HP17, a new pigment-like antibiotic produced by a new strain of Spirillospora

Spirillospora strain 719 produces several antibiotics. On solid and liquid media, a deep red pigment is formed and diffuses throughout the culture. It was extracted with methanol from the mycelium cake and from the fermentation broth after precipitation at pH 2 and purified using TLC and HPLC. Its u.v. absorption spectrum and its physicochemical characteristics place this antibiotic in the 3.3.2.2.8 of the Berdy et al. classification. In most respects, it resembles proteinaceous pigment from Spirillospora 1655 and 1309-b that was studied and named spirillomycin. However, HP17 differs from spirillomycin principally in molecular weight and chemical nature.