INFLUENCE OF INCUBATION-TEMPERATURE ON PR ODUCTION OF EARTHY-MUSTY ODOR SUBSTANCES BY ACTINOMYCETES

In this paper, the influences of incubation temperature on the product ion of earthy-musty odour substances and their growth were investigate d using three Actinomycetes; Streptomyces griseofuscus Mikawa A strain , S. griseofuscus IFO 12870 strain and S. resistomyciticus var. Biwako B strain. In the temperature range of 20-37-degrees-C Mikawa A strain produced continuously a large amount of 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) an d geosmin at lower temperature. On the other hand S. griseofuscus IFO 12870 strain produced abundantly 2-MIB and geosmin at both low and hig h temperatures. S. resistomyciticus var. Biwako B strain produced a sm all amount of both substances compared with Mikawa A strain and IFO 12 870 strain, but the effect of incubation temperature was small. The op timum temperature for the Actinomycete growth by M agar plate culture was higher for IFO 12870 strain and Biwako B strain than for Mikawa A strain. When using liquid culture it was higher for Mikawa A strain an d IFO 12870 strain than for Biwako B strain. These results suggest tha t the amount of biosynthesis of protein enzymes related to earthy-must y odour production is dependent on the incubation temperature like man y other antibiotics. The optimum temperature for the earthy-musty odou r production is lower than the optimum temperature for their growth. T he optimum temperatures for several earthy-musty odour productions are not always the same even for the same kind of germs collected from di fferent plates.