Abstract
IN a recent treatise on the actinomycetes Waksman1 suggests that the glucosidic antibiotics, streptothricin, streptomycin and neomycin, are constituents of the cell wall of the organisms producing them. Apart from their polysaccharide-like structure the main reason for this contention is the report of Perlman and Langlykke2,3—that streptomycin is released from the mycelium by extraction with acid, alkali and neutral salts, but not by physical disintegration. Actually these results can be explained by the union of antibiotic and nucleic acids to form insoluble but readily dissociable complexes, as I demonstrated in some unpublished work carried out several years ago.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Waksman, S. A., The Actinomycetes, 1, 163, 242 (Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, 1959).
Perlman, D., and Langlykke, A. F., Abstract, 116th Meeting Amer. Chem. Soc., 18A, 19A (1949).
Perlman, D., Bot. Rev., 19, 46 (1953).
Donovick, R., Bayan, A. P., Canales, P., and Pansy, F., J. Bact., 56, 125 (1948).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
GWATKIN, R. Are Glucosidic Antibiotics, such as Neomycin, Part of the Actinomycete Cell Wall?. Nature 193, 279–280 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1038/193279a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/193279a0
This article is cited by
-
Microbial growth and production of antibiotics
Folia Microbiologica (1978)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
