Paper chromatographic identification of polypeptidic gram positive inhibiting antibiotics.

One-directional paper chromatography followed by bioautography has proved useful for differentiating antibiotics produced by Bacillus species in connection with a screening program. For purposes of comparison with unidentified antibiotics, Rf values have been determined with a number of solvents for most of the available Bacillus antibiotics active against gram positive bacteria and several of the polypeptidic antibiotics produced by other microorganisms. Goodall and Levi (1946) first used this technique in separating the penicillins. Since that time, it has been used with increasing scope. Several of the polypeptidic, gram positive inhibiting antibiotics have previously been separated chromatographically (bacitracin, tyrothricin, and viomycin by Fischbach and Levine, 1953; licheniformins A, B, and C by Callow and Work, 1952; catenulin and neomycin by Davisson et al., 1952; the various actinomycins by Vining and Waksman, 1954; and actinomycin and streptothricin sulfate by Ammann and Gottlieb, 1955).