Studies on Streptomycetes

Abstract

Investigation was made on the isolation procedure, physico-chemical properties and biological activities of antibiotic 46408 produced by Streptomyces atratus nov. sp. The solvent extract from the whole culture of this strain gave two antibiotic substances. Both are yellow, neutral and sparingly soluble in water and active against acid-fast bacteria, especially Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis but inactive against most other bacteria, fungi and yeast examined. From the physico-chemical and microbiological properties they were found to be new substances and named rufomycin A and B, respectively. Recently Umezawa et al. reported on new antibiotics, ilamycins, active against acidfast bacteria. The properties of rufomycins and ilamycins suggest that they really are very much like. Rufomycin A was nearly as effective as streptomycin in experimental tuberculosis in mice. © 1962, Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry. All rights reserved.