Junji Hosoda

NOCARDICIN A, A NEW MONOCYCLIC β-LACTAM ANTIBIOTIC

Nocardicin A is a new monocyclic beta-lactam antibiotic obtained from the fermentation broth of a strain of actinomycetes. The producing organism, strain WS 1571, was identified as Nocardia uniformis subsp. tsuyamanensis ATCC 21806. The antibiotic, obtained as colorless crystals, exhibits moderate in vitro antibacterial activity against a broad-spectrum of Gram-negative bacteria including Proteus and Pseudomonas. It has low toxicity in laboratory animals.

Studies on Substances Active on the Behavior of Planarian:Part I. Production of trans -3-Methylthioacrylic Acid and 3-Methylthiopropionic Acid by Microorganisms

Substances which acted on the behavior of planarian were searched for, and two active components were isolated from culture broth of Streptomyces sp. 340. They were identified as trans-3-methylthioacrylic acid (MTAA) and 3-methylthiopropionic acid (MTPA).It was found that many Streptomyces and some fungi accumulated MTAA, and many Streptomyces, fungi, bacteria and yeasts accumulated MTPA when the microorganisms were grown in the medium containing methionine.