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Cefaclor is a beta-lactam antibiotic that degrades slowly under normal storage conditions to several minor products. To obtain samples large enough to permit structure elucidation, cefaclor was allowed to degrade at 40 degrees C (75% relative humidity) and at 85 degrees C. The profile of degradation products formed under these conditions is qualitatively similar to the profile of degradation products observed in samples of cefaclor aged for 14 years at room temperature, although some products found in the sample degraded at 85 degrees C are not formed at the lower temperatures. Using preparative reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (rp-HPLC) and a combination of spectroscopic methods, we have isolated and characterized 17 of these degradation products. Some of these products were also isolated from studies of aqueous degradations. The major products appear to have arisen from five distinct pathways: (1) isomerization of the double bond in the dihydrothiazine ring; (2) decarboxylation; (3) ring contraction of the cephem nucleus to thiazole structures; (4) oxidative attack at carbon 4 of the dihydrothiazine ring; and (5) intramolecular attack of the primary amine of the side chain on either the beta-lactam carbonyl to form 3-phenyl-2,5-diketopiperazines or the "masked aldehyde" at carbon 6 to form 2-hydroxy-3-phenylpyrazine derivatives. The pathway involving oxidation at carbon 4 is particularly important at ambient temperatures and is unique to the solid-state degradation.

The aqueous acidic degradation of the oral cephalosporin cefaclor was investigated. A number of degradation products were isolated and characterized. The degradation products can be loosely classified into three categories: thiazole derivatives, pyrazine derivatives, and simple hydrolysis or rearrangement products. Degradation pathways are proposed that involve (1) hydrolysis of the beta-lactam carbonyl with subsequent rearrangement, (2) ring contraction of the six-membered cephem nucleus to five-membered thiazole derivatives through an episulfonium ion intermediate, and (3) attack of the primary amine of the phenylglycyl side chain on the "masked aldehyde" at carbon-6 to form fluorescent substituted pyrazines.

A new member of the spiroketal-containing macrolide class of fermentation-derived natural products was isolated from mycelial extracts of Streptomyces diastatochromogenes. The principal component, A82548A, was shown to possess a 22-membered macrolide ring system onto which was incorporated both a spiroketal and a hemiketal moiety. Relative stereochemistry was established by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Absolute stereochemistry was determined via hydrolysis of the amino sugar glycosidically linked to the aglycone, which was identified as L-kedarosamine. The overall three-dimensional structure is closely related to that of the macrolides cytovaricin, rutamycin, and ossamycin.

The aqueous degradation of the carbacephalosporin loracarbef under moderately acidic conditions (pH range, 2.7-4.3) is described. Structures of a total of 10 compounds isolated by preparative reversed-phase HPLC have been proposed. Five of these 10 degradation compounds arose from hydrolysis of the beta-lactam ring followed by structural changes in the six-membered heterocyclic ring. Four compounds form from intermolecular reactions of loracarbef to form dimeric structures with peptide linkages. The remaining compound resulted from oxidation of the primary amine to a hydroxylamine. Pathways for the formation of these compounds from the parent loracarbef are proposed.

The acidic aqueous degradation of cefaclor, an orally administered cephalosporin antibiotic, has been investigated. The most prominent peak in the high-performance liquid chromatography profile of a degraded solution of cefaclor was isolated by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. Mechanistically, the formation of this degradent from cefaclor involves a condensation of two cefaclor degradation products in which both products have undergone contraction from a six-membered cephem ring to a five-membered thiazole ring, presumably via a common episulfonium ion intermediate.

Zatosetron is being tested clinically as an antianxiety agent; it is a highly selective antagonist of the serotonin 5-HT3 receptor, with minimal agonist activity. The disposition of [14C]zatosetron was studied in five healthy men after a single oral dose (46.2 mg). Serum levels of radioactivity and parent drug peaked in 3-8 hr. About 15% more radioactivity was measured in red blood cells than in plasma. In serum, the parent compound represented about 85% of the radioactivity, zatosetron-N-oxide represented 10%, and N-desmethyl-zatosetron and 3-hydroxy-zatosetron each represented 2-3%. The t1/2 of zatosetron was 25-37 hr. About 75% of zatosetron added to human plasma became reversibly bound to protein. Concentrations of zatosetron in saliva were generally 10-50% higher than those in serum. About 80% of the administered radioactivity was eliminated in urine and 20% in feces; radioactivity was measurable in the excreta for 10-12 days after drug administration. The major route of metabolism of zatosetron was a stereoselective N-oxidation to form 8-alpha-methyl, 8-beta-oxo zatosetron (zatosetron N-oxide). In urine, approximately 45% of the radioactivity was unchanged zatosetron, 35% was zatosetron N-oxide, 10% was N-desmethyl-zatosetron, and 5% was 3-hydroxy-zatosetron. In feces, 30% of the radioactivity was unchanged zatosetron, and 70% was N-desmethyl-zatosetron. Overall, approximately 60% of the administered zatosetron was metabolized in humans. In a separate multiple-dose study, the disposition of zatosetron was found to be similar to that in the single-dose study.

A23187 is an ionophore antibiotic that forms dimeric complexes with divalent cations such an Mn2+ and Ca2+. Over 200 randomly selected soil microorganisms were incubated with A23187. None of these cultures was capable of transforming this compound. In contrast, many microorganisms were able to modify the methyl ester of A23187. The transformation products produced by one culture, Streptomyces chartreusis, were isolated and identified as 16-hydroxy-N-demethyl A23187 methyl ester, 16-hydroxy-A23187 methyl ester, and N-demethyl A23187 methyl ester. These ester derivatives lack most of the ionophore properties of the acids and cannot readily form dimeric complexes with divalent cations. However, they could be hydrolyzed by a mild treatment with ethanolic KOH to free acids that possess good ionophore activity. The use of the ester substrate in conjunction with the hydrolysis procedure is, at the present time, the only known method for microbiologically producing A23187 derivatives.

Some confusion has arisen in the literature regarding the electron impact mass spectrum of N-methyltolbutamide. The situation is complicated by the thermal lability of this compound which causes the formation of the corresponding N-methylsulfonamide. We present here spectral data at relatively low probe temperatures (and without an intervening gas chromatographic system) which we believe define the mass spectrum of N-methyltolbutamide more accurately than before. Similar data are presented for the analogous N-methylacetohexamide and show a rearrangement process for both substances not reported previously for this class of compounds.

The nucleoside antibiotics tunicamycin and streptovirudin were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography into a series of 256-nm-absorbing peaks. Most of the streptovirudin peaks eluted from a Biosil ODS column earlier than those of tunicamycin, indicating that they were less hydrophobic. With the exception of the first peak, 17 other tunicamycin peaks were potent inhibitors of the formation of dolichylpyrophosphoryl-N-acetylglucosamine with 50% inhibition of the solubilized GlcNAc-1-P transferase requiring about 10 ng of antibiotic per mL. These fractions also inhibited the synthesis of dolichylphosphorylglucose, but in these cases about 500 ng/mL was necessary to achieve 50% inhibition. In MDCK cells in culture, the four major tunicamycin peaks inhibited the incorporation of [2-(3)H]mannose into protein by 50% at about 0.2-0.5 microgram/mL, but [3H]leucine incorporation into protein was unaffected, except at high levels of antibiotic (5-10 microgram/mL). Essentially the same results were observed with the streptovirudin fractions except that they were somewhat less active and some inhibition of protein synthesis was observed with several of these peaks.

Avilamycin is an antibiotic complex produced by cultures of the organism Streptomyces viridochromogenes, strain NRRL 2860. These compounds belong to the orthosomycin family of antibiotics. Structural composition of the major avilamycins and several minor avilamycins are known. Nine additional minor avilamycins, designated F through N, have been isolated via semi-preparative silica gel or reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography with final purification using a reverse-phase column loading solvent switching technique. 1H NMR and mass spectroscopy, negative ion fast atom bombardment (neg FAB) and electron impact, were used to structurally identify the avilamycins. All of the compounds were microbiologically active and similar in structure to other known avilamycins.

The complete peptide map of purified folded recombinant human insulin-like growth factor II (rhIGF-II) was determined to verify its sequence and disulfide bonding scheme. Each peptide generated by digestion with pepsin was purified and characterized by amino acid analysis, amino acid sequence analysis, and fast atom bombardment/mass spectrometry. Some peptides were also sequenced using tandem mass spectrometry. The rhIGF-II peptide map was compared to that of rat insulin-like growth factor II and to that of a disulfide-bonded isomer of rhIGF-II. The data obtained in these studies are consistent with the conclusion that the rhIGF-II obtained from Escherichia coli has the correct amino acid composition, sequence, and the native disulfide-bonded structure. The binding affinities of these forms of recombinant IGF-II for IGF carrier proteins were measured in an IGF binding protein assay. The disulfide isomer of rhIGF-II was 160-fold less potent than native rhIGF-II in the competitive protein binding assay. These studies illustrate the need to characterize recombinant polypeptides containing disulfide bonds to allow the native structure to be verified before characterizing the biological properties of such molecules in hopes of elucidating their physiologic functions.

Over eighty N-alkyl vancomycins were synthesized by reductive alkylation of vancomycin with the appropriate aldehydes. The N-alkyl vancomycins exhibit greater antibacterial activity than the corresponding N-acyl vancomycins and the parent antibiotic. Some of these semisynthetic vancomycins are five times more active than vancomycin. The N-alkyl vancomycins also show longer elimination half-lives in rats than vancomycin.

An inhibitor of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, designated A32390A, was isolated from the culture broth of a Pyrenochaeta species. The inhibitor showed antimicrobial activity against fungi and gram-positive bacteria. Spectroscopic analysis and chemical degradation studies indicated that the structure was 1,6-di-O-(2-isocyano-3-methylcrotonyl)-D-mannitol.

Several glycopeptides containing N-acyl groups have been isolated recently. We undertook the synthesis of N-acyl vancomycins, using the active ester method. The in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity were evaluated, and structure-activity relationship of this series of semisynthetic vancomycins is discussed.

The examination of soil which has been treated with trifluralin (TREFLAN alpha,alpha,alha-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine) has resulted in the identification of 28 degradation products. This paper presents the mass spectra of these products and a number of related compounds which were suspected products but were not found in trifluralin-treated soil. The mass spectra of the N,N-dialkylamines, with one exception, show major peaks due to amine alpha-cleavage and due to amine alpha-cleavage followed by carbon-nitrogen bond fission with rearragement of a hydrogen atom. Compounds having nitro groups yield mass spectra containing peaks due to intra-ionic oxidation by the nitro groups. In some cases, propionyl ions formed by this process are major ions in the spectra. Azo and azoxybenzenes resulting from condensation of two trifluraline moieties through nitro-nitrogens fragment mainly through the nitrogen-nitrogen bond.

The aqueous solution chemistry of the C-3'-acetoxy moiety of cephalothin sodium (1b) was examined with the use of isotopically labeled H2(18)O and [2-13C]acetate anion. The 18O incorporation studies indicate that the hydrolysis (at pH 4.7 +/- 0.1) of 1b to the deacetyl derivative of cephalothin (2b) proceeds via two pathways: alkyl-oxygen bond cleavage (55-63%) and acyl-oxygen bond cleavage accounting for the remainder. The incorporation of [2-13C]acetate into 1b suggests that the alkyl-oxygen cleavage pathway is a reversible reaction.

A58365A and A58365B, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors isolated from the culture filtrate of Streptomyces chromofuscus NRRL 15098, are homologous compounds of molecular formulas C12H13NO6 and C13H15NO6. The molecular similarities of the two inhibitors were established by comparison of their 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and UV spectra. Catalytic hydrogenation of A58365A led to a tetrahydro-deoxy derivative, C12H17NO5; extensive 1H NMR decoupling studies at 360 MHz allowed all the non-exchangeable protons of the derivative to be connected in a continuous substructure. This fragment was combined with information from other spectroscopic methods to suggest the structures for A58365A (1) and A58365B (2); the conclusions were confirmed by an X-ray crystallographic analysis of A58365A-dimethyl ester.

The structure of the novel nucleoside antibiotic A201A has been determined by a combination of chemical and spectroscopic methods. It is composed of 6-dimethylaminopurine, 3-amino-3-deoxyribose, p-hydroxy-alpha-methylcinnamic acid, a novel unsaturated hexofuranose and 3,4-di-O-methylrhamnose. Structures have also been assigned to several related minor factors simultaneously isolated from the fermentation broth. These unique nucleosides have very interesting similarities and differences in structure with the known antibiotics puromycin and hygromycin A.

16-Deethylindanomycin (A83094A) is a novel pyrrole-ether antibiotic produced by a strain of Streptomyces setonii. The antibiotic, which is structurally similar to indanomycin (X-14547A), is active in vitro against Gram-positive bacteria as well as coccidia.

Using electron impact and field desorption mass spectrometry, structures are proposed for narasin and a related ionophore, A28086B, derived from fermentation. The ionic fragmentation of these compounds and their derivatives is discussed and compared with that of salinomycin, whose structure has been determined by X-ray diffraction.

A21978C, produced by Streptomyces roseosporus, NRRL 11379, is a complex of new acidic lipopeptolide antibiotics which inhibits Gram-positive bacteria. HPLC separation of the various components from the purified complex resulted in the isolation of A21978C1, -C2 and -C3 (major components) and -C4, -C5, and -C0 (minor components). Each of these components was fermented with cultures of Actinoplanes utahensis (NRRL 12052) to give the identical inactive peptide ("A21978C nucleus") by removal of the fatty acid acyl groups from the N-terminus. This peptide was composed of 13 amino acids: L-kynurenine, L-threo-3-methylglutamic acid, L-asparagine, L-aspartic acid (3 residues), glycine (2 residues), L-tryptophan, L-ornithine, D-alanine, D-serine and L-threonine. The amino acid sequence was determined using a combination of the Edman degradation and gas chromatography mass spectrum (GC-MS) analysis of appropriately derivatized peptides obtained from partial hydrolysis. Each major component was shown to be acylated with a branched chain fatty acid at the N-terminus and the structure of this fatty acid was determined by 1H NMR and mass spectral methods. A structure for A21978C was assigned on the basis of this degradative and physico-chemical information.

The mapping of peptide digests by using fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry for evaluating the correctness of known or expected protein sequences is a well-established strategy. A similar approach ("PD mapping") is described which utilizes 252Cf-plasma desorption mass spectrometry (PDMS). This PD mapping approach is demonstrated and evaluated by screening the DNA-deduced sequences of recombinant interleukin-2 and human growth hormone. In the PD mapping experiment, the protein is cleaved either chemically or enzymatically and the molecular weights of the peptides predicted from the proposed amino acid sequence are compared with those determined mass spectrometrically. The relatively nondestructive nature of the PD mass spectrometric analysis allows further confirmation of the sequence assignments of individual peptides through additional steps of enzymatic or chemical modification on the nitrocellulose-bound peptides. The PD mapping method is both fast and sensitive, requiring only low nanomole amounts per map.