[Anthracycline antibiotics from genetically modified streptomycetes. The isolation, spectroscopic structural elucidation and biologic effects of beta-rhodomycin I]

By mutagenic treatment and selection procedures the mutant ZIMET 43678 was obtained from a population of the interspecific recombinant Streptomyces violaceus subsp. iremyceticus ZIMET 43615, which showed a changed spectrum of secondary metabolites. The main component isolated from the fermentation broth was a pure anthracycline evidenced by TLC. By means of acid hydrolysis, identification of the degradation products and also by spectroscopic UV/VIS-, IR-, MS-, 1H/13C-NMR- and CD-investigations with intact anthracycline the structure 7-(alpha-L- rhodosaminyl )-beta- rhodomycinon with the absolute configuration 7S, 9R , 10R was found. The anthracycline called beta- rhodomycin -1 (1) exhibits antimicrobial and cytostatic activity in vitro and is also effective on tumour cells in tumour bearing animals.