Intra- and interspecific cosynthetic activity of mutants of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus and Streptomyces galilaeus impaired in the biosynthesis of anthracyclines.

Cosynthesis of anthracycline compounds was followed in five phenotypic groups of mutants of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus (A--E), blocked in the biosynthesis of the daunomycine complex, and in two mutant types of Streptomyces galilaeus (F, G) blocked in the biosynthesis of glycosides of epsilon-pyrromycinone and aklavinone. Glycosides of daunomycinone and 13-dihydrodaunomycinone were produced in combinations A+B, A+C, A+D, A+E and A+F, epsilon-rhodomycinone was synthesized in combinations A+E, A+F, B+E and B+F. During the cultivation of types B--E with type G or F non-anthracycline compounds, typical of S. galilaeus, were cosynthesized. No cosynthesis could be observed in other combinations of the mutant types. Negative results were also obtained with combinations of mutants of the same group and during cultivation of all mutant types with streptomycetes not producing anthracyclines. A scheme illustrating metabolic pathways leading to the biosynthesis of daunomycinone, aklavinone, epsilon-rhodomycinone in S. coeruleorubidus and S. galilaeus was constructed.