Synthesis of methyl sulfomycinate, sulfomycinic amide and sulfomycinine, degradation products of the sulfomycin thiopeptide antibiotics

The convergent synthesis of methyl sulfomycinate and sulfomycinic amide, two acidic methanolysis products of the sulfomycin thiopeptide antibiotics, is achieved starting from diethoxyacetonitrile. Further confirmation of structure is obtained by heating methyl sulfomycinate at 110 °C in hydrochloric acid to give (±)-sulfomycinine hydrochloride, the acid hydrolysate of sulfomycin I.