Composition of the rigid-layer of Streptomyces antibioticus producing peptide antibiotics.

Streptomyces antibioticus producing antimycin A and actinomycin did not fit in cell-wall types of aerobic actinomycetes. In addition to universal actinomycetes cell-wall components, i. e. glucosamine, muramic acid, glutamic acid and alanine, diaminopimelic acid (DAP), lysine, leucine (isoleucine), glycine, arabinose, glucose, galactose and mannose were detected as major constituents. Phase of the life-cycle influenced the distribution of serine, aspartic acid, lysine and DAP isomers. LL-DAP was found rather than meso form. MesoDAP was consistently revealed after 48 hr incubation and not at other times, and as distinct from LL was not strict alternative with lysine. The occurrence of meso-DAP, relatively small amounts of murein glucosamine (2.2-5.5 %) and lysozyme resistance suggest a similarity to nocardiae cell-walls. Decrease of murein hexosamine was unfavourable for antimycin A yields. Variation of the murein amino acids stimulated production of actinomycin.