Conversion of Desthiobiotin Into Biotin or Biotinlike Substances by Some Microorganisms

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Abstract
Twelve yeasts and 4 fila- mentous fungi grown in the presence of desthiobiotin converted it into biotin or vitamers of biotin active for the following organisms unable to utilize desthiobiotin: Lacto-bacillus arabinosus, L. casei, Rhizobium trifolii 205, and Sordaria fimicola. Quantitative detns. failed to recover all the biotin activity from the following organisms grown upon known amounts of biotin: S. fimicola, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, "old process," Neurospora sitophila, and Cerato-stomella pini. The amt. of biotin activity recovered depended upon the organism being assayed, and the test organism used. When these organisms were grown in the presence of 1,000 Y of. desthiobiotin in addition to biotin, S. cerevisiae, "old process" was found to convert desthiobiotin into substances having biotin activity for L. arabinosus and L. casei, but not for R. trifolii 205; N. sitophila converted desthiobiotin into vitamers of biotin active for the former 2 test organisms and for R. trifolii 205 as well. No evidence of conversion of desthiobiotin into biotin vitamers active for L. arabinosus, L. casei, and R. trifolii 205 by S. fimicola and C. pini was found. The mycelium of S. fimicola stored large amts. of desthiobiotin; that of C. pini did not.