SYNTHESES OF CAPREOMYCIN ANALOGS IN RELATION TO THEIR ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES

Six analogs of an antituberculous antibiotic capreomycin were synthesized in order to clarify the structure-activity relationship, especially with regard to the significance of the β-amino group in α,β-diaminopropionic acid residue as well as the position of linkage of the branch residue, β-lysine, to the cyclic peptide moiety. All the synthetic products were found to have the same conformations in solution as those of the natural antibiotics in terms of NMR spectra. It was found from their antibacterial activities that an amino group located at β-position of the α,β-diaminopropionic acid residue adjacent to ureidodehydroalanine residue remarkably strengthens the biological activity, and that the position of a branch does not significantly influence the antibacterial potency.