[Aminoglycoside acetyltransferase from Streptomyces fradiae--a producer of neomycin].

An enzyme inactivating aminoglycosides by acetylation was isolated from S. fradiae 918 producing neomycin. By the data on the substrate specificity the enzyme was identified as aminoglycoside-3-acetyltransferase. Localization of aminoglycoside-3-acetyltransferase in the cells of the culture was determined. The enzyme could be detected in the spores and mycelium of S. fradiae already at the early hours of the fermentation process. The enzyme was not detected in the fermentation broth filtrate. The activity of aminoglycoside-acetyltransferase did not depend on the cultivation conditions providing different antibiotic production levels.