Synthesis of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-D-galacto se by the sequential use of beta-D-galactosidases from bovine testes and Escherichia coli.

beta-D-Galp-(1----3)-D-GalNAc (1) was synthesised from lactose and GalNAc on a mmolar scale by transgalactosylation using beta-D-galactosidase from bovine testes. The large proportions of unwanted oligosaccharides in the product mixture were removed by treatment with beta-D-galactosidase from E. coli, which left 1, monosaccharides, and a small proportion of trisaccharides. Carbon-Celite chromatography then gave 1 in a yield of 21% based on the GalNAc added.