[Postradiation effect of caffeine on the producer of mycoheptin, Streptoverticillium mycoheptinicum].

The modifying effect of caffeine on irradiated spores of Streptoverticillium mycoheptinicum, producing mycoheptin was found. Postradiation treatment of the strain O883: spores with caffeine resulted in decreased survival of the spores proportionally to the radiation dose increase and postradiation caffeine treatment. An increase in the frequency of the morphologically changed colonies, as well as the low and highly active variants with respect to mycoheptin production was observed. The effect may be explained by the fact that caffeine possibly inhibited the reparation process in the irradiated spores of the strain tested. The method of postradiation treatment of the spores of the mycoheptin-producing organism with caffeine which provided selection of highly active variants by the antibiotic production with the use of definite doses may be considered promising in selection of actinomycetes.