Pfizer Handbook of Microbial Metabolites 668 



A review of naturally occurring nitre compounds has 

 been published.'*^ 



The fatty acids of B. alcaligenes faecalis, S. pullorum, 

 B. fluorescens, S. typhi-murium and B. natta have been 

 analyzed. ^^ Palmitic and unsaturated Cig-acids were the 

 main components. Unsaturated Cig-acids were present 

 to some extent, the unsaturated Cis- and Cjc-acids being 

 largely oleic and palmitoleic. A saturated Cig-acid was 

 abundant in the fat of B. natta. 



Two acids, 13-methyltetradecanoic, m.p. 52.5-53°, and 

 15-methylhexadecanoic, m.p. 61.0-61.5°, were the main 

 components of the fatty acid fraction of B. subtilis.^* 



A new monounsaturated, monohydroxy acid, diphthero- 

 corynic, C53H104O3, has been reported produced by Coryne- 

 bacterium diphtheriae .^^ Its relationship to related com- 

 pounds has been discussed.^'' 



4. Tetronic Acids and Other Lactones and Lactams 



Tenuazonic acid ( 3-acetyl-5-sec-butyltetramic acid) 

 has been biosynthesized incorporating 3.9 percent of the 

 tracer from a medium containing CH^C^OONa.^^ Of the 

 total incorporated radioactivity 96 percent was present in 

 the C-2 and C-6 atoms. The remaining 4 percent was 

 shared by C-4 and C-10, and this was explained on the 

 basis of the manner of biosynthesis of isoleucine. 



4 3 6 7 



HO— C=C— CO— CH3 



10 9 8 1 



CH3— CH2— CH— CH C 



I 5'\ 



CH3 N 



11 H' 



\ 



32 M. Pailer, Fortschr. Chem. org. Naturstoffe 18 55-78 (1960). 



33Kunihiko Saito, /. Biochem. (Tokyo) 47 699 (1960). 



^^Idem., ibid. 47 710 (1960). 



3^ E. M. Gubarev and L. M. Pustovlova, Ukrain. Biokhim. Zhiir. 30 

 569 (1958). 



3" Raoul Toubiana and Jean Asselineau, Compt. rend. 251 884 

 (1960). 



3" C. E. Stickings and R. J. Townsend, Proc. Biochem. Soc, 36P 

 (1960). 



