Kedarcidin, a new chromoprotein antitumor antibiotic. I. Taxonomy of producing organism, fermentation and biological activity.

Strain L585-6 (ATCC 53650) is an actinomycete isolated from a soil sample collected in Maharastra State, India. It produces a new chromoprotein antitumor antibiotic, designated kedarcidin. Taxonomic studies demonstrated that strain L585-6 is an unidentified and unknown actinomycete. Kedarcidin shows potent antitumor activity against implanted P388 leukemia (3.3 micrograms/ml/kg) and B16 melanoma (2 micrograms/kg) in mice. Kedarcidin also shows potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria but no activity against Gram-negative bacteria.