NEW ANTIBIOTICS PRODUCED BY BACTERIA GROWN ON n-PARAFFIN (MIXTURE OF C12, C13 AND C14 FRACTIONS)

Pseudomonas fluorescens KY 4032, when grown on n-paraffin (mixture of C12, C13 and C14 fractions) as the sole source of carbon, produced antibacterial substances in the culture medium. Two kinds of new substances named as fluopsins C and F, (C2H4NOS)2Cu and (C2H4NOS)3Fe, were isolated through the extraction of the culture broth with chloroform and the chromatography on silicic acid column. Fluopsin C contains copper atom in the molecule while fluopsin F does iron instead of copper. The biological activities of these compounds were remarkable against most of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. For the production of these antibiotics by this microorganism, n-paraffin was the preferable carbon source. The production of fluopsin C was apparently dependent on the quantity of copper ion added to the culture medium. In the limited concentration of copper ion the major product was replaced by fluopsin F.