Synthesis and biological evaluation of de(acetylglucosaminyl)didehydrodeoxy derivatives of teicoplanin antibodies

A series of 34-de(acetylglucosaminyl)-34-deoxy derivatives of 34,35- and 35,52-didehydro teicoplanin antibiotics have been synthesized from teicoplanin and its N-acetylglucosamine containing pseudoaglycons under basic conditions. The structures of these compounds have been determined by 1H NMR, UV, and FAB-MS. 35,52-Unsaturated derivatives maintained in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activity to a different extent as well as the ability for binding to Ac2-L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala, a bacterial cell-wall model for the site of action of glycopeptide antibiotics. In contrast, 34,35-unsaturated compounds were markedly less active and possessed a negligible affinity for the synthetic tripeptide.