New antibiotic-producing streptomycetes, selected by antibiotic resistance as a marker. II. Features of a new antibiotic-producing clone obtained after fusion treatment.

A new antibiotic-producing Streptomyces strain SK2-52 obtained by a protoplast fusion treatment between Streptomyces griseus NP1-1 and S. tenjimariensis NM16 showed taxonomical features identical with those of S. griseus. The strain resistant to wider range of aminoglycoside antibiotics than the parental strains. This multiple resistance corresponded to the activities of streptomycin kinase and acetyltransferase which were probably derived from S. griseus NP1-1. Clones with fast-growth and reduced antibiotic productivity frequently segregated from strain SK2-52, while their antibiotic resistance was stable. The results suggest that the fusion treatment caused a genetic change in S. griseus which enhanced the expression of genes for unique multiple resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics and also induced new antibiotic production.