[Use of analogs of primary metabolites in the selection of the producer of polymyxin B].

A number of amino acids were found to have effects on the growth of the polymyxin B-producing culture and biosynthesis of the antibiotic by it. Of special importance was the stimulating effect by methionine. Four selection stages were carried out with using structural analogs of purines and amino acids as selective factors. There were no stable variants with increased antibiotic productivity among the mutants resistant to the analogs of purines and leucine. The levels of polymyxin B accumulation by the variants resistant to 4-fluorophenylalanine were 30 to 50 per cent higher than those in the controls and the variants were characterized by low morphological and antibiotic production variation in the subcultures. The mechanisms of the methionine physiological effect and the prospects of using analogs of the primary metabolites in improvement of the culture producing polymyxin B are discussed.