Incorporation of sarcosine into the actinomycins synthesized by Streptomyces antibioticus

Abstract

The addition of sarcosine to cultures of S. anti-bioticus, growing on a chemically defined medium, results in the incorporation of the amino-acid in the sarcosine portion of the actino-mycins. Sarcosine is utilized as a source of glycine for the synthesis of protein. In the absence of sarcosine from the fermentation medium, glycine provides the aminoacetic moiety and methionine the methyl group of the sarcosine of the antibiotic.