[Inhibition of oleandomycin biosynthesis by glucose]

The results of the study on the effect of glucose and various carbohydrates on biosynthesis of oleandomycin by Streptomyces antibioticus are presented. It was found that glucose added at the beginning or by the 48th hour of the fermentation process on the complex medium inhibited oleandomycin biosynthesis. To investigate the mechanism of the glucose effect, a fermentation medium was developed. It provided variation of the carbohydrate composition, determination of the protein content in the culture and evaluation of the mycelium productivity. With the use of this medium it was shown that monosaccharides such as galactose, fructose and glucose significantly activated the mycelium growth as compared to lactose and sucrose. At the same time glucose completely inhibited oleandomycin biosynthesis when added either as an only carbohydrate component or in combination with galactose or fructose, while the presence of the other two monosaccharides did not prevent antibiotic production, though the mycelium productivity was lowered as compared to that with the use of the disaccharide. Therefore, the inhibitory effect of glucose on biosynthesis of oleandomycin was not connected with activation of the culture growth by it. Acidification of the medium on cultivation of the streptomycete in the presence of glucose only partially explained its inhibitory effect, since inhibition was maintained on the medium with addition of CaCO3 which stabilizes pH. Addition of 2-deoxy-D-glucose, a nonmetabolized glucose analog, to the fermentation medium retarded antibiotic production. It is possible that the inhibitory effect of glucose on biosynthesis of oleandomycin is not associated with its metabolism.