Glaucescin, a bacteriocin-like substance from Streptomyces glaucescens

Abstract

Streptomyces glaucescens ETH 22794 produced a variety of antibiotic substances. Besides low molecular weight antibiotics like hydroxystreptomycin and the tetracenomycins, this strain excreted glaucescin, a high molecular weight product with bacteriocin-like properties. In plate tests the antagonism of glaucescin against Streptomyces canadiensis was masked by the large inhibition zone caused by the tetracenomycins. Glaucescin activity was revealed when a tetracenomycin-resistant mutant of S. canadiensis NRRL 3155 was used as an indicator. Glaucesin was produced on complex and minimal solid and liquid media. It was not inducible by mitomycin C. The killing activity of glaucescin was thermolabile and resistant to DNAase, RNAase, various proteinases, and lipase. Its apparent molecular weight was estimated as 196000 by gel filtration and glycerol gradient centrifugation. Glaucescin preferentially killed outgrowing spores of S. canadiensis. Resting spores and mycelium were considerably less sensitive to the inhibitor, and adsorption of glaucescin by S. canadiensis paralleled sensitivity. The activity spectrum of the bacteriocin was restricted to spore-forming Actinomycetales. Non spore-forming nocardiae and a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were resistant to glaucescin.