[Changes in the level of bacitracin synthesis in autolysin-resistant strains of Bacillus licheniformis].

Production of bacitracin by Bac. licheniformis 1001 and its spontaneous autolysin resistant variants was studied. It was found that the antibiotic activity of some variants was 1.5--2 times higher than that of the initial strain. No differences in the activity of serine exoprotease in the initial strain and resistant variants were observed. The latter variants lost their resistance to autolysis in 2--3 subcultures on solid and liquid nutrient media. their antibiotic activity in these cases decreased to the control level. The study indicates that there is a phenomenologic relation between the autolytic and antibiotic activities of Bac. licheniformis. The nature of the relation is not known yet. Possibly, it is due to changes in the specific metabolic steps connected with regulation of bacitracin synthesis.