Abstract
When washed mycelium of Streptomyces griseus HUT 6037 was incubated in 0.5% NaCl solution containing 14C-gl cosamine with shaking at 28°C, the activity of the mycelium to incorporate radioactivity into the cell wall decreased rapidly, while that into streptomycin increased. During this physiological change, UDP-Af-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, glutamic acid and trehalose accumulated in the mycelium. The latter two substances accumulated much more than the former two. When the time courses of the activities of incorporation of 14C-glucosamine into the four substances, mucopeptide and streptomycin were examined, a decrease in the activity into peptidoglycan led to an increase into streptomycin, glutamic acid and trehalose.
In a pH-stat batch culture with a defined medium, trehalose was accumulated in the cell before glucose was consumed. However, after glucose was consumed, the consumption of trehalose began. Streptomycin production continued until intracellular trehalose completely disappeared in spite of the lack of glucose in the culture medium.
