PURPOSE: In the presence of the culture mixture of Arthrobacter bacterium or its treated product, 1H-tetrazole-1-yl-acetyl group is introduced in the 7-amino group on 7-aminocephem compound to produce ceftezole used for an antibiotic in high yield.
CONSTITUTION: A bacterium belonging to Arthrobacter and producing an acylation enzyme, such as Arthrobacter vicousus ATCC 15294, is aerobically cultured in an enriched medium, preferably at 27W29°C for 2W4 days, then the filtrate of the culture mixture or a product containing the enzyme separated from the culture mixture is brought into contact with 7-amino-3-(1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-yl) thiomethyl- 3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid and 1H-tetrazole-1-acetic acid or its activated derivative at a temperature of about 35W38°C and a pH of 5W7.5 for about 1W5 hours. After the reaction, the ceftezole is separed from the reaction mixture and purified.
MATSUMOTO IKUO
KUBOTA ISAO
