A review with 4 refs. on the synthesis of oligosaccharides corresponding to the capsular polysaccharide of yeast Cryptococcus neoformans; also covered is the synthesis of a highly branched octasaccharide corresponding to the cell surface lipopolysaccharide of the Gram-neg. bacterium Moraxella catarrhalis. This review emphasizes the extensive use of thioglycosides as glycosyl donors or as glycosyl donor precursors. [on SciFinder (R)]