[Variability of beta-1,3/1,4-glucanglucanohydrolase-forming Streptomyces narbonensis induced by UV rays and mitomycin...

The effect of mitomycin C and UV on spores before germination and two hours after it was investigated with Streptomyces narbonensis 2a producing beta-1,3/1,4-glucanglucan hydrolase (beta-glucanase). The lethal effect of mitomycin C on the germinating spores was considerably greater than that on the spores. The mutagenic activity of mitomycin C was closely related to the process of spore germination. The frequency of mutations was higher when mitomycin C acted on germinated spores. UV caused a lesser frequency of morphological mutations than mitomycin C did. The action of UV produced mutants which synthesized beta-glucanase of the exotype in the course of fermentation in a medium without an inductor.