Role of phosphatases in the biosynthesis of chlortetracycline in Streptomyces aureofaciens.

ATP diphosphohydrolase activity and inorganic pyrophosphatase reached two maxima during cultivation of the low- and high-producing variant of Streptomyces aureofaciens under conditions of phosphate limitation, i.e. after 30 and 70 h of cultivation. Increased levels of inorganic phosphate in a medium inhibitory to biosynthesis of chlortetracycline markedly decreased the levels of both enzymes. The ATP diphosphohydrolase activity was detected both in the supernatant and membrane fractions of the cell-free preparation of the mycelium.