1M1^ si(»i.()(;\' 



1 1!) 



the t'onn of sutiars, ()r<i;;mi(' acids, mid alco- 

 lidls, tor diafiiiiostic purposes lias been cin- 

 phasi/cd by Ki-aiusky and Waksman. Arab- 

 inosc is not assimilated by most species, 

 sucrose is used by some, and cellulose by 

 only a few (Waksman). Inulin is utilized 

 i-eadily by most species. 



Clottlieb and Pridham emphasized tlie 

 .selective utilization of some of these com- 

 pounds in the species charact(MMzat ion of 

 actinomycetes. They found that all species 

 are able to utilize d-jjilucose, d-mannose, 

 starch, dextrin, and glycerol, but not ervth- 

 ritol, phenol, cresol, and the sodium salts 

 of formic, oxalic, and tartaric acids. Certain 

 compounds are utilized by some oi'ganisms 

 and not by others. This is true particularly 

 of riiamnose, rafhnose, xylose, lactose, man- 

 nose, dulcitol, inositol, and the sodium salts 

 of acetic and succinic acids. 



Only certain carbohydrates fa\'oi- the 

 production of streptomycin by S. griseus. 

 Thes(> include glucose, starch, and maltose, 

 'ilie addition of inorganic phosphate to S. 

 griseus media results in an increased rate of 

 glucose utilization; this is accompanied by 

 almost complete suppression of streptomy- 

 cin production. Pentoses were found to be 

 poor carbon sources; glucose and mannose 

 were best, especially when combined with 

 proline. Maltose was the best of the disac- 

 charides. The trisaccharides offered inferior 

 nutrients. Inulin was inferior to starch and 

 dextrin. Mannitol was a promising carbon 

 source, but none of the organic acids pi'o\-ed 

 suital)le. 



Xumerof ct al. reported that, in a nuMlium 

 containing glucose, acetate, and glycine, 

 S. griseus utilized only gluco.se for the .syn- 

 thesis of streptomycin, although the other 

 two compounds also had to be present for 

 efficient jDroduction of the antibiotic. All the 

 four carbons of glycine and acetate could 

 account for less than the eciuivalent of one 

 of the carbon atoms in the streptomycin 

 molecul(\ .Moi'c than half of the acetate and 



12 3 4 

 Time (days) 



Figure 56. Utilization of glucose and produc- 

 tion of lactic acid by S. griseus (Reproduced from: 

 Hockenhull, 1). J. D., et al. J. Gen. Microbiol. 10: 

 364, 1954). 



glycine carbon appeared as carbon dioxide. 

 The incorporation of labeled carbon from 

 acetate and glycine into streptomycin was 

 thus highl}^ inefficient, although it was still 

 possible to demonstrate localization in the 

 guanidine carbons of the molecule. 



Benedict et al. tested a large number of 

 streptomycete cultures for their ability to 

 utilize various sugars. A total of 147 strains 

 of Streptomijces representing 75 species have 

 V)een tested on 24 carbon compounds for 

 their ability to initiate growth in the syn- 

 thetic medium of Pridham and Gottlieb. 

 Forty-one cultui'es w(>re tested also on 

 dulcitol and on the .sodium salts of two or- 

 ganic acids. Of the cai'bohydrates studied 

 L-sorbose was not attacked by any species 

 of Streptomijces, and erythritol and dulcitol 

 were found to be of limited value in these 

 tests. Relatively poor growth was attained 

 on melezitose, soi-bitol, and esculin (Table 

 21). 



According to Stapp and Spicher, some 



