Antifungal Antibiotics Produced By Micromonospora

Screening for novel antifungal antibiotics was performed from 500 strains of Micromonospora isolated from different types of soil samples. One strain Micromonospora sp. FIM 99-663 with antifungal activity was selected. Based on the taxonomic data, the strain was identified as Micromonospora carbonacea FIM 99-663. The culture broth of FIM 99-663 contained A, B and C three bioactive components by HPLC analysis. Component A and B were trace and major component C was extracted and purified. The physico-chemical properties and spectra of component C showed it was identical with known antifungal antibiotic neorustmicin. However, this is the first report that rustmicin group antibiotics were produced by Micromonospora carbonacea FIM 99-663. Rustmicins are the specific inhibitors of inositol phosphoceramide (IPC) synthetase which only exists in fungal cells and in future they would be developed as powerful and low toxicity antifungal antibiotics.