Andrew J. Moyer, R. Coghill
Mar 1, 1947
Citations
1
Influential Citations
52
Citations
Journal
Journal of Bacteriology
Abstract
As penicillin chemistry unfolded during the early days of production development, it soon became evident that there existed more than one compound having the pharmacological and bactericidal properties associated with the name "penicillin." American workers had isolated a pure crystalline penicillin (G) which was characterized by the benzyl radical and which yielded phenylacetic acid as a degradative product, whereas the crystalline penicillin isolated by the English workers (penicillin F) contained the A-2-pentenyl radical and yielded no phenylacetic acid on degradation, A-3-hexenoic acid being obtained in its place (Committee on Medical Research, Office of Scientific Research and Development, Washington; and the Medical Research Council, London). It was of interest, therefore, to ascertain the effect of adding phenylacetic acid to the culture medium in or upon which the mold was grown. Two possibilities were anticipated, both based on the assumption that the mold could use the phenylacetic acid as a building stone for the penicillin molecule. If this supposition were true, it would follow that (a) yields would be increased if synthesis of phenylacetic acid by the mold were the bottleneck in its penicillin production, and (b) the penicillin G:penicillin F ratio would be increased. The experiments described below show that the total penicillin yield was increased in both surface and submerged cultures, but no marked change in the ratio of penicillin types could be demonstrated as being due to phenylacetic acid.'