A substrate for the fluorogenic assay of exo-beta-N-acetylmuramidase: synthesis and purification of 4-methylumbelliferyl N-acetylmuramide.

A fluorogenic substrate for exo-β-N-acetylmuramidase from Bacillus subtilis B was synthesized. 4-Methyl-2-oxo-1,2-benzopyran-7-yl 2-acetamido-4,6-O-benzylidene-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranoside was prepared from 4-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-benzopyran-7-yl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranoside, condensed with dl-2-chloropropionic acid, the benzylidene residue removed by acetolysis and the 4-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-benzopyran-7-yl 2-amino-3-O-(d-1-carboxyethyl)-2-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranoside purified by chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex G-10 and by high-voltage paper electrophoresis. The identity of the product was confirmed by pmr studies, acid hydrolysis followed by chromatography of the products, and enzymic digestion.