Thermomonospora sp. T-SA-125 and its production of a growth promoting antibiotic

Thermomonospora sp. T-SA-125 is a true thermophilic actinomycete isolated from a soil sample collected from the Saudi Arabian desert. It is characterized by the formation of single spores at the tips of dichotomously branched aerial mycelium and differs from Thermomonospora curvata and T. viridis in certain aspects. It produces a basic water-soluble antibiotic which is active against Gram-positive bacteria, moderately active against Gram-negative bacteria and inactive against fungi. At high concentrations, this antibiotic, stimulated the growth of both Hordeum coleoptile and lettuce hypocotyl.