 didCsoxy-1,2 0-mCthyl(2). Cette fragmentation est le premier exemple d'une degradation chimique d'un a-D-galacturonane qui conduit A des oligosaccharides dans lesquels les unitCs des chaines IatCrales restent attach& A des residus d'acide galacturonique modifiCs.Sous les conditions utilisCes pour l'introduction des substituants iodo, on n'a pas pu observer de pertes de substituants 0-glycosyles-3 provenant de reactions de solvolyses secondaires des sulfonates-6.[Traduit par le journal]Methods developed recently for the selective cleavage of Bernet and Vasella (7) showed that the reaction of non-terminal glycisiduronic acid or glycosiduronamide-linkages in permethylated polysacharides have been based on structural modifications to yield altered sugar residues at which controlled depolymerization may be carried out with no detectable hydrolysis of normal glycosidic linkages. 'Thus treatment of glycosiduronic acids with lead tetraacetate effects decarboxylation-acetoxylation to give 5-acetoxypentopyranosides which may be cleaved reductively with sodium borohydride (1). Alternatively, Curtius rearrangements of glycosiduronamides furnish carbamates, 5-tert-butyloxycarbonylamino-or 5-benzyloxycarbonylamino-pentopyranosides, which may be cleaved respectively by mild acid treatment or hydrogenolysis (2). The procedures have been applied successfully to the fragmentation of both exterior (1, 2) and interior (3)...