NEW PRODUCTS RELATED TO KINAMYCIN FROM STREPTOMYCES MURAYAMAENSIS

I. TAXONOMY, PRODUCTION, ISOLATION AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

Abstract

Six new products of Streptomyces murayamaensis sp. nov. Hata et Ohtani, the producer of the kinamycins, were isolated by silica gel column chromatography. The antibacterial activities of the new products, as well as that of dehydrorabelomycin and murayaquinone, previously isolated products of the same organism, were compared to the kinamycins. Three of the products had antibacterial activities similar to the kinamycins, while two others had activity only against Gram-positive bacteria. Dehydrorabelomycin and one other metabolite had no detectable antibacterial activity. The organism was found to be capable of aerial mycelium formation, with sporophores branched at regular intervals bearing square-ended spores with smooth surfaces. The culture contains L, L-diaminopimelic acid in the cell wall (Type I), is highly resistant to lysozyme, and lecithinase- and melanin-positive, suggesting a relationship with the genus Streptoverticillium and the lavendulae group of the genus Streptomyces.