176 



DESCRIPTIONS OF ANTIBIOTICS 



Chemical and physical properties: Red crystals, 

 m.p. 248-250°C (decomposition). Soluble in tli- 

 ethyl ether; insoluble in petroleum ether. Ultra- 

 violet absorption maxima at 446 m/j (Eic'm 160 

 to 170), and 236 or 242 m/x (£:IL 265 or 230). 

 [a]" = -260 to -268° (7). 



Biological aclivity: Typical of the actinomycins 

 (7). 



Toxicili/: 10 /xg per 20 gm mouse is lethal, intra 

 venously (7). 



Actinomycin 3 



Produced by: Streptomyces chri/sonidlhis (81). 



Method of extraction: Present in cult ure-l)rot h 

 and mycelium (81). 



Chemical and physical properties: Red substance ; 

 m.p. 254 °C (decomposition). Soluble in acetone 

 and chloroform; moderately soluble in benzene, 

 ethanol, and ethyl acetate; less soluble in ether; 

 very sparingly soluble in carbon tetrachloride 

 and water; insoluble in petroleum ether. Yellow- 

 green fluorescence in ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet 

 absorption spectrum maximum at 450 ran (acetone 

 and alcohol). Contains six amino acids, including 

 L-valine, L-proline, and L-threonine. Forms a 

 biologically active, said to be less toxic than other 

 actinomycins, water-soluble degradation product 

 (81). 



Biological activity:Typica\ of actinomycins (81). 



Toxicity: 3.3 mg per kg is toxic to mice, in- 

 travenously or intraperitoneally (81). 



Acti noniycni J/. 



Produced by: Streptomyces sji. Tliis culture also 

 produces a eurocidin-like substance (52). 



Method of extraction: Essentially similar to that 

 for the C-type "mixture" (52). 



Chemical and physical properties: Red hexagonal 

 plates; m.p. 252-254°C. Ultraviolet absorption 

 maxima at about 242 niju {E\'om 40) and 440 to 

 450 ni;u. Infrared spectrum given in reference 1; 

 said to l)c similar to that of actinomycin C. C = 

 57.23%; H = 6.32%; N = 12.55% (52). 



Biological activity: Typical of the actinomycins. 

 Active on Ehrlich (ascites) carcinoma in mice 

 (52). 



Toxicity: 150 yug per kg is lethal to mice in 7 

 days, but 75 yug per kg is tolerated (52). 



.1 u rant in 



Produced by: A Streptomyces of the uuruntiacus 

 group (104). 



Synonym: Aurantin is an actinomycin similar to 

 actinomycin C. 



Chemical and physical properties: Dark red 

 hexagonal bipyramidal crystals; m.p. 251-253°C. 



Biological activity: Active against gram-positive 

 bacteria. Streptococci and B. mycoides completely 

 inhibited by 0.04 ng per ml; staphylococci and 

 B. subtilis by 0.4 jug per ml. Active in mice against 

 Ehrlich carcinoma, sarcoma 180, and lymphoma 

 L 10. Active in rats against sarcoma M 1, sarcoma 

 4 J, and (Juerin carcinoma. 



Toxicity: A single injection of 900 to 1000 jug 

 per kg intraperitoneally kills more than 50 per 

 cent of the mice. A single dose of 500 /xg per kg is 

 tolerated by the animals. Rats are more easily 

 killed than mice by aiu'antin. 



References : 



1. Waksman, S. A. and Woodruff, H. B. Proc. 



Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med. 45: 609-614, 1940. 



2. Waksman, S. A. and Woodruff, H. B. J. 



Bacteriol. 42:231-249,1941. 



3. Waksman, S. A. et al. Proc. Soc. Exptl. 



Biol. Med. 47: 261-263, 1941. 



4. Waksman, S. A. and Tishler, M. J. Biol. 



Chem. 142: 519-528, 1942. 



5. Welsch, M. Bull. soc. chim. biol. 2«: 557- 



566, 1946. 



6. Umezawa, H. f/ fl/. J. Penicillin (Japan) 1: 



129-133, 1947. 



7. Trussell, P. C. and Richardson, E. M. Can. 



J. Research 26C: 27-30, 1948. 



8. Kocholaty, W. et al. Arch Biochem. 17: 



191-193, 1948. 



9. Hirata, Y. and Nakanishi, K. J. Antil)iotics 



(Japan) 2: 181-182, 1948. 



10. Lehr, H. and Berger, J. Arch. Biochem. 23: 



503-505, 1949. 



11. Brockmann, H. and Crubhofer, N. Natur- 



wissenschaften 36: 376-377, 1949. 



12. Hirata, Y. and Nakanishi, K. Bull. C-hem. 



Soc. Japan 22: 121-127, 1949. 



13. Dalgliesch, C. E. et al. Nature, London 



164: 830, 1949; J. Chem. Soc. 2946-2952, 

 1950. 



14. Sarlet, H. Enzymologia 14:49-50,1950. 



15. Fisher, W. P. et al . Antibiotics & Chemo- 



therapy 1: 571-572, 1951. 



16. Brockmann, H. et al. Chem. Ber. M: 



260-284, 1951. 



17. Umezawa, H. et al. J. Antibiotics (Japan) 



4: 335-338, 1951. 



18. Linge, H. Thesis. Gottingen, 1951. 



19. Johnson, A. W. et al. J. Chem. Soc. 2672- 



2679, 1952. 



20. Lindenbein, W. Arch. Mikrobiol. 17: 361- 



383, 1952. 



21. Schulte, C. Z. Krel)sfor.sch. 58: 500-503, 



1952. 



22. Brockmann, H. and Pfennig, N. Naturwissen- 



schaften 39: 428-430, 1952. 



