Role of streptomycin in the life of Streptomyces griseus: streptidine-containing fractions in the cell walls of Streptomyces griseus strains

Abstract

Streptidine was isolated from the cell wall and mycelia of a Streptomyces griseus strain that did not produce streptomycin. Streptidine probably exists as a complex with arginine and other Sakaguchi- and ninhydrin-positive compounds. Hydrolyzing these compounds with 6 N HCl for 20 hours released streptidine, arginine, threonine, serine, and alanine. A method is presented for the separation of streptidine from arginine.Streptidine was also found in the cell wall of a streptomycin-producing S. griseus strain. These facts support a hypothesis that streptidine plays a role in the cell wall structure of S. griseus.