REGULATION OF BIOSYNTHESIS OF SECONDARY METABOLITES .X. METABOLIC COMPLEMENTATION OF BLOCKED MUTANTS OF STREPTOMYCES AUREOFACIENS

During mixed cultivation of pairs of blocked mutants of Streptomyces aureofaciens which differed both mutually and from parent strains in their biosynthetic activity, four types of metabolic complementation were found. In two cases cosynthesis of original metabolites, produced by parents strains (tetracycline antibiotics or biologically inactive substance A), was observed, other pairs of mutants produced new biologically inactive substances during mixed cultivation chromatographically different from the metabolites of the parent strains and both complementary mutants. The metabolites onbtained differed, with one exception, from substances produced by other types of mutants. Their yields were always dependent on the volume ratio the of two components in mixed culture. The results of cosyntheti experiments confirmed the biosynthetic homogeneity of most mutant groups, created by classification based on morphological and biochemical characteristecs. The mechanism of mutual influence of individual partners during cosynthesis is diseussed. © 1969 Academia, nakladatelství Československé akademie věd.