NUTRITIONAL FACTORS RELATING TO GROWTH AND OXYTETRACYCLINE FORMATION BY STREPTOMYCES RIMOSUS

The effects of a variety of nitrogen compounds, mainly amino acids, on oxytetracycline formation and growth were studied in Streptomyces rimosus. Of the amino acids, N-acetyl-DL-alanine and N-acetylglycine supported the highest antibiotic yields. No correlation was evident between the capacity of an amino acid to support growth or stimulate antibiotic formation. Likewise, other adjuncts that stimulated growth did not necessarily enhance antibiotic production. Nutritional differences based on amino acid utilization and antibiotic synthesis using alanine and aspartic acid isomers existed among different strains of S. rimosus. In addition, a synthetic medium was developed that gives excellent antibiotic production though organic nitrogen is omitted.