[Effect of lincomycin on its own producer, Actinomyces roseolus, during prolonged passage on a liquid culture medium].

Act. roseolus rapidly lost its antibiotic activity on passages in liquid media. Degeneration with respect to the antibiotic production property was accompanied by changes in the physiological and morphological characteristics. The culture became low differentiated during the whole developmental cycle. The capacity of the ribosomes for formation of the polysomes and aggregation was decreased or completely lost. The developmental cycle of the culture was shortened because of earlier autolysis and limited formation of the daughter microcolonies. Lincomycin retarded the rate of these changes. The culture preserved its morphological similarity with the initial strain and its viability increased. Therefore, lincomycin promoted some stabilization of the properties of the culture during its passage.