Effects of Various Agents on the Pigment (Violacein) and Antibiotic Production of Alteromonas luteoviolacea

Abstract

Effects of various antibiotics on the growth and pigment (violacein) production in eleven strains of Alteromonas luteoviolacea were examined. Antibiotic production by Alteromonas strains was also studied under various conditions. With the lapse of time, actinomycin D, colistin, streptomycin and leucomycin initially inhibited the growth of all the strains, and also their pigment production. Low concentration of chloramphenicol, oleandomycin and erthromycin rather enhanced pigment production in all the strains. Lincomycin, sulfisoxazole and sulfisomezole enhanced their growth, but suppressed their pigment production. When cultured on the ZoBell medium for 24h, the Alteromonas strains produced a compound which inhibited several strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio alginolyticus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Corynebacterium strain 520 and Proteus vulgaris. V. parahaemolyticus and V. alginolyticus were also inhibited by the Alteromonas strains grown on L-valine medium, while Staphylococcus citreus, Micrococcus lysodeikticus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Alteromonas haloplanktis strain 1055-1 were inhibited by the Alteromonas strains grown in a L-tyrosine medium. The optimum pH for antibiotic production was 7. Solid media were found better than broth media for antibiotic production in the Alteromonas strains.