19 



Alcohols, Glycols and Compounds Related to Sugars 



(a logical precursor) has been shown to be formed by some 

 aspergilli. 



Mannitol, which is accumulated in quantity by some micro- 

 organisms and occurs widely, is known in some cases to be in a 

 reversible equilibrium with fructose, and it probably serves as a 

 reserve food." This reserve function may be true also of other 

 reduced sugars. 



The inositols are not formed by direct hexose cyclization, but 

 their detailed biosynthesis is not known. 



Many uncommon sugars have been found as moieties of 

 streptomycete antibiotics. Some of these antibiotics which are 

 predominantly sugar-like in composition are included at the 

 end of this chapter. It might be useful to list the individual 

 sugars here for comparison, including those which occur in 

 streptomycete antibiotics classified in other chapters : 



Sugars from Streptomycete Antibiotics 



(showing points of attachment and 



stereochemistry where known) 



N-Methyl-i-glucosamine 

 (streptomycins) 



HsC 



Streptose 

 (streptomycin) 



OH 

 Streptidine 

 (streptomycin) 



CH2NH 



Dihydrostreptose 

 (dihydrostreptomycin) 



HOCH 



Hydroxystreptose 

 (hydroxystreptomycin) 



6-Giucosamine 

 (kanamycin) 



^* Vincent W. Cochrane, "Physiology of Fungi," John Wiley and 

 Sons, Inc., New York, 1958, p. 122. 



