Abstract
Bleomycins, a group of glycopeptide antibiotics differ from one another in their terminal amine moieties. 14C-Methyl-labeled 3-aminopropyl-dimethylsulfonium was con-firmed to be incorporated into the amine moiety of bleomycin A2. Addition of amines of bleomycin A2, A2'-a, A2'-b, A2'-c, A5, B2 and B4 to fermentation media increased the rate of production of the bleomycin which contained the added amine. Addition of the amines of bleomycins A2, A2'-b, A2'-C, A5, B2 and B4 suppressed production of the other natural bleomycins almost completely. New bleomycins which contained deiminated products of amines of B2 and B4 were isolated from media to which these amines were added. Amines which were not found in natural bleomycins also suppressed production of natural bleomycins and caused production of new biosynthetic bleomycins which con-tained the added amines. The data of the production of these new bleomycins suggested a relationship of the incorporation rates to the structures of possible metabolites.
