Discovery of nosokophic acid, a predicted intermediate of moenomycins, from nosokomycin-producing Streptomyces sp. K04-0144.

A new actinomycete metabolite designated nosokophic acid was isolated from the culture broth of nosokomycin-producing Streptomyces sp. K04-0144, and the structure was elucidated by various NMR experiments. Nosokophic acid was found to be 3-phosphoglycosyl-2-sesquiterpenyl dihydroxypropionic acid, a predicted biosynthetic intermediate of nosokomycin-related moenomycins. The compound showed no activity against MRSA, but potentiated imipenem activity against MRSA by 512-fold.