Two Antagonistic Fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus clavatus , and Their Antibiotic Substances

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Abstract
A. fumigatus and A. clavatus, isolated from soils and stable manure, produce anti-bacterial substances which are designated as fumigacin and clavacin, respectively. Fumigacin, quite distinct from the pigment fumigatin, is formed in the culture medium during the early stages of growth of A. fumigatus, namely in 5-9 days, and is then gradually destroyed on further incubation. It can be isolated by adding norit to the culture filtrate, treating the norit with ether, and extracting the active substance in chloroform. Fumigacin is readily soluble in alcohol and only sparingly soluble in water. When the alcoholic soln. is cooled, white, needle-shaped crystals of fumigacin are produced. It is active against gram-positive bacteria and has comparatively little effect upon gram-negative organisms or fungi. Clavacin is markedly different from fumigacin in both chemical nature and biol. activity. It is nearly as active against gram-negative bacteria as against gram-positive organisms. It is soluble in ether, chloroform, alcohol and water. It possesses a high bactericidal action, almost comparable to its bacteriostatic properties. There is little difference between the bactericidal action against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. This action is not instantaneous, but requires a certain period of time. Older cultures of bacteria are more resistant than younger cultures. Both fumigacin and clavacin are fairly toxic to animals, and differ in many respects from penicillin.

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