﻿562 
  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  194 
  3 
  

  

  The 
  material 
  is 
  soluble 
  in 
  organic 
  solvents, 
  relatively 
  thermostable, 
  

   inactivated 
  by 
  alkalies 
  but 
  not 
  by 
  acids. 
  It 
  has 
  not 
  yet 
  been 
  isolated 
  

   in 
  pure 
  form 
  and 
  its 
  chemical 
  nature 
  and 
  possible 
  identity 
  with 
  

   previously 
  discovered 
  mold 
  agents 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  determined. 
  Eber- 
  

   thella 
  typhosa 
  is 
  inhibited 
  by 
  a 
  0.001 
  percent 
  concentration 
  of 
  the 
  

   partially 
  purified 
  preparation. 
  

  

  Spinulosin 
  and 
  fumigatin. 
  — 
  During 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  chemical 
  prod- 
  

   ucts 
  of 
  various 
  molds, 
  the 
  pigments 
  spinulosin 
  and 
  fumigatin 
  were 
  

   isolated 
  some 
  years 
  ago 
  from 
  cultures 
  of 
  Penicillium 
  spinulosum 
  and 
  

   Aspergillus 
  fumigatus, 
  respectively. 
  Investigation 
  of 
  the 
  structure 
  

   of 
  these 
  substances 
  showed 
  them 
  to 
  be 
  quite 
  closely 
  related, 
  fumi- 
  

   gatin 
  being 
  3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-2,5-toluquinone, 
  while 
  spinulosin 
  

   is 
  6-hydroxyfumigatin. 
  Recently 
  these 
  compounds 
  have 
  been 
  exam- 
  

   ined 
  for 
  antibacterial 
  properties 
  and 
  both 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  

   moderately 
  active. 
  Spinulosin 
  and 
  fumigatin 
  are 
  less 
  important 
  

   by 
  virtue 
  of 
  their 
  own 
  potencies, 
  however, 
  than 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  infor- 
  

   mation 
  concerning 
  the 
  relationship 
  between 
  structure 
  and 
  activity 
  

   which 
  has 
  been 
  obtained 
  from 
  their 
  study. 
  This 
  will 
  be 
  discussed 
  

   below. 
  

  

  Fumigacin. 
  — 
  Although 
  isolated 
  from 
  Aspergillus 
  fumigatus, 
  this 
  

   substance 
  is 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  confused 
  with 
  fumigatin. 
  Fumigacin, 
  which 
  

   has 
  been 
  obtained 
  in 
  crystalline 
  form 
  but 
  not 
  yet 
  characterized 
  chem- 
  

   ically, 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  active 
  against 
  Gram-positive 
  bacteria 
  but 
  nearly 
  

   inactive 
  against 
  Gram-negative 
  species. 
  

  

  Citrinin. 
  — 
  This 
  is 
  another 
  substance 
  previously 
  isolated 
  from 
  a 
  

   mold, 
  Penicillium 
  citri?ium, 
  and 
  on 
  recent 
  reinvestigation 
  found 
  to 
  

   possess 
  antibacterial 
  activity, 
  although 
  not 
  to 
  an 
  especially 
  marked 
  

   extent. 
  Its 
  structure 
  has 
  been 
  worked 
  out 
  as 
  a 
  complex 
  substituted 
  

   quinone 
  ; 
  it 
  has 
  not 
  yet 
  been 
  synthesized. 
  

  

  Clavacin. 
  — 
  This 
  substance, 
  obtained 
  from 
  Aspergillus 
  clavatus, 
  is 
  

   said 
  to 
  be 
  particularly 
  effective 
  against 
  Gram-negative 
  bacteria, 
  in- 
  

   cluding 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  species 
  not 
  affected 
  by 
  penicillin, 
  mandelic 
  acid, 
  

   or 
  the 
  sulfonamides. 
  Various 
  strains 
  of 
  the 
  fungus 
  differ 
  greatly 
  in 
  

   their 
  production 
  of 
  clavacin. 
  The 
  substance, 
  which 
  is 
  rather 
  un- 
  

   stable, 
  has 
  not 
  yet 
  been 
  prepared 
  in 
  pure 
  form, 
  but 
  even 
  the 
  partially 
  

   purified 
  product 
  exhibits 
  a 
  considerable 
  measure 
  of 
  activity. 
  

  

  Claviformin. 
  — 
  This 
  material, 
  isolated 
  in 
  crystalline 
  form 
  from 
  the 
  

   culture 
  medium 
  of 
  Penicillium 
  claviforme, 
  may 
  have 
  the 
  formula 
  

   C 
  9 
  H 
  8 
  5 
  . 
  It 
  is 
  considerably 
  more 
  potent 
  than 
  citrinin, 
  clavacin, 
  or 
  

   fumigacin, 
  although 
  less 
  so 
  than 
  penicillin. 
  However, 
  in 
  view 
  of 
  its 
  

   decreased 
  activity 
  in 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  serum, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  its 
  fairly 
  high 
  

   toxicity, 
  its 
  therapeutic 
  application 
  does 
  not 
  appear 
  particularly 
  

   promising. 
  

  

  