Synthesis of Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc and Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc beta-SEt by an enzymatic method comprising the sequential use of beta-galactosidases from bovine testes and Escherichia coli.

Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc (1) and Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc beta-SEt (2) were synthesized on a 100 mg scale by the transgalactosylation reaction of bovine testes beta-galactosidase with lactose as donor and N-acetylglucosamine and GlcNAc beta-SEt as acceptors. In both cases the product mixtures contained unwanted isomers and were treated with beta-galactosidase from Escherichia coli which has a different specificity, under conditions favouring hydrolysis, yielding besides the desired products, monosaccharides and traces of trisaccharides. The products were purified to greater than 95% by gel filtration, with a final yield of 12% of 1 and 17% of 2, based on added acceptor. In a separate experiment Gal beta 1-6GlcNAc beta-SEt (3) was synthesized by the transglycosylation reaction using beta-galactosidase from Escherichia coli. No other isomers were detected. Compound 3 was purified by HPLC.