Isolation of 3′-O-Acetylchloramphenicol: A possible intermediate in chloramphenicol biosynthesis

3′-O-Acetylchloramphenicol, commonly formed from chloramphenicol by resistant bacteria, has been isolated from the antibiotic-producing organism. Biosynthetic experiments suggest that it is a protected intermediate in chloramphenicol biosynthesis, implicating acetylation as a self-resistance mechanism in the producing organism.