Isolation and characterization of bulgecins, new bacterial metabolites with bulge-inducing activity.

Bulgecins A, B and C, new bacterial metabolites which induce the formation of bulges by cooperation with beta-lactam antibiotics, were isolated from the culture broth of Pseudomonas mesoacidophila. The three components, separated by column chromatography on QAE-Sephadex A-25, are water-soluble acidic compounds containing a sulfate group in the molecule. Acid hydrolysis showed that D-glucosamine and a new proline derivative are common constituents of the three components. In addition, taurine and beta-alanine are constituents of bulgecins A and B, respectively.