Biological activity of synthetic subunits of streptococcus peptidoglycan. I. Pyrogenic and thrombocytolytic activity.

The ability of some synthetically prepared analogues of Streptococcus peptidoglycan subunits (dipeptide, tetrapeptide, glycodipeptide and glycotetrapeptide) to cause fever in rabbits and lysis of rabbit blood platelets was studied. While di- and tetrapeptides did not exhibit these activities, glycodipeptides and glycotetrapeptides displayed pyrogenic and thrombocytolytic activities comparable with those of natural peptidoglycans.