STUDIES ON THE METABOLISM OF STREPTOMYCES GRISEUS IN RELATION TO THE PRODUCTION OF STREPTOMYCIN

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Abstract
A synthetic medium inducing high streptomycin production was evolved by studying growth factor and nitrogen requirements of the mold Streptomyces griseus. It was concluded that mycelium growth and streptomycin production do not necessarily parallel each other. Histidine appeared to affect both streptomycin and mycelium formation and was essential in any amino acid combination to induce either a high mycelium or streptomycin yield. Valine was shown to stimulate streptomycin synthesis and aspartic or glutamic promoted only mycelium production. Experiments were done to show which metabolic changes in the medium could be associated with growth and which with the antibiotic production.The effect on the mold of high concentration of sodium chloride was investigated. It was found that by reducing the amount of salt in the nutrient media, the greater part of the streptomycin could be recovered from the mycelium instead of the medium. It appears that the antibiotic is a product of intracellular synthesis, since ions of the lyotropic series affecting the permeability of the cellular membrane affect the distribution of the antibiotic between medium and mycelium.