Thiazolyl peptide antibiotic nocathiacin I (
1) was convertedto nocathiacin acid (
4) in high yield by treatment withtrifluoroacetic anhydride and pyridine in THF at roomtemperature. Two equipotent water-soluble amide analoguesof nocathiacin I were readily prepared from this importantand versatile carboxylic acid intermediate under mild peptidecoupling conditions. The present method is useful forchemical derivatization of complex natural products thatcontain C-terminal dehydroalanine.