The Production, Assay, and Antibiotic Activity of Actidione, an Antiobiotic from Streptomyces griseus

Abstract

Information is given concerning the production, assay, and antibiotic activity of actidione and streptomycin from S. griseus vary independently of each other with changes in the composition of the culture medium and that a mutation which decreases the production of actidione may or may not have the same effect upon the production of streptomycin. Actidione was assayed by an agarplate method with Saccharomyces pastorianus ATCC 2366 as the test organisms. The assay is characterized by a marked inoculum size effect. Antibiotic spectra are given for bacteria, yeasts, and fungal pathogens of man. Actidione was inactive against the bacteria tested and highly active against certain yeasts, including the fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans. There is a marked species difference in respect to the acute toxicity of actidione in animals. The LD50 varies from 2.5 mg. per kg. for rats to 150 mg. per kg. for mice.