Alcohol-induced switching over of metabolic flux in Streptomyces noursei JA0 3890b.

Short-chain alcohols, benzyl alcohol and Tween 20 were found capable of switching over the metabolic flux in Streptomyces noursei JA 3890b from the preference of oxidative deamination of alanine towards the reinforced acquisition of NH4+. These changes were correlated to the decrease of the ratio of saturated to olefinic fatty acids in the mycelium, suggesting that alcohols and other polar lipophilic compounds can interfere with the biosynthesis and the function of the cytoplasmic membrane in Streptomyces.