Two a-linked disaccharide derivatives, ethyl 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-azido-2-deoxy-a-Dgalactopyranosyl-(1 ! 2)-4-azido-3-O-benzyl-4,6-dideoxy-1-thio-a-D-mannopyranoside (10) and 2- (16), were prepared from appropriate monosaccharide synthons. The disaccharide 16 was deacetylated and debenzoylated to afford the acceptor 17, which was allowed to react with the donor 10 to afford a tetrasaccharide derivative 18. This tetrasaccharide was transformed in three steps into 21, the desired repeating unit of the antigen from enterohemorrhagic E. coli type O157.