C. Notable Targets Approached but Not Yet 1860 Synthesized II. Analysis of Synthetic Strategy 1860 A. Convergence 1860 B. Early vs Late W-Glycosylation 1862 III. Analysis of Tactics 1862 A. Final Deprotection 1862 B. W-Glycosylation (Nucleoside Formation) 1863 C. OGIycosylation (Disaccharide Formation) 1868 1. O-Glycosylation of Sugars 1868 2. OGIycosylation of Nucleosides 1869 D. Peptide Bond Formation 1871 E. Synthesis of the Components 1872 1. C-C Bond Formation in the Completed 1872 Syntheses 2. Components Synthesized in Model 1875 Studies and Approaches, 1988 to Mid-1995 I. Assessment of Current Status A. Introduction and CoverageComplex nucleoside antibiotics comprise an extensive array of natural products notable for combining the structural features of nucleosides, higher monosaccharides, disaccharides, peptides, and lipids. In some representatives there is unusual functionality that even goes beyond these contexts. The complex nucleoside antibiotics exhibit a variety of biological activities, including antifungal, anthelmintic, herbicidal, insecticidal, antiviral, and antitumor. This review will discuss, with emphasis on the impressive accomplishments of the last several years (1988 to mid-1995), the strategies and tactics that have led to the synthesis of a growing collection of complex nucleoside antibiotics. The review by Gar-ner1 has detailed synthetic approaches to these compounds through 1987, and the 1988 and 1991 reviews by Isono2 3 describe the structures, biological activities, and biosynthesis of nucleoside antibiotics including a number of simpler nucleoside and nucleotide analogues that will not be covered here. In 1991, Lerner4 reviewed the synthesis and properties of various disaccharide nucleosides, including some with relatively simple pyranoside and furanoside components that likewise will not be covered in this review. Thus the emphasis here is on the most complex of the complex nucleoside antibiotics (pre-