Introduction 



The culture of bacteria and molds, the collection of higher 

 fungi and lichens and the isolation and characterization of their 

 metabolites is a sophisticated sort of research involving several 

 distinct sciences. As a result the reports of such work are scat- 

 tered through a variety of chemical, biochemical, microbiologi- 

 cal, botanical, medical and pharmaceutical journals as well as 

 general scientific journals and those devoted to antibiotics and 

 fermentation technology. The published reviews of the struc- 

 tures of microbial metabolites have been Umited in scope. 

 It is difficult for the novice to gain a total impression of the 

 progress that has been made, and difficult even for the specialist 

 in this area to see the forest entire as well as the trees about him. 



Having monitored the literature for several years incidental 

 to our own work, we felt that it would be useful to publish a 

 more general list of chemicals produced by microorganisms. 

 More specifically, what has been attempted is a compilation of 

 data on the structural and simpler physical properties of all of 

 the primary microorganism metabolites which have been re- 

 ported to be produced by the organisms growing either in the 

 wild state or in culture on artificial sugar-based media. Al- 

 though many structures are incomplete, generally the com- 

 pounds in this list have been purified, and at least some physical 

 properties observed. In view of the difficulties mentioned above 

 we do not presume to have achieved absolutely complete cover- 

 age, and we should be pleased to receive structures or references 

 to appropriate compounds which have been overlooked. Cor- 

 rections of errors would be appreciated also. The literature 

 available to us has been watched until the beginning of printing 

 operations in December 1960. 



Organization is by general similarity of chemical structures, 

 but not in the strictest sense. For example, all carotenes and 

 carotenoids were grouped together rather than grouping a caro- 



