Tallysomycin, a new antitumor antibiotic complex related to bleomycin. II. Structure determination of tallysomycins A and B.

The structures of tallysomycins A and B, two major components of a new antitumor antibiotic complex, have been determined. They are glycopeptide antibiotics structurally related to bleomycin: four amino acid moieties and a disaccharide fragment which are the constituents of bleomycin molecule are also present in the tallysomycins. Tallysomycins A and B contain two new amino acids and a unique amino sugar, 4-amino-4,6-dideoxy-L-talose, which have not been hitherto found in the phleomycin-bleomycin group of antibiotics. In addition tallysomycin A has an additional amino acid, L-beta-lysine, and thus a longer peptide chain than bleomycin or tallysomycin B. Tallysomycins A and B have the same terminal amine moiety, spermidine.