Microbial production of vitamin B12 antimetabolites. III Compound 102804 from Bacillus cereus

A basic compound with empirical formula C12H16N2O5 was isolated from Bacillus cereus 102804 fermentations of a soybean meal-glucose medium. The inhibitory activity of compound 102804 on growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria growing in a chemically defined medium was reversed by vitamin B12, by L-methionine, and by D-methionine. It has no inhibitory activity for Escherichia coli (Davis 113-3) when grown in media containing L-methionine. The biosynthesis of 102804 coincides with the sporulation of the B. cereus, and the compound is not produced in the absence of sporulation.